Converting Character Height and Weight

Unlike tactical distances, character height and weight in the D&D game isn't based on any basic unit of game distance. You can simply generate your character's height and weight according to Table 6-6 in the Player's Handbook and convert the measurements you get into metric units using the table at the beginning of this article. Or, you can use the height and weight table given below. The table will generally produce slightly shorter and lighter characters than you'll get if you use 6-6 in the Player's Handbook and then convert the measurements.

Random Height and Weight

*Add the height modifier to the base height.

**To determine weight, first determine height. Multiply one half (round down) the character's height modifier by the weight modifier and add the result to the base weight.

Converting Money and Equipment

The game's monetary system is unique to the game and requires no conversion for use with metric weights and measures. It is best to assume that a single coin weighs about 10 grams (100 coins to a kilogram).

Likewise, the weights for most items can be converted directly to metric units and rounded off to the most convenient number for game play. The tables that follow give metric weights for the equipment shown in the Player's Handbook. All of the metric values have been rounded off to whole units where possible. This rounding makes most equipment slightly heavier under the metric system and also gives most containers slightly more capacity under the metric system.

Trade Goods

Weapons

Simple Weapons		Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Critical	Range Increment	Weight [1]	Type[2]
Unarmed Attacks
	Gauntlet	2 gp	1d2	1d3	1d4	x2	--	1 kg	Bludgeoning
	Strike, unarmed	--	1d2[3]	1d3[3]	1d4[3]	x2	--	--	Bludgeoning
Light Melee Weapons
	Dagger	2 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	19-20/x2	4 m	0.5 kg	Piercing or slashing
	Dagger, punching	2 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x3	--	1 kg	Piercing
	Gauntlet, spiked	5 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	--	1 kg	Piercing
	Mace, light	5 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	3 kg	Bludgeoning
	Sickle	6 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	1.5 kg	Slashing
One-Handed Melee Weapons
	Club	--	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	4 m	1.5 kg	Bludgeoning
	Mace, heavy	12 gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	x2	--	6 kg	Bludgeoning
	Morningstar	8 gp	1d6	1d8	1d10	x2	--	4 kg	Bludgeoning and piercing
	Shortspear	1 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	8 m	1.5 kg	Piercing
Two-Handed Melee Weapons
	Longspear[4]	5 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	4.5 kg	Piercing
	Quarterstaff[4]	--	1d4/1d4	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	x2	--	2 kg	Bludgeoning
	Spear	2 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	8 m	2.5 kg	Piercing
Ranged Weapons
	Crossbow, heavy	50 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	19-20/x2	48 m	4 kg	Piercing
	Bolts, crossbow (10)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	0.5 kg	--
	Crossbow, light	35 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	19-20/x2	32 m	3 kg	Piercing
	Bolts, crossbow (10)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	0.5 kg	--
	Dart	5 sp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	8 m	0.25 kg	Piercing
	Javelin	1 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	12 m	1 kg	Piercing
	Sling	--	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	20 m	--	Bludgeoning
	Bullets, sling (10)	1 sp	--	--	--	--	--	2.5 kg	--
Simple Weapons		Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Critical	Range Increment	Weight[1]	Type[2]
Light Melee Weapons
	Axe, throwing	8 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	4 m	1 kg	Slashing
	Hammer, light	1 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	8 m	1 kg	Bludgeoning
	Handaxe	6 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x3	--	1.5 kg	Slashing
	Kukri	8 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	18-20/x2	--	1 kg	Slashing
	Pick, light	4 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x4	--	1.5 kg	Piercing
	Sap	1 gp	1d4[3]	1d6[3]	1d8[3]	x2	--	1 kg	Bludgeoning
	Shield, light	special	1d2	1d3	1d4	x2	--	special	Bludgeoning
	Spiked armor	special	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	special	Piercing
	Spiked shield, light	special	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	--	special	Piercing
