Roman Tactics in D&D 5e
Roman military doctrine was the product of six centuries of refinement. It was not just about courage or strength; it was a system, and systems can be adapted to D&D mechanics. This chapter gives rules for running authentic Roman formations and Germanic counter-tactics as structured play at the table.
Design Principles
These rules follow two constraints:
- They must be runnable without slowing the table down. Each mechanic fits within existing D&D action economy. No new action types needed.
- They must reward tactical thinking. Formations should feel powerful and have real counters. The party should be able to use them, face them, or break them.
Roman Formations
Testudo (Tortoise)
The testudo is the signature Roman defensive formation. Soldiers lock their scuta (tower shields) overhead and around the unit, creating an interlocking shell. It is almost impervious to missile fire and effective against light cavalry. It is slow and helpless against a disciplined charge at close quarters.
Forming the Testudo: - Requires a minimum of 4 soldiers within 5 feet of each other - Costs a bonus action to enter formation on your turn - Formation persists until a member leaves the 5-foot cluster or uses their bonus action to exit
Testudo Benefits: - Three-quarters cover (+5 AC) against all ranged attacks from outside the formation - Immunity to non-magical area effects that require Dexterity saving throws (arrow volleys, ballista scatter fire) - Resistance to fire damage from above (burning pitch, flaming arrows) - Members may use the Help action as a free bonus action (shouted commands keep the unit coordinated)
Testudo Penalties: - Speed reduced to 10 feet (half speed for small units, quarter for large ones) - Disadvantage on Strength saving throws (the formation has no give; a push topples it) - Melee attackers in base contact with the formation ignore the cover bonus entirely (the shields face out, not down) - Cannot use two-handed weapons or ranged weapons while in formation
Breaking the Testudo: Germanic warriors knew how to crack a testudo. Any of the following ends the formation instantly for that unit: - A Strength check DC 14 grapple used to yank a corner-man out of position - A creature of Large size or greater charging through (the shields break under the mass) - A thrown burning object landing in the center (soldiers drop shields instinctively; Dex save DC 12 or formation breaks) - Three or more members reduced below half HP in one round (morale cracks the discipline)
In Play; Enemy Testudo: When NPC legionaries form testudo against the party’s ranged attacks:
The soldiers lock shields above their heads and along the sides. The formation becomes a metal-shelled creature, shuffling forward. Your arrows skip off the overlapping scuta like stones off a roof.
The party’s options: use the breaks above, wait for them to come into melee, flank (testudo only covers the front 180°), or find fire.
Cuneus (Wedge / Boar’s Head)
The cuneus is an offensive breakthrough formation; a wedge of heavy infantry designed to split an enemy line. The most experienced fighters go at the point; the formation widens behind them. It concentrates maximum pressure at a single point.
Forming the Cuneus: - Minimum 3 soldiers in a triangular arrangement (1 at point, 2 behind, expanding) - Costs a movement action to arrange and lock step - Formation must move at least 20 feet in a straight line on the turn it’s used
Cuneus Benefits: - The point fighter has advantage on their first attack roll each turn (the momentum and coordination) - Creatures directly in the path of the charge must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone (the formation’s mass is the weapon) - The formation cannot be flanked from the front; the wedge faces all attacks from the point
Cuneus Penalties: - Both flanks are exposed; attackers from the sides have advantage against the formation’s rear members - Cannot change direction without spending a bonus action to reform (straight-line momentum only) - If the point fighter falls, the formation collapses: all members lose the benefits until a new point is established (bonus action)
In Play; Facing a Cuneus: A charging wedge of Roman legionaries is a terrifying thing.
The soldiers lock into a triangle, the biggest man at the point, and begin to move. Fast. Faster than you expected from men in full armor. They’re not running; they’re marching, but marching hard, and the weight of them is coming at you like a battering ram with legs.
The party’s options: split and let it pass through (costly but safe), meet it head-on with their own heaviest fighter (requires beating the Strength save), break the point fighter before it reaches them, or attack the exposed flanks as it passes.
Orbis (Circle)
The orbis is the formation of last resort; a defensive ring used when a unit is surrounded, cut off, and trying to survive rather than win. It is psychologically devastating to be the soldiers inside it (they know what it means) and tactically effective in the short term.
Forming the Orbis: - Any number of soldiers, arranged back-to-back in a ring - Costs a bonus action to form; no minimum size - All members must be within 10 feet of the group’s center
Orbis Benefits: - No flanking; the formation has no rear or side. All attackers count as frontal. - Advantage on Wisdom saving throws vs. fear effects (the formation itself is a psychological anchor; we hold here) - Last Stand: When a member of the orbis drops to 0 HP, all remaining members may immediately make one free melee attack against a creature within reach (the formation reacts as a unit)
Orbis Penalties: - Speed 0; the formation cannot move while maintained - No ranged attacks from within unless the target is directly in front of a member - Attrition; the orbis wins by surviving, not advancing. Every round in orbis is a round not making progress.
In Play: The party might find themselves using the orbis in the middle of the fort raid (Session 2) or at the river crossing (Session 3). When surrounded with no good exit, call it by name:
“Orbis,” Varro says. One word. The veterans snap into the ring formation, shields out, backs together. “We hold here.”
Acies Triplex (Triple Battle Line)
The standard Roman battle line uses three waves: hastati (front, younger soldiers, take the initial impact), principes (second wave, experienced fighters who reinforce or relieve), triarii (rear, veterans with spears, the final reserve; the saying “it has come to the triarii” meant things were desperate).
In D&D 5e: This translates to a structured relief system.
Acies Mechanic: - The party designates their front-line fighters, second-line, and reserve (at least one character each) - Front line: Fights normally. When they drop below half HP, they may fall back as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks; the second line steps up automatically. - Second line: Charges forward when front line falls back. They have advantage on their first attack (they’ve been watching the enemy’s patterns). - Reserve: Enters last. Any character entering from reserve has advantage on all attacks and saving throws for their first full turn (fresh legs, fresh focus).
Cost: Requires 10 minutes of prep time before combat to assign roles and explain the plan. Does nothing in ambushes or surprise rounds.
Siege Mechanics
Battering Ram
A battering ram is a log, usually iron-tipped, carried by 6–12 soldiers under a protective cover.
Ram Stats: - Crew: 6 soldiers minimum (can use 4 at disadvantage) - Speed: 15 feet per round (crew dashes) - AC: 14 (the protective cover) | HP: 40 - Attack: +6 to hit vs. a door or wall, 4d10 bludgeoning on a hit - Average gate HP: 30 (wooden palisade gate); two solid hits break it
Stopping the Ram: - Kill or rout the crew (survivors drop the ram) - Dump boiling water or fire on the crew: DC 14 Con save, 3d6 damage, crew must pass DC 12 Wisdom save or rout - Collapse the cover with siege weapons or fire: ram crew loses all cover, becomes easy targets - Block the path: large objects in the way require the crew to spend a round moving them
Ballista
A ballista fires a large bolt with tremendous force and range.
Ballista Stats: - Crew: 2 to operate, 1 to aim and fire - Range: 120/480 feet - Attack: +6 to hit, 4d8 piercing damage - Special: On a hit, the target must make DC 14 Strength save or be knocked prone; if the target is a vehicle or structure, it counts as 6d8 damage - Rate: Fires once every other round (requires reloading)
In Session 2: The party can man the fort’s ballistae during the raid. Make it feel powerful; a ballista bolt through a raider chieftain’s shield changes the mood of the attacking force.
Scaling Ladders
Ladders allow attackers to reach walls quickly but leave them extremely vulnerable during the climb.
Climbing the ladder: - Costs full movement for that round - The climber is restrained (AC drops by 2, Dex save disadvantage) while on the ladder - Any hit while climbing forces a DC 12 Dexterity save or the climber falls (half the wall’s height in damage, usually 2d6) - A ladder can be pushed back by 1 person making a DC 13 Athletics check as an action
Holding the walls: For every defender actively pushing ladders, they can keep one ladder section clear for the round. If more ladders than defenders: overflow sections are breached.
Germanic Counter-Tactics
The Germanic tribes had been fighting Romans for two centuries by 175 AD. They knew exactly how to defeat the formations above.
Forest Ambush
The Varus Trap: Lure a Roman column into dense forest, let it string out along a narrow track, then attack simultaneously at three points. The column cannot form up; discipline becomes a liability (soldiers can’t see each other or coordinate).
Mechanics: - Ambushers attack from the flanks simultaneously; all defenders are surprised - Defenders cannot use formation benefits (Testudo, Acies) in dense forest without a successful DC 14 Dexterity check to find enough space - If ambushed while marching in column: roll initiative normally, but defenders have disadvantage on initiative rolls for the first round
Countering: Scouts moving 100 feet ahead reduce the ambush success chance. DC 15 Perception to detect the ambush before it springs.
Shield Wall (Schildwall)
Germanic shield walls are different from Roman formations; looser, more aggressive at the edges, designed to lock and push rather than manoeuvre.
