Tools and Vehicles
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Equipment→ Tools and Vehicles
A tool helps you to do something you couldn't otherwise do, such as craft or repair an item, forge a document, or pick a lock. Your class, species, feats, or other game features can grant you proficiency with one or more tools. Proficiency with a tool lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check that uses the tool for its intended purpose. You can still use a tool even if you aren't proficient with it, but may be unable to add your proficiency bonus to checks which use it.
Tools are not governed by any individual ability score. Use of a musical instrument for example might require an Intelligence check to play in an orderly orchestra, but a Charisma check for an original and impromptu solo performance.
Tools usually have narrower, more specific applications than skills. Many tools cover niches that are not covered by skills, such as crafting items or maneuvering vehicles. Being proficient with a tool may make you an expert on certain skill checks if your narrator employs the Tool Expertise variant rule.
The list of tools below is not intended to be exhaustive. Your narrator may decide that your legend of Hyrule includes an electric guitar as a musical instrument, that bombsmith's tools can be used to craft firearms, or even that you can become proficient with a mere shovel, among many other possibilities.
Contents
Artisan's Tools
Proficiency with an artisan's tool represents training in how to craft appropriate objects with the relevant tools, and repair such objects if applicable. Without proficiency, any attempts to craft or repair items with the tools are of noticeably lower quality. One of the most lucrative uses of downtime involves crafting items. If your campaign lacks much downtime, your narrator might use the Craft During Rest variant rule instead.
Click a tool's name to see a more detailed page covering the tool's components, uses, and benefits if using the Tool Expertise variant rule.
| Tool | Cost | Weight | Summary | d20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombsmith's tools | 300 rp | 8 lb. | Gear for crafting bombs, cannons, or other items that make use of explosive powder. | 1‑2 |
| Brewer's supplies | 200 rp | 9 lb. | A jug, a siphon, tubing, glassware, and materials for beer, potions, and other drinks. | 3 |
| Calligrapher's supplies | 100 rp | 5 lb. | Ink, parchment, and quills for delicate, beautiful, and precise writing. | 4 |
| Carpenter's tools | 80 rp | 6 lb. | A hammer, nails, a hatchet, a saw, a square, a ruler, an adze, a plane, and a chisel. | 5 |
| Cartographer's tools | 150 rp | 6 lb. | Partment, ink, quills, calipers, a ruler, and a pair of compasses all for map-making. | 6 |
| Cobbler's tools | 50 rp | 5 lb. | A knife, a small hammer, thread, and other gear for making boots and shoes. | 7 |
| Cook's utensils | 10 rp | 8 lb. | A pot, knives, forks, spoons, a ladle, and other utensils for culinary arts. | 8-9 |
| Glassworker's tools | 300 rp | 5 lb. | Tweezers, blocks, a blowpipe, a marver, flint, and steel for glassblowing and shaping. | 10 |
| Jeweler's tools | 250 rp | 2 lb. | Pliers, tweezers, files, a tiny hammer, and a small saw used to work gemstones. | 11 |
| Leatherworker's tools | 50 rp | 5 lb. | Leather scraps, a knife, a mallet, a hole punch, an edge, and thread. | 12 |
| Mason's tools | 100 rp | 8 lb. | A chisel, a hammer, a trowel, a square, and brushes for construction from stone. | 13 |
| Painter's supplies | 100 rp | 5 lb. | Brushes, paints, charcoal, a palette, and canvas for works of art both fine and broad. | 14 |
| Potter's tools | 50 rp | 3 lb. | Calipers, a knife, scrapers, ribs, needles, and other gear for pots and ceramics. | 15 |
| Smith's tools | 200 rp | 8 lb. | Hammers, tongs, rags, a whetstone, and charcoal, all used to shape heated metal. | 16‑17 |
| Tinker's tools | 500 rp | 10 lb. | Various tiny hand tools for fine machine work: glue, tweezers, thread, and more. | 18 |
| Weaver's tools | 10 rp | 5 lb. | Thread, needles, and bits of cloth used to tailor clothing and work fabric. | 19 |
| Woodcarver's tools | 10 rp | 5 lb. | A carving knife, a tiny saw, and other hand tools for finely shaping wood. | 20 |
Professional Tools
Proficiency with a professional tool represents training in how to how to perform a given profession, trade, or service. Without proficiency, you may be unable to perform anything but the simplest of tasks with the relevant tool. While there are a plethora of professional tools used throughout the Light World, those listed below tend to be the most useful for adventurers.
