Salt & Steel: Item Base Types and Categories

Document type: Item Systems Design — Foundational
Status: Canonical
Last updated: 2026-04
See also: Modifier System | Currency System | Crafting Methods | GURPS Framework | Naval Systems

Overview

Every item in Salt & Steel begins as a base type: the chassis that defines what the item fundamentally is and what it can become. Base types are not neutral containers. They carry implicit identities — a specific damage type, a particular role in the game's mechanical ecosystem, a place in the GURPS damage taxonomy. A Cutlass and a Rapier both occupy the one-hand sword slot, but they are not the same weapon. They never will be. The difference between them is not just numbers; it is the difference between a slashing brawler's weapon and a duelist's precision instrument.

This document is the complete taxonomy of everything that can be equipped in Salt & Steel. It establishes base types, slot categories, rarity tiers, and the item level gating system that governs which modifiers can appear. Every other item design document depends on this one.

Design Principles for Base Types

1. The Base Type Is a Promise
Every base type makes a promise to the player about how it will feel. A Blunderbuss promises short-range devastation. A Musket promises long-range precision with punishing downtime. These promises are expressed through the implicit modifier, the item's movement speed penalty, and the GURPS damage type. A base type that doesn't make a clear promise is a failed base type.

2. GURPS Damage Types Create Genuine Weapon Identity
Salt & Steel uses GURPS wound modifiers (Cutting, Impaling, Crushing, Piercing, Burning) as the primary damage taxonomy, not elemental types. A Rapier (Impaling, ×2 wound multiplier, excellent vs. unarmored but stymied by DR) plays differently from a War Hammer (Crushing, ×1 wound multiplier but best for knockdown and armor penetration). This distinction is not cosmetic. Enemies have DR profiles that respond differently to each damage type. Enemy skeletons have high DR vs. Cutting (bones don't bleed) but vulnerability to Crushing. Enemy heavily armored guards are resistant to Impaling but susceptible to Cutting on exposed flesh.

3. No Weapon Is Objectively Best
The best weapon in any situation is the one optimally matched to that situation's demands. Fast, lightly armored opponents call for Impaling or Cutting. Undead call for Crushing. Armored enemies call for high-damage Crushing or Piercing at volume. The game is designed such that a player who commits to one damage type will encounter scenarios where a different type would serve them better — and will need to plan for those scenarios.

4. Item Level Gates Modifier Power
Items drop with an item level (ilvl) derived from the area in which they drop. Higher ilvl items can roll higher modifier tiers. An ilvl 20 Cutlass can never roll T1 modifiers that require ilvl 75. This creates the endgame item hunt: players seek ilvl 75+ base types in high-level content, then modify them into powerful items. Base type quality (armor rating, base damage, base speed) is fixed per base. Modifiers are layered on top.

Weapon Base Types

One-Hand Swords

Cutlass

GURPS Damage Type: Cutting (×1.5 wound multiplier; causes Bleed)
Tags: Sword, One-Hand, Slashing, Naval
Base Damage: sw+1 cut (Swing damage + 1, scales with ST)
Attack Speed: 1.0 (standard)
Implicit Modifier: +15% Cutting damage
Design Identity: The iconic pirate weapon. Wide, curved blade optimized for the cramped spaces of a ship deck and the slashing demands of boarding combat. No finesse required — this is the weapon you pick up and swing. Rewards aggressive attack styles; the Bleed secondary from Cutting damage makes it punishing against lightly armored opponents. Trades the Rapier's precision for reliability and accessibility. The default one-hand option for physical melee builds that don't specialize.
GURPS Note: Matches GURPS Low-Tech Cutlass stat: sw+1 cut or thr+1 imp. The Cutting use dominates in Salt & Steel's context; impaling secondary use still functional.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Black Dog's Edge — the cutlass of a captain who never lost a boarding action; stacks Bleed with each consecutive hit on the same target.

Rapier

GURPS Damage Type: Impaling (×2 wound multiplier, devastating vs. unarmored; excellent vs. vitals)
Tags: Sword, One-Hand, Thrusting, Dueling, Finesse
Base Damage: thr+1 imp (Thrust damage + 1, scales with DX and ST)
Attack Speed: 1.2 (faster than cutlass)
Implicit Modifier: +15% Critical Hit chance with Impaling attacks
Design Identity: The duelist's weapon. Long, slender blade built for precision thrusting — not slashing. Devastating against unarmored or lightly armored targets where the ×2 wound multiplier means two hits can incapacitate. Punishing to use against heavily armored enemies where DR neutralizes the impaling bonus. The Rapier rewards positioning, patience, and targeting weak points. Weapon Master (Blades) keystone enables Targeted Attack techniques that capitalize on Rapier's high precision.
GURPS Note: Parry at full Weapon skill (not ½+3) for Rapiers specifically in standard GURPS — a meaningful defensive advantage at high skill. This parity in Salt & Steel means Rapier builds can maintain offense-defense balance.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Surgeon's Answer — a naval surgeon's rapier; Impaling critical strikes cause Staggered condition.