Schildwall: - Minimum 4 warriors in a line, shields overlapping - Front fighters gain half cover (+2 AC) and advantage on Strength saving throws vs. being pushed or knocked prone - Shieldbreaker Rule: A Schildwall can be broken by a character who succeeds on a DC 15 Athletics check to wedge a weapon between shields; this costs an action but removes the shield benefit from two adjacent defenders for one round
Against a Roman Wedge: A Schildwall meeting a Cuneus; the Schildwall fighters make DC 13 Strength saves against the charge, but the Schildwall counts as a solid object for the purpose of stopping the wedge’s momentum (the wedge does not knock them prone on a successful save, only on a failed one).
Encirclement (Kesselschlacht)
Germanic chieftains sometimes divided their forces to circle a Roman unit; sending light warriors to the flanks and rear while heavy fighters held the front.
Running Kesselschlacht: - Requires the Germanic force to outnumber the Roman unit 2:1 - Takes 3 rounds to complete the circle (during which the flanking forces are visible but not yet in position) - Once complete: the Roman unit is surrounded; testudo becomes orbis territory - The Kesselschlacht is broken if the party can eliminate the encircling forces’ leader (Perception DC 14 to identify them in the confusion)
Roman Weapons and Ammunition
The Roman army did not equip every soldier the same way. The legionary’s gladius and pilum are the most famous, but a frontier posting like Vindolanda draws on auxiliary units, local craftsmen, and whatever the last supply convoy brought. What you carry determines what you can do in formation. The mechanics below extend the standard D&D 5e weapon list with Roman-specific options, ammunition types, and tactical notes tied to the session encounters in this campaign.
Ranged Weapons
Funda (Sling)
The Balearic funditores who taught this weapon to the Roman army could outrange a composite archer. Lead shot does not whistle like an arrow; it arrives without announcement. What it does to muscle tissue under armor is more damage than the die suggests – the number represents what matters in play, not what the medic sees afterward. The tradeoff is space: a sling needs a full arm rotation, and in a tight press it becomes useless before it becomes dangerous.
The sling itself is a Simple weapon, costs 2 gp, weighs 1/4 lb. A trained funditor fires one shot per round without a separate load action unless noted.
Using a sling in close formation: Attacks while allies are within 5 feet are made at disadvantage. The weapon needs swing room. A funditor who is engaged in melee (attacked this round) must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw before each shot or the shot is wasted (the swing is disrupted). Switching ammunition types costs a bonus action.
Ammunition types:
Glandes (lead shot): Range 30/60 ft. 1d6 bludgeoning. On a hit, the target makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn (impact shock: dense lead at high velocity disrupts muscle control even through armor). Cost: 5 cp per 20. Weight: 3 lb per 20.
Stone: Range 40/80 ft. 1d4 bludgeoning. No secondary effect. Collected from the fort ditch or local riverbed; no Quartermaster required. Slightly less punch than lead, but effectively unlimited at any posting with a water source. Weight: 4 lb per 20.
Clay incendiary: Range 20/40 ft. 1d4 bludgeoning + 1d4 fire. Sets flammable objects alight on a hit (unattended objects catch fire; creatures wearing flammable materials make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or their clothing ignites, dealing 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of their turns until extinguished). Requires a bonus action to load (the clay shell must be handled carefully). Cost: 1 sp per 10. Weight: 2 lb per 10.
Glandes cum foramine (whistling glandes): Range 30/60 ft. 1d6 bludgeoning. Clay and lead shot with 4-5mm holes that produce a sustained shriek in flight – Burnswark Hill excavations confirmed these were in use in the 2nd century AD. On a miss by 4 or fewer (the shot passes close without connecting), the target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll. Against mounts and animals: the DC rises to 14 (animal nerves respond more sharply to the pitch). Cost: 8 cp per 20. Weight: 3 lb per 20.
Glandes inscriptae (inscribed lead): Range 30/60 ft. 1d6 bludgeoning. Shot cast with messages: FVLGVR (lightning), the recipient’s name, or cruder Roman commentary. Same stats as standard glandes on a hit. Before combat, if the enemy can see these being prepared and loaded (Perception DC 12), they make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw; on a failure, they begin with disadvantage on their first attack roll (the psychological weight of seeing your name on the incoming shot). One-time morale effect per engagement. Cost: 6 cp per 20. Weight: 3 lb per 20.
Terracotta shot (unfired clay): Range 35/70 ft. 1d4 bludgeoning. Lighter than lead and carries slightly further; less dense on impact. Can be made in the field: 1 hour of work with available clay and a simple mold produces 20 shot. Purchased stock is inconsistent because soldiers requisition the molds for other purposes. Cost: 3 cp per 20 when purchased; free to craft. Weight: 2 lb per 20.
Arrow Types
Standard arrows are already in the PHB. The following variants are available from the Vindolanda quartermaster and replace standard arrows on a one-for-one cost basis.
Bodkin arrow: Standard range. On a hit against a target wearing non-metal armor (leather, hide, or padded), the attack ignores that armor’s AC bonus entirely (the bodkin head punches through). Cost: 5 sp per 20. Weight: 2 lb per 20.
Broadhead arrow: Standard range. On a critical hit, the target takes an additional 1d4 piercing damage at the start of its next turn as the wound continues to open. Cost: 6 sp per 20. Weight: 2 lb per 20.
Fire arrow: Standard range, but requires a bonus action to light from a torch or tinder before firing. Adds 1d4 fire damage, but only against flammable targets: wooden structures, oil-soaked surfaces, dry vegetation, or siege equipment. Against armored targets or in rain, the fire damage does not apply (the flame extinguishes on impact). Cost: 1 sp per 10 (includes pitch-soaked wrapping). Weight: 1 lb per 10.
Trilobate arrow (three-bladed head): Standard range. Against targets wearing non-plate armor (leather, hide, scale, or chainmail), the attack ignores the armor’s Dexterity modifier contribution to AC: the three blades cut around the articulation points that flexible armor relies on. On a critical hit, the target makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw; on a failure, it suffers one level of exhaustion from blood loss (three wound channels simultaneously). Cost: 8 sp per 20. Weight: 2 lb per 20.
Barbed arrow: Standard range. Standard damage on a hit. When the arrow is removed without medical attention, the barbs tear the wound open: removal deals an additional 1d4 piercing damage unless the remover succeeds on a DC 15 Medicine check or magical healing is applied to the wound first. A target who leaves a barbed arrow embedded takes 1 piercing damage at the start of each of their turns until it is removed. Cost: 7 sp per 20. Weight: 2 lb per 20.
Scythicon (poison arrow, Scythian-style composite toxin): Standard range. On a hit, the target takes normal piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save: 2d6 poison damage immediately and 1d6 poison damage at the start of their next turn. On a success: half the immediate poison damage only, no ongoing effect. Rarity: not standard Vindolanda stock. Available through Sigrun’s network, black market sources in the vicus, or captured tribal stores. A medicus who handles the arrows can identify the specific compound and antidote window with a DC 16 Medicine check. Cost: 1 gp per arrow when available. Weight: 1 lb per 10.
Arcuballista Bolt (Heavy Crossbow Bolt, Reinforced)
Used by the heavier crossbow variants deployed on fort walls and siege positions. Requires a Heavy Crossbow. Range is reduced by 10 feet on both bands compared to a standard bolt (so 90/350 ft for a standard heavy crossbow), but the bolt deals +2 damage and ignores the AC bonus granted by shields: the weight and construction defeats the bracing an opponent relies on. Cost: 2 sp per 10. Weight: 3 lb per 10.
Thrown Weapons
Heavy Pilum
The heavy pilum hitting a shield makes a specific sound: a flat crack, then a grinding drag as the soft iron shank bends under its own weight. Then silence while the man holding the shield realizes it is now pulling his arm toward the ground. The Romans designed for that silence – the moment between the volley and the charge where the enemy line is disordered and cannot raise shields to meet what is coming. The tradeoff is that a heavy pilum usually dies on the first throw: most bent shanks cannot be recovered.
Heavy pilum: Martial weapon. Thrown (30/60 ft). 1d8 piercing. On a hit, the target’s shield is unusable until repaired (1 hour of work with appropriate tools). The pilum cannot be thrown back by the target. Retrieving a heavy pilum after combat requires a DC 14 Athletics check as a bonus action; on a failure, the shank is bent beyond use. Cost: 5 sp. Weight: 4 lb.
Light Pilum
Lighter, shorter, and built for auxiliary units and closer engagements. It does not bend on impact, which means it can be retrieved and reused – but it also means the enemy can pick it up and return the favor. A light pilum thrown at an unshielded target finds the body more directly; against someone with a shield up, the lighter head deflects more readily than its heavy counterpart.