Click a tool's name to see a more detailed page covering the tool's components, uses, and benefits if using the Tool Expertise variant rule.
| Tool | Cost | Weight | Summary | d8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disguise kit | 250 rp | 3 lb. | Cosmetics, dyes, clothing, and small props used to create a disguise for yourself. | 1 |
| Fishing tackle | 10 rp | 4 lb. | A fishing rod with silken line, steel hooks, bobbers, sinkers, and some netting. | 2 |
| Forgery kit | 150 rp | 5 lb. | Inks, papers, seals, sealing wax, and hand tools to replicate official documents. | 3 |
| Gardening kit | 100 rp | 12 lb. | Clippers, a trowel, a spade, a rake-hoe, and more used to tend or harvest crops and plants. | 4 |
| Navigator's tools | 250 rp | 2 lb. | A compass, a ruler, a sextant, parchment, ink, and a quill used for naval navigation. | 5 |
| Prospector's kit | 200 rp | 12 lb. | A miner's pick, a hammer, a shovel, a pan, a tiny lens, and a small brush. | 6 |
| Rancher's kit | 80 rp | 10 lb. | A crook, 20 feet of rope, a cattle prod, a bucket, and either shearing scissors or a saw. | 7 |
| Thieves' tools | 250 rp | 1 lb. | Lock picks, a tiny mirror on handle, pliers, a file, and tweezers for thwarting locks and traps. | 8 |
Musical Instruments
The live play of music is not only incredibly popular in Hyrule, but music has ties to spirits and supernatural forces. Sages and especially bards might rely on a musical instrument to invoke their powers, but many adventurers play music for its own sake. The most renowned and practical instruments for adventurers are listed below. Vocal music—song—instead relies solely on the Performance skill.
| Instrument | Cost | Weight | Description | d20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brass | ||||
| Deku pipes | 90 rp | 12 lb. | A set of horns, each of a different pitch, bound together. Though quite large as a set, special wood keeps their weight manageable. Popular among scrubs and skull kids. |
1 |
| Horn | 30 rp | 2 lb. | Small but needs a deep breath. Often used for battle calls. Keyed horns are known as trumpets. | 2 |
| Saxophone | 120 rp | 5 lb. | An ornate, keyed horn renowned for its use in smooth jazz renditions of well-known music. | 3 |
| Trombone | 90 rp | 5 lb. | A long, large horn distinguished by its sliding component to alter its the pitch produced. | 4 |
| Tuba | 150 rp | 30 lb. | A huge keyed horn renowned for its incredibly low, rumbling pitch. Its size is hard to manage. | 5 |
| Percussion | ||||
| Bell | 30 rp | 2 lb. | A big two-handed bell or a set of bells; ring with different intensity and timing. | 6 |
| Drum | 60 rp | 3 lb. | A snare drum or string of small drums worn around the body or waist, played by rhythmically beating with sticks or by hand. Their sound is a favorite among goron musicians. |
7 |
| Glockenspiel | 200 rp | 20 lb. | Tuned keys affixed to a board held in one hand, played by striking the keys with a mallet. | 8 |
| Maracas | 30 rp | 1 lb. | A pair of wooden rattles, shaken like bells to create music and rhythm. | 9 |
| String | ||||
| Guitar | 400 rp | 5 lb. | A long-necked lute; became famous in the hands of popular musicians like the Indigo-Gos. | 10 |
| Harp | 300 rp | 2 lb. | Among the most ancient instruments, harps and lyres are favored by many sages. | 11 |
| Hurdy-Gurdy | 500 rp | 10 lb. | Preparing the innards of this box takes work, but playing it just requires turning a handle. | 12 |
| Lute | 350 rp | 2 lb. | Strummed strings—sometimes plucked—resonate against a plump, hollow wooden body. | 13 |
| Viol | 300 rp | 1 lb. | A violin, fiddle, ukulele, undersized cello, etc. Played with a sliding bow or plucking fingers. | 14 |
| Woodwind | ||||
| Accordion | 400 rp | 15 lb. | A handheld "squeezebox" that is played by pressing and pulling its two sides. Different maneuvers create different sounds. It's particularly popular among rito. |
15 |
| Bagpipes | 300 rp | 6 lb. | A "bag" of blown air continuously feeds a few reeds ("pipes"), creating uninterrupted sound. | 16 |
| Flute | 20 rp | 1 lb. | Recorder, whistle, etc. Blow into a pipe with holes; covering holes produces different notes. | 17 |
| Oboe | 300 rp | 2 lb. | A complex, double-reeded, keyed instrument that superficially resembles a large flute. | 18 |
| Ocarina | 20 rp | 1 lb. | Of ancient origin and favored by a legendary hero, it is in practice a simpler form of flute. | 19 |
| Pan flute | 120 rp | 2 lb. | A few pipes bound together; blowing pipes of varying lengths creates different notes. | 20 |
Tool Expertise
If using the Tool Expertise variant rule, being proficient with any musical instrument makes you an expert in:
- Any Charisma (Performance) check that incorporates a musical instrument in which you are proficient.