Sabre

GURPS Damage Type: Cutting (×1.5 wound multiplier; causes Bleed) with Swing reach
Tags: Sword, One-Hand, Slashing, Cavalry, Officer
Base Damage: sw+1 cut (baseline identical to Cutlass)
Attack Speed: 0.95 (slightly slower, heavier blade)
Implicit Modifier: +10 Cutting damage (flat, local — heavier blade landing harder)
Design Identity: The naval officer's weapon of choice — between Cutlass and Rapier in bearing. Longer than a Cutlass with more reach. Associated with cavalry tradition; the sweep of a Sabre strike has more arc than a Cutlass chop. In Salt & Steel, the Sabre's implicit is flat damage rather than a multiplier, making it excel when combined with percentage modifiers on the Skill Atlas. An advanced weapon for players who understand the math; not the beginner's first choice.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Commission of the King's Navy — a Sabre that grants Reputation bonuses with Crown-aligned factions when carried openly.

One-Hand Axes

Boarding Axe

GURPS Damage Type: Cutting (×1.5 wound multiplier; causes Bleed) — also usable as tool
Tags: Axe, One-Hand, Slashing, Naval, Utility
Base Damage: sw+2 cut (higher base than swords — heavier head)
Attack Speed: 0.85 (slower swing)
Implicit Modifier: +20% damage against enemies that are Grappled or Stunned
Design Identity: Shipboard combat specialist. The boarding axe was historically used to cut rigging, pry open hatches, and fight in cramped spaces — its design is adaptive. In Salt & Steel, the Boarding Axe's implicit rewards opportunistic attacks on compromised enemies, synergizing with Wrestling/Grappling builds and stun-focused Crushing builds. Higher base damage than swords offsets the slower attack speed for hard-hitting builds. Also has non-combat utility (cutting ropes, opening locked doors in certain dungeon sequences).
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Abordage — a boarding axe that grants brief stun immunity to the wielder during boarding combat sequences.

Two-Hand Axes

Great Axe

GURPS Damage Type: Cutting (×1.5 wound multiplier; causes Bleed)
Tags: Axe, Two-Hand, Slashing, Heavy
Base Damage: sw+3 cut (highest Cutting damage in the game)
Attack Speed: 0.65 (slow)
Implicit Modifier: +25% damage when striking an enemy at full HP (opener damage bonus)
Design Identity: Pure damage delivery. No finesse, no subtlety — the Great Axe is built to open enemies with a single devastating swing. The opener bonus rewards ambush builds and builds that can repeatedly apply Stunned to reset the opener window. Paired with the Skill Atlas's All-Out Attack (Strong) stance, the Great Axe delivers the highest single-hit Cutting damage in the game. Requires two hands — no shield or off-hand weapon possible. Encumbrance penalty applies to lighter builds.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Bloodtide — a great axe that causes the Bleed from Cutting to deal doubled damage when the enemy is below 50% HP.

One-Hand Blunt

Mace / Club

GURPS Damage Type: Crushing (×1 wound multiplier; best knockdown; armor-penetrating at high velocity)
Tags: Mace, One-Hand, Crushing, Blunt, Non-lethal
Base Damage: sw cr (Swing damage, Crushing — same as ST base but no type bonus)
Attack Speed: 0.9 (moderate)
Implicit Modifier: +30% chance to cause Stagger (Stunned condition) on hit
Design Identity: The effective brute. Crushing damage excels against armored opponents because it transmits force through armor (DR still applies, but armor is less efficient against kinetic mass). Best weapon for non-lethal takedowns — a Maced enemy who reaches 0 HP is incapacitated rather than dead, enabling capture, interrogation, or leaving them alive per a Code of Honor build's requirements. High knockdown synergy with the GURPS HT knockdown system. The Mace is the choice of players who need prisoners alive or who build around Stagger-chain strategies.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Confession Maker — a belaying pin transformed into an artifact; enemies knocked unconscious by it can be interrogated regardless of language or faction.

Two-Hand Blunt

War Hammer

GURPS Damage Type: Crushing (×1 wound multiplier; but at high mass, becomes armor-negating)
Tags: Hammer, Two-Hand, Crushing, Heavy, Armor-Breaking
Base Damage: sw+4 cr (highest base Crushing damage)
Attack Speed: 0.6 (very slow)
Implicit Modifier: Attacks reduce target's DR by 2 for 6 seconds (stacking, max 3 times)
Design Identity: The armor destroyer. Where Cutting and Impaling weapons struggle against heavily plated opponents, the War Hammer's mass reduces their DR over time — making it the anti-armor specialist. The DR reduction is permanent for the duration of the encounter, meaning sustained War Hammer combat shreds even the most armored enemies into relevance. Slowest weapon in the game, requires ST investment to compensate, and two-hand commitment means no shield. The War Hammer player is a specialized counter-build that pays a tax everywhere except exactly where it excels.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Ironbreaker — a War Hammer with which three strikes of the DR reduction make enemies vulnerable to Impaling for the next 12 seconds.

Two-Hand Polearms

Pike / Halberd

GURPS Damage Type: Cutting AND Impaling (versatile — swing for cut, thrust for imp)
Tags: Polearm, Two-Hand, Reach, Versatile
Base Damage: sw+2 cut (swing mode) or thr+3 imp (thrust mode)
Attack Speed: 0.8 (moderate for a polearm)
Reach: 2 (can attack enemies one step further than standard)
Implicit Modifier: +20% damage against enemies that have not attacked yet this combat (first-strike bonus)
Design Identity: The reach weapon. Polearms in GURPS have Reach 1-2, meaning the wielder can strike enemies at distances that make most other weapons unable to reach the wielder. In Salt & Steel's real-time implementation, this translates to a larger effective attack radius — the player can hit incoming enemies before they close to melee range. The versatility of Cutting (swing) and Impaling (thrust) means the player can match the situation. The first-strike implicit rewards builds centered on positioning and keeping enemies at reach rather than closing to melee.
GURPS Note: Polearms cannot parry in GURPS without specific techniques; this is preserved in Salt & Steel as a penalty — Halberd builds must invest in Dodge as their primary defense.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Watch Captain's Pike — a halberd that grants Reach 3 against enemies attempting to board the player's ship.

