Armor Descriptions

The armorer’s craft evolved over the course of thousands of years, much as weapons evolved. The marvelous works of the German and Italian master armorers of the 15th century simply cannot be duplicated by craftsmen with more primitive technology. Therefore, armor is limited by time period just as weapons are.

The following descriptions note the adjusted base AC for a full suit of each armor type, and also a generic encumbrance value for typical humans in that armor. Player characters may accept these encumbrance values or use the more advanced encumbrance rules to total up their equipment weight.

The armor table also includes protective values for pieces of armor. In most cases, these are fractional—for example, a chain mail arm piece improves the wearer’s AC by 0.5. For most PCs, this reduces the wearer from an AC of 10, so if a composite suit of armor improves the character’s AC by 3.9 points, his actual Armor Class is a 6.1 (10–3.9), which rounds down to an AC of 6. Only round to the lower AC if the fraction is .3 or less; an AC of 6.1 is a 6, but a 6.4, 6.5, or 6.9 is considered to actually be AC 7.

Partial armor can always be bypassed by the use of the called shot rules in Chapter Two. The attacker suffers a –4 penalty for making a called shot, but of course he gets to make his attack against the defender’s unprotected AC of 10. The best use for partial armor in the game is to simulate various forms of composite protection favored in different time periods; for example, medieval infantry often wore breastplates and helmets but did not wear armor on their legs or arms.

Last but not least, armors are loosely grouped into three basic types—plate armors, mail armors, and leather armors. Some weapons gain special attack bonuses against certain types of armor. For example, the heavy blow of a mace is especially effective against mailed opponents, because the flexibility of the mail allows the blow to cause damage even through thick armor.

Back-and-breast. (AC 6; enc. none; type plate) This armor is simply a steel breastplate and back piece, worn like a shirt. It protects the wearer’s vital organs but leaves the limbs uncovered. Historically it saw use throughout the Renaissance.

Banded mail. (AC 4; enc. light; type mail) There is some debate over the existence of this armor in the Middle Ages, but Roman legionaries wore banded breastplates as part of the lorica segmenta. Banded mail consists of parallel bands or strips of armor covering the torso, shoulders, arms, and legs, with mail guarding the joints.

Brigandine. (AC 6; enc. none; type leather) A very common armor of the later Middle Ages and the east, brigandine consisted of a coat of leather plates. Each leather plate was a sandwich with steel strips inside of it. The joints and limbs were constructed with fewer armor strips for flexibility. Splinted mail, described below, is nothing more than a heavier version of brigandine.

Bronze plate mail. (AC 4; enc. light; type plate) This armor never existed as a full suit historically. However, bronze breastplates, greaves, and arm guards were quite common, especially in Greek and early Roman settings. With a full suit of bronze plate mail, the underlying chain mail backing that is found in normal steel plate mail is replaced by backing made of studded leather.

Buckler. The smallest shield used is the buckler. It is usually not more than a foot in diameter. Its small size makes it easy to carry, but it is of limited usefulness against anything except fencing weapons. The buckler’s AC bonus can only be counted against the attacks of a single opponent in any combat round.

Cap. Steel, bronze, or iron caps are among the most common helmets until the later days of the Crusades. A cap is often worn over a mail coif for additional protection; the two together provide an AC of 3 for the user’s head and neck. Caps often include nasals, or projecting bars, that cover the user’s nose.

Chain hauberk. (AC 6; enc. light; type mail) Chain mail was first constructed in Roman times as shirts or skirts. Throughout the Dark Ages mail was reserved only for the wealthiest warriors. By the end of the Dark Ages, the most common form of mail was the hauberk, a long-sleeved coat that hung to the wearer’s knees. Because the lower legs are vulnerable, the hauberk doesn’t offer the same protection that a full suit of chain mail does.

Chain mail. (AC 5; enc. light; type mail) The full suit of chain mail appeared early in the Crusades, when chain leggings were added to the traditional hauberk. For more than a century mail was the universally favored form of protection in Western Europe and the Holy Land; armor experts refer to the 11th and 12th centuries as the Age of Mail.

Chain-lamellar. (AC 4; enc. light; type mail) Chain mail was used widely in Byzantium and eastern lands, too. It was common for eastern peoples to augment their lighter mail with heavier armor. Chain mail with lamellar breastplates, greaves, and arm guards was widely used by Byzantine, Turkish, and Persian cavalry.