- Any Intelligence check made to identify or recall lore about anything closely related your musical instrument, including music played with your musical instrument and spells which use it as a material component.
Vehicles
You can either be proficient with horse-drawn land vehicles (land vehicles) or aquatic vehicles drawn by sail or pushed by oar (water vehicles), or both. Being proficient adds your proficiency bonus to ability checks made to maneuver and maintain vehicles of the relevant type.
Damage. Vehicles are objects, and thus have heart points and AC. Objects always fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws, and they are immune to effects that require other saves. Vehicles are immune to conditions and to psychic damage but otherwise have no damage resistances or vulnerabilities. Larger or tougher vehicles have a damage threshold; if an attack hits the vehicle but deals less damage than the threshold, then the vehicle loses no heart points as a result of that attack.
Land Vehicles
Land vehicles are usually drawn by draft horses, but some other four-legged creatures can be substituted if their combined size and Strength is sufficient. The costs below assume such a creature is not included. Unless pulling a chariot, a creature pulling a land vehicle has its base walking speed drop to 40 feet (equal to a draft horse) before other modifiers apply.
| Vehicle | Cost | Weight | AC | hp | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cart | 150 rp | 200 lb. | 11 | 25 | 5 |
| Sled | 200 rp | 300 lb. | 11 | 50 | 5 |
| Wagon | 350 rp | 400 lb. | 13 | 100 | 5 |
| Carriage | 1,000 rp | 600 lb. | 15 | 200 | 5 |
| Chariot | 2,500 rp | 100 lb. | 17 | 300 | 10 |
Cart. This simple two-wheeled vehicle is designed to be pulled by a single draft horse. It barely has enough room for two Medium or smaller creatures, and is meant mostly for moving cargo. There's no room for a driver to sit, who instead is usually guiding the beast that pulls it.
Sled. Similar to a wagon, but on runners for moving through snow, over ice, or across bogs too thick for wheels to handle. It generally requires two draft horses if there's more than one Medium creature or object being towed, other than the driver. Like a wagon, if properly pulled it can fit as many as six Medium or Small humanoids including the driver.
Wagon. This four-wheeled, open-top vehicle is for transporting heavy loads of cargo but can be fitted for passengers. It generally requires two draft horses if there's more than one Medium creature or object being towed. If pulled by two or more draft horses, it can move up to six Medium creatures or objects including the driver.
Carriage. This four-wheeled, closed-top vehicle provides unmatched shelter and comfort; you can even sleep in it overnight while it is driven. Its bulk requires at least two draft horses to operate. Up to six Medium or Small humanoids can inside the cabin, but a driver must sit outside the cabin to guide the carriage.
Chariot. Built for speed and for combat, a two-wheeled chariot is the ideal choice for a war vehicle. It can barely hold three Medium or Small creatures—one to drive and one or two to attack—but unlike other drawn vehicles one or two riding horses or other fast beast can pull with its full speed if the load isn't too heavy. Its driver and riders have half cover, and the vehicle's steel plating makes it very difficult to damage. There's no room for cargo.