Light pilum: Martial weapon. Thrown (20/40 ft). 1d6 piercing. Deals +1d4 piercing damage on the first attack in any combat against a target not currently carrying a shield. Can be retrieved freely after combat. A target who picks up a light pilum thrown at them can throw it back as a bonus action on their next turn. Cost: 3 sp. Weight: 2 lb.
Plumbata (Weighted Dart)
A short, lead-weighted dart carried clipped to the inside of the shield. Soldiers carry up to 5 plumbatae without using any additional carry space (they ride the shield). Quick to throw, intended as a final volley before melee engagement.
Plumbata: Simple weapon. Thrown (30/60 ft). 1d4 piercing. Ignores half cover: the weight carries it past low obstacles. A soldier can carry up to 5 plumbatae clipped to a scutum or clipeus without affecting equipment load. Cost: 1 sp per 5. Weight: 1/2 lb each.
Verutum (Auxiliary Javelin)
A short, light throwing spear used by auxiliary infantry when pilum supply is restricted or cost is a factor. The shaft is thinner than a pilum and the head is not designed to bend on impact. This means it can be recovered and thrown again – and it means the enemy can do the same. Auxiliaries who use it know to target enemies who will not have time to throw it back.
Verutum: Simple weapon. Thrown (20/40 ft). 1d6 piercing. Retrievable after combat without a check (the head does not embed deeply). When thrown against a creature in testudo formation from the front arc, the attack automatically fails: the light tip does not penetrate the shield overlap. Cost: 1 sp. Weight: 1 lb.
Lancea (Cavalry Javelin)
Longer than a verutum, shorter than a contus, designed for use from horseback. The rider’s height and the horse’s momentum carry the throw further than a dismounted soldier can manage. On foot, the length creates liability in close quarters, but it still outranges a verutum and hits harder. Cavalry auxiliaries typically carry two: one for the throw, one for the follow-up if the charge does not resolve the engagement.
Lancea: Martial weapon. Thrown (25/50 ft mounted; 20/40 ft on foot). 1d8 piercing. When thrown from horseback after moving at least 20 feet this turn: +1d4 piercing damage (mounted momentum carries through). When used as a melee weapon while mounted: reach 10 ft. Disadvantage on attack rolls against targets within 5 ft when on foot (the length prevents effective close-in use). Cost: 3 gp. Weight: 4 lb.
Melee Weapons
Gladius (Roman Short Sword)
The legionary’s primary sidearm. Short enough to use in tight formation, double-edged for cutting, and pointed for thrusting into gaps in armor. Its design rewards the press of bodies rather than fighting it. Against an armored opponent you feel it catch at the links, then find the gap the armorsmith did not think about. After twenty years, the pommel fits the hand the way nothing else does; veterans who muster out sometimes carry the blade for decades afterward.
Gladius: Martial weapon. 1d6 piercing or slashing, finesse. Formation bonus: when attacking while at least one ally is within 5 feet of you and within 5 feet of your target, you gain +1 to attack rolls (the close quarters that would hamper a longer weapon instead create pressure and alignment). Cost: 10 gp. Weight: 3 lb.
Spatha (Cavalry Sword)
The longer sword of cavalry and Germanic auxiliary units. Nearly two feet longer than the gladius, built for mounted riders who need reach past a horse’s neck. Germanic warriors use it with big sweeping cuts at range – the opposite of legionary training. Foot soldiers who carry one into a close press of bodies tend to regret the length before the fight is over.
Spatha: Martial weapon. 1d8 slashing. Reach property applies only when mounted (10 ft from horseback); reach is 5 ft on foot. Disadvantage on attack rolls when used in tight formation (within 5 feet of two or more allies). Cost: 15 gp. Weight: 4 lb.
Pugio (Military Dagger)
Standard issue alongside the gladius. Most soldiers use it as a tool for twenty years and never draw it in anger. When they do draw it, the other person is already too close for anything else to matter. The narrow blade finds angles between ribs that a gladius cannot reach. It is the weapon of the last moment, and every Roman soldier knows exactly where it sits.
Pugio: Simple weapon. 1d4 piercing, finesse, light, thrown (20/60 ft). You have advantage on attack rolls made while grappling or while grappled. Cost: 5 gp. Weight: 1 lb.
Hasta (Infantry Spear)
The thrusting spear that predates the gladius in Roman service, still carried by frontier auxiliary units without full legionary supply chains. Set braced against a cavalry charge it is a wall; unbraced in close quarters it becomes a liability – too long to maneuver, too heavy to shed fast enough. The brace discipline separates veteran hastati from soldiers who simply carry a spear.
Hasta: Martial weapon. 1d8 piercing, reach, two-handed. Brace: if you have not moved during your turn, you can set the hasta against an incoming charge. Any creature that moves into your reach during that round triggers an opportunity attack from you; this opportunity attack deals double damage on a hit. Transition penalty: if you were braced at the start of your turn, you cannot move and attack in the same turn (the spear must be physically unset; doing so costs your full movement). Cost: 2 gp. Weight: 6 lb.
Dolabra (Military Pick/Axe)
Every legionary carries one. In the morning it digs the camp ditch; in the afternoon it clears the road; at night, against an enemy scaling the palisade, it removes whatever they are holding onto. The pick end opens gaps in wooden fortifications that battering rams would take minutes to create. It is the most honest weapon in the army: it does not pretend to be only one thing.
Dolabra: Martial weapon. 1d8 piercing, two-handed. Against stone walls, wooden structures, earthwork fortifications, or constructed barriers: the dolabra deals double damage. A creature using stone cover (a low wall, a battlement, a fortified corner) does not benefit from that cover against a dolabra attack: the pick can dislodge the cover itself with a successful hit (the cover is destroyed on a second hit). Against unarmored or lightly armored creatures in the open (no cover, no structure): attacks are made at disadvantage (the pick is heavy and the swing arc is wide; a mobile opponent can step inside it). Cost: 3 gp. Weight: 5 lb.
Contus/Kontos (Heavy Cavalry Lance)
The heavy lance of Roman cataphract cavalry and Parthian-style heavy horse. Two hands, two legs, and a horse’s mass behind the strike. Without a horse it is a 12-foot pole too long to maneuver and too heavy to swing effectively. With a horse at full charge, it is the single most violent personal impact a single soldier can deliver. Dismounted troopers who pick one up in a fight tend to drop it within the first round and draw something shorter.
Contus: Martial weapon. Two-handed, requires mount. Reach 10 ft (mounted only; 5 ft on foot). 1d12 piercing. Charge strike: when the attack follows moving at least 20 feet in a straight line this turn while mounted, it deals double damage on a hit. Dismounted consequence: if the rider is unmounted while carrying the contus, all attacks and Dexterity saving throws have disadvantage until the weapon is dropped. Dropping safely costs a full action; dropping instantly as a free action requires a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to avoid tripping on the shaft. Cost: 25 gp. Weight: 15 lb.
Falx (Dacian Curved Blade)
Captured from Dacian enemies or found in tribal mercenary stores. A single-edged sickle-sword designed to hook over and around shields, reaching the arm or neck behind whatever defense the opponent has raised. The Romans formally banned its use in gladiatorial combat after it caused too many incapacitating injuries in the early empire’s arena shows. Finding one in Roman-controlled territory raises immediate questions about where it came from.
Falx: Martial weapon. Two-handed. 1d10 slashing. Bypasses shields: the blade ignores the AC bonus granted by any shield (the curve goes around it; interposing the shield is not effective against the angle of the cut). Formation disadvantage: disadvantage on attack rolls while in any Roman formation – the wide arc requires space that formations are designed to deny. Legal risk: carrying a falx without an officer’s written authorization in Roman military territory is a summary offense. Any soldier or officer who sees one is legally required to report it; a DC 14 Persuasion check is needed to convince them otherwise. Cost: 15 gp (black market); 0 gp (captured). Weight: 7 lb.
Ammunition Weight and Supply at Vindolanda
The fort’s supply is finite and tracked. Quartermaster access requires Reputation: Acquaintance or higher with Quartus, or an officer’s written order.
| Ammunition type | Weight per 20 | Vindolanda stock | Quartermaster required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone | 4 lb | Unlimited (ditch) | No |
| Lead shot (glandes) | 3 lb | 200 | Yes |
| Clay incendiary | 2 lb | 40 | Yes (Rufus makes these; see camp_economy.qmd) |
| Bodkin arrows | 2 lb | 300 | Yes |
| Broadhead arrows | 2 lb | 150 | Yes |
| Fire arrows | 1 lb | 60 | Yes (limited; count your shots) |
| Heavy pilum | 4 lb each | 80 | Yes |
| Light pilum | 2 lb each | 120 | Yes |
| Plumbatae | 1/2 lb each | 200 (issued standard) | No |
| Arcuballista bolts | 3 lb per 10 | 100 | Yes |
| Whistling glandes (cum foramine) | 3 lb per 20 | 80 | Yes |
| Inscribed lead (inscriptae) | 3 lb per 20 | 60 | Yes |
| Terracotta shot | 2 lb per 20 | Craftable (1 hr) | No |
| Trilobate arrows | 2 lb per 20 | 80 | Yes |
| Barbed arrows | 2 lb per 20 | 100 | Yes |
| Scythicon poison arrows | 1 lb per 10 | 0 (not stocked) | Black market only |
| Verutum | 1 lb each | 200 | Yes |
| Lancea | 4 lb each | 40 | Yes |
Camp Level effect: At Camp Level 2, Rufus’s workshop can produce 10 additional clay incendiaries and 20 additional fire arrows per session downtime period. At Camp Level 3, lead shot production begins (10 per session). See camp_economy.qmd.