Close-faced helm. This category includes a number of variations, ranging from steel war masks, to the Crusaders’ barrel helms, to samurai helmets. The helmet offers excellent protection, but is heavy and can limit vision and hearing. In situations where field of view or clarity of hearing may be important, the DM can impose a –1 penalty to surprise checks for characters wearing close-faced helms.

Cord armor. (AC 8; enc. none; type leather) Only found in savage or exotic settings, cord armor consists of rope-like fibers woven and knotted into a thick, tough fabric. It may be found in places where leather is scarce.

Field plate. (AC 2; enc. moderate; type plate) The armorer’s craft reached its peak during the Renaissance, when full suits of articulated plate armor were common. Field plate armor dispenses with the chain backing of plate mail or full plate armor to save weight. Instead, a light suit of padding, or aketon, would be worn beneath field plate. The considerable weight of this armor was distributed over the wearer’s body, and a trained knight could lie down, stand up, or vault into the saddle while wearing heavy armor.

Full plate. (AC 1; enc. moderate; type plate) The final development of armor was full plate armor, which protected the wearer with padding, chain, and a suit of beautifully crafted interlocking plates carefully angled to deflect blows. Armor of this type could even withstand long-range gunfire, as long as the bullet didn’t strike square on target. A well-made suit of full plate armor was the sign of high nobility; many lesser knights had to make do with far less impressive suits due to the great expense of this marvelous armor.

Gallic armor. (AC 8; enc. none; type leather) Reserved for the gladiatorial arena, Gallic armor consisted of leather leggings and a leather sleeve, with a wide metal belt. No free soldier would normally wear such light armor if better could be found.

Great helm. The great helm actually sits on a metal gorget, or throat-guard, instead of resting its weight on the wearer’s head. The face is completely covered. The protection offered by the great helm is unmatched, but the wearer’s visibility and hearing are seriously impaired; he suffers a –2 penalty to any surprise checks that might be affected by his ability to spot his enemy or hear someone sneaking up on him.

Half-plate. (AC 4; enc. light; type plate) As firearms became more prevalent, the usefulness of heavy plate armor rapidly declined. The trend towards more complete coverage reversed, and soldiers and knights began to discard all but the most critical pieces of armor. Half-plate consists of a breastplate and tassets, or hip armor, but the lower legs are left unarmored, as are the insides of the arms. Half-plate lingered on into the 17th century before disappearing altogether.

Hide. (AC 6; enc. light; type leather) Hide armors were rare in Western Europe, but saw some limited use in eastern settings. At the DM’s option, hide armor can be used to simulate the buff coat—a Renaissance armor made of several layers of stiffened leather.

Hoplite armor. (AC 5; enc. light; type plate) The armor of the classic Greek warrior consisted of a bronze breastplate and greaves with a studded leather skirt. It offered a good compromise of protection for vital areas without too much weight. Alexander’s soldiers conquered half the world in armor like this.

Improved mail. (AC 4; enc. light; type mail) Several varieties of improved chain mail appeared during the Crusades. Bar mail consisted of small metal strips threaded through the links; double mail used heavier links double-joined; augmented mail used a thick leather backing to reinforce the coat. All types of improved mail offer better protection than normal chain mail, but at the price of increased weight.

Lamellar. (AC 5; enc. light; type mail) Lamellar armor consists of small, overlapping plates of metal sewn together or stitched to a backing of leather or cloth. It is similar to brigandine and splinted mail, but isn’t sandwiched in leather like the other two armors. Lamellar is a very ancient armor that was used in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt thousands of years before the rise of Rome. Byzantine and Persian cavalrymen used breastplates of steel lamellar as part of their heavy armor.

Lamellar shirt. (AC 7; enc. none; type mail) Full suits of lamellar armor were very rare in the Bronze Age, but lamellar coats with cloth skirts were somewhat more common. This composite armor represents the best protection available to the common soldier in extremely ancient settings.

Leather. (AC 8; enc. none; type leather) Leather armor has been used by light troops since the Bronze Age. Leather can be toughened by treating it with oil in a process known as cuir boilli. This armor type uses cuir boilli pieces to reinforce vital areas and soft leather for the legs and arms.

