8 Magic Pirate Items

[1] Lobster Plate - +1 Magic Armor
Bright red and orange, knobby, worn over the torso. This offers exceptional protection the back especially; sneak attacks can only deal normal damage against whoever wears this armor- no critical strikes can hit them. Also, magic or skill-based powers that can remove this armor don't work, unless the wearer is at least halfway submerged in water. This armor is as protective as plate armor, with +1 AC.

Once worn by a paranoid captain who feared a mutiny.

[2] Ivory Putty Jar
Carved from the base of a great whale's tusk- this smooth container has a well fitting cap to keep out air. Inside, it contains a great few fistfulls of wood colored putty which can be smeared onto wood and breaks in a ship's hull. The putty merges with the boards there, gaining their woodgrain and becoming indistinguishable from the natural wood that once made up whatever it is repairing.

The jar magically regrows the putty inside over time; it only greats a spoonful or so every turn, meaning it will take a long time to recharge. But with this jar, a ship can be repaired much easier and with needing less stops. If a full jar is used during a ship to ship chase or combat, you can recover a ship's hull by 1d6 hit points over an exploration turn of patching the worst leaks and breaks.

[3] Green Gel Lantern
Silver framed glass egg filled with green goop. The goop is inert unless heated by a flame- the tiny fixture for placing a small candle underneath must be lit for the lantern to function. The lantern is always carried with a thick wool bag that can be thrown over it to cover up its light.

The goop emits a massive amount of ghostly green light- the gel lantern essentially multiples the amount of light given off by a flame by a hundred times over. The green light is enough to act as a beacon to other ships, or to illuminate the entire deck from the poop- use a baseline of 80 feet of bright light. The lantern also grants magical protection- anyone carrying it gains +2 to spell saves against any spell cast on them within the green light.

The gel inside the green gel lantern has a secondary power. If heated, the glowing goop can be consumed by a creature to make them shed light of 10 feet and become immune to all magical spells and take half damage from magical blasts, damage from weapons, and dragon breathe for the next six combat rounds. Every time some of this gel is consumed in this way; reduce its bright-light radius by -5 feet permanently.

[4] Scarf of Tailwind
It's a long waving red scarf. Whoever wears it can control which way the wind blows; the scarf's tail always majestically waving towards the wearer's new desired direction. The strength of this wind is between a cool breeze and stiff blowing- perfect for sailing, but it cannot beat a storm. It can also quell the wind, causing the scarf to hang down limply.

There is no "cooldown" or curse associated with this magic item. That's probably why some obsessed pirate captain beheads anybody who is wearing a scarf and steal them for his collection- he's trying to find the "one".

[5] Rock of Rismorses
This rock is shaped like a small step pyramid, but more smooth. It was apparently formed by natural forces, except with a few small ridges of tiny notches curved along its surface. This rock must be owned by a pirate captain who can cast spells; because this rock is actually a spellbook.

The rock has three spells etched into it, requiring a small meditation ritual of about a turn to read & prepare by tracing your finger along.

Gulp of Sand - 1st level Conjuration
Causes a mouthful of sand to "come up" from the mouth of whatever the caster points at. It can be a statue, a person (causing them to cough and wasting an action), an animal (making them spit out anyone they have caught in their jaws), and so on. The amount of sand is enough to fill the mouth of the "mouth", and as such a massive statue or huge creature could eject a massive dune of sand.

Anchor - 2nd level Transmutation
Makes anything in the water burdened as though weighed down by an "anchor". This anchor will adjust for the size and weight of the target, but will be roughly enough to keep it from being blown away by the wind, but not enough to cause it to sink. Things with little buoyancy may be dragged under instead. This anchor weight is invisible, but will always hang from the central bottom point of the floating object, and could be "cut" by a magic sword or another spell.

Any aquatic creature or vessel moves as though heavily encumbered, damaged, or having no wind in its sail. You must be within shouting distance to cast this spell on something.

