Whenever my party plays under our usual DM, he always forces us to store our weapons at the gate whenever we enter a city (or any town of substantial size). He says that in civilized areas people aren't allowed to walk around in towns while armed. Two example locations would be Fallcrest from the DMG sample and Brindle from one of the Dungeon magazine adventures.
Is this something that's a general D&D "rule" from one of the core books, or is this his own homebrew initiative? Do other DMs have similar policies, or are players generally permitted to carry their weapons wherever they go? Just wondering what the norm is in other adventuring worlds.
Thanks!
Clever players can easily get a way around this. Like the old fashion hidden rapier in a walking cane trick. Invisibity casted on weapons, bracers of storing, etc etc.
Some towns might have that rule. But it could be used to your advantage really. If the DM is fair, that means most adventurers also give up their weapons. So if your party is evil, that could be nearly fiat that these people are armless, and easy to take over. If your a bunch of thieves, who knows how many magic weapons are stored there. If he's really a stricker for rules, then for the most part, guards are at most 3rd level.
That being said, unless he forces you to do it, and leaves you no options to defend your self when your party needs it,then he just being a dick. However, if there are ways around it, (Say the above ideas) or bags of holding buried under clothes and other gross items. Are the guards really going to waste their time digging through that crap for a possible weapon? If not, yay, you got your weapon in town. Woot woot.
(Offhand, I can think of a few in the FR and Greyhawk which do something like that, none in Eberron, and none in the other settings - though I don't know them to that level of detail.)
The more law and order type cities tend to have us check weapons. I feel much more safe in the cities where we don't check weapons, even though everyone is carrying them out in the open, when you look around you know what to expect and everyone is on equal footing.
I would call it so much a rule as it is a setting feature, as I said in our campaign it tends to change where you go.
This would also be a rule implemented by squishy mages ruling a city.
Which is why even in my most pacifist cities, you can usually get around it by acquiring a permit of some sort. But usually, there's no laws against it.
It seems odd to have it in too many cities because then you have to wonder how weapons trade functions. How do blacksmiths make a living? They'd have their weapons confiscated every time they created a weapon.
Which is why even in my most pacifist cities, you can usually get around it by acquiring a permit of some sort. But usually, there's no laws against it.
This is what my first thought was. How do you buy/sell weapons? Even in today's society where we can't openly carry arms without permit, you can still buy a gun and transport it in your car. Does he allow transport of weapons in a cart? Does he allow them stowed so long as they are not on your person, or possibly even openly on your person? Can the residents own weapons and store them in their homes? How much of a constabulary does the town have to protect the unarmed citizenry? I imagine it would have to be significant. How do you disarm Wizards and Warlocks?
These are all issues that would be inherent to that campaign world, not to mention those noted above by DraconsNighthawk.
To respond to some points, yes I realize that this is a perfectly acceptable campaign setting decision on the part of the DM. It's sometimes inconvenient, but certainly reasonable. I was just wondering if it was common in other people's adventurers.
Ironically, we had a game session today and were attacked while at the inn.
We ended up having to fight with non-magical weapons that the inn keeper had on hand and no armor (though the lack of armor was from sleeping, not a check-in requirement).As far as buying weapons, the way our DM handles it is that blacksmiths and other weapon shop owners sell their merchandise and then have it shipped to the front gate or whatever where the weapon check area is. The players can then get their gear when they leave.
not quite the same as checking, but similar concept.
Now, given the "points of light" setting, I can see 'weapon checkpoints' making even MORE sense than they used to. After all, the city guards know that the wilderness is dangerous, so obviously you need weapons out there. But here in the city?
However, I would see a requirement for peace-bonding as much more likely in cities, for one simple reason: less accounting. If you make sure everyone's weapons are slightly tied up and difficult to ready, then people can flee if there is trouble. Also, you can just check them at the gate, and have patrolling guards check people they see with weapons. If you confiscate them at the gate, you have to store them, and you have to keep accounting of which weapons belong to which people. You also have to guard them against internal and external theft, AND you have to have funds to recompense people whose weapon you have lost. This is all assuming you aren't a despot who just takes weapons away from any travelers and keeps them.
"Leave my weapon, no problem."
"I don't know how my sword got here officer, but it's a good thing I found it. I'd hate to think your guards aren't adequately protecting my belongings in their care."
In border areas - like the Keep on the Borderlands, there is probably going to be a need for people to have weapons, and keep those weapons on hand. Locals will probably look upon those who constantly carry weapons as possible troublemakers, but won't likely do much.