Leather helm. The lightest helm available is made from cuir boilli leather reinforced by iron or bronze bands. The leather helm doesn’t provide much protection compared to other types, but it’s better than nothing.

Light scale. (AC 7; enc. none; type leather) Normal scale armor is made out of iron, bronze, or steel, but it’s also possible to make scale armor out of cuir boilli leather scales, bone, or horn. Light scale is often the armor of nomadic or savage peoples who have difficulty finding metal to work with.

Lorica hamata. (AC 6; enc. none; type mail) This Roman armor consisted of a chain mail shirt and a skirt of leather reinforced with bronze or iron strips. It was an early armor used from the time of the Punic Wars into the 1st century a.d.

Lorica segmenta. (AC 5; enc. none; type mail) Lorica segmenta replaced lorica hamata and was used until about a.d. 350. It consists of a breastplate of banded mail and a reinforced skirt of studded leather armor.

Mail coif. The mail coif is a hood of chain mail that drapes over the neck and shoulders as well as the head. It is usually worn with a cap or beneath another helmet, since chain mail by itself doesn’t offer much protection against impact weapons. If worn with a cap, the mail coif is AC 4; if worn under another helmet, it provides no additional protection but at least allows the user to remove his restrictive helmet and get a look around without baring his head completely.

Mail and plate. (AC 4; enc. light; type plate) Plate armor first appeared near the end of the Crusades as reinforcement for chain mail armor. Small breastplates were introduced first, but rapidly grew into full breastplates with complete leg and arm covering. The mail and plate armor describes an early form of plate mail in which a breastplate is worn over a full suit of chainmail.

Open-faced helm. Greek and Roman helmets normally fell under this category, as did many helmets of the later Middle Ages. The open-faced helm provides good protection and only moderately compromises vision and hearing. This category also includes the Renaissance morion, kettle helm, lobster-tail, and other such helmets.

Padded. (AC 8; enc. none; type leather) Padded or quilted armor is probably one of the oldest and most universal forms of personal defense. Even in the days of full plate armors, padded suits known as aketons were worn beneath the steel plate to cushion blows and help distribute the weight of the outer armor. Light troops of many time periods are often equipped with padded armor.

Plate mail. (AC 3; enc. mod; type plate) This is the cheapest and most common form of plate armor in the Middle Ages. Instead of attempting to articulate the joints and provide complete plate protection, portions of this armor are simply protected with chain mail. This form of armor was nothing more than an expanded suit of mail and plate, and the forerunner of true plate armor. Even in the age of full plate armor, simple plate mail was still common among poorer knights and professional mercenaries.

Ring mail. (AC 7; enc. none; type leather) Ring mail consists of a leather coat with rings sewn onto it. It slightly resembles chain mail, but the links do not interlock. In the Dark Ages, ring mail was a cheap substitute for true mail, which was too expensive for many warriors. Some varieties of ring mail were used throughout the Middle Ages by light troops, artillerists, and skirmishers.

Scale mail. (AC 6, enc. light, type mail) This ancient armor type consists of a leather coat or shirt with scales of metal riveted to it. (Some forms of scale mail were made with horn or leather—see Light Scale.) Scale mail was never widely used in the West, but saw extensive use in the Mideast and Orient.

Shield, small. The small shield, or targe, is usually a round shield about two feet in diameter. Some later medieval shields were triangular or square in shape. The small shield can be used against two enemies in a combat round, as long as they are in front of the character or on his shielded flank.

Shield, medium. This catch-all category includes anything from the Roman scutum to the Norman kite shield. It usually stands about three feet tall and is two to three feet wide. The medium shield can protect the wielder from up to three enemies per round, as long as they are in front of the character or on his shielded flank.

Shield, large. Also known as the body shield or tower shield, this mighty shield stands at least four feet tall and is two to three feet wide. It can protect the wielder against any attack from his front or shielded flank.

Splint mail. (AC 4; enc. light; type mail) Splinted armor resembles brigandine, but larger metal strips are used. The metal strips are riveted together in an overlapping pattern and then enclosed in two layers of leather. Splinted armor was not widely used in Western Europe, but was popular in India and the Far East. The o-yoroi of the samurai can be considered to be splint mail.