Tactics Integration
These weapons do not exist in isolation. They slot into the formations above and the specific encounters across the five sessions.
Pilum volley before melee: The standard Roman opening move. One volley of heavy pilum at 30 feet disrupts the enemy shield wall (shields become unusable; the enemy’s AC bonus evaporates) and then the formation closes to gladius range within that same round using the remaining movement. When running this as a DM, give NPC legionaries this opener automatically in any engagement where they have initiative.
Slings on the wall: During the Session 4 siege, stone ammunition is effectively unlimited; the soldiers collect it from the fort ditch and the surrounding ground. Lead shot requires Quartermaster access and Camp Level 2 or higher. Assign a sling-equipped NPC to the walls in the siege encounter if the party has upgraded the camp.
Fire arrows in the forest: In the Session 3 forest travel, fire arrows can be used against the dry-vegetation Terrain Ignition option in the forest travel events table (see chapter3.qmd). In the Session 4 siege, fire arrows are the primary tool against the siege equipment the attackers are using to approach the gate; they cannot be used once rain begins (the siege weather escalation, Scene 3).
Clay incendiaries in the tunnel: The tunnel scenes in Session 4 are narrow enclosed spaces. Clay incendiaries cannot be used in the tunnel without endangering the party (the fire damage applies to all flammable materials in a 5-foot radius, including the wooden support beams). Outside the tunnel, in the antechamber, they work normally.
Dolabra and the collapsed passage: The blocked section in the Session 4 tunnel is a constructed stone collapse, not a natural fall. A character with the dolabra can clear enough of the passage to squeeze through with a DC 15 Athletics check (2 rounds of work). Without the dolabra, the check is DC 18 and takes 5 rounds. The dolabra’s structure-damage double damage rule applies to each working round: the DM can frame partial success as clearing enough to pass at the cost of time.
Siege Weapons
These are crew weapons. They require positioning, time, and trained operators. A single soldier does not operate them; a crew does, and the crew’s competence matters as much as the weapon’s design. The party can operate Vindolanda’s siege weapons from the walls in Sessions 3-4, or encounter them aimed at the fort from the Germanic force.
Scorpio (Torsion Bolt-Thrower)
The lighter Roman artillery piece, small enough to be carried by four soldiers and mounted on a wall parapet, a cart, or a tower platform. Fast to aim, faster to reload than a full ballista, and accurate enough to target individual combatants rather than formations. Legionaries call it the scorpion for the way it bites at distance without announcement.
Scorpio: Crew 2. Range 120/480 ft. Attack +6 to hit. Damage: 2d8 piercing. A trained crew (both members proficient with siege weapons) can reload and fire in the same round as separate actions. Without proficiency, loading costs a full action and firing costs another round. On a hit, the target makes a DC 12 Strength saving throw or is pushed 10 feet. Can be repositioned by 4 soldiers spending their full action. Weight: 400 lb.
Vindolanda: 2 scorpiones operational at Camp Level 1. A third is assembled from parts in Rufus’s workshop at Camp Level 2 (3 downtime days).
Onager (Torsion Catapult)
Named for the wild ass, for the vicious kick it delivers when the arm releases. Throws large stones or incendiary bundles in an arc over walls and at angle. Devastating against structures, rooftops, and packed formations that cannot scatter. Useless against individual moving targets in the open – the arc is predictable; a soldier who has seen one fired knows to step left. Inside a fort during a siege, a single onager stone through a barracks roof changes the stakes of the session immediately.
Onager: Crew 4. Range 200/800 ft (minimum 60 ft; cannot target within 60 feet). The crew makes a group DC 13 Dexterity check using proficiency if trained. On success: 5d8 bludgeoning damage in a 10 ft radius at the target point; creatures in the area make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half. Near-miss (total 10-12): 5d8 damage at a randomly adjacent 10 ft square (DM rolls 1d8 for direction). Against structures: full damage, no save. Takes 3 full rounds to reload. Weight: 1,800 lb (cannot be repositioned during combat).
Vindolanda: The onager is non-functional at Camp Level 1 – the torsion rope is frayed and replacement is not Rufus’s current priority. He can repair it with appropriate materials at Camp Level 2 (one downtime action). At Camp Level 3, the crew is drilled and the group DC drops to 11.
Polybolos (Repeating Ballista)
Not standard issue. The screw-feed bolt magazine that reloads automatically with each draw of the arm requires a craftsman who understands it – typically Greek-speaking engineers from Alexandria or Antioch. Vindolanda does not have one unless the party arranges transport. Encountering one in the field aimed at the fort means someone with serious resources and connections equipped the attackers with captured technology, which raises questions worth pursuing.
Polybolos: Crew 2 (at least one crew member requires proficiency in Artisan’s Tools or equivalent engineering background). Range 120/480 ft. Attack +5 to hit. Damage: 4d8 piercing per bolt. Rate: fires twice per round; the second shot is at disadvantage (the magazine feed is fast but inconsistent under combat stress). Jam: when the second shot misses with a die result of 1-5, the magazine jams; clearing it requires a DC 15 Artisan’s Tools check as a full action. Weight: 600 lb.
Germanic Weapons
The warriors attacking Vindolanda in Sessions 3 and 4 carry a different weapons tradition. Germanic equipment is lighter, faster, and built for the opening shock of a charge rather than the sustained press the testudo is designed to survive. A party that understands how these weapons work together can predict the charge pattern before it arrives; a party that does not will learn it the hard way against the north gate.
These weapons are available to players who capture them in the field, trade for them through Sigrun, or play Germanic-heritage characters.
Framea (Germanic Spear-Javelin)
Tacitus writes that the framea is “their only or chief weapon” – iron-tipped, narrow-headed, and deceptively versatile. It is lighter than the Roman hasta and shorter than a cavalry lance. The danger is that it does both jobs: it throws and thrusts, and a Germanic warrior chooses which function based on what they see. At forty feet they throw; at ten feet they do not. Roman commanders who understand this know to deny the gap – force contact before the framea leaves the hand, or stand beyond its range until the volley is spent. The tradeoff for the Germanic warrior is that once thrown, they are in melee without a ranged weapon; once held, they have surrendered the disruption advantage.
Framea: Martial weapon. Versatile (1d6 one-handed / 1d8 two-handed), piercing. Thrown (20/60 ft); retrievable after combat (the head is not designed to bend). Charge bonus: if the wielder moves at least 20 feet toward the target before making a melee attack with the framea this turn, that attack deals +1d4 piercing damage (the momentum of the charge carries through the thrust). Cost: 2 gp. Weight: 4 lb.
Seax (Germanic Fighting Blade)
A single-edged blade longer than a knife and shorter than a sword, used after the initial framea throw when two people are too close for spearwork. It cuts differently from the gladius: long drawing cuts that follow the momentum of the arm, not short thrusts that oppose it. Germanic warriors who use the seax as their primary weapon tend to keep moving – the blade’s geometry rewards the fighter who stays in motion and punishes the one who plants their feet.
Seax: Martial weapon. 1d6 slashing, finesse, light. Momentum cut: if you moved at least 10 feet before your first attack in the Attack action this turn, that first attack deals +1d4 slashing damage. If you did not move (or are standing still, braced, or in formation), the weapon functions as a standard finesse 1d6 weapon with no bonus. Cost: 5 gp. Weight: 2 lb.
Francisca (Throwing Axe)
Not standard issue for every warrior, but carried by specialists in the second rank who throw in the last seconds before the charge connects. The francisca tumbles unpredictably in flight – deliberately so. A tumbling axe is difficult to track and deflect even with a shield raised. It is thrown at ten to twenty feet, not forty; its role is disruption of the front rank right as the charge reaches them. The tradeoff is that it announces its presence before it arrives. A Roman soldier who sees a francisca thrower raising their arm has one action to react.
Francisca: Martial weapon. Thrown (15/30 ft). 1d6 slashing. On a miss by 4 or fewer (the axe tumbles past without connecting), the target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll (the near-miss is deeply distracting). Retrievable after combat unless embedded in a surface. A character can carry up to 3 franciscae without additional encumbrance (they are small enough to clip to a belt). Cost: 6 gp. Weight: 3 lb each.
