Chance of Failure

It would seem that the thing to do would be to set up an armorer's shop and just build field plate and full plate, which are the most profitable items of armor. However, that isn't necessarily so.

This is because, for every item of armor you make, you have to make an Armorer Ability Check. At the end of the armor-making period, the most experienced (highest ability check) character who worked continuously on the project makes his Armorer ability check. If he passes the check, the armor is just fine. If he fails it, it's flawed.

If the character missed his roll by 1, 2, 3, or 4, the armor looks just fine. The maker knows it's flawed, but this will not be obvious to anyone on casual inspection, and only another armorer will be able to detect that it's flawed . . . and only with careful inspection. This type of flawed armor functions at 1 AC higher than it should (thus flawed full plate would be AC 2 instead of 1). If the flawed armor is ever struck in real combat with a natural to-hit roll of 19 or 20, it "breaks" (caves in, splits open, etc.). Its AC goes up 4 (thus our flawed full plate would shoot from AC 2 to AC 6). And because it's broken and hanging wrong, it hinders the player; until he can take it off (this takes 1d4 rounds), he moves at half his normal rate and suffers a –4 penalty to all of his attack rolls.

Obviously, most reputable armorers would never sell a piece of flawed armor. They have their reputations to protect, so they throw it away. They take a loss in money equal to the Total Cost of the armor from the chart above.

If the character misses his roll by 5 or more, it's obvious to anyone, with casual inspection, that the armor is flawed. No one will buy it at the normal retail value. The armorer might be able to sell it at half the Total Cost value to someone desperate for cheap armor, someone who's willing to take the risk of wearing flawed armor. If he can't sell it, this too is a total loss.

Finally, not all armor is the same in the level of difficulty it requires to manufacture. Some armor is simple enough that apprentices can work on it alone. Some is so complicated that only master armorers should oversee this work. And hiring a master armorer costs more than just hiring a normal overseer.

The chart below shows the relative difficulty of manufacturing these different types of armor.

Armor Type	Modifier to Armorer
	Proficiency Check
Banded Mail	+1
Brigandine	+1
Bronze plate	0
Chain mail	+3
Field Plate	–3
Full plate	–3
Helm/great	+3
Helm/basinet	+3
Hide armor	+3
Leather armor	+3
Padded armor	+3
Plate mail	0
Ring mail	+1
Scale mail	+1
Shield/body	+3
Shield/buckler	+3
Shield/medium	+3
Shield/small	+3
Splint mail	+3
Studded leather	+3
Barding

	Chain	0
	Full plate	–3
	Full scale	0
	Half brig.	0
	Half padded	0
	Half scale	0
	Lthr/Padded	0

As you can see, making field plate and full plate is a risky proposition. Only the best of independent armorers will undertake such a task because the potential losses are so great. (On the other hand, a hireling armorer will do it whenever his employer says, because all the financial risk is his employer's.) And player-character armorers run these same financial risks when they try to make field plate and full plate for themselves or their friends.

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