Thrown and Versatile

Harpoon

GURPS Damage Type: Impaling (×2 wound multiplier) — when thrown, acts as large piercing (pi+)
Tags: Harpoon, Thrown, Melee, Versatile, Maritime
Base Damage: thr+2 imp (melee) or 2d pi+ (thrown, loses harpoon to recovery cost)
Attack Speed: 1.0 melee / 0.7 thrown (significant wind-up for throw)
Implicit Modifier: Thrown attacks have 30% chance to root the target for 2 seconds (harpoon line mechanic)
Design Identity: The most uniquely piratical weapon in the arsenal. A harpoon can be used as a spear in melee or hurled as a powerful one-shot ranged attack. The thrown version loses the harpoon (must be recovered from the body or a replacement consumed from inventory), creating a genuine resource decision: is this throw worth the item cost? The root mechanic represents the harpoon line catching — devastating against fleeing enemies or during ship-deck combat where mobility matters. A Harpoon build requires managing melee and throw resources simultaneously.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Kraken's Tooth — a harpoon fashioned from a giant squid's barb; thrown root duration increases to 5 seconds and deals corrosion damage over time.

Dagger / Knife

GURPS Damage Type: Impaling (×2 wound multiplier; fast, concealable)
Tags: Dagger, One-Hand, Thrusting, Fast, Concealable, Dual-Wieldable
Base Damage: thr imp (Thrust damage, scales with ST but lower than swords)
Attack Speed: 1.4 (fastest melee weapon in the game)
Implicit Modifier: +25% damage from behind or against Stunned/Grappled enemies (backstab bonus)
Design Identity: The weapon of the Ghost archetype. Highest attack speed, concealable (does not trigger faction guards' weapon detection at ports), and devastating from stealth or when an enemy is compromised. The backstab implicit rewards positioning discipline — a Dagger player who keeps enemies Stunned or approaches from behind can maintain the bonus consistently. Dual-wielding Daggers (requires Ambidexterity keystone) doubles the attack speed advantage, creating the fastest attack cadence in the game.
Main-Gauche variant: A Dagger configured as an off-hand parrying weapon. Block as per Parry value rather than Block value. Enables dual-wield defense + offense simultaneously.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Quiet Persuader — a dagger that adds a silence effect; enemies struck cannot call for reinforcements or use vocal abilities for 4 seconds.

Throwing Weapons (Category)

Subtypes: Throwing Knife (Impaling, small pi), Belaying Pin (Crushing, improvised), Hand Grenade / Grenado (Burning, area), Marlin Spike (Impaling, improvised)
Tags: Thrown, Consumable / Recoverable, Maritime
Design Identity: Supplement weapons and off-hand utility items rather than primary weapons. Throwing Knives fill the ranged gap while a pistol reloads. Belaying Pins are improvised (always available aboard ship) and non-lethal (Crushing). Grenados deal area Burning damage — the area-of-effect specialist. Recoverable vs. consumable distinction: Throwing Knives embedded in enemies can be recovered from bodies (85% chance); Grenados are consumed.
Implementation: Throwing Weapons occupy a secondary slot alongside the primary weapon. The player can switch between primary weapon and throwing attack on a shared cooldown system.

Ranged Weapons

All ranged weapons in Salt & Steel use GURPS's Piercing damage taxonomy. The GURPS wound modifier for Piercing varies by size: small piercing (×0.5), standard piercing (×1), large piercing (×1.5), huge piercing (×2). Firearms are the game's "burst damage" category: high damage per shot, slow reload, powerful but requiring build investment to mitigate downtime.

Flintlock Pistol

GURPS Damage Type: Large Piercing (pi+, ×1.5 wound multiplier)
Tags: Pistol, Ranged, Slow-Reload, One-Hand, Powder-and-Ball
Base Damage: 2d pi+ (2d6 large piercing)
Range: 20m effective / 200m maximum
Reload Time: 10 seconds (abstracted from GURPS's 15-turn reload)
Shots: 1 before reload
Implicit Modifier: +40% damage when fired at close range (within 5m); fires from draw with no aim penalty when Gunslinger keystone is active
Malfunction: On natural roll of 18 (3d6), misfire occurs — weapon unusable until cleared (3 seconds)
Design Identity: The execute weapon. A Flintlock Pistol is drawn for one devastating shot, then becomes a club (or is holstered and replaced by a second pistol). The close-range bonus rewards aggressive positioning — getting close enough to fire at point-blank transforms the pistol into the highest-per-hit damage option in the game. The 10-second reload punishes careless firing. Pairs with the "Brace of Pistols" strategy — multiple pistols cascaded for burst window extension.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Last Argument — a pistol with a fired case that reloads in 2 seconds if the bullet killed its target.

