Item Durability

The equipment used by adventurers is put to the test, time and time again. Their weapons strike down foes with deadly efficiency, their armor deflects blows from attacks that might otherwise kill them. What happens when those items begin to degrade and break down?
The following rules were created to give characters a reason to maintain their equipment, and devote their time and effort to those very items keeping them alive.

Weapon Durability

A weapon’s durability will degrade after being seriously misused or mishandled.

Weapon Durability Loss

When a character rolls a 1 on an attack roll with a weapon, it becomes damaged and loses durability. That weapon's damage die is reduced to the next lowest die.
For example, a shortsword’s damage die is reduced from a d6 to a d4. If a weapon's damage die goes below a d4 it breaks and can’t be used until repaired.

Armor Durability

A piece of armor’s durability will degrade after being hit with an intense strike.

Armor Durability Loss

When a creature rolls a 20 on an attack targeting a creature wearing armor, the armor becomes damaged and loses durability. If the character was holding a shield, they may choose whether their shield or armor loses durability. That piece of armor’s AC is reduced by 1.
For example, a chain shirt that loses durability would be reduced from 13 AC to 12 AC. If a piece of armor’s AC goes below half it’s original AC, it breaks and can’t be used until repaired.

Magical Item Durability

Magical weapons and armor have a better chance at retaining durability than nonmagical ones. Before a magical item would lose durability, roll a d20 and add the item’s enhancement bonus to the result. For example, a +2 mace would get a +2 bonus on the d20 roll. On a 10 or lower, the item loses durability as normal. On an 11 or higher, the item maintains its current durability.

Repairing Items

A broken item can’t be used until repaired at least once. A character can repair an item during their downtime if they dedicate the necessary time to the task and have proficiency in certain tools. A repair check must be attempted once all the requirements listed below have been met. Multiple repair checks will likely be needed to fully repair a severely damaged item.

Time Cost

A creature can attempt to repair an item during their downtime. Nonmagical items take 4 hours to be repaired, while magical items take 4 hours, plus an amount of hours equal to twice the item’s enhancement bonus. For example, a +3 shield requires 10 hours to finish repairs.

Tool Proficiencies

A creature must have proficiency with specific tools in order to attempt a repair check based on the item’s primary material composition.

Material	Tool Proficiency
Metal	Smith's Tools
Wood	Woodcarver's Tools
Stone	Mason's Tools
Leather	Leatherworker's Tools
Cloth	Weaver's Tools

Repair Checks

When a character has met all the requirements and spent the necessary time repairing an item, they may attempt to repair a nonmagical item. Attempt a DC 15 repair check using the appropriate tools. Magical items have a DC of 15 plus its enhancement bonus. For example, a +3 set of studded leather armor has a repair check DC of 18. On a successful repair check, a weapon's damage die is increased to the next highest die, up to its original damage die, and a piece of armor’s AC is increased by 1, up to its original AC. Failing a repair check only results in the loss of time.