Studded leather. (AC 7; enc. none; type leather) Reinforcing leather with metal studs or small plates is an old idea; armor of this type has been used since the Bronze Age. It was still common among foot soldiers even as late as the Renaissance.

Three-quarter plate. (AC 3; enc. light; type plate) Like half-plate, three-quarter plate appeared when knights began to discard the less important pieces of their armor. There’s little point in carrying around 70 pounds of armor when it won’t stop a bullet or a heavy crossbow bolt. Three-quarter plate retains the breastplate, arm protection, hips, and thigh plates but dispenses with protection for the lower legs and inner part of the thighs, which would normally be protected by the horse.

Wood or bone armor. (AC 7; enc. none; type leather) In primitive or savage settings, metal may be unavailable for armor. Wood or bone lamellars and reinforced coats are not uncommon among people with little access to metal. Usually, armor of this type concentrates on protecting the torso while leaving the arms and legs free for mobility.

Armor Type
Common in...
Rare in...
Banded mail
HY
CR, RM
Brigandine
HY, RE, OR
ME, CR
Bronze plate
BR
RM
Chain mail
CR, HY
DA, RM, RE, OR
Cord armor
SA, SV
ME, OR, BR
Field plate armor
RE
HY
Full plate armor
RE
HY
Hide armor
SA, SV
BR, OR
Improved mail
ME, CR
HY
Leather armor
All
—
Light scale mail
SV, BR, RM, DA, OR
CR, HY, ME
Metal lamellar
DA, ME
BR, RM, OR, CR
Padded armor
All
—
Plate mail
HY
CR
Ring mail
DA, CR, HY
RE, ME, OR, BR, RM
Scale mail
BR, RM
DA, CR
Splint mail
ME, OR
CR, HY, RE
Studded leather armor
All except SA
—
Wood/bone armor
SA, SV
—
Back-and-breast
RE
HY
Chain hauberk
DA
CR
Chain-lamellar
ME
CR, DA
Gallic armor
RM
—
Half-plate armor
RE
HY
Hoplite armor
BR
RM
Lamellar shirt
BR
—
Lorica hamata
RM
—
Lorica segmenta
RM
—
Mail and plate armor
CR
HY
Three-quarter plate
RE
HY

SA=Stone Age; SV=Savage; BR=Bronze Age; RM=Roman; DA=Dark Ages; CR=Crusades; HY=Hundred Years’ War; RE=Renaissance; ME=Middle Eastern; OR=Oriental.

Barding

Warriors have been looking for ways to armor their mounts almost as long as they’ve been armoring themselves. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that an unarmored horse might be an easier target than the heavily plated knight who’s riding it. Therefore, characters who plan on riding their horses into battle should try to acquire barding.

Armor Type
Cost
Armor Class
Weight
Leather scale
75 gp
7 (–1)
50 lbs
Scale
350 gp
6 (–2)
80 lbs
Padded
35 gp
8 (–1)
30 lbs
Chain
500 gp
5 (–2)
100 lbs
Plate and chain
750 gp
4 (–3)
130 lbs

The AC replaces the mount’s natural Armor Class, if the barding AC is better than the animal’s normal AC. If the animal’s AC is better than the barding, then the barding simply improves the animal’s AC by the number in parentheses.

For example, horses have a natural AC of 7. Scale, chain, and plate barding replace their natural AC. Since leather and padded armors don’t provide an AC better than 7, they simply lower the horse’s AC to 6 or 5, respectively.

Leather scale barding. This barding dates back to the Bronze Age, but also saw use in Roman times and the Dark Ages. It consists of a leather blanket with cuir boilli scales sewn onto it.

Padded barding. Often used by Crusaders, this light armor also allows a knight to display his colors on his mount.

Scale barding. The best barding available until the Hundred Years’ War is scale barding. It consists of a coat sewn with metal scales. Scale barding was used by the princes and kings of the Bronze Age.

Chain barding. Only the strongest horses can carry an armored knight and a heavy coat of mail, too. Chain barding was not very common because of its expense and weight.

Plate and chain barding. The best armor available for horses came into use towards the end of the Hundred Years’ War. The horse’s forequarters, flanks, head, and neck are protected by steel plates, and loose chain skirts cover the rest. Like chain barding, plate barding is very heavy and very expensive. It would normally only be found on the mount of a great knight or prince.

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