Cant of Survival - 3rd level Abjuration
This spell is a hymn that effects everyone who can hear it. The caster must chant the words without stopping, and can perform no other actions but casting this spell while it is active. While listening to this song, taking damage that would kill you instead reduces you to 1 Hit Point. Every round somebody should have died, the caster must make a saving throw vs magic to continue the spell, else it stops. Every time the caster succeeds this save; make it +1 harder on the next roll until this casting of the spell ends.

These spells are mostly incidental for this stone to have- it's real value as a magical treasure is that it is a rock that floats! It isn't hollow or anything- it just floats in water, so you won't lose it when it gets thrown off the side of the ship.

[6] The Everlemon
An eternally bitter, sweet, juicy lemon. You'll find this as a half of a lemon; it never "heals" itself but it doesn't dry out or lose its flavor- it is always exactly as fresh as a ripe lemon sliced down the middle. If you suck on it, protects you from scurvy. You can also juice it once per day to create another "scurvy ration" for somebody else, or store it to make a lemonade base for potions.

The first half is owned by a pirate somewhere- somebody you rob. The second half is being ever-digested in the belly of a kraken somewhere else.

[7] Godless Finger
Finger of an renowned atheist, thief, war profiteer, and temple-sacker. It is kept in a small box and wrapped in black cloth. The finger never rots, but never bleeds either. If the finger is touched to a holy object, it sizzles and burns, letting you identify items consecrated or blessed with divine power. If the item is demonic, the finger might caress it instead.

Additionally; the finger (index finger of the left hand of a human) can be cleanly stitched to your own hand if you remove the matching finger. The moment you do this, you gain its powers and can identify holy or unholy items. You also gain all of the thief skills of a 3rd level thief, and can use their saves in any category if they are better then yours. If you are already a Rogue/Thief, you treat all of your skills and saves as though you were one level higher. However, you can no longer benefit from divine magic- you cannot be healed and conjured food or water turns to dust in your mouth.

[8] Ballast from the Bay
Not one magic item, but an uncountable many. The "ballasts" are grains of sand from a yellow beach in some part of the world, long since forgotten and unimportant. These grains of sand obey the words of the owner much like a dog. They hate to be separated and the sand will form into a cloud or slither like a large snake over land to be reunited with their "owner". The sand can rapidly duplicate itself or shrink in number; going from a small dune to a powdery handful in about one turn worth of shrinking or duplicating. 

You can also order the sand to "attack" people, which it does mostly be just rushing at them or pouring over them- it has no concept of choking people or sand-blasting their eyes. It can do a maximum of one damage per round, but it could weigh somebody down pretty heavily if it got into their bags. It is terrified of water and will never intentionally sink a ship, and cannot fly over any standing water- even a few droplets make it scared. If told to defend you, it would grant +1 AC vs melee attacks and +3 AC vs ranged attacks or magic blasts, except electricity. Any electrical blast that hits this sand causes it to fall to the ground and wiggle and dune-about in a spasm. This is apparently similar to rubbing a dog's belly, but for sand.

Due to its separation anxiety, and inability to actually help any bloodthirsty pirates who come to posses it, it is usually told to stay on the bottom of the ship and act as a ballast, hence the name. Even so, using it for this purpose is enough to grant a big advantage- any ship with a ballast like this would require no anchor, can turn on a dime, and can quickly lose weight to gain speed faster then crewmen dumping cannonballs or less important crewmen off the sides of the ship. Treat any ship related rolls or checks as +1 and the cargo space of the ship expanded by a few barrels or crew-space worth.

The ballast is animated sand but has a certain level of animal cleverness to it. It treats whoever has recently sat on it the longest as its master. Masters who mistreat it (trying to make it carry them over water, burning it and sending it at enemy ships as an attack, etc.) are likely to find it abandoning them by shoving a few of its grains into the stitching of another person's pants- so eventually they will have "sat" on it the longest.

