Heavy Armor

Armor and Shields

• Banded Mail (Armor)
  

  Banded Mail		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	250 gp	7	-3	-4	35%	-10	-5	5	35 lbs.
  	Special: —
  	Banded mail is a more sophisticated evolution of splint mail, which is reflected in the price. The big advance in banded mail is the replacement of the chain leggings with greaves and the use of smaller and more numerous steel plates over cloth, rather than chain. The metal plates in banded mail are interlocked tightly enough that they transfer their own weight, and when that weight reaches the greaves, the warrior inside is no longer carrying that weight. Banded mail looks smoother and sleeker than splint mail, and it certainly feels it, too. A steel helm, steel gauntlets, and greaves cover the head, hands, and feet.

• Bone Armor (Armor)
  

  Bone Armor		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	25 gp	6	-3	-4	40%	-10	-5	4	35 lbs.
  	Special: —
  	Bone Armor is a set of hide armor which has had heavy bones laced into the construction. An emptied skull serves as a cap, leather gloves set with knuckle bones as gauntlets, and bone-laced hide boots completes the suit of armor. Bone armor is genuinely heavy armor, but the relatively unsophisticated construction makes it quite burdensome, and the gruesome appearance inflicts a -2 penalty on all skill rolls made in social situations, such as Diplomacy, Barter, and Bluff checks. The entire weight of the armor rests upon the shoulders and waist. Due to its over-engineered construction and thick hide underlayers, it adds 5 points of protection against cold weather environmental effects, which stacks with cold weather clothing and other sources of environmental DR. This type of armor may be constructed from scavenged materials at no cost, but doing so requires a full day.

• Coat of Arms (Armor)
  

  Coat of Arms		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	3,200 gp	8	-2	-3	40%	-10	-5	4	30 lbs.
  	Special: Armor Check Penalty reduced to -2 (instead of -3) for Stealth checks.
  	A Coat of Arms is the product of a sophisticated culture that is capable of producing very protective armors, but chooses to make sturdy armor that 'looks good.' Despite its name, a Coat of Arms is a full suit of armor, not a coat. It is used for functions such as parades, coronation ceremonies, standing guard in palaces, and so on. For adventurers, a Coat of Arms provides a level of protection similar to field plate but which has considerably more "style". Coats of Arms may or may not be available in all campaigns. A Coat of Arms is made of tooled leather and/or ceramic bonded over the metal plates of the armor. Due to this fine construction, a Coat of Arms may be constructed from any one of the dweomermetals, not just those for metal armor. Coats of Arms are often used as a uniform by rich, powerful organizations that need to maintain appearances, but must also be ready for a serious fight. The leather and ceramic-bonded steel plates used in Coats of Arms make less noise than heavy armor typically makes, and wearers take only a -2 armor check penalty on Stealth checks as a result (instead of -3).

• Field Plate (Armor)
  

  Field Plate		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	1,200 gp	8	-3	-3	35%	-10	-5	5	40 lbs.
  	Special:
  	Field plate is very similar to Full Plate, except that it has been made easier to wear and a bit lighter. Metal is removed at the intersection points of the large forged steel plates of the plate armor, so that there is more room for freedom of movement. The amount of chainmail is increased in the joints and the number of auxiliary protective pieces is reduced, making it easier to wear. The down side is, there are larger gaps in the joints that are less well protected, so the armor value is decreased. As a positive, custom-fitting field plate looted as treasure is much easier, and only requires 60 gold pieces at an armorsmith.

• Full Plate (Armor)
  

  Full Plate		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	1,500 gp	9	-3	-4	35%	-10	-5	5	50 lbs.
  	Special:
  	Full Plate is the good stuff. Take banded mail and replace the bands with solid forged steel parts custom-fitted to the wearer's body. Full plate armor is self-supporting. You can assemble a suit of full plate without a person inside and it stands on its own. Light cloth padding is worn beneath full plate, and light chainmail over the padding re-inforces the joints. Scutes protect the buttocks and lames and pauldrons protect the shoulders. Non-magical Full Plate must be custom manufactured to fit the wearer, although suits recovered as treasure may be re-fitted for the cost of 200 to 800 gold pieces. An open-face steel helm, steel gauntlets, and steel greaves/sollerets cover the head, hands, and feet.

• Splint Mail (Armor)
  

  Splint Mail		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	80 gp	7	-4	-5	40%	-10	-5	5	45 lbs.
  	Special: —
  	Splint mail is a set of chainmail which has had scores of long metal strips riveted to the outside. A steel cap, metal gauntlets, and sollerets over leather boots completes the suit of armor. Splint mail is genuinely heavy armor, but the relatively unsophisticated construction makes it even more burdensome than chainmail. The entire weight of the armor rests upon the shoulders and waist. Splint mail is quite affordable for heavy armor, but that's just about the end of its good qualities.

• War Plate (Armor)
  

  War Plate		Heavy Armor proficiency required				edit
  	Cost	Armor Bonus to AC	Dex Penalty to AC	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Move Penalty		Durability	Wt
  						Size Medium	Size Small
  	3,000 gp	10	-3	-7	45%	-10	-5	5	60 lbs.
  	Special: Armor Check Penalty also applies to all Perception checks.
  	War plate is a suit of full plate which has been taken to the logical conclusion. The only place that is left unprotected by full plate is the face and joints, so war plate 'fixes' that problem. War plate replaces rondels and many lames with fitted steel plates to cover over weak points. War plate has fewer bits and pieces to cover the joints, but much larger and carefully fitted pieces. Donning war plate takes a full minute longer than that normally required to don heavy armor (4 minutes with help, 8 minutes without help), and a full round longer to hastily don (4 full rounds, instead of 3). Most significantly, war plate includes a helm which covers the face. A result of this extra protection is that war plate subtracts its armor check penalty from the Perception rolls of the wearer. Ouch. Non-magical War Plate must be custom manufactured to fit the wearer, although suits recovered as treasure may be re-fitted for the cost of 1,500 gold pieces.