Equipment Ranks
Rank 0 equipment is improvised from the scraps you might find around you, or are simple implements that are not originally intended for combat. Pot lids, soup ladles, toy hammers, and the like, all are Rank 0. So too are old rags, mud-boots, and other items that are meant to be used and abused.
Rank 1 weapons are simple everyday items, the kind that any peasant might keep under their bed, or that any waystation might sell to a traveler hard-up on supplies. Rank 1 armor is considered useful protection by most villagers, and Rank 1 clothing would be worn for going out to market or to a friend’s house for dinner. They can be made by nearly any blacksmith – and often are, in large numbers.
Rank 2 weapons and armor are the ones larger towns use for their guards, or that kingdoms with standing armies give to the common infantryman. Rank 2 clothing would be considered a villager’s “good” clothing, worn when family visits or during minor ceremonies. They have some real care put into their crafting, but are still not so ornate that a large village’s best blacksmith or tailor cannot make one upon request.
Rank 3 weapons and armors are typically found on knights, captains, or warriors of some small renown and wealth. This equipment may have some filigree, subtle gilding, or the stamp of a proud craftsman. Rank 3 clothing is likewise gilded and gossamer, generally seen more on nobles, rich merchants, or perhaps a lucky peasant’s wedding dress or festival finery. Not every blacksmith can make equipment this fine, and a small town or village might not have anyone quite practiced or capable enough to do so. Cities typically have at least one or two smiths who can craft at this level.
Rank 4 equipment is, generally, considered the best you can reasonably expect to ever get your hands on. These are reserved for royalty, used by their guards or buried in ancient crypts with their mummified remains. Rank 4 clothing is what you would expect a noble to wear to their own funeral, or what a king might wear to receive important guests. Even in a large city, it will be rare to find a smith who can accomplish the task of making such a weapon – harder still to get on their waiting list, their good side, or to even get their attention.
Rank 5 weapons, armor, and clothing are even better than that, though. These are the true masterworks, legendary equipment that will be spoken of over campfires and in tavern songs for generations. Even a king might not have knowledge of where a piece of such splendor lies, or if he did, would only use it in the most important of ceremonies or the direst of circumstances. Perhaps a single master smith in an entire kingdom might be capable of creating such gear.