Brace of Pistols

GURPS Damage Type: Large Piercing (pi+, ×1.5 wound multiplier)
Tags: Pistol, Ranged, Multi-Shot, One-Hand, Powder-and-Ball
Base Damage: 2d pi+ per shot
Range: 20m effective
Shots: 3 (three pistols in brace, fired sequentially — right hand leads, left follows, then a cross-draw from the belt)
Reload Time: 30 seconds total (all three pistols, complex reload)
Implicit Modifier: Each subsequent shot in a brace volley deals +15% damage (escalating bonus: 1st shot normal, 2nd +15%, 3rd +30%)
Design Identity: The burst-window weapon. A Brace of Pistols extends the firing window from 1 shot to 3 before entering the full reload phase. This is the signature weapon of the "Pistoleer" archetype — the player who opens combat with three rapid shots before transitioning to melee. The escalating damage bonus rewards committing to the full brace rather than holding shots in reserve. A Brace of Pistols user with Gunslinger keystone and Dual Weapon Fighting has the highest burst damage per 30-second window in the game.
Historical Note: Historically, pirates carried multiple loaded pistols into boarding actions for exactly this reason — the brace is a period-accurate reload solution.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Gentleman's Answer — a matched brace with four shots; the fourth shot is always a critical hit if the first three all connected.

Musket

GURPS Damage Type: Large Piercing (pi+, ×1.5 wound multiplier)
Tags: Musket, Ranged, Long-Range, Two-Hand, Powder-and-Ball, Slow
Base Damage: 4d pi+ (4d6 large piercing — highest raw ranged damage)
Range: 100m effective / 500m maximum
Reload Time: 15 seconds
Shots: 1
Accuracy Bonus: +3 damage per second spent aiming (maximum 3 seconds; maximum +9 bonus damage)
Implicit Modifier: Ignores 4 DR on target (heavy ball at velocity penetrates armor)
Design Identity: The sniper's weapon. Devastating at range with the accuracy bonus; essentially impractical in close-quarters combat where the reload phase leaves the wielder defenseless. Musket builds commit to long-range positioning, tactical patience, and a melee fallback weapon for when enemies close. The DR ignore makes the Musket the only weapon in the game that reliably punches through the heaviest armor — a direct counter to armored bosses.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Dead Reckoning — a musket with a built-in spyglass sight; maximum aim bonus reached in 1 second rather than 3.

Blunderbuss

GURPS Damage Type: Huge Piercing (pi++, ×2 wound multiplier — multiple shot loads)
Tags: Blunderbuss, Ranged, Short-Range, Area, Two-Hand, Powder-and-Ball
Base Damage: 2d+2 pi++ per pellet, 4-8 pellets per shot (4 hit at 10m, degrading to 1-2 at 20m)
Range: Effective to 15m; minimal effectiveness beyond 20m
Reload Time: 12 seconds
Shots: 1
Implicit Modifier: Enemies hit by multiple pellets in a single shot have a 40% chance to be Staggered
Design Identity: The crowd control weapon. At close range, a Blunderbuss blast hitting 6-8 pellets delivers the highest total damage in the game against grouped enemies. The huge piercing wound multiplier on each pellet means individual pellet hits are still meaningful. The Stagger chance turns the Blunderbuss into a room-clearer for tight dungeon spaces. Punishing at range and in reload — an enemy who survives the blast and closes to melee while the Blunderbuss reloads has the Blunderbuss user at a severe disadvantage. The extreme risk/reward of the Blunderbuss makes it one of the most skill-expressive ranged weapons.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): The Boarding Party — a blunderbuss with a bayonet that functions as a Short Spear (Impaling) between reloads; the reload window has a defensive purpose.

Crossbow

GURPS Damage Type: Large Piercing (pi+, ×1.5 wound multiplier)
Tags: Crossbow, Ranged, Moderate-Range, Moderate-Reload, Two-Hand, Silent
Base Damage: 3d pi+ (3d6 large piercing)
Range: 40m effective / 250m maximum
Reload Time: 5 seconds (moderate; manual crank mechanism)
Shots: 1
Implicit Modifier: Silent when fired (does not alert nearby enemies); +20% damage against unaware targets
Design Identity: The stealth weapon. The Crossbow occupies the middle ground between a Pistol (short range, explosive) and a Musket (long range, slow) — but its distinguishing trait is silence. Gunpowder weapons fire with a crack that alerts every enemy in a wide radius. The Crossbow fires with a thunk that alerts only nearby enemies. For Ghost archetype builds built on Stealth and the Sneak and Danger Sense keystones, the Crossbow is the only viable repeatable ranged option that doesn't break a stealth run. The 5-second reload is punishing but manageable in a patient play style.
Resonant Items (Mythic examples): Nightwatch — a crossbow that loads automatically when the player is undetected; effectively unlimited shots during sustained stealth.

Armor Base Types

Armor in Salt & Steel uses the GURPS Damage Resistance (DR) system. Each armor piece has a base DR value that reduces incoming damage before wound multipliers apply. Heavier armor provides higher DR but imposes encumbrance (reducing Dodge and Basic Move). The tradeoff between protection and mobility is the fundamental armor design decision.