	Sword, short	10 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	19-20/x2	--	1 kg	Piercing
One-Handed Melee Weapons
	Battleaxe	10 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	3 kg	Slashing
	Flail	8 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x2	--	2.5 kg	Bludgeoning
	Longsword	15 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	19-20/x2	--	2 kg	Slashing
	Pick, heavy	8 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x4	--	3 kg	Piercing
	Rapier	20 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	18-20/x2	--	1 kg	Piercing
	Scimitar	15 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	18-20/x2	--	2 kg	Slashing
	Shield, heavy	special	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	--	special	Bludgeoning
	Spiked shield, heavy	special	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	special	Piercing
	Trident	15 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x2	4 m	2 kg	Piercing
	Warhammer	12 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	2.5 kg	Bludgeoning
Two-Handed Melee Weapons
	Falchion	75 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	18-20/x2	--	4 kg	Slashing
	Glaive[4]	8 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	x3	--	5 kg	Slashing
	Greataxe	20 gp	1d10	1d12	3d6	x3	--	6 kg	Slashing
	Greatclub	5 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	x2	--	4 kg	Bludgeoning
	Flail, heavy	15 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	19-20/x2	--	5 kg	Bludgeoning
	Greatsword	50 gp	1d10	2d6	3d6	19-20/x2	--	4 kg	Slashing
	Guisarme[4]	9 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	6 kg	Slashing
	Halberd	10 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	x3	--	6 kg	Piercing or slashing
	Lance[4]	10 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	5 kg	Piercing
	Ranseur[4]	10 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	--	6 kg	Piercing
	Scythe	18 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x4	--	5 kg	Piercing or Slashing
Ranged Weapons
	Longbow	75 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	40 m	1.5 kg	Piercing
	Arrows (20)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	1.5 kg	--
	Longbow, composite	100 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	x3	44 m	1.5 kg	Piercing
	Arrows (20)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	1.5 kg	--
	Shortbow	30 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x3	24 m	1 kg	Piercing
	Arrows (20)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	1.5 kg	--
	Shortbow, composite	75 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x3	28 m	1 kg	Piercing
	Arrows (20)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	1.5 kg	--
Simple Weapons		Cost	Dmg (S)	Dmg (M)	Dmg (L)	Critical	Range Increment	Weight[1]	Type[2]
Light Melee Weapons
	Kama	2 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	1 kg	Slashing
	Nunchaku	2 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	1 kg	Bludgeoning
	Sai	1 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	x2	4 m	0.5 kg	Bludgeoning
	Siangham	3 gp	1d4	1d6	1d8	x2	--	0.5 kg	Piercing
One-Handed Melee Weapons
	Sword, bastard	35 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	19-20/x2	--	5 kg	Slashing
	Waraxe, dwarven	30 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	x3	--	7.5 kg	Slashing
	Whip[4]	1 gp	1d2[3]	1d3[3]	1d4[3]	x2	--	1 kg	Slashing
Two-Handed Melee Weapons
	Axe, orc double[5]	60 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	2d6/2d6	x3	--	7.5 kg	Slashing
	Chain, spiked[4]	25 gp	1d6	2d4	2d6	x2	--	5 kg	Piercing
	Flail, dire[5]	90 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	2d6/2d6	x2	--	5 kg	Bludgeoning
	Hammer, gnome hooked[5]	20 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	2d6/1d8	x3/x4	--	3 kg	Bludgeoning and piercing
	Sword, two-bladed[5]	100 gp	1d6/1d6	1d8/1d8	2d6/2d6	19-20/x2	--	5 kg	Slashing
	Urgrosh, dwarven[5]	50 gp	1d6/1d4	1d8/1d6	2d6/1d8	x3	--	6 kg	Slashing or Piercing
Ranged Weapons
	Bolas	5 gp	1d3[3]	1d4[3]	1d6[3]	x2	4 m	1 kg	Bludgeoning
	Crossbow, hand	100 gp	1d3	1d4	1d6	19-20/x2	12 m	1 kg .	Piercing
	Bolts (10)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	0.5 kg	--
	Crossbow, repeating heavy	400 gp	1d8	1d10	2d8	19-20/x2	48 m	6 kg	Piercing
	Bolts (5)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	0.5 kg	--
	Crossbow, repeating light	250 gp	1d6	1d8	2d6	19-20/x2	32 m	3 kg	Piercing
	Bolts (5)	1 gp	--	--	--	--	--	0.5 kg	--
	Net	20 gp	--	--	--	--	4 m	3 kg	--
	Shuriken	1 gp	1	1d2	1d3	x2	4 m	0.25 kg	Piercing