Glove of Tanner

Glove of Tanner - +1 Magic Glove
Stats- +1 AC

This is a magic glove. It's made of leather, roughly stitched. This glove is infused with a sort of sense of regal humility, a down to earth honesty, and tried-and-trueness that makes it a reliable piece of equipment, despite its appearance. Despite only being made of leather and only being a single glove; grants +1 AC as long as you have it on your hand.

The glove provides two effects. The first is that if you physically touch a humanoid being with it during a reaction check (handshake, clap on the shoulder, etc.) the reaction check cannot roll a result lower then a 7 or neutral reaction.

The second is that the glove provides +1 To-Hit with all one handed weapons or daggers held in the hand. It is not two gloves, just one, and it is a left glove.

Magic Knight Armor Generator

In my games, I like to run a more Iron-Age sort of tech level. Chainmail, scale, and lamellar armor are the most powerful types of standard armor. Anything like platemail would be an incredibly rare, very powerful type of armor only found as semi-magical items. Note: The “Cultural Origin” table can mean the smith, or whoever he was making the armor for.

Instead of granting a +X bonus to AC based on the type of armor, very high quality armor instead sets your AC to a certain level. You can't go above it unless your maximum AC can go higher, and you won't drop below it unless the armor is destroyed or magically nullified. For most of these, they will exceed even a Fighter's maximum AC at 5^th level (AC 17)

Roll once for each category.

Armor Type – 1d4

[1] Brigandine (AC 17)- Heavy jacket with interior plates. Less protective then others.

[2] Piecemeal Suit (AC 18)- Cuirass, pauldrons, graves, connected by chain mail fabric.

[3] Fullplate (AC 19)- Full metal covering with joints. Tight and snug fit.

[4] Oversized (AC 20, Load +1)- Huge metal plates, sometimes fitted with geometric shapes.

Armor Material – 1d8

[1] Dwarf Steel (+1 AC, +1 Load) Extremely heavy, well forged, you'd better be thickly built.

[2] Meteorite (Blocks 1^st level spells) Alloy of metal that falls from the sky. Shimmers oddly.

[3] Sacred Copper (Immune to Corrosion/Acid) Has a greenish tint, strong as ever.

[4] Dark Iron (No stealth penalties) Dark colored metal, forged deep within the Earth.

[5] Spunsteel (-1 Load, +1 to saving throws) Like a cross of metal and fabric, but not chainmail.

[6] Ancient's Bronze (+1 to hit and damage with your attacks) Imbued with martial might.

[7] Megalith Bones (Beasts get -2 morale) Crafted from the remains of a powerful beast.

[8] Mood Metal (Restore 1 hit point per Turn) Blobs of color float along its surface, glows and changes with the user's mood and life aura. Dull gray when not worn.

Cultural Origin – 1d8

[1] Orc (Can be used as 1d6 battering ram weapon on charge) Adorned with spikes.

[2] Dwarf (Repairs cost half) Each part is removable for easy cleaning and repairing.

[3] Lion Man (+1 initiative to wearer) Imbued with fighting courage. Fluffy mane.

[4] Satyr (-1 Load, Immune to Entangling Roots) Made for a half goat person; no greaves since they have hooves. Any ability related to the Boots or Feet is done with long spurs instead.

[5] Draconian (Immune to Fire damage) Internal bands of conductive metal, radiates heat.

[6] Triton (No swimming penalty, buoyant) Texture of scales, gill slits in neckbrace. Rustproof.

[7] Giant (Size modding, +2 to saves vs tripping) Built for giants who change size all throughout their lives. Can grow or shrink and the armor will morph with you.

[8] Human (Banner adds +1 morale to troops; Banner can only be removed on death) Has a space on the back to fit a banner or standard- flies high over the head of soldiers.

Armor Special Power – 1d12

[1] Cannot be hit by non-magical weapons.

[2] Jump 50% higher and farther.

[3] Run 50% faster.

[4] Undead who touch you must save or be Turned. Once per each creature.

[5] Once per day day can reflect one attack or spell back to an enemy.