In highly civilized areas - like say Waterdeep, there is a strong law enforcement and little need or want for vigilantes. Letting everyone mull about toting weapons is just asking for trouble. In these places, you'd probably find most weapons double as tools - quarterstaff, dagger. Usually only licensed individuals or nobility (city guard, noblemen, bodyguards) will have weapons and the idea of an armed populace or non-noble probably makes local authorities nervous, if not hostile towards those bearing arms/armor.
Honestly, it always seems the more "civilized" a place is, the less desire they have for weapons to be available to "just anyone". Some of it is to keep the populace from murdering one another, and another large part is the government doesn't want to face an armed revolt.
Roads most likely do not have bypasses around the city. A caravan might well enter on one side of the city and need to leave on the other. Additionally, it is an admin hassle. Need something to redeem for every weapon. And some weapons are very, very valuable, 2 million gold. That has got to tempt a forger or two or even a band of thugs. Just wait for the right weapon to be deposited, overcome the guards, snatch the weapons, and run. Sure, they'll have some hero of legend annoyed at them. But that's a lot of reward there. A guard might also be tempted. The city wouldn't want to be responsible for that.
Far more likely would be the peacebonding system. Either peace knots or else some magical gizmo that accomplishes the same thing, coupled with appropriate penalties for drawing steel.
Checking weapons should pretty much be limited to the proximity of certain powerful individuals.
I can't imagine a city or large town requiring checking weapons at the door.
Roads most likely do not have bypasses around the city. A caravan might well enter on one side of the city and need to leave on the other. Additionally, it is an admin hassle. Need something to redeem for every weapon. And some weapons are very, very valuable, 2 million gold. That has got to tempt a forger or two or even a band of thugs. Just wait for the right weapon to be deposited, overcome the guards, snatch the weapons, and run. Sure, they'll have some hero of legend annoyed at them. But that's a lot of reward there. A guard might also be tempted. The city wouldn't want to be responsible for that.
Far more likely would be the peacebonding system. Either peace knots or else some magical gizmo that accomplishes the same thing, coupled with appropriate penalties for drawing steel.
Checking weapons should pretty much be limited to the proximity of certain powerful individuals.
I disagree somewhat, actually. You only have to look as far as airport luggage check-in to see pretty much how a system might be set up. Small towns and villages most likely won't have the manpower to maintain such a system, but any place that gets frequent travel - especially foreign travel (with the possibility of hostilities between rival factions/nations) - would likely instigate some kind of control on weapons and/or armor. The characters are heroes - unusual beings of power in the first place - and its unlikely that anything more valuable than a 5th level item would be among anything confiscated among the populace passing through, if even that high.
As for the 2 mil weapons being stolen, those wielders are going to be celebrities/VIP's anyway, unless they're in disguise, and it's either likely they'll be allowed to keep said items (perhaps peacebonded as a sign of respect to local authorities) or put under special guard w/ certain assurances. I mean, expecting the likes of King Arthur to hand over Excalibur over to a gate guard to be piled with the rest of the confiscated weapons is as absurd as a character doing the same with a weapon worth half a million gp or more.
Back to the example, either the good king could (rightly) refuse to part with the weapon or demand special care/storage/protection of the item. And while someone might plan to steal the sword while its out of Arthur's hands (and makes for a quite believable plot), I doubt very much that our good king would just throw up his hands were it to go missing, and quite likely those caretakers (and half a dozen bounty hunters and the loyal knights of the round) would be looking to get good ol' Excalibur back and punish said thieves.
I'd actually like to see the creation of a ritual to protect costly magical items in cases like this. Something along the lines of a glyph of warding; if the item is disturbed, except by the keyed owner or some other individual, it zaps the target for a large chunk of damage - the more expensive the item, perhaps, the bigger the jolt. Best if while also dealing damage, it repels the thief so they can't just "suck up" the damage to get the item.
Some of the other players in my group use bluff or thievery checks to keep a small weapon hidden on them and most the time they succeed, though the fighter once got caught red handed, his hand-axe out in the open (he thought there was nobody around when he pulled it) and spent the night locked up, and the weapon was never returned. Luckily it wasn't magical lol.
It's only in the largest cities in our campaign with such rules. Most towns and small cities allow anything besides blatant parading of weaponry through town. And there's always improvised weaponry as well. I'm reminded of a bar fight back in 2nd ed were a friend of mines LG cleric managed to burn down a tavern after making some Molotov cocktails lol. He was excommunicated from his church lol.
