Rules / Weapons & Armor / Armor
Armor
Armor protects you from harm, but heavier suits hamper you if you aren't strong enough to carry them. A shield adds more protection (see Shields).
Donning and removing. Putting on light armor takes 1 minute; medium or heavy armor takes 5 minutes. Taking off any armor takes 1 minute.
Armor Table
| Armor | Category | Price | Soak | MD | CP | Might | SP | Bulk | Material | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Armor | Light | 2 sp | 1 | 3 | — | 0 | — | L | Cloth | — |
| Leather | Light | 2 gp | 1 | 4 | -1 | 0 | — | 1 | Leather | — |
| Studded Leather | Light | 3 gp | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 | — | 1 | Leather | — |
| Chain Shirt | Light | 5 gp | 3 | 3 | -1 | 1 | — | 1 | Metal | Flexible, Noisy |
| Hide | Medium | 2 gp | 3 | 2 | -2 | 2 | −5 ft | 2 | Leather | — |
| Scale Mail | Medium | 4 gp | 4 | 2 | -2 | 2 | −5 ft | 2 | Metal | — |
| Chain Mail | Medium | 6 gp | 5 | 1 | -2 | 3 | −5 ft | 2 | Metal | Flexible, Noisy |
| Breastplate | Medium | 8 gp | 6 | 1 | -2 | 3 | −5 ft | 2 | Metal | — |
| Splint Mail | Heavy | 13 gp | 7 | 1 | -3 | 3 | −10 ft | 3 | Metal | — |
| Half Plate | Heavy | 18 gp | 8 | 1 | -3 | 3 | −10 ft | 3 | Metal | — |
| Full Plate | Heavy | 30 gp | 9 | 0 | -3 | 4 | −10 ft | 4 | Metal | Bulwark |
Reading the Armor Table
- Soak: how much damage the armor blