Table:
Armor
|
Armor
|
Cost
|
Armor
Bonus
|
Max
Dex
Bonus
|
Armor
Check
Penalty
|
Spell
Failure
|
Weight†
|
| Light
Armor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Padded
(Padded) |
5
gp |
+1 |
+8 |
0 |
5% |
10
lb. |
| Leather
(Leather) |
10
gp |
+2 |
+6 |
0 |
10% |
15
lb. |
| Studded
leather (StuddedLeather) |
25
gp |
+3 |
+5 |
-1 |
15% |
20
lb. |
| Chain
shirt (ChainShirt) |
100
gp |
+4 |
+4 |
-2 |
20% |
25
lb. |
| Medium
Armor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hide
(Hide) |
15
gp |
+3 |
+4 |
-3 |
20% |
25
lb. |
| Scale
mail (ScaleMail) |
50
gp |
+4 |
+3 |
-4 |
25% |
30
lb. |
| Chain
mail (Chainmail) |
150
gp |
+5 |
+2 |
-5 |
30% |
40
lb. |
| Breastplate
(Breastplate) |
200
gp |
+5 |
+3 |
-4 |
25% |
30
lb. |
| Heavy
Armor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Splint
mail (SplintMail) |
200
gp |
+6 |
+0 |
-7 |
40% |
45
lb. |
| Banded
mail (BandedMail) |
250
gp |
+6 |
+1 |
-6 |
35% |
35
lb. |
| Half
plate (HalfPlate) |
600
gp |
+7 |
+0 |
-7 |
40% |
50
lb. |
|
Full
plate (FullPlate)
|
1500
gp |
+8 |
+1 |
-6 |
35% |
50
lb. |
| Shields |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Buckler
(Buckler) |
15
gp |
+1 |
- |
-1 |
5% |
5
lb. |
| Shield,
small, wooden (ShieldSmallWooden) |
3
gp |
+1 |
- |
-1 |
5% |
5
lb. |
| Shield,
small, steel (ShieldSmallSteel) |
9
gp |
+1 |
- |
-1 |
5% |
6
lb. |
| Shield,
large, wooden (ShieldLargeWooden) |
7
gp |
+2 |
- |
-2 |
15% |
10
lb. |
| Shield,
large, steel (ShieldLargeSteel) |
20
gp |
+2 |
- |
-2 |
15% |
15
lb. |
| Shield,
tower (ShieldTower) |
30
gp |
** |
- |
-10 |
50% |
45
lb. |
*When
running in heavy armor, a character moves only triple speed,
not quadruple.
** The tower shield grants you cover. See the description.
† Armor fitted for small characters weighs half as much.
Your
armor protects you in combat, but it can also slow you down.
See Table 7–5: Armor for the list of armors. The
information given on this table is for Medium-size
creatures. The time it takes to get into or out of armor
depends on its type (see Table 7–6: Donning Armor).
Armor
Qualities
What
armor you wear isn’t the only fashion statement you can
make, but it’s a big one. In addition, depending on your
class, you may be proficient in the use of all, some, or no
armors, including shields. To wear heavier armor
effectively, you can select the Armor Proficiency feats
(page 80), but most classes are proficient in the armors
that work best for them. When choosing armor, keep in mind
these factors (see Table 7–5: Armor):
Cost:
The
cost of the armor.
Armor
Bonus: The
protective value of the armor. Bonuses from armor and a
shield stack. This bonus is an armor bonus, so it does not
stack with other effects that increase your armor bonus,
such as the mage armor spell or bracers of armor.
Maximum
Dex Bonus: This
number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC that this type
of armor allows. Heavier armors limit your mobility,
reducing your ability to dodge blows. For example, chainmail
permits a maximum Dexterity bonus of +2. A character with a
Dexterity score of 18 normally gains a +4 bonus to his AC,
but if he’s wearing chainmail, his bonus drops to +2. His
final Armor Class would be 17 (10 + 5 + 2 = 17), assuming he
has no other modifiers. (The +5 is the chainmail and the +2
is his maximum Dexterity bonus.)
Even if your Dexterity bonus drops to 0, you are not
considered to have lost your Dexterity bonus. For example, a
rogue can’t sneak attack you just because you’re wearing
half-plate.