Armor Weight Classes:

Light (Cloth/Leather): Low DR (1-4), no encumbrance penalty, full Dodge value preserved
Medium (Buff Coat/Chainmail): Moderate DR (4-8), −1 Dodge, −1 Basic Move
Heavy (Breastplate/Full Plate fragments): High DR (8-15), −2 Dodge, −2 Basic Move, requires ST minimum

Head

Base Type	Class	Base DR	Implicit Modifier	Notes
Bandana	Light	1	+5% Dodge chance	The starting headgear; no mechanical penalty
Tricorn Hat	Light	2	+1 to social Reaction rolls with pirates	The captain's hat; identity piece
Leather Cap	Light	3	None	Pure DR baseline
Corsair's Helm	Medium	5	+10% resistance to Stagger	Half-face protection; naval officer
Iron Pot Helm	Medium	6	None	Functional, unfashionable
Morion / Cabasset	Medium	7	+5% resistance to Piercing damage	Spanish colonial-style crested helm
Full Lobster Tail	Heavy	10	+15% resistance to Cutting and Impaling	Heavy cavalry helmet; rare in pirate context
Sea Witch's Crown	Unique	4	+20% FP capacity; +10% spell efficiency	Bone-and-shell ritual headgear

Design Note on Tricorn Hats: The Tricorn Hat is the most visible piece of the Captain's Fantasy. It is functional but not optimal — the implicit Reaction bonus is meaningful for social builds but provides minimal combat DR. Players who wear Tricorn Hats are making a statement: they are prioritizing identity over optimization. The game respects this choice by making the Tricorn Hat a genuinely viable option for builds that don't need peak head DR.

Chest

Base Type	Class	Base DR	Encumbrance	Implicit Modifier
Linen Shirt	Light	1	None	+1 FP capacity
Leather Jerkin	Light	3	None	None
Buff Coat	Medium	5	−1 Dodge	+20% resistance to Slashing (Cutting)
Corsair's Longcoat	Medium	4	None	+5 HP capacity; distinctive silhouette
Chainmail Shirt	Medium	7	−1 Dodge, −1 Move	None
Breastplate	Heavy	10	−2 Dodge, −1 Move	+30% resistance to Impaling
Full Plate Cuirass	Heavy	14	−2 Dodge, −2 Move	None; requires ST 12+
Barnacle Armor	Cursed	8	−1 Dodge	+20% DR, −15% movement speed; grows heavier over time

Design Note on the Corsair's Longcoat: This is the signature chest piece of the Captain's Fantasy. Mechanically it is between light and medium — providing 4 DR (lower than a Buff Coat) with no encumbrance penalty. The +5 HP is a genuine combat benefit, and the silhouette is culturally legible as "pirate captain." The Longcoat occupies the same design niche as PoE's Sorcerer's Gloves — technically suboptimal but aspirationally correct, and good enough that it doesn't feel like a meaningful sacrifice.

Hands

Base Type	Class	Base DR	Implicit Modifier
Fingerless Gloves	Light	1	None
Leather Gloves	Light	2	None
Embroidered Gloves	Light	1	+3 to all social rolls (high-status appearance)
Gauntlets (Half)	Medium	4	None
Gauntlets (Full)	Heavy	7	−1 Dexterity-based skill rolls
Hook Hand	Special	2	Replaces hand slot; enables Hook attacks (1d6 Impaling); +15% Intimidation
Sea-Worn Gloves	Uncommon	2	+10% grip on wet surfaces; no penalty in water combat

Design Note on Hook Hands: The Hook Hand is Salt & Steel's most iconic piece of cosmetic-adjacent gear — it replaces the off-hand slot entirely, enabling Hook attacks and significant Intimidation bonuses, but prevents using any two-hand weapon or holding an off-hand item. A Hook Hand character is both narratively distinctive and mechanically committed. The Hook Hand can be further modified by Engravings (prefixes) like any other armor piece — a Hook Hand with "Davy Jones' Grip" Engraving becomes a weapon and statement piece simultaneously.

Feet

Base Type	Class	Base DR	Implicit Modifier
Bare Feet	Light	0	+5% Move on natural surfaces; −10% Move on stone/metal
Sandals	Light	0	None
Sea Boots	Light	2	+5% Move on ship decks; no wet-surface penalty
Leather Boots	Light	2	None
Jackboots	Medium	4	+1 to Intimidation when standing still
Cavalry Boots	Medium	4	+5% Move
Iron Greaves	Heavy	7	−1 Basic Move; encumbrance penalty
Dead Man's Boots	Cursed	3	+15% Move; wearer can never remove them willingly

Shields

Shields in Salt & Steel provide a Block value (½ Shield skill + 3) and a passive DR contribution when actively blocking. Different shields have different Block value modifiers and DR contributions.

Base Type	Size	Block Bonus	Passive DR (when blocking)	Implicit Modifier
Buckler	Small	+2	2	Can be used alongside a rapier/knife (no off-hand penalty)
Round Shield	Medium	+3	4	Standard pirate boarding shield
Naval Pavise	Large	+4	6	−1 Move; used by naval infantry; provides cover bonus
Tower Shield	Very Large	+5	8	−2 Move; provides full cover against ranged attacks in static position
Turtle Shell Shield	Medium	+3	5	+20% resistance to environmental effects (weather, acid)

Accessory Base Types

Accessories provide smaller bonuses than weapons and armor but are stackable across multiple slots. Salt & Steel's accessory system introduces two slots unique to the pirate theme: the Spyglass and the Compass.