[6] Several holsters, sheathes, and compartments. Secretly holds 4 items without encumbrance.

[7] Once per day can conjure mist cloud. Hides you from arrows, move invisibly, etc.

[8] Feet braces can lock in place. If locked down, cannot be shoved from your position.

[9] Passive Waterwalking. You sink if any part but the sabatons touch the water.

[10] Gorget has holes which release steam as an attack by pressing secret switch. Deals 1d4 in a cone. Water tank is in the back; partially refills with sweat over a long battle.

[11] Bang your fist against the chest to reveal an armor gnome. He grumbles and will fix the armor for you, as well as shine it. Extremely reluctant to do anything else for you.

[12] Standing still makes you appear as a statue or armor mannequin. Silences breathing. If you speak in this form, your voice is disembodied and sounds like its coming “from everywhere”.

Armor Design & Appearance – 1d8

[1] Extremely smooth, almost appears sculpted from liquid. Looks like alien technology in a way.

[2] Culturally ornamented. Triton armor has shells, dwarf armor has inscribed tankards, etc.

[3] Holy armor. Made fit to adorn a temple. Prayers and holy symbols all over- golden gilding.

[4] Well worn by years of use, straps replaced. Could have been made that way; as camouflage.

[5] Brutish and spartan. Riveted into shape. Might have been produced in a rush.

[6] Family heirloom. Family Crest on chest. Mask is shaped as an honored ancestor.

[7] Intensely colorful. Many-patterned cloth comprises the outside, matching cape.

[8] It's bare metal of an unusual shade from its alloy composition. Polished with spit.

(Optional) Matching Helmet & Crest Table – 1d8

Roll	Helmet	Crest
1	Mongol Hat	Feathered plume, as tall as a Halfling
2	Frogmouth	Leaf made of gold, welded on
3	Bascinet w/ Triangular Mask	Holy Symbol
4	Sallet	Tiny silver dolphin
5	Legionnaire	Lion's pelt drapped over helmet
6	Conical cap	Long tassel or turban
7	Kettle hat	Spike point
8	Barbute	Horns or Antlers

The Flaming Veil

The Flaming Veil – Magic Veil

Ego- 7

Stats- +2 AC, Fire Immunity, Reserve Weapon, Protection from Deserts, Flaming Breath

The Flaming Veil is a very powerful magical artifact. It is mostly worn by women, as men would think it to be a bit effeminate, but the object has no preference one way or the other. It can only be wielded by those with a powerful Ego. It appears as a gilded, lightweight silvery veil worn over the nose and lower half of the face, with a golden border where it is slipped on. It is made of a foreign metal; so lightweight to be as the finest silks but indestructible.

The Veil has several powers. It grants a bonus protection of +2 AC, and immunity to fire based spells, attacks, and dragon breath. It also grants protection from the desert heat and climate. You can ride a camel around naked all day and your skin will be flawless; no burns or heat from the sand or sun. It also makes it much easier to stay hydrated since you will not feel the intense heat and need to drink only a normal amount of water to survive in the desert lands where it is found.

Secondly, it has the power to draw forth a weapon from fiery ash out of nothing. Whenever the user holds out their hand, they can call forth a weapon they have burnt to ash whenever they wish. This weapon must be fully destroyed by fire, so it is usually reserved to be used with wooden or bone weapons; quarterstaves and bone knives are popular. This weapon is held in an extra-dimensional space until it is needed, and cannot be detected or destroyed.

Finally, the magical veil grants the power of fire breath. By pulling back the veil you can emit a torrent of flame in melee range that deals 2d6 fire damage. Enemies do not get a saving throw nor does armor (AC) grant any protection from this attack. However, enemies who know it is coming may attempt to attack you first to interrupt you when they see you reaching for the veil to pull it back. This power can be used once every dawn or dusk when it recharges. When this power is ready, the veil glows slightly orange, so enemy combatants will know to keep their distance when the flame is hot.