Shields:
Shields
do not affect your maximum Dexterity bonus.
Armor
Check Penalty: Anything
heavier than leather hurts your ability to use some of your
skills. Some characters don’t much care, but others do.
The barbarian, in particular, faces a trade-off between
heavier armor and better skill checks.
Skills:
The
armor check penalty number is the armor check penalty you
apply to certain skill checks. If you’re wearing any armor
heavier than leather, you can’t climb, sneak, or tumble as
well as you would if you weren’t wearing such heavy armor.
This penalty applies to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide,
Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pockets, and Tumble checks. Swim
checks face a similar penalty based on the weight of the
gear you are carrying and wearing.
Shields:
If
you are wearing armor and using a shield, both armor check
penalties apply.
Nonproficient
with Armor Worn: If
you wear armor with which you are not proficient, you suffer
the armor’s armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all
skill rolls that involve moving, including Ride.
Sleeping
in Armor: If
you sleep in a suit of armor with an armor check penalty of
–5 or worse, you are automatically fatigued the next day.
You suffer a –2 penalty on Strength and Dexterity, and you
can’t charge or run.
Spell
Failure: Armor
interferes with the gestures that you need to make to cast
an arcane spell. Arcane spellcasters face the possibility of
arcane spell failure if they’re wearing armor, so wizards
and sorcerers usually don’t wear armor. Bards have a hard
choice because they’re more likely to get into combat than
wizards and they cast fewer spells, so getting some armor
makes more sense for them than it does for a wizard.
Casting
a Spell in Armor: When
you cast an arcane spell while wearing armor, you often must
make an arcane spell failure roll. The number in the Arcane
Spell Failure column on Table 7–5: Armor is the chance
that the spell fails and is ruined. If the spell lacks a
somatic (S) component, however, you can cast it without
making the arcane spell failure roll.
Shields:
If
you are wearing armor and using a shield, add the two
numbers together to get a single arcane spell failure
chance.
Speed:
Medium
and heavy armor slows you down. It’s better to be slow and
alive than to be quick and dead, but don’t neglect to give
speed some thought. The number on Table 7–5: Armor is your
speed while wearing the armor.
Humans,
elves, half-elves, and half-orcs have an unencumbered speed
of 30 feet. They use the first column. Dwarves, gnomes, and
halflings have an unencumbered speed of 20 feet. They use
the second column.
Shields:
Shields
do not affect your speed.
Weight:
The
weight of the armor. Armor fitted for Small characters
weighs half as much.
Getting
Into And Out Of Armor
The
time required to don armor depends on its type (see Table:
Donning Armor).
Don:
This
column records how long it takes you to put the armor on.
(One minute is 10 rounds.)
Don
Hastily: This
column records how long it takes you to put the armor on in
a hurry. Hastily donned armor has an armor check penalty and
armor bonus each 1 point worse than normal. For example, if
Tordek donned his scale mail hastily, it would take him 1
minute (10 rounds), the armor would provide only a +3 bonus
to his AC (instead of +4), and his armor check penalty would
be -5 (instead of -4).
Remove:
This
column records how long it takes you to get the armor off
(especially important to know if you are suddenly
submerged).
Table:
D&D Donning Armor
| Armor
Type |
Don |
Don
Hastily |
Remove |
| Padded,
Leather, Hide, Studded leather or Chain shirt |
1
minute |
5
rounds |
1
minute* |
| Breastplate,
Scale mail, Chainmail, Banded mail, or Splint mail |
4
minutes* |
1
minute |
1
minute* |
| Half-plate
or Full plate |
4
minutes** |
4
minutes** |
1d4+1
minutes* |
*If you
have some help, cut this time in half. A single character
doing nothing else can help one or two adjacent characters.
Two characters can’t help each other don armor at the same
time.
**You must have help to don this armor. Without help, you
can only don it hastily.
Armor
Descriptions
The
types of armor found on Table: Armor are described below (in
alphabetical order).
Banded
Mail: This
armor is made of overlapping strips of metal sewn to a
backing of leather and chainmail. The strips cover
vulnerable areas, while the chain and leather protect the
joints and provide freedom of movement. Straps and buckles
distribute the weight evenly. It includes gauntlets.