Angon (Barbed Throwing Spear)
Frankish and Rhenish warriors carry this alongside the framea, but it serves a different purpose. Where the framea is a clean throw-or-thrust choice, the angon is a harassment weapon: the barbed head is designed to catch in a shield or a body and stay there, and the heavy shaft makes it impossible to ignore. A shield with an angon through it becomes a liability rather than a defense. Warriors sometimes step on the embedded shaft to drag the shield down while closing to seax range – the exact movement that the Roman testudo training teaches soldiers to resist, and that individual fighters in open ground usually do not.
Angon: Martial weapon. Thrown (20/40 ft). 1d8 piercing. On a hit against a shield-bearing target: the target makes a DC 14 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the angon catches on the shield; the shield’s AC bonus is halved (rounded down) until the shaft is removed as an action. On a hit against a target without a shield: the barbs catch in body or armor; removing the angon deals 1d6 additional piercing damage unless a DC 13 Medicine check is made or magical healing is applied first. Cost: 8 gp. Weight: 5 lb.
Germanic Round Shield (Parma)
Lighter than the Roman scutum, smaller in circumference, and built for individual mobility rather than formation locking. Germanic warriors are not trained for testudo; their shield is a personal deflection tool, not an interlocking wall piece. What it loses in formation use it gains in freedom: no weapon penalties, usable with two-handed weapons by strapping rather than gripping when not actively blocking, and fast enough to shield-bash without breaking stride.
Parma (Germanic round shield): +2 AC (standard shield bonus). Does not impose disadvantage on attack rolls with any weapon type – the strap grip frees the weapon arm. Cannot contribute to testudo or any Roman formation requiring shield locking; allies attempting testudo with a parma-bearer in the formation do not receive the formation’s cover bonus (it does not interlock). Shield bash: bonus action, 1d4 bludgeoning; target makes a DC 12 Strength saving throw or is pushed 5 feet. Cost: 7 gp. Weight: 6 lb.
The Germanic Charge: How It Works Together
The Marcomanni and Cherusci assault pattern has three beats. Understanding the beats lets the party place soldiers where they will matter.
Beat one (40-60 ft out): Framea volley. Warriors in the first rank throw as they close. At this range, the scutum wall absorbs most of it – but gaps in the wall do not. The pilum counter-volley at 30 feet neutralizes most framea before they can be thrown: shields become unusable and the charge loses its cover.
Beat two (10-20 ft out): Francisca from the second rank, thrown over the heads of the first. The testudo negates this entirely (3/4 cover means the near-miss distraction check applies at disadvantage). Without testudo, front-rank soldiers make the DC 12 Wisdom save or attack with disadvantage right as the charge connects.
Beat three (contact): First rank in with seax and remaining framea in melee grip. They move constantly – circling, retreating, re-engaging – which is why the gladius’s formation bonus becomes critical here. The charge pattern is designed for open-field fighting; inside the fort walls, in narrow streets and doorways, it fails. Germanic warriors in confined spaces lose the movement bonus for both framea and seax, and cannot throw franciscae safely. Funneling them through the north gate and into the fort street grid neutralizes beat three almost completely.
Notable and Magical Weapons
Three key NPCs carry weapons with specific properties. These are not shop items. They exist as story objects that move through the campaign and can change hands.
Vercingetorix’s Framea – Spes Tribuum (“Hope of the Tribes”)
The framea Vercingetorix carries is three generations old. The ash haft has been replaced twice; the iron tip has not. The rune carved into the socket is Tiwaz, the rune of Tyr, the one-handed justice god – the mark of a vow sworn at cost. Vercingetorix’s grandfather carried it at the grove when the spear was sealed; it was present at the moment the spear was bound and has retained something of that contact.
Properties: +1 to attack and damage rolls. When attacking a creature that has demonstrated cowardice (fled combat, betrayed an ally, broken an oath) within the last hour, the framea deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage (Mars’ justice, in its Germanic form). Within 30 feet of the Spear of Mars, the rune on the socket glows faintly and warm – this glow is visible to anyone who looks at the weapon directly.
In play: Vercingetorix never offers this weapon. If he dies, it remains with his body and must be claimed. If a PC picks it up, they immediately know it has weight beyond its mass – it pulls slightly toward the principia, toward the spear below. The glow is the first confirmation that the weapons are connected.
Cassia’s Augur Knife – Clavis Caeli (“Key of Heaven”)
Bronze, not iron. Every Roman augur carries one; Cassia’s is older than the fort and came from her mother, who received it from someone she will not name. Bronze is Mars’ metal in the older tradition – before iron came to dominate the field, before the smith-gods were separated from the war-gods. Against corrupted creatures, it does not behave like a standard blade.
Properties: Against a creature with any level of corruption (DM judgment), a hit with this knife prevents magical healing until the target succeeds on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the start of its next turn (the bronze opens something spiritual, not just physical). In the presence of Mars (Sessions 4-5), the blade is warm to the touch and the wielder has advantage on Insight checks to read divine intent. On a natural 20 against a corrupted target, the target’s corruption level is immediately visible to Cassia – she sees it as a color around the wound.
In play: Cassia does not fight with this knife. She uses it for augury, sacrifice, and self-defense of last resort. If she is incapacitated and a PC takes the knife to defend her, the knife functions for that PC but without the Insight advantage (it responds to Cassia specifically, not to proximity). If Cassia dies, the knife goes cold and loses the anti-healing property until it is carried by someone who has genuinely mourned her.
Varro’s Gladius – Veteranus
Not magical. Twenty years old, notched in places a blacksmith has told him to replace and he has not. The pommel is worn smooth where the thumb rests. The blade is two inches shorter than standard from resharpening. The soldiers who have served under Varro for more than two years recognize it on sight. That recognition is the weapon’s property.
Property (reputation, not magic): When Varro draws Veteranus in view of soldiers who have served with him (within 30 feet, line of sight), one named NPC soldier of the DM’s choice immediately recovers from the Frightened condition. This works once per combat encounter. A PC who inherits the blade after Varro’s death retains this property only if Varro reached Ally tier with that PC before his death – the blade works for someone Varro chose to trust, not for someone who simply picked it up.
In play: The name Veteranus is not official. The soldiers call it that, quietly, when Varro is not in earshot. He knows. He has not corrected it for twelve years.
The Spear of Mars
Documented in chapter1.qmd. The spear is the campaign’s central object and is treated there in full. Its connection to Vercingetorix’s framea and to Cassia’s knife is noted above; the spear reacts to both in the vault scene if the DM chooses to use the environmental detail.
Armor and Equipment
Roman soldiers are not interchangeable. The lorica segmentata of the legionary, the chainmail of the auxiliary, the linen breastplate of an officer who knows his history – these are tactical profiles, not aesthetic choices. Each combination of armor, helmet, cloak, and boots creates a different fighter with different strengths and different vulnerabilities.
Equipment uses slots. Each character has seven: body, helmet, arms, gloves, cloak, boots, belt. Total encumbrance follows standard D&D 5e rules (Strength score × 15 lb). Carrying more than half your encumbrance limit gives disadvantage on Stealth checks and reduces speed by 10 feet.
Body Armor
Lorica Segmentata (Segmented Plate)
The overlapping iron plates that define the legionary’s silhouette. Lighter than it looks and faster to don than full plate – the segments allow the body to move. Against a downward sword stroke or an arrow, the overlap distributes the impact across multiple plates. Against a blade finding the gap between segments or a thrust into the armpit: the segments fail completely. Every armorer knows where the gaps are.
Lorica Segmentata: Heavy armor. AC 17. Strength 13 required. Disadvantage on Stealth checks (the plates click in motion). Disadvantage on Athletics (Swimming) checks; in fast-moving water, a failed Athletics check means sinking. Takes 10 minutes to don fully; 5 minutes to doff. Cost: 200 gp. Weight: 20 lb.
Tradeoff: Best AC of any body armor here. Worst in water and for concealment. Frontier engagements reward it; river crossings and night infiltration punish it.
Lorica Hamata (Chainmail)
Standard armor of auxiliary forces and many frontier legionaries who have traded their segmentata for weight reduction. Rings of iron linked into a flexible sheet. It absorbs slashing well; a cut across chainmail spreads its force. Against a bodkin point or a thrust with serious momentum: the rings deform and the point finds its way through.
Lorica Hamata: Medium armor. AC 14 + Dexterity modifier (maximum +2). Strength 12 required. Disadvantage on Stealth checks. Fire damage from area effects (burning pitch, flaming arrow volleys against a formation) reduced by 2. No disadvantage on swimming Athletics checks: the rings flex and do not trap air. Cost: 75 gp. Weight: 22 lb.
Tradeoff: Less peak AC than segmentata, more flexible, better in water. Fire resistance is situationally significant in Sessions 3 and 4.
Lorica Squamata (Scale Armor)
Overlapping bronze or iron scales sewn onto a backing. The scales face downward like a fish, deflecting downward cuts well. A thrust from below – upward into the armpit, or upward under the hem – finds the scales lifting rather than resisting. An enemy who understands scale armor fights differently against it.
