Armour Proficiency

Anyone can put on a suit of armour or strap a shield to an arm. However, only those proficient in the armour’s use know how to wear it effectively. Proficiency with the three weight classes of of armour can be purchased as a talent. If you wear armour that you lack proficiency with, you suffer -1d on any ability check or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity and you can’t cast spells.

Light Armour

Made from supple and thin materials, light armour offers protection without sacrificing mobility.

Light armour cannot reduce the damage dealt below 1.

Silk

Used for ceremonial displays, these robes consist of several layers of cloth and an outer layer of silk intricately woven with gold brocade designs and covered with metal studs.

Padded

More than simple clothing, padded armour combines heavy, quilted cloth and layers of densely packed stuffing to create a cheap and basic protection.

Leather

Leather armour is made up of multiple overlapping pieces of leather, boiled to increase their natural toughness and then stitched together.

Brigandine

Often mistakenly referred to as “studded leather”, a brigandine is made from segmented metal plates riveted to fabric.

Chain Shirt

Made of interlocking metal rings, a chain shirt is worn between layers of clothing or leather. This armour offers modest protection to the wearer’s upper body and allows the sound of the rings rubbing against one another to be muffled by outer layers.

Medium Armour

Medium armour offers more protection than light armour, but it also impairs movement more. Medium armour may by layered over light armour.

Medium armour can reduce the damage dealt by weapons with the finesse property to 0. Damage dealt by other weapons cannot by reduced below 1 by medium armour.

Hide

Hide armour is made from the tanned skin of particularly thick-hided beasts, stitched with either multiple overlapping layers of crude leather or exterior pieces of leather stuffed with padding or fur.

Scale

Scale mail is made up of dozens of small, overlapping metal plates. The scales are arranged flexibly in an attempt to avoid hindering the wearer’s mobility. A suit of scale mail includes gauntlets.

Breastplate

A breastplate protects a wearer’s torso with a single piece of sculpted metal, similar to the core piece of a suit of plate. Although it leaves the legs and arms relatively unprotected, this armour provides good protection for the wearer’s vital organs while leaving the wearer relatively unencumbered.

Chain

Chainmail protects the wearer with a mesh of chain links. The suit includes gauntlets.

Heavy Armour

Of all the armour categories, heavy armour offers the best protection. These suits of armour cover the entire body and are designed to stop a wide range of attacks. Only proficient warriors can manage their weight and bulk. Heavy armour may be layered over light and medium armour.

Heavy armour cannot reduce the damage dealt by weapons wielded in two hands below 1. Damage dealt by other weapons can be reduced to 0 by heavy armour.

Splint

Splint mail is made up of narrow vertical strips of metal attached to a backing of leather or sturdy fabric. These splints are of greater size and durability than those that compose a suit of scale mail, improving the protection they afford the wearer, but at the cost of flexibility. A suit of splint mail includes gauntlets.

Half Plate

Half-plate armour combines elements of plate and chainmail, incorporating several sizable plates of sculpted metal with an underlying mesh of chain links. Half-plate armour includes gauntlets and a helm.

Plate

Plate mail is comprised of multiple pieces of interconnected and overlaying shaped metal plates that cover the entire body. A complete suit of plate includes gauntlets and heavy boots.