Amulets / Pendants

Amulets occupy the neck slot and provide a mix of offensive, defensive, and utility modifiers. Every amulet has an implicit modifier tied to its base type.

Base Type	Implicit Modifier	Design Identity
Bone Pendant	+8 HP	The sailor's good-luck charm; scrimshawed bone
Shark's Tooth	+5% Critical Hit chance	Predator's gift; favored by aggressive builds
Navigator's Astrolabe	+15% Navigation skill effectiveness	Brass instrument repurposed as jewelry
Sea Witch's Talisman	+10% FP capacity	Carved fetish with tide magic attunement
Doubloon Pendant	+5% to all Merchant rolls	A mounted coin — wealth worn as identity
Davy Jones' Lock	+20% resistance to Curse effects	A lock with no key; protects the soul
Captain's Medal	+10% Crew Morale	Military decoration; crew recognizes the bearing
Amber Bead	+5% resistance to all damage types	Warm resin; old-world amulet

Rings (Two Slots)

Players can wear two rings simultaneously (left and right hand). Rings have no implicit modifier — they are pure platform for explicit modifiers. The ring slot is where players achieve statistical fine-tuning: the two ring slots together can contribute meaningful damage, defense, or utility bonuses.

Base Ring Types (by material/implicit tier unlocked):

Copper Ring (common base; low ilvl ceiling)
Iron Ring (uncommon base; moderate ilvl ceiling)
Silver Ring (rare base; high ilvl ceiling; light implicit: +2 HP)
Gold Ring (rare base; highest ilvl ceiling; light implicit: +5 Doubloon value when selling items)
Bone Ring (uncommon; implicit: +5% resistance to Curse effects)
Coral Ring (uncommon; implicit: +10 FP capacity)
Obsidian Ring (rare; implicit: +5% Crushing resistance)
Blood Ring (Cursed category; implicit: +10% damage but −5% HP)

Belt / Sash

The belt slot provides the largest single accessory contribution to defensive statistics. Belt base types differ in the number of potion flasks they can carry (their flask slots) and their implicit bonus.

Base Type	Flask Slots	Implicit Modifier	Design Identity
Rope Belt	2	+5 HP	Humble; functional
Leather Belt	3	+10 HP	Standard; reliable
Privateer's Sash	3	+5% Dodge	Silk-wrapped status item
Captain's Girdle	4	+15 HP	Heavy leather; well-made
Ammunition Belt	4	+1 extra Pistol shot before reload	Specialist item; pistoleer builds
Corsair's Bandolier	4	Carrying capacity +15%	Multiple pockets and loops
Chain of Office	3	+10% to all Reputation gains	Heavy gold chain; social signal

Spyglass (Perception Slot)

The Spyglass is a slot unique to Salt & Steel. It occupies a secondary off-hand position and is only active when the player is not engaged in direct combat. The Spyglass governs perception-range abilities: spotting distant enemies, identifying ships at sea, revealing treasure map markers, and detecting hidden entrances.

Base Type	Effective Range	Implicit Modifier
Pocket Scope	150m	+5% chance to spot hidden items
Ship's Glass	300m	+10% chance to identify ship type and faction at sea
Naval Telescope	500m	+15% Perception for all range checks
Arcane Spyglass	250m	Can detect magical/cursed items and enemies
Dead Man's Glass	300m	Reveals ghostly outlines of hidden or invisible enemies

Design Note: The Spyglass slot enforces the Captain's Fantasy without being a combat power. It gates the information-gathering that distinguishes a capable captain from a lucky one. A high-quality Spyglass is not required to play the game, but it materially improves navigation, combat preparation, and treasure hunting.

The Compass is the most uniquely Salt & Steel accessory — a slot that has no equivalent in any other ARPG. It occupies a dedicated navigation slot that is active only during ship travel, exploration, and non-combat movement. On foot in combat, the Compass is passive.

The Compass governs: dead-reckoning accuracy (how precisely the map reveals explored areas), magnetic anomaly detection (hidden treasure caches and dungeon entrances), and in the case of supernatural compasses, non-magnetic pointing (pointing toward desire, toward danger, toward the nearest crew member).

Base Type	Pointing Property	Implicit Modifier
Standard Compass	True magnetic north	+5% chart revelation accuracy
Captain's Compass	True north + faction indicators	+10% chart accuracy; shows nearby faction territories
Celestial Compass	Starlight-calibrated	+15% chart accuracy; functions in fog and storm
Desire Compass	Points toward player's most valuable uncollected loot	+10% treasure find radius
Cursed Compass	Points toward the nearest supernatural threat	+20% early warning range; −10% chart accuracy
Davy Jones' Needle	Points toward the deepest nearby water	Reveals underwater dungeon entrances; has its own agenda

Design Note on the Compass: The Compass slot exists because the pirate theme demands it. It is a mechanical slot that provides real utility — chart accuracy, treasure detection, threat warning — without being a combat modifier. A player who cares about exploration will build into the Compass slot. A player who only cares about combat can use a Standard Compass and lose nothing in fights. This is the design principle: every slot should matter to the players it matters to without being mandatory for the players it doesn't.

Ship Equipment

Ship Equipment operates in a parallel item system to character gear. Ships have dedicated slots that function on the same rarity/modifier logic as character items but scale to the naval combat layer. Ship Equipment is crafted, looted from defeated ships, or purchased at shipyards.