This Veil punishes those who are unworthy and attempt to use it very harshly. First, anyone who picks up or thinks of wearing the Veil will feel a wave of apprehension before doing so, making them feel as they are too uncouth or unworthy to wear it. Forcing yourself to wear it anyway causes the Veil to become red hot moments after being placed on your face, burning a very fine crosshatched pattern into your lips and cheeks- this permanent disfigurement requires strong magic to remove and deals 1d6 damage per round you keep it on your face while burning. 
The culture that remembers this magical artifact even has a name for this mark, which is ascribed to mark people who try to claim powers beyond their control. The word is 'majnundjinn' which means “fool who tries to wish for more wishes”.

Dumb Unnecessary AC Sources

AC rules where your characters have a base that is the same if they're wearing nothing or wearing normal clothes are a nice gameplay abstraction, but not super “realistic”. People wear clothes to protect themselves from the elements and from nature; your character is most vulnerable when nude! They shouldn't have the same AC as when they're wearing clothes. So...

For each one of these totally unnecessary rules you add, reduce the base AC of your game by -1

1. Shoes grant +1 AC when worn. Having your shoe sucked off by quicksand or destroyed means your feet are more vulnerable, making an easy target.
2. As long as you're wielding a melee weapon, gain +1 AC. You can use the weapon to parry and deflect blows. Alternatively, this only applies to weapons longer then a dagger.
3. If your character is fully clothed, add +2 AC. Reduce base AC by 2 instead of 1. Skimpy clothes like loincloths only grant +1 AC
4. Fighting with any kind of protection for your head (hat or helmet) grants +1 extra AC. You need this to keep the sun out of your eyes, and to avoid your hair being grabbed.
5. If you're fighting in a uniform or under war banner; you get +1 AC. Fighting with a group makes you more intimating and less likely to be singled out- zebra logic.
6. If your character is clean shaven or well groomed, they get +1 AC. Fighting while dirt or unwashed is a disadvantage, you're more likely to get caught on things or your own hair being used to grab and put you in a dangerous position.
7. If you're fighting in a lighting condition that favors you, gain +1 AC. This isn't exactly the same as a negative modifier to enemies striking you, you have better footing. Orcs and subterranean creatures get +1 AC in darkness, surface dwellers get +1 AC in light.
8. If you're dry, warm, and not savaged by the elements gain +1 AC. Characters who get wet or bogged down by flies or otherwise disadvantaged by nature carry this into combat. Bit of a play on the idea of using things like “Freezing cold” or “Wet” as a negative condition that fills an inventory slot, ala Skerples or Goblin Punch.

I have no idea why I wrote this. You could also use the above as a 1d8 table.

Helm of Two Waters

Helm of Two Waters

Ego- 5

Stats- Magical Metal Helmet, +3 AC when worn

The Helm of Two Waters is a magical helmet. It's made of a smooth, cool unknown metal with a blueish tint, and is imbued with the magic of water. It has a moderate Ego score. Those who attempt to use the helmet's powers without enough fighting spirit (at least a 5^th level fighter, or twice that level as a semi-fighting class) will find the rest of their equipment melting away and turning into fresh spring water or sickly foamy salt water, 50% chance of each. Also, each day it is worn by an unworthy person they must make a save or they will attempt to throw the helmet against their will into the largest body of water nearby.

The helmet is protective and adorned with seven mystic pearls. The central pearl is larger and more portent then the others. The metal of the helmet is quite strong, granting +3 AC, and is made of metals found only deep within the darkest ocean and forged by the mightiest river. The helmet is magically powerful and tied to both types of water; the fresh water of the spring, river, and lake as well as the salt water of the ocean. Brackish water from swamps and river deltas is considered half effective for the purposes of the helmets powers, where as unnatural water such as lakes and oceans in the skies or within other realms is simply not applicable with the helmet's powers.

