In Dungeons & Dragons, you typically have a piece of equipment until you find a magical version of a weapon you can yield that has a cool effect. It’s natural. However, one thing that I’ve longed for in an RPG is the ability to take that weapon or armor you love and improve it. Enter The Armorer’s Handbook by heavyarms. This unofficial supplement is divided into two chapters to help implement an equipment upgrade system into your campaigns. The first chapter is all about non-magical improvements. This can include making armor breathable or insulated to help in different weather conditions. The second chapter introduces the technique of adding runes to equipment to grant magical properties. For example, you may attach a Serpent rune in order to give your weapon the ability to poison your foes when you hit. It should be noted that you cannot upgrade magical items. All in all, The Armorer’s Handbook looks like the perfect supplement for me.
“This supplement is a comprehensive modular framework that allows characters to improve their equipment as they see fit by finding some artisans and spending some coin! Chapter 1 covers nonmagical upgrades, which approximate the basic +1-3 progression of magic items in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Chapter 2 introduces rune magic as a means to imbue your equipment with magical properties, including a fully-realized crafting system for characters wishing to create their own runestones using simple gemstones.”
You can purchase The Armorer’s Handbook from DMs Guild for $9.95.