Water Vehicles
The waterways of the Light World are maneuvered by many different ships, but the most renowned and relevant varieties are listed below. Though these ships draw some parallels to real-world vessels, it's important to consider how different the sea can be in Hyrule. Most ships in this realm are designed primarily to fight sea monsters, not other ships. The Kingdom of Hyrule mostly focuses on internal affairs, so its navy (usually) won't compare to the greatest navies of real-world history. While ships are most closely associated with hylians and gerudo, naval combat often incorporates zora spies and either rito or aeralfos bombers. Warships in this realm are typically outfitted ballistas, archers, harpoons, explosives, and other weapons to deal with the various threats of the Great Sea—rarely does one of respectable size merely have cannons or "guns." The most impressive ships even incorporate weaponized spells, illusions, magical defenses, or a crew supplemented by conjured creatures.
Speed. Sailing speed varies immensely based on waters and winds, and the number represented here represents modest winds. Favorable winds could do as much as double a ship's speed, while the rare instance of no wind could render the ship practically unable to move. Ships pushed by muscle—whether it be oars from passengers, or zora swimming into the ship—can rarely exceed 5 feet per round, or 1⁄2 mph—with the exception of canoes. Although larger ships are quite fast in a straight line, it's generally assumed any ship larger than a lion boat won't have time to turn in combat. Naval battles are especially swift; each ship firing half of its siege weapons at once is often enough to decide a battle.
Crew. This represents the minimum number of skilled workers (each of whom would expect at least 20 rp per day) required to maintain speed, provide upkeep, and make living on the ship possible. This crew can maintain speed for about 8 hours per day, but requiring constant speed throughout the day would require a crew of twice the size.
Pax. Pax, or passengers, are the number of Medium or Small humanoids the vessel can carry in addition to the minimum crew. This number represents uncomfortably close quarters both for work and for sleep, and can scarcely be strained any further without risking exhaustion. Individual cabins for each passenger would at least quarter the number of passengers possible.
Cargo. The approximate amount of goods in weight the ship can safely ferry with a minimum crew and no siege weapons.
| Vehicle | Cost | Length | Speed | Crew | Pax | Cargo (lb.) | AC | hp | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raft | 100 rp | 5 feet | 5 feet (1⁄2 mph) | 1 | 1 | 300 | 11 | 10 | — |
| Canoe | 500 rp | 10 feet | 25 feet (3 mph) | 1 | 3 | 600 | 11 | 30 | — |
| Lion Boat | 5,000 rp | 10 feet | 60 feet (7 mph) | 1 | 1 | 1,000 | 13 | 50 | 5 |
| Sailboat | 30,000 rp | 30 feet | 45 feet (5 mph) | 2 | 8 | 5,000 | 13 | 100 | 5 |
| Caravel | 200,000 rp | 80 feet | 60 feet (7 mph) | 5 | 60 | 100,000 | 15 | 300 | 10 |
| Clipper | 600,000 rp | 160 feet | 100 feet (11 mph) | 10 | 60 | 150,000 | 15 | 300 | 15 |
| Galleon | 800,000 rp | 160 feet | 70 feet (8 mph) | 20 | 200 | 1,000,000 | 15 | 400 | 15 |
| Ironclad | 1,000,000 rp | 160 feet | 80 feet (9 mph) | 20 | 100 | 300,000 | 17 | 800 | 20 |
| In Legends of Hyrule, the default setting assumes steam power is not robust and widespread enough to support steam ships like the S. S. Linebeck as it appears in Phantom Hourglass. Similarly, all sea-worthy ships are presumed to have sails. If your narrator permits these technically advanced ships, simply add 90 feet (10 mph) to the speed of the four best ships—caravel, clipper, galleon, and ironclad—and halve the necessary crew, then optionally increase their cost by 400,000 rupees to each steam version of each ship. This additional cost includes the cost of coal or whatever fuel the ship needs to produce steam. Such a ship gains only a small speed boost from favorable winds, perhaps 2 mph (or 20 feet per round). Under these changes, the S.S. Linebeck would fit as a steam caravel. |
Raft. Little more than a few planks or logs bound together with rope, a raft is the most meager of water vehicles. One is usually only used for crossing calm rivers, by pushing along the ground with a pole. The cost of a raft includes one suitable pole or oar. You have disadvantage on ability checks which rely on your raft, and it will surely capsize and sink before long on open waters.