When used near a source of fresh water, the Helmet can be used to commune with the creatures native to the biome. All creatures that spend most of their time near or in fresh water, like otters, river fish, crocodiles and so on have a +1 to reaction checks while you wear the helmet. Also by using the magic of the helmet, you can automatically succeed on checks regarding to keeping your footing and avoiding being swept away by a river or strong current. By focusing the helmet's power, you can also use the river or lake's force to propel yourself along, the sucking current taking other objects along with you. This power can be used once per day per pearl remaining inside the helmet. You can hold your breath underwater for up to 8 turns in a body of fresh water.

When used near a source of salt water, the Helmet can be used to commune with the creatures native to the biome. All ocean fish, whales, dolphins, and other sea-based life have a +1 to reaction checks while you wear the helmet. Additionally, you may summon a creature of the ocean with a maximum HD equal to or less then the number of pearls remaining in the helmet; summoned creatures can be only be called with an offering and are not bound to the wearer's will in any way, they must be appeased and bribed as any other creature. This power can only be used once per adventure. Also while wearing the helmet in ocean water, you swim as fast as a dolphin while in a body of salt water.

The pearls in the helmet are also magical. By extracting them with the proper tools and knowledge, which might require the hands of a Sage of level equal to this item's Ego (5) to extract. The pearls can be magically induced to turn into a cart-full of fresh drinking water, or pollute a body of water the size of a pond into salt water. The pearls can also be inserted into other items; using the pearl in a piece of jewelry grants +1 to saving throws related to swimming or drowning in the appropriate body of water, which is determined when the item is crafted. If put into a weapon, they can be used underwater without penalty, such as a sword which swings as well underwater as above it. Pearls used this way do not return, but over the item's long history new magical pearls found in lakes and the ocean have been a perfect match to replace the ones that are used by the Helmet's owners.

ASU- Combat

Last time I wrote about my homebrew ASU I gave the overly story game, narrative version of the combat system. While I'm still a fan of it I also have come to appreciate numerical systems of combat more, and can understand why many would want a more structured game. For both myself and others, I have an alternate set of rules for my basic rule system that works a little better for a tabletop game.

Combat Rules

Every round, each character must roll their class HD as their initiative dice. Higher numbers go first. If they roll a 6 or higher, they get advantage on their attack roll. If they roll a 10 or higher, they can either choose to deal double damage on their attack if they hit OR attack two separate enemies. Sages use d6, Rogues use d8, and Fighters use d10 for their combat dice.

To hit, roll 1d20 vs target's AC. Enemies have a base AC of 10 + modifiers from the creature itself, environmental elements like darkness, and fear or morale penalties. AC above 16 is meant to be very rare to avoid fights taking too long. On a hit, you roll your class die for damage. Sages deal 1d6 damage with all weapons, Rogues 1d8, and Fighters 1d10. You can only roll damage like this if you are armed with a real, functional weapon. Broken or improvised weapons may deal reduced damage, and unarmed attacks may deal only 1 damage or no damage at all. Weapons can be differentiated by weapon training, or by using the fiction. Skeletons still can't be hurt by arrows and such. Two handed weapons get to roll your damage die twice and taking the bigger result.

Hit Dice Rules

Characters roll their class HD at 1^st level and once every level after. Your minimum starting HP is 2, so if you roll a 1 you count it as a 2 instead for first level only. For every point of Constitution modifier, you roll additional hit dice each level and take the highest for positive or lowest for negative. This incentives players to consider playing as a Fighter if they roll high constitution as opposed to a Wizard in traditional D&D, as they will get much more out of that swingy d10 and take highest then much smaller range of the Sage's d6.

Monsters also use HD. Creatures with 10 HD are considered the most powerful, as the players cap at level 10. Monsters also use their number of HD as their initiative, meaning a highly powerful monster gets to go first more often. Some monsters break this rule, very fast creatures may be able to always go first or very slow creatures may always go last regardless of their HD. If a player exploits a monster's weakness or uses a hex to lower its HD temporarily, this would also lower its initiative and other tacked-on features of high HD, such as resistance to spells and so on.