Lorica Squamata: Medium armor. AC 14 + Dexterity modifier (maximum +2). No Stealth disadvantage (the scales flex quietly when the backing is maintained). Against piercing attacks targeting the wearer from below or inside the angle of the scales (DM judgment: close-in grapple thrusts, underarm attacks): the attack ignores the armor’s AC contribution entirely. Cost: 50 gp. Weight: 20 lb.
Tradeoff: No Stealth penalty is the unique advantage over hamata. The vulnerability to specific thrust angles is the cost; skilled melee opponents who know how to fight will find it.
Linothorax (Layered Linen)
Greek in origin, carried into Roman service by officers and auxiliaries who value mobility. Dozens of layers of linen glued together into a stiff shell, sometimes reinforced with bronze shoulder guards. It defeats glancing blows; it is poor against direct heavy force. An officer who appears in linothorax at a frontier posting will be asked questions about it.
Linothorax: Light armor. AC 12 + Dexterity modifier (maximum +3). No Stealth disadvantage. Disadvantage on Strength saving throws against fire effects (linen burns; if the armor takes fire damage, it makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or ignites, dealing 1d4 fire damage per turn until extinguished). Cost: 40 gp. Weight: 8 lb.
Tradeoff: Lightest and lowest AC. Fire vulnerability is specific but significant in Session 3 (forest) and Session 4 (siege).
Helmets
Wearing a helmet provides its listed benefit. Not wearing one is a choice with consequences.
Galea Coolus (Standard Iron Helmet)
Issue equipment for auxiliaries and many frontier legionaries. Deep cheek guards, a rear neck flange, a simple brow guard. Not beautiful. Functional. The dent from a previous fight that the armorer did not fully hammer out is a common feature.
Galea Coolus: Helmet slot. +1 AC. Advantage on saving throws against effects that target the mind through sound or fear resonance (the helmet’s enclosure creates psychological distance; this is a folk belief with tactical expression). Disadvantage on Perception checks relying on hearing (the cheek guards muffle sound). Cost: 10 gp. Weight: 5 lb.
Galea Attica (Open-Face Helmet, Greek Style)
Broader skull protection than the Coolus, open at the face, with a pronounced brow ridge. Officers and educated soldiers sometimes carry these as status markers. The open face means better Perception, better intimidation at close range, and less protection at the face.
Galea Attica: Helmet slot. +1 AC. No disadvantage on Perception checks (the face is open). On a critical hit against this helmet’s wearer targeting the head (DM judgment), the attack deals an additional 1d4 damage (the open face is the gap). Cost: 15 gp. Weight: 4 lb.
Tradeoff: Same AC as Coolus, no Perception penalty, specifically vulnerable to aimed head attacks.
Centurion’s Galea (Transverse Horsehair Crest)
A standard iron helmet with a transverse horsehair crest mounted across the crown. The crest marks a centurion or senior officer: visible at range and in combat confusion, letting soldiers find their officer when things are going wrong. It also makes the wearer visually distinctive at significant range.
Centurion’s Galea: Helmet slot. +1 AC. Advantage on Persuasion and Intimidation checks with Roman soldiers who can see the crest. Disadvantage on Stealth checks while wearing it (visible at long range). Restricted: wearing a centurion’s crest without holding the rank is a disciplinary offense in Roman military law. Cost: 25 gp. Weight: 6 lb.
Spangenhelm (Germanic/Auxiliary Riveted Helmet)
A riveted iron helmet with a distinct framed construction, common among Germanic auxiliaries and border troops. Deeper cheek protection than Roman designs, often with a mail neck curtain (aventail) attached on frontier variants.
Spangenhelm: Helmet slot. +1 AC. +1 additional AC against bludgeoning attacks targeting the head specifically (the reinforced construction absorbs hammer and club strikes better than Roman designs). With aventail attached: +1 AC against attacks targeting the neck (purchased separately, costs 8 gp additional, adds 2 lb). Cost: 12 gp base. Weight: 5 lb.
Arms and Gloves
Standard Leather Gauntlets
Thick leather covering the hand and wrist. Common among cavalry and auxiliaries who need hand protection without restricting wrist movement.
Standard leather gauntlets: Gloves slot. +1 AC against attacks targeting the hand or wrist (DM judgment). Disadvantage on Sleight of Hand checks and checks requiring fine manipulation (the leather restricts dexterity). Cost: 2 gp. Weight: 1 lb per pair.
Manica (Articulated Arm Guard)
A segmented iron arm guard covering wrist to shoulder on the weapon arm, originally developed for arena fighters who needed to protect their sword arm without a shield. Frontier soldiers who carry one have usually made a deliberate choice about how they want to fight. Cannot be worn on the same arm as a shield.
Manica: Arms slot (weapon arm only). +2 AC against attacks specifically targeting the weapon arm (DM judgment; relevant most often in one-on-one duels and called shots). Cannot be worn on the same arm as a shield. Disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks with that arm (the segments restrict full draw). Cost: 20 gp. Weight: 3 lb.
Cloaks and Capes
Cloaks are not armor. They are presence, concealment, and protection against the frontier’s weather. A character without a cloak at Vindolanda will notice this before the first session ends.
Sagum (Military Wool Cloak)
Standard issue. Heavy wool, usually undyed or dark reddish-brown depending on the unit’s supply region. Doubles as a blanket; can be improvised as a stretcher. In rain, it retains warmth even when wet – which matters on the northern frontier more than anywhere else in the empire.
Sagum: Cloak slot. No AC bonus. Advantage on Constitution saving throws against cold weather and cold environmental damage. In dim light or darkness, the dark wool provides advantage on Stealth checks against visual detection. Two characters with sagums can carry an unconscious ally as an improvised stretcher without needing dedicated equipment. Cost: 5 gp. Weight: 4 lb.
Paludamentum (Commander’s Scarlet Cloak)
The cloak of generals and senior officers, worn over armor in formal military contexts. Scarlet wool, expensive dye, and a clasp that signals rank before the face is visible. Wearers are expected to be worth speaking to; among soldiers, this expectation is reliable.
Paludamentum: Cloak slot. No AC bonus. Advantage on Persuasion and Intimidation checks with Roman soldiers and civilians who recognize Roman military rank. Disadvantage on Stealth checks in all conditions (the scarlet is the visual equivalent of an announcement). In active combat, the cloak marks the wearer as the highest-value target in sight. Cost: 35 gp. Weight: 3 lb.
Birrus (Hooded Traveling Cloak)
Provincial in origin, adopted into Roman military use for cold-weather postings. Wool with a deep hood. Popular at Vindolanda because Vindolanda is cold and wet in a way that Rome never prepared anyone for. The pulled hood changes a silhouette.
Birrus: Cloak slot. No AC bonus. Advantage on Constitution saving throws against cold weather and rain-based environmental effects. Hood up: disadvantage on Perception checks relying on peripheral vision; +2 to Stealth checks in crowded civilian settings (harder to identify specifically); Perception checks by others to identify the wearer by face are at disadvantage. Cost: 8 gp. Weight: 5 lb.
Boots
Caligae (Hobnailed Military Boot)
Not a boot in the modern sense: a thick-soled sandal with a full lattice of leather straps securing it to the foot and ankle, studded on the sole with iron hobnails. The hobnails grip stone, mud, and grass. They also announce the approach of Roman soldiers on hard floors at considerable range.
Caligae: Boots slot. Advantage on Athletics checks to maintain footing on wet, muddy, slippery, or uneven terrain. While grappling a prone creature: bonus action stomp dealing 1d4 bludgeoning. Disadvantage on Stealth checks on stone or hard-packed floors (the hobnails click with each step – every soldier knows this and plans accordingly). Cost: 5 gp. Weight: 2 lb per pair.
Standard Military Boots
Enclosed leather boots used by cavalry, some auxiliaries, and officers in colder climates. Less grip than caligae on natural terrain; more warmth; quieter on hard floors.
Standard military boots: Boots slot. In cold weather (near or below freezing): advantage on Constitution saving throws against cold environmental effects (the enclosed boot retains warmth that caligae cannot). No Stealth disadvantage. Cost: 8 gp. Weight: 3 lb per pair.
The Belt (Cingulum Militare)
Every Roman soldier wears one. It is not optional; it is the mark of service itself. A soldier stripped of their belt in front of their unit has been formally shamed – the act is called degradatio and follows the person through Roman military records. Surrendering the belt voluntarily is the formal act of discharge or surrender.
Cingulum Militare: Belt slot. Carries up to 3 one-handed weapons or 5 utility items (rope, rations, vials, torch, signal tokens) attached to its loops and tabs without counting toward encumbrance. The apron of leather strips (pteruges) usually attached can conceal a pugio from casual inspection (DC 13 Perception to notice the weight).
Social mechanic: Any soldier who can see another’s cingulum can read the campaign ribbons, unit markers, and wear on it. A DC 12 History check lets a character deduce the approximate unit, years of service, and one major campaign of the belt’s owner from the decorations and damage. Most Roman soldiers read this automatically; it is visible information in plain sight. Cost: 5 gp. Weight: 2 lb.