Canoe. Weighing only about 50 pounds, a canoe has enough room for a couple passengers and can be used to navigate rivers, lakes, and coastal waters—but there's hardly enough room to even lay down inside of one. Its speed can only be maintained for as long as oars are used to actively row. Rowing into deep ocean will surely capsize the vessel. The greatest ships are so large they cannot safely travel up to a beach, and so are stocked with one or more canoes used to disembark on coasts without a formal port.
Lion Boat. Named for the now-famous boat used by a legendary hero, a lion boat is even smaller than a typical canoe but is of sturdier construction and its deck is dominated by a sail larger than the rest of the boat. Designed for speed, when skillfully maneuvered a lion boat can match the pace of much larger vessels. In exchange for this speed, any lion boat will be capsized frequently; any time the boat is hit by an attack or hit by a particularly strong wind, all riders are dumped into adjacent water. It is a risky yet cost-effective way to speed between nearby oceanic isles, but its small size prevents any journey that would take more than a day.
Sailboat. With a single sail and a tiny one-room cabin, a typical sailboat is considered a mere toy by most professional sailors. Still, a sailboat can ferry a small group across open waters for a few days and can carry enough weight to ferry all the treasure for a single dungeon raid, or enough supplies to set up a respectable shop. With meager speed and paltry defenses, it has no chance against pirates and would be easily capsized by sea monsters—taking one through the Great Sea is a huge risk, and the cost of cargo is too inefficient for a typical merchant to consider it. A sailboat includes one canoe.
Caravel. Though humble compared to modern top-of-the-line ships, a caravel was once one of the best designs in the world. With several triangular sails and a sizable area below deck, it is well-suited for weeks or even months at sea. It can support 15 Medium siege weapons (half on each side), or 7 Large weapons. A caravel can haul loads, fight off monsters, and speed away from threats, accomplishing everything adventurers would need from a ship. Still, it's too slow to outrun most pirates, isn't suited to naval battles, and is not very cargo-efficient. A caravel includes two canoes stowed on-board.
Clipper. Built for speed, the clipper is the fastest type of ship in the world. Its deck is adorned with as many sails as possible, and its body is exceptionally narrow to cut through the ocean. In pirate-infested waters, it is favored for its ability to outrun any ship weighed down with guns or heavy loads. Still, the galleon makes for a more cost-efficient merchant ship, and the ironclad is built for war. A clipper can support about 30 Medium siege weapons (half on each side), or 15 Large ones. If outfitted for more, its signature speed may drop significantly. A clipper includes four canoes stowed on-board.
Galleon. The largest ship on the seas, the master-crafted galleon is a merchant ship through and through, with storage efficiency at the forefront, with speed and durability not far behind. Its absolutely colossal area under deck could even fit lesser ships and carry them. Built primarily for cargo, a galleon can still support a huge defense arsenal: about 50 Medium siege weapons (half on each side), or 25 Large ones. A galleon includes five canoes stowed on-board—barely enough to fit its minimum crew.
Ironclad. Built for war, a ship-of-the-line, an ironclad is of course named because its hull is plated with iron. Almost invincible compared to most other ships, it sacrifices surprisingly little speed and cargo space. An ironclad can support about 70 Medium siege weapons (half on each side), or 35 Large ones. Built with damage in mind, ironclads often carry enough repair materials to—according to legend—build an entire second ironclad by hand. An ironclad includes five canoes stowed on-board—barely enough to fit its minimum crew.
Tool Expertise
If you are using the Tool Expertise variant rule, being proficient with a relevant vehicle grants the following benefits:
- If maneuvering a vehicle during combat, you add your proficiency bonus to the vehicle's AC.
- You are an expert in any Intelligence check made about vehicles of the relevant category.
- While inspecting a vehicle with which you are proficient, you are an expert in any ability check made to notice or analyze any aspect of the vehicle, including any check made to appraise its value.
The text of this page is partly based on the the V5.1 Systems Reference Document (SRD). The text of both this page and the SRD are released under Creative Commons (“CC-BY-4.0”). [1]