I disagree somewhat, actually. You only have to look as far as airport luggage check-in to see pretty much how a system might be set up.
Except that doesn't work that way. Airports are places where you go from A to B. Luggage gets separated from you at A and meets you at B and I've got a ticket that puts me on a plane, the same plane as my luggage, from A to B. If I enter the city by the north gate and leave by the south, how does that work? What if I wind up leaving by the west gate instead?
What we're talking about here is the equivalent of dropping off luggage at one airport and not getting it back until you return to the same counter.
Small towns and villages most likely won't have the manpower to maintain such a system, but any place that gets frequent travel - especially foreign travel (with the possibility of hostilities between rival factions/nations) - would likely instigate some kind of control on weapons and/or armor.
It is actually more feasible in a small town than a big city. In a small town, you walk in, drop your weapons off at the sheriff's. When it is time to go, you pick them up and leave. Similar to the movie Unforgiven, and keep in mind that town had a notorious gun fighter backing up that ordinance. The bigger the city, the less well it works. Dropping things off at the gate breaks down because you may well leave by a different gate. Central location becomes less central. It breaks down.
There's most likely also cultural limitations at work. A right to bear arms, as a symbol of status. They are heirlooms, the family sword. And even if you did take away bigger weapons, daggers and the like would still be free.
That's why, historically, some sort of peace bond was used instead.
Outside of a small town that caters to a rough crowd, about the only place I'd expect to see something like handing in your weapons on a city wide basis would be a repressive police state that fears or is in the midst of a rebellion or else the ultra-rare super utopian society that is sickened and repulsed by the though of violence and implements designed to commit such acts.
The characters are heroes - unusual beings of power in the first place - and its unlikely that anything more valuable than a 5th level item would be among anything confiscated among the populace passing through, if even that high.
Those characters might also be villains as might be NPCs of similar level. Not to mention, even if the characters are heroes to the populace, there is most likely a disturbing trend that wherever they go, there is trouble. Not the type of thing authorities like. If anything, unless the authorities wanted to use the characters, needed their help, they'd be more, not less inclined, to see them disarmed, so that they'd be less likely to stir up trouble here. Think of your standard meddling official, trying to protect his turf.
1) Peacebonding in big cities, with harsh punishments for breaking it w/o cause,
2) Any kind of weapon control being very rare in small towns, being rough-and-tumble spots where trouble is expected (some exceptions - I had one town with a giant lodestone in the middle, and they confiscated all metal items to avoid hassles from tourists),
3) Weapon confiscation in big cities at major events and on private property (nobility balls, the king speaks to his people in the main square, etc.),
4) Special permits that are either very expensive (for unscrupulous mercantile cities) or showing the government you're trustworthy (via quests or, in my current campaign, joining the military).
To me, the bigger problem is what to do about spellcasting. In my current game, the major city has a special brand they place on anyone who has a spellbook, holy symbol, ritual book, etc. It doesn't prevent casting, but it glows brightly (even through clothes) and incessantly after certain forbidden spells are cast (mind control, summoning, fire, illusion). It fades after 48 hours outside the city, and there are special permits that exempt people from getting them (military wizards, diplomats, etc.).
Basically a magical version of peacebonding.
I don't know about historically, but in my campaigns it's usually:
1) Peacebonding in big cities, with harsh punishments for breaking it w/o cause,
2) Any kind of weapon control being very rare in small towns, being rough-and-tumble spots where trouble is expected (some exceptions - I had one town with a giant lodestone in the middle, and they confiscated all metal items to avoid hassles from tourists),
3) Weapon confiscation in big cities at major events and on private property (nobility balls, the king speaks to his people in the main square, etc.),
4) Special permits that are either very expensive (for unscrupulous mercantile cities) or showing the government you're trustworthy (via quests or, in my current campaign, joining the military).
To me, the bigger problem is what to do about spellcasting. In my current game, the major city has a special brand they place on anyone who has a spellbook, holy symbol, ritual book, etc. It doesn't prevent casting, but it glows brightly (even through clothes) and incessantly after certain forbidden spells are cast (mind control, summoning, fire, illusion). It fades after 48 hours outside the city, and there are special permits that exempt people from getting them (military wizards, diplomats, etc.).
Basically a magical version of peacebonding.
Amnians had wizards dedicated to monitoring magic. unless you belong to the guild you can't cast w/o getting ganked.