Breastplate:
A
breastplate covers your front and your back. It comes with a
helmet and matching greaves (plates to cover your lower
legs). A light suit or skirt of studded leather beneath the
breastplate protects your limbs without restricting movement
much.
Buckler:
This
small metal shield is strapped to your forearm, allowing you
to wear it and still use your hand. You can use a bow or
crossbow without penalty. You can also use an off-hand
weapon, but you suffer a -1 penalty on attack rolls because
of the extra weight on your arm. This penalty stacks with
those for fighting with your off hand and, if appropriate,
for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a
weapon in your off-hand, you don’t get the buckler’s AC
bonus for the rest of the round. You can’t effectively
bash someone with a buckler.
Chain
Shirt: A
shirt of chainmail protects your torso while leaving your
limbs free and mobile. A layer of quilted fabric underneath
it prevents chafing and cushions the impact of blows. It
comes with a steel cap.
Chain
Mail: This
armor is made of interlocking metal rings. It includes a
layer of quilted fabric underneath it to prevent chafing and
to cushion the impact of blows. Several layers of mail are
hung over vital areas. Most of the armor’s weight hangs
from the shoulders, making chainmail uncomfortable to wear
for long periods of time. It includes gauntlets.
Full
Plate: This
armor consists of shaped and fitted metal plates riveted and
interlocked to cover the entire body. It includes gauntlets,
heavy leather boots, and a visored helmet. You wear a thick
layer of padding underneath it (included). Buckles and
straps distribute the weight over the body, so full plate
hampers movement less than splint mail even though splint is
lighter. Each suit of full plate must be individually fitted
to its owner by a master armorsmith, although a captured
suit can be resized to fit a new owner at a cost of 200 to
800 (2d4 x 100) gold pieces. Full plate is also known as
field plate.
Half-Plate:
This
armor is a combination of chainmail with metal plates
(breastplate, epaulettes, elbow guards, gauntlets, tasses,
and greaves) covering vital areas. Buckles and straps hold
the whole suit together and distribute the weight, but the
armor still hangs more loosely than full plate. It includes
gauntlets.
Hide:
This
armor is prepared from multiple layers of leather and animal
hides. It is stiff and hard to move in. Druids, who only
wear nonmetallic armor, favor hide.
Leather:
The
breastplate and shoulder protectors of this armor are made
of leather that has been stiffened by boiling in oil. The
rest of the armor is softer and more flexible leather.
Padded:
Padded
armor features quilted layers of cloth and batting. It gets
hot quickly and can become foul with sweat, grime, lice, and
fleas.
Scale Mail: This is a coat and leggings (and perhaps a
separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces
of metal, much like the scales of a fish. It includes
gauntlets.
Shield,
Large or Small, Wooden or Steel: You
strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand.
Small
Shield: A
small shield’s light weight lets you carry other items in
that hand (although you cannot use weapons).
Large
Shield: A
large shield is too heavy for you to use your shield hand
for anything else.
Wooden
or Steel: Wooden
and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though
they respond differently to special attacks (such as warp
wood and heat metal).
Shield
Bash Attacks: You
can bash an opponent with a shield, using it as an off-hand
weapon. A Medium-size character deals 1d4 points of damage (
x 2 crit) with a large shield or 1d3 ( x 2 crit) with a
small one. (You cannot bash with a tower shield.) A Small
character deals 1d3 points of damage ( x 2 crit) with a
large shield or 1d2 ( x 2 crit) with a small one. Used this
way, the shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For
purposes of attack penalties, treat a shield as a light
weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC
bonus until your next action (usually until the next round).
Shield,
Tower: This
massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as the wielder.
Basically, it is a portable wall meant to provide cover. It
can provide up to total cover, depending on how far you come
out from behind it. A tower shield, however, does not
provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can
cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding.
You cannot bash with a tower shield.
Splint
Mail: This
armor is made of narrow vertical strips of metal riveted to
a backing of leather that is worn over cloth padding.
Flexible chainmail protects the joints. It includes
gauntlets.
Studded
Leather: This
armor is made from tough but flexible leather (not hardened
leather as with normal leather armor) reinforced with
close-set metal rivets. |