Armor Rules

Each class has a maximum AC. Sages have 12, Rogues 14, and Fighters 16. Each piece of armor, dexterity bonus, weapon specialization bonus, and magical bonuses count towards but cannot exceed this limit. This means a very dexterous Fighter highly trained with parrying swords could wear no armor but yet have maximum AC, and a Sage could reach their maximum AC by just putting on gloves and a helmet.

There is also no class based armor restrictions; Sages can wear heavy metal plates if they choose, but their AC is still capped at 12 and each point of AC gained from heavy armor gives -1 to combat saves, so they will opt for something like a gambeson instead. This system does allow more freedom for characters overall; as an MU can now totally wear the metal skullcap that lets him see invisible creatures and, if it gives him maximum AC, can just wear robes for the rest of his outfit.

Ego Weapons

Magic weapons can seemingly have a mind of their own. They demand to be wielded by powerful warriors, and those without the skill or power to use them will be betrayed. Magic weapons have an Ego score which is the minimum point total the user must have to avoid being negatively impacted by the weapon or to avoid waking up one morning with the weapon vanished to find a worthy master.

Ego points are calculated by the user's class and charisma modifier. Each level as a Fighter class get +1 ego point, half fighters get +½ point per level, and non-fighting classes get no points. Each positive point of charisma modifier counts as +1 Ego point. If you meet the weapon's Ego score, you will not receive the negative impacts of the weapon or be betrayed by it when you need it most. If you have double the weapon's Ego score it may be imprinted on you and attempt to return to your if stolen, or cause its negative effect to happen on your aggressive if they try to turn it upon you.

10 Thicker Skins

[1] Special orange pumice stones from the southern deserts. Rubbing it along your skin lets you treat it as leather. 2 days after you use a stone, your skin peels and burns horribly, giving you -2 to all saves unless you spend a day resting.

Each stone can be bought for 100 coins.

[2] Sit under a waterfall and let the water flow on you while you meditate for 30 minutes. You can also use a fountain or a helper to pour water over you, but it takes twice as long.

As long as you keep mental focus and don't take damage, you can treat your skin's AC as chain. You can learn this from a wandering ronin.

[3] Gut and skin a forest boar by yourself. You have to kill it with a spear made of wood, the tip hardened in a fire, and twist the pig's innards around a sacred evergreen tree, then bury the boar's skin in a clearing.

As long as no human sets foot in that clearing, you may treat your skin's AC as chainmail.

[4] Druids of 4^th level and Barbarians of 9^th level or higher can anoint a 'champion' with war paint. The champion cannot wear any clothes or fight against the interests of the administer of the paint; else it wears off and the protection is lost.

While painted, the champion counts the AC of their skin as platemail.

[5] You must be accused of a minor crime that you did not commit. The crime's punishment must be humiliating and painful, but not serious enough for long term imprisonment or death.

After enduring your time in the stockade or getting flogged by children, your skin hardens as chainmail. This lasts until people have either naturally forgiven you or realize you aren't guilty.

[6] Spend a month in silent service to a blind crone. You must grab objects she reaches for, perform basic tasks, and help her get around without ever saying a word, explaining your purpose, or accepting any payment.

If you do, you receive AC as leather until she naturally passes away.

[7] Knighting Potion. Grants your skin AC as plate and makes anything you hold in your hands glow. Lasts for 3 exploration turns.

Requires the tears of a knight to create, which is required to get anyone to brew these for you. Also costs 400+ coins.

[8] Turtle-Kin race. Your 'skin' counts as chainmail until you reach name level, and then becomes as plate. You cannot get any bonuses from your dexterity score.

[9] Magus Shield. Whenever you are about to be attacked, you can 'burn' a spell to increase your AC by the spell level of the expended spell.

[10] Black mites can be poured onto your skin to infect you. Once infected, the user feels an incredible urge to drape raw meat on themselves for the mites to slowly eat inside their skin.

In return, the mites grant the subject AC as chainmail. The infected smells odd for as long as they carry the mites in their skin, and has an unreasonable fear of cleaning supplies & soap.