Equipment Summary
| Slot | Item | AC | Weight | Key tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Lorica Segmentata | 17 (heavy) | 20 lb | Stealth disadv., swim disadv. |
| Body | Lorica Hamata | 14+Dex (med) | 22 lb | Stealth disadv., fire resist |
| Body | Lorica Squamata | 14+Dex (med) | 20 lb | No Stealth disadv.; thrust gap below |
| Body | Linothorax | 12+Dex (light) | 8 lb | Fire vulnerability |
| Helmet | Galea Coolus | +1 | 5 lb | Hearing disadv. |
| Helmet | Galea Attica | +1 | 4 lb | Open-face crit vulnerability |
| Helmet | Centurion’s Galea | +1 | 6 lb | Stealth disadv., rank required |
| Helmet | Spangenhelm | +1 (+1 blunt) | 5 lb | Germanic origin, questioned |
| Arms | Leather gauntlets | +1 (called) | 1 lb | Fine manipulation disadv. |
| Arms | Manica | +2 (weapon arm) | 3 lb | No shield same arm, ranged disadv. |
| Cloak | Sagum | – | 4 lb | Cold resist, Stealth in darkness |
| Cloak | Paludamentum | – | 3 lb | Social adv., Stealth disadv. |
| Cloak | Birrus | – | 5 lb | Cold/rain resist, Perception disadv. (hood) |
| Boots | Caligae | – | 2 lb | Grip adv., Stealth disadv. on stone |
| Boots | Military boots | – | 3 lb | Cold resist, quiet |
| Belt | Cingulum Militare | – | 2 lb | 3 weapons or 5 items free encumbrance |
Tactical Reference Card
Print or keep open on a second screen during play.
| Formation | Minimum | Benefit | Penalty | Hard counter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testudo | 4 | ¾ cover vs. ranged, resist fire from above | Speed 10 ft, disadv. Strength saves | Melee contact, forced entry, fire inside |
| Cuneus | 3 | Adv. on point’s first attack, push + prone on path | Flanks exposed, can’t turn | Split and let pass, kill the point |
| Orbis | 2 | No flanking, adv. Wisdom saves, last stand reaction | Speed 0 | Sustained ranged fire, attrition |
| Acies Triplex | 3 | Adv. on second-line first attack, reserve full-turn adv. | 10 min prep, useless in ambush | Ambush (removes prep benefit) |
| Schildwall | 4 | Half cover, adv. Str saves vs. push/prone | Slow lateral movement | Shieldbreaker action, flanking |
| Siege element | Key stat | Stops it |
|---|---|---|
| Battering ram | 4d10 vs. gate (avg 22 per hit) | Kill crew, fire, block path |
| Ballista | 4d8 piercing, prone save DC 14 | Rush the crew (2 rounds exposure) |
| Scaling ladder | Climber restrained, falls DC 12 | Push check DC 13, 1 defender per ladder |
The Legion and the Magical World
The Roman army has been operating in a world where divine intervention is real, magical creatures exist, and some men can do things that cannot be explained by strength or training. The legion has had 700 years to develop responses. Those responses exist. They are bureaucratic, practical, and embedded in doctrine the way everything in the legion is embedded in doctrine: through the acta diurna, the daily gazette, and through the informal knowledge that passes from veteran to new recruit over a fire at the third watch.
Official Roman Magical Doctrine
The Roman army officially acknowledges three categories of magical phenomena:
Res Divinae (divine interventions): Direct acts of the gods, including verified omens, battlefield portents, miraculous weather, and the visible presence of divine power. These are handled by the haruspex and by official augury. A commander who ignores a confirmed Res Divina is violating both military and religious law.
Magia Licita (licit magic): Sanctioned magical practice: haruspicy, augury, temple rites, legitimate healing, and the blessing of standards and weapons. These are performed by official religious practitioners. A soldier who employs a haruspex for battlefield divination is following correct procedure.
Magia Illicita (forbidden magic): Necromancy, spirit-binding, foreign curse-magic, and any magic that operates outside official Roman religious framework. The penalty for a soldier practicing Magia Illicita is death. The penalty is not negotiable and has been applied to officers as well as legionaries.
In play: This framework means that encountering magic through official channels (the haruspex, an augur, a temple) is handled differently from encountering magic outside those channels (a character who casts spells from a non-Roman tradition, a Germanic volva, an obviously necromantic artifact). The party’s actions within this framework have social and legal consequences, not just narrative ones.
The Haruspex in the Field
Every cohort on active campaign is assigned a haruspex (entrails-reader), who is simultaneously an official religious practitioner, an intelligence analyst, and a morale officer. The haruspex reads the sacrificial animal’s organs before major operations, interprets battlefield omens in real time, and identifies when a situation has moved from the mundane to the divine.
D&D mechanics for the haruspex NPC role:
| Ability | Mechanic |
|---|---|
| Entrails reading (Augury) | 1/day, before a major decision; DM gives a two-word response (weal/woe/both/neither). This cannot be a bluff: the haruspex is officially bound to report accurately. |
| Creature identification | Bonus action + DC 13 History check to identify a creature from the Bestiary and recall its official classification and doctrine response |
| Blessed Standard | Once per short rest, the haruspex can invoke the cohort’s standard to grant all soldiers within 30 feet advantage on their next saving throw against a fear effect or spell |
| Death consequence | If the haruspex dies in the field, every soldier in the unit must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened for one round; the unit cannot benefit from Blessed Standard for the remainder of the session |
Anti-Magical Formation Doctrine
The legion developed specific responses to specific threats. These are not written in any single document; they are transmitted through experience and informal training. A soldier who has served on the frontier long enough knows them.
Against flying creatures:
Ballista crews train elevation tables for moving aerial targets. A prepared ballista crew can attack a creature in flight as a ranged attack (1d10+4 piercing, range 120/480 feet) without disadvantage if they have had at least one round to observe the creature’s flight pattern. Without that preparation, aerial attacks have disadvantage.
Pilum volleys can be angled upward, though the range drops to 30 feet maximum and targets in the air have half cover unless directly overhead. Three soldiers can coordinate a focused pilum volley at a single aerial target as a combined action: each makes an attack roll with disadvantage, but if two or more hit, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or have its fly speed halved until the end of its next turn.
The testudo variant for overhead threats: a unit in testudo formation is immune to attacks from directly above unless the attacker has a reach of 10 feet or greater. The standard testudo sequence (corner-bracing first, then overhead lock) takes one additional bonus action to complete but provides this additional protection.
Against undead:
The sacred fire maintained at the camp altar counts as magical fire for damage purposes when used in combat: a torch lit directly from the altar fire deals an additional 1d4 radiant damage to undead creatures for 10 minutes after lighting. Soldiers who know this maintain the altar fires.
The aquila (legion eagle standard) carried within 30 feet of undead creatures grants all soldiers in range advantage on saving throws against fear effects and against the special abilities of undead creatures (paralysis, dread, etc.). The aquila must be actively carried (not merely present); if its bearer is incapacitated, the benefit ends immediately.
Any soldier who has served 10 or more years on the frontier has advantage on Wisdom saving throws against the Frightened condition when the source is undead. This is not courage; it is simply that they have seen enough that their instincts have been recalibrated.
Against illusion:
Any soldier who has served 10 or more years on the frontier (or any player character who grew up on or near a frontier province) has advantage on Wisdom saving throws against illusion spells and effects. The explanation is practical: the forest at night does things to your eyes and ears, and the soldiers who survive long enough to become veterans are the ones who learned not to trust everything they perceive.
Against an active illusion in the field: a soldier can use their action to shout “it’s not there” to a visible ally who is affected by the illusion; the ally may immediately make a new saving throw against the effect with advantage.
Creature Classification in Roman Military Records
The legion maintains a classification system for non-human creatures encountered in the field, recorded in the unit’s acta diurna and passed down through the centurionate. The classifications below reflect official doctrine (what the army calls them and how it handles them):
| Creature | Roman classification | Official doctrine response |
|---|---|---|
| Lemures, Larvae | Umbrae (shades) | Haruspex handles primary response; fire and the Lemuria rite suppress; do not engage in formation |
| Genius Loci | Numen Loci (place-spirit) | Negotiation first; offering of wine and grain; formal acknowledgment; combat is a last resort and provokes divine attention |
| Strix | Monstrum | Designated hunting detail; fire arrows; do not let it land among wounded; destroy the roost |
| Alp | Pestilentia Nocturna (night plague) | Protective rites for at-risk personnel; iron at the threshold; salt; do not engage in darkness |
| Draugar | Barbari Mortui (barbarian dead) | Fire; fire; fire. Stand-off engagement only. No close formation against these. |
| Lindworm | Belua Magna (great beast) | Multi-cohort protocol; dedicated ballista positioning; haruspex performs propitiatory sacrifice before engagement; do not engage without command authorization |
The Spolia Opima for Magical Kills
Spolia Opima is Rome’s highest individual military honor: the arms stripped from an enemy commander killed in personal single combat. The Spolia Opima has been awarded only three times in Roman history; it is the rarest decoration in existence.