1. Weights are for Medium weapons. Small weapons weigh half as much. Large weapons weigh twice as much.

2. When two types are given, the weapon is both types if the entry specifies "and" or either type (player's choice at the time of the attack) if the weapon specifies "or."

3. The weapon deals nonlethal damage rather than lethal damage.

4. Reach weapon.

5. Double weapon.

Armor and Shields

	Armor	Armor/ Shield Cost	Maximum Bonus	Armor Dex Bonus	Arcane Check Penalty	Spell Failure	------- Speed -------			Weight[1]
							(16m)	(12m)	(8m)
Light armor
	Padded	5 gp	1	8	0	5%	16 m	12 m	8 m	5 kg
	Leather	10 gp	2	6	0	10%	16 m	12 m	8 m	7.5 kg
	Studded leather	25 gp	3	5	-1	15%	16 m	12 m	8 m	10 kg
	Chain shirt	100 gp	4	4	-2	20%	16 m	12 m	8 m	12.5 kg
Medium armor
	Hide	15 gp	3	4	-3	20%	12 m	8 m	6 m	12.5 kg
	Scale mail	50 gp	4	3	-4	25%	12 m	8 m	6 m	15 kg
	Chainmail	150 gp	5	2	-5	30%	12 m	8 m	6 m	20 kg
	Breastplate	200 gp	5	3	-4	25%	12 m	8 m	6 m	15 kg
Heavy armor
	Splint mail	200 gp	6	0	-7	40%	12 m[2]	8 m[2]	6 m[2]	22.5 kg
	Banded mail	250 gp	6	1	-6	35%	12 m[2]	8 m[2]	6 m[2]	17.5 kg
	Half-plate	600 gp	7	0	-7	40%	12 m[2]	8 m[2]	6 m[2]	25 kg
	Full plate	1,500 gp	8	1	-6	35%	12 m[2]	8 m[2]	6 m[2]	25 kg
Shields
	Buckler	15 gp	1	--	-1	5%		--	--	2.5 kg
	Shield, light, wooden	3 gp	1	--	-1	5%		--	--	2.5 kg
	Shield, light, steel	9 gp	1	--	-1	5%		--	--	3 kg
	Shield, heavy, wooden	7 gp	2	--	-2	15%		--	--	5 kg
	Shield, Heavy, steel	20 gp	2	--	-2	15%		--	--	7.5 kg
	Shield, tower	30 gp	+4**	--	-10	50%		--	--	22.5 kg
Extras
	Armor spikes	+50 gp	--	--	--	--		--	--	+5 kg
	Gauntlet, locked	8 gp	--	--	Special	4		--	--	+2.5 kg
	Shield spikes	+10 gp	--	--	--	--		--	--	+2.5 kg

1. Shows the armor's weight when fitted for Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much. Armor fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much.

2. When running in heavy armor, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.

3. The tower shield can instead grant you cover. See the item description in the Player's Handbook.

4. Your hand is not free to cast spells when you wear a locked gauntlet on it.

Coming in Part Four of Going Metric

Skip finishes off equipment conversions and dives right into encumbrance and carrying capacity.

About the Author

Skip Williams keeps busy with freelance projects for several different game companies and has been the Sage of Dragon Magazine since 1986. Skip is a co-designer of the D&D 3rd Edition game and the chief architect of the Monster Manual. When not devising swift and cruel deaths for player characters, Skip putters in his kitchen or garden (his borscht gets rave reviews).