How much encumbrance should a lead lined scabbard add to that of a saber (with a warpstone shard embedded in it)? I have a warlock character who will be eventually acquiring such a weapon and I want to make sure I make sure he feels the impact of having such an item, but don't want to outright punish him.

I'd say that a scabbard of lead for a sabre should add at least twice as much encumberance as the sabre itself, probably more. So at least 5 or 6 for the scabbard alone.

My reasoning for this:

• Lead is about twice as heavy as steel, see: http://www.coyotesteel.com/assets/img/PDFs/weightspercubicfoot.pdf
• A scabbard would have more metal than the actual weapon to encapsulate it fully.
• Having that much extra weight on one side would be cumbersome to carry around, and encumberance is not only about weight, but also about how bulk and awkwardness (PG page 107).

So depending on how punishing you want to be I'd say at least 5 but you could go as high as 8 for the scabbard alone. It could go even higher if the scabbard is really thick.

I'm assuming that the lead scabbard is meant to protect against corruption from the warpstone? So the weight would depend on how much protection from the warpstone the character wants. Higer protection = Higher encumberance. You could even let the player decide how heavy it should be. For example you could say that every 3 encumberance results in 1 fortune die on checks to resist corruption, or something like that?

Yea, it is to resist corruption when he is not using it and to avoid detetection when in places where there are others around that might not approve.

Thanks, that encumbrance sounds about right.

I'dbe more tempted to not have the scabbard weigh 5-8, simply because encumbrance is meant to convey size/bulkiness in addition to weight. For example, a lead dagger for most people would probably be similarly encumbering as a steel one. I would suggest just making the scabbard add 3-4 to encumbrance, effectively counting as carrying around a second hand weapon. I would say when eyeballing encumbrance values to not get too wrapped up into the minutiae of exact weights and just consider roughly how hard something is to carry around. Encumbrance 1-2 are your items you could carry around in your hand all day with no problem. Encumbrance 3-4 you could carry around for an entire encounter or scene in your hands with no problem, and could carry on your back or side all day with no problem. Encumbrance 5-6 would be something you'd get tired from carrying for just a scene or encounter in your hand, and that would be tiring at the end of a day to have strapped on as well. 7+ are your items that may take a roll to even pick up and carry for a short distance.

I would also make clear that's not 100%. Every time the sword is out for more than a round, that's at least "minor corruption". PC may want to invest in any action/talent that allows "quick draw/sheath".

In my own game I also made clear that lead is temporary, the corruption "eats through it" eventually. E.G., in Enemy Within when the PC's got box with corrupt clapper they were advised "that should hold it at least to Middenheim, well at least as long as you don't get delayed badly".

I don't like corruption being "manageable" without great effort (e.g., what the College of Light goes through, hinted at being choirs of minor talented wizards chanting endlessly to keep what they secure away contained - a very minor version of what the greatest elven wizards did large scale for the Great Ritual)

A human using Warpstone blade needs to be really crazy. Also that scabbard will draw attention, no matter what. People will feel bad by being just near it. Out of curiosity, where does this PC wants to handle it? If it'll be by his side, then it will be very unhandy. I suggest keeping it on his back.