equip -- ready gear into a wear slot
Combat only treats a weapon as wielded when it is equipped (not merely sitting in your inventory). That unlocks weapon voice and Weapon Mastery.
Look / examine also shows what someone is wearing. Clearing a haunt, finishing a hunt, or downing a dungeon boss can turn up wear gear matched to your Tier (help haunts | help missions | help dungeon).
How you play
1. eq / equipment -- combat weapons + armor + jewelry (default).
2. eq all -- full outfit including clothing Layers.
3. equip <item> -- ready combat gear from inventory into its slot.
3. equip offhand <item> -- second one-handed weapon
(alias: wield <item> offhand).
4. tuck <weapon> belt -- holster a sidearm
(alias: equip belt <item>).
5. tuck <light> light -- clip a torch / lantern / flashlight.
6. unequip <item> -- stow one piece (or unequip <slot>).
7. equip all -- equip every combat item in inventory (clothing skipped).
8. wear all -- wear every clothing-layer item and slung bag.
9. unequip all / strip armor -- strip every combat slot (clothing stays).
10. clothes -- clothing-only detail (dirty / warmth tags).
11. examine item <x> -- wear slot + combat mods (carried, floor, or shop shelf).
12. compare <item> -- vs what you wear in that slot.
13. compare <a> vs <b> -- + / - switching from A to B.
14. effects -- worn-gear stat rollup + timed status adjustments.
Slots
weapon, offhand, belt, light (belt light loop), shield, head, body, arms, hands, legs, feet, about, neck, waist. On look, pieces list once with what they cover (torso, arms, …). eq adds a Layers section (outer→inner per body part).
Jewelry (up to seven): two rings, two earrings, two bracelets, one necklace.
equip <ring> -- auto-picks first empty ring slot.
equip ring left <item> -- explicit side (earring / bracelet too).
unequip ring left -- clear one jewelry side.
Offhand is for a second one-handed weapon only. Shields use the shield slot -- you cannot raise a shield with an offhand blade or while wielding a two-handed weapon. Two-handed primaries need both hands and refuse offhand pairing. Belt is a holster for one execution weapon (stake, machete, Colt) -- not a second swing hand
(help tuck).
Loadout tradeoffs (how you hold steel vs bare fists):
* One-hand + shield -- defensive: shield gear and block mods; a successful BLOCK throws a [RIPOSTE] bash (guaranteed connect, reduced damage -- your extra beat). Weapon Mastery only.
* Dual wield -- offensive: offhand follow-up + Dual Wield discipline; spread penalties, no shield (help dual_wield). A PARRY still chips them (you already spent your extra beat).
* Two-handed -- power: harder single swings, some armor penetration, and better weapon-braced blocks; no shield or offhand; slower footwork. A PARRY throws a [RIPOSTE] (your extra beat).
* Unarmed (no weapon equipped) -- Martial Arts school: primary swing plus [FLURRY] chain follow-up, combo tempo, shrug/disarm signatures, shield OK. A successful DODGE throws a [COUNTER] redirect; BLOCK or PARRY still chips them. No weapon mods or Weapon Mastery / Dual Wield math (help mastery).
One-hand, no shield: a PARRY throws a [RIPOSTE] (your extra beat). Far shots and ultimates skip the answer. See help reactions.
Magazine firearms use reload / unload from your gear bag (the Colt alone still uses load). Empty mags auto-reload on the next exchange beat when you still carry compatible ammo (help reload).
Set bonuses: wear any three Men of Letters archive items (mol_* / signet) for +accuracy and +block; wear any three salt-line pieces for +armor and +block. Bonuses stack into combat math automatically.
Clothing layers sit under armor -- use wear / remove (help clothing). Worn and wielded items do not appear on inventory until you unequip or remove them.