The full naval mechanics document governs ship equipment's combat interactions. This section establishes base types.

Cannons

Cannons occupy left-side and right-side gun deck slots. A ship's cannon rating determines the number of cannons per broadside.

Base Type	Shot Type	Range	Damage Profile	Reload
4-Pounder	Round Shot	Medium	Low hull damage	Fast
6-Pounder	Round Shot / Chain Shot	Medium-Long	Moderate hull; good rigging	Moderate
9-Pounder	Round Shot / Chain Shot	Long	High hull damage	Slow
12-Pounder	Round Shot / Grapeshot	Long	Very high hull; crew damage	Slow
24-Pounder (Long Gun)	Round Shot only	Very Long	Extreme hull damage	Very Slow
Carronade (Smasher)	Round Shot / Grapeshot	Short	Extreme close-range hull	Moderate
Swivel Gun	Grapeshot	Short	Crew damage; rapid	Very Fast

Implicit Modifiers by Cannon Type:

6-Pounder: +10% rigging damage
12-Pounder: +15% crew damage from Grapeshot
Carronade: +30% damage at range under 50m; −50% damage beyond 100m
Swivel Gun: fires every 3 seconds (no reload time); damages only crew, not hull

Sails

Sails govern ship speed, maneuverability, and special movement abilities. They occupy the sail slot and interact with wind mechanics.

Base Type	Speed Bonus	Maneuverability	Implicit Modifier
Standard Canvas	Baseline	Baseline	None
Lateen Rig	+5% close-haul speed	+10% turning rate	Better performance sailing into wind
Square Rig	+15% downwind speed	−5% turning rate	Speed when running before wind
Bermuda Rig	+10% all-points speed	+5% turning rate	Balanced; expensive
Storm Sails	−10% speed	+30% storm resistance	Sail safely through storms
Black Sails	No bonus	No bonus	+20% Intimidation vs. NPC ships; 25% chance they surrender without fight
Witch-Woven Sails	+5% speed	None	Summon favorable wind 1×/hour
Ghost Sails	+20% speed	None	Can sail against the wind at half speed penalty (instead of full)

Figureheads

The figurehead occupies the bow of the ship and provides ship-wide passive buffs. There is one figurehead slot. Figureheads are carved items — craftable via the Figurehead Carving questline (a legendary crafting questline unlocked through the Carpenter crew member at high skill).

Base Type	Implicit Modifier	Design Identity
Carved Mermaid	+10% crew morale	Classic; hopeful
Skull and Crossbones	+15% Intimidation vs. NPC ships	Aggressive declaration
Serpent Prow	+10% speed in open water	Predator's grace
Angel	+10% resistance to supernatural effects	Blessed vessel
Kraken Idol	+15% to boarding combat effectiveness	Terrifying
Sea Witch Figure	+10% spell power for arcane builds	Tied to the supernatural sea
Davy Jones Effigy	+20% damage in naval combat; −15% crew morale	A cursed statement

Hull Plating

Hull Plating governs the ship's armor — its DR equivalent. Higher hull plating reduces damage from cannon fire per hit.

Base Type	DR	Encumbrance Effect	Implicit Modifier
Wooden Hull	10	Baseline	None
Copper-Sheathed Hull	12	−3% speed	Resistance to Corrosion (barnacles, acid)
Iron-Banded Hull	15	−5% speed	+25% resistance to ram damage
Double-Planked Hull	13	−2% speed	+20% resistance to flooding (below-waterline hits)
Obsidian-Reinforced	18	−10% speed	None; extremely heavy; requires large ship chassis
Ghost-Timber Hull	14	None	Immune to supernatural effects; hull visible at night

Ship Wheel

The Ship Wheel governs maneuverability in both exploration and combat.

Base Type	Turning Rate	Implicit Modifier
Standard Wheel	Baseline	None
Merchant's Wheel	−10% turning	+10% cargo capacity
Privateer's Wheel	+10% turning	None
Navigator's Wheel	+5% turning	+15% chart accuracy
The Iron Grip	+15% turning	−5% crew morale (hard to operate)
Cursed Wheel	+25% turning	The ship goes where it wants sometimes; rare override event

Item Rarity System

Salt & Steel uses six rarity tiers. Rarity determines the number of explicit modifiers (Engravings and Marks) an item can have and what modifier pools it can access.

Common (White)

Modifier count: 0 explicit modifiers
Description: An unmodified base item. Useful only for its base type properties (implicit modifier, base stats). The starting material for crafting.
Role: Currency application material. Crafters use Common items as blank bases. Players who find them are being given a crafting opportunity, not a completed reward.
Visual: White item name.

Uncommon (Green)

Modifier count: 1-2 explicit modifiers (1 Engraving, 0-1 Mark; or 0 Engravings, 1-2 Marks)
Description: A modified item with limited affixes. Better than Common for use; good for early-mid game. Corresponds to PoE's Magic rarity.
Role: Solid leveling gear. Players who find a well-rolled Uncommon will use it. The modifier count ceiling means Uncommon items can excel on one or two axes but never across all.
Visual: Green item name.