The legion has adapted a lesser version of this honor for kills against classified creatures. A soldier who kills a creature of CR 5 or higher from the Bestiary in single combat (no formation assistance, a clear one-on-one engagement confirmed by witnesses) earns:
- A commendation recorded in the cohort’s acta diurna (permanent)
- The title Bestiae Victor (beast-slayer), used in official dispatches and address
- A bonus of 50 denarii paid from the legion’s special contingency fund
- The creature’s primary trophy (a tooth, a claw, a scale) mounted on a small plaque and added to the unit’s shrine
Three confirmed kills under this standard earn permanent advantage on Intimidation checks against mundane soldiers, who have heard the stories.
Note for DM: Each session chapter has a brief note on which creatures qualify for this honor and which encounters are structured as single-combat opportunities if the players pursue them.
Taking Soldiers Into the Field
The party is not operating alone. Fort Vindolanda has trained soldiers. The question is whether those soldiers can be deployed beyond the walls, and under what conditions.
This section gives the DM and players a concrete system for recruiting legionaries as field companions, managing them during play, and handling the consequences when things go wrong. It is not a summoning mechanic. It is an employment relationship with an institution that has rules.
Recruitment
Authorization requirement: The party needs Trusted-tier or better relationship with Varro (the fort’s senior centurion) before any soldier deployment outside the walls is approved. If Varro is dead, the current senior NCO substitutes, but the relationship must be re-established with that person from scratch. There is no workaround: soldiers on this frontier do not take orders from unauthorized personnel, regardless of what those personnel can offer.
Named soldiers: Flavus (see stat block below) becomes individually recruitable after the Session 2 skill cascade: DC 17 at the wall position identifies him by name and establishes a direct bond. Once named, he can be recruited for any session with Varro’s authorization and a direct ask. He will say yes. He will not explain why he says yes. He will be there when the party is ready to move.
Generic soldiers: Available for deployment in groups of up to 3 per party member. Varro approves deployment by session, not by mission. If the party misused soldiers in the previous session, he will want an explanation before approving the next deployment.
Requesting deployment (in-play): Find Varro before the session’s main action begins. He will ask one question: “Where are you going and what for?” Answer honestly or at disadvantage for social checks with him for the rest of the session. A DC 13 Persuasion check is required unless the party has Allied-tier relationship with him, in which case he approves without a roll.
Flavus
Named legionary. Session 2 cascade unlock.
Fighter 3 | HP 28 | AC 16 (chain mail, shield)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 10 | 13 (+1) | 9 (-1) |
Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +3, Intimidation +1
Actions: - Gladius: Melee weapon attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. 1d6+3 piercing. - Heavy Pilum (thrown): Ranged weapon attack. +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft, one target. 1d8+3 piercing. On a hit, the target’s shield is unusable until repaired. Cannot be thrown back by the target. - Second Wind (1/short rest): As a bonus action, regain 1d10+3 hit points.
Personality: Flavus speaks only when he has something worth saying. He follows orders without complaint. He will not abandon a downed ally under any circumstances, including orders to leave them. If the party tries to order him to leave a fallen comrade, he will look at the party once and return to the body. This is not insubordination. It is the one line he has drawn.
Loyalty: Flavus does not make morale checks. The only condition that breaks his resolve is the party causing allied casualties through reckless action in a way he cannot interpret as necessary. If that happens once: he says nothing and finishes the mission. If it happens twice in the same campaign: he requests reassignment through Varro. This is not a hostile act. He will still speak to the party. He simply will not go back into the forest with them.
Voice lines: 1. Before a difficult breach: “We go when you say go. Don’t change your mind once we’re moving.” 2. When asked if he’s afraid: “Not of them.” (He does not complete the sentence.) 3. After the mission, if casualties were avoided: “Good.” (He cleans his gladius. That is the debrief.)
Generic Legionary
Standard deployed soldier. Available in groups per the recruitment rules above.
Fighter 2 | HP 19 | AC 16 (chain mail, shield)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 11 | 13 (+1) | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Skills: Athletics +4
Actions: - Gladius: Melee weapon attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. 1d6+2 piercing. - Heavy Pilum (thrown): Ranged weapon attack. +4 to hit, range 30/60 ft, one target. 1d8+2 piercing. On a hit, the target’s shield is unusable until repaired.
Morale check DC 14 Wisdom required when: - An ally drops to 0 HP within 10 feet of the soldier - The party retreats without orders - A supernatural creature appears with no warning and no officer gives immediate instructions
On a failed morale check: The soldier freezes for 1 round. They defend themselves (AC and saving throws function normally) but will not advance, attack, or follow movement orders until the start of their next turn. A successful DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check from a party member as a bonus action breaks the freeze immediately.
On a successful morale check: The soldier functions normally. After passing three morale checks in a single session, they gain advantage on all future morale checks for the rest of the campaign. Some soldiers discover what they are made of.
Field Rules
Maximum deployment: 1 named companion and 2 generic soldiers per party member. A party of four can field Flavus plus up to 8 generic soldiers. Varro will not approve more than this regardless of circumstances.
Initiative: Companions roll their own initiative and act on their own turn. They are not player-controlled; the DM runs them with the goal of supporting the party’s stated plan, not substituting for it. If the party has not stated a plan, companions hold their position until ordered.
Legal limits: Companions will not violate Roman military law regardless of orders. Specifically: they will not attack civilians who have not attacked first; they will not abandon the unit’s standard in the field; they will not follow orders given by a character under obvious supernatural compulsion (corruption level 4 or higher creates visible signs; a soldier with 5+ years of frontier service can recognize them). A party member who attempts to order a violation may attempt DC 16 Persuasion; failure locks out that soldier’s cooperation for the session.
Upkeep: Each companion consumes 1 ration per day from the fort’s supply. Quartus tracks this. If the party deploys soldiers without arranging rations through him, he notes the discrepancy; the third undocumented deployment costs the party 1 relationship step with him permanently.
Consequences
Named companion death: If Flavus dies in the field, Varro drops one relationship tier permanently. He does not blame the party in words. He does not need to. He was the one who approved the deployment.
Heavy generic casualties: If more than half the generic soldiers deployed in a single session die, Varro requires a direct conversation before approving any future deployment. No Persuasion check is needed; the conversation is required. He will listen. He will ask one question. The answer determines whether he approves the next request.
Returning wounded: If the party returns with wounded soldiers and brings them directly to Valeria before doing anything else, Varro notes this without comment. It counts as a positive relationship action for him regardless of how the mission went.
The Teutoburg Forest Scenario: “The Last March”
Optional side mission, available Session 3 or as a standalone.
Varro mentions, once, that three legionaries who survived the post-Teutoburg punitive campaigns left their unit’s standards at a grove site three days north. They were never recovered. A soldier who finds them and brings them back would be doing something that matters. He does not offer this as an order. He offers it as a thing that exists.
Setup: The party takes 3 legionaries into the forest to find the site of Varus’ disaster. Flavus, if available and trusted, is the right choice for this. He will go without being asked a second time.
The site is real. It is burned, overgrown, and unremarkable. There are no bodies; the crows and the forest took those 165 years ago. There are three broken staff-shafts in the ground, stripped of their eagles and wrapping, jutting from the soil at the angles they fell.
The journey there (use the forest travel events table from chapter3.qmd with soldier variants):
| d8 Event | Soldier reaction | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 (omens) | Soldiers dismiss it loudly and with certainty. They are wrong. | +1 corruption pressure for any character within earshot |
| 3-4 (natural hazard) | Soldiers help without being asked: clearing debris, bracing the crossing, passing the load. | DC of the hazard reduced by 2 |
| 5-6 (spear manifestation) | Soldiers cannot see it. They see the party’s reactions to something invisible. DC 12 Wisdom morale check. | On failure: soldier freezes for 1 round and will not discuss what they saw afterward |
| 7-8 (NPC moment) | Soldiers witness it and ask a question the party cannot answer cleanly: “What are we doing here, exactly?” | The party must answer honestly or lose 1 morale point |
At the grove site:
The soldiers look at the broken staff-shafts. The oldest among them – the one who has been here longest – kneels and touches the nearest one. He says nothing for a moment. Then: “Fifteen thousand men.”
He picks up the shaft. It crumbles slightly. He holds what remains of it.
The party may find the site significant. The soldiers find it gone. The contrast is the encounter. There is nothing to fight. There is nothing to resolve. There is only the question of what it means to stand in a place where fifteen thousand men died for reasons that were not their fault, and carry one broken piece of it home.
Return to the fort: Varro receives the three broken shafts without ceremony. He puts them in the shrine. He looks at the party: “Good.”
That is all he says. It is enough.