Rare (Blue)

Modifier count: 3-4 explicit modifiers (up to 2 Engravings + up to 2 Marks)
Description: The standard endgame item tier. Most trading occurs at this rarity. A well-rolled Rare has a 3-modifier combination worth having.
Note on naming: Rare items use the Blue naming convention in Salt & Steel (not to be confused with PoE's blue = Magic). This naming shift reinforces the pirate theme — "blue water" is deep, valuable ocean. The rarity label is "Rare" but the visual presentation uses blue to distinguish from PoE conventions.
Role: Core endgame item tier. Players craft and trade at this level most frequently.
Visual: Blue item name.

Legendary (Gold)

Modifier count: 4-6 explicit modifiers (up to 3 Engravings + up to 3 Marks)
Description: Full modifier density. The highest randomly-generated rarity tier. A Legendary item with six good modifiers at high tiers is among the most powerful non-Mythic items in the game. Corresponds to PoE's Rare tier.
Role: The top of the crafting aspiration ladder. Players spend the most currency attempting to reach and then optimize this tier.
Visual: Gold item name.
Naming Convention: Legendary items receive procedurally generated names following maritime tradition: "[Modifier Flavor] [Item Type] of [Second Modifier Flavor]". A Legendary Cutlass with "Sea-Blessed" and "Storm-Forged" engravings might be named "The Sea-Forged Cutter."

Mythic (Orange)

Modifier count: Fixed unique properties (designed, not random); often 4-8 properties total
Description: Named unique items with fixed, designed modifiers that do not appear on any other item. These are not the best items for pure optimization (a top-tier Legendary often beats a Mythic for isolated stat values) but their unique interactions enable builds that cannot be built otherwise. Corresponds to PoE's Unique tier.
Role: Build enablers and identity items. A Mythic item is the axis around which certain builds are constructed.
Visual: Orange item name. The item's name is always its unique name (e.g., "Blackbeard's Smoking Pistol"), not a procedural name.
Examples:
- Black Dog's Edge (Cutlass) — stacks Bleed per consecutive hit, gains Cutting multiplier per Bleed stack active
- The Sea Witch's Dagger (Dagger) — backstab deals FP damage instead of HP damage (exhausts enemies without killing them)
- The Captain's Compass (Compass) — simultaneously points at danger AND at treasure; player reads which the needle prefers by its urgency of motion
Captain's Seal: An extremely rare currency (equivalent to Mirror of Kalandra) that rerolls the value ranges on Mythic items that have any range-based properties.

Cursed (Purple)

Modifier count: 1-3 fixed "Cursed modifiers" plus standard modifier slots
Description: A category unique to Salt & Steel. Items that have been touched by the supernatural — by Davy Jones' influence, by recovered wreck artifacts, by sea witchcraft. Cursed items carry extremely powerful bonuses paired with significant drawbacks. They cannot be created by normal crafting; they emerge from specific encounters, cursed dungeon zones, and the Black Spot currency.
Role: High-risk, high-reward alternatives to optimal builds. Cursed items are not for every player, but the players who build around them can achieve effects impossible through conventional gear.
Visual: Purple item name. A specific icon (a black spot) marks Cursed items.
Cursed Modifier Examples:
- "Davy Jones' Grip" — +50% damage; −20% healing received
- "The Weight of the Deep" — +30% HP; movement speed reduced by 20%; item cannot be unequipped until a Curse Breaker ritual is completed
- "Salt-Blood Hunger" — +40% attack speed; character takes 2 HP damage per second constantly
- "Ghost-Sight" — can see invisible and hidden enemies at all times; character appears skeletal to other players and NPCs (affected by Reputation systems)
Cleansing vs. Embracing: Cursed modifiers can be Cleansed (removing the modifier entirely, retaining the base item — costs a specific cleansing ritual and materials) or Embraced (empowering the modifier further — the bonus increases but so does the drawback, via the Black Spot currency applied again).

Item Level and Modifier Tier Gating

Item level (ilvl) is determined by the area level in which an item drops. The ilvl gate system ensures high-end modifiers require high-end content to access.

ilvl Range	Area Type	Highest Modifier Tier Available
1-15	Starter islands, tutorial zones	T7 (weakest) only
16-30	Early sea regions	T6-T7
31-45	Mid-tier islands, sea dungeons	T4-T7
46-60	Deep sea regions, named dungeons	T3-T7
61-75	High seas, endgame approach	T2-T7
76-84	Endgame Nautical Chart regions	T1-T7 (full range)
85+	Mythic-difficulty zones, fleet bosses	T1 with special "Grand" modifier variants

Modifier Tier Structure (T1 = best, T7 = weakest):

Each modifier family has 7 tiers. Using "+Maximum HP" on a body armor as an example:

T7: +20-30 HP (requires ilvl 1)
T6: +35-50 HP (requires ilvl 15)
T5: +55-70 HP (requires ilvl 28)
T4: +75-90 HP (requires ilvl 42)
T3: +95-110 HP (requires ilvl 55)
T2: +115-130 HP (requires ilvl 68)
T1: +135-150 HP (requires ilvl 78)

The value range within a tier is rerolled by the Lodestone currency (the Divine Orb equivalent).

Cross-References

Modifier System — full Engraving and Mark catalog with tier values
Currency System — currencies used to craft and modify items
Crafting Methods — how to transform Common items into Legendary gear
GURPS Framework — damage type system underlying weapon identity
Naval Systems — ship equipment in combat context
Economy Philosophy — why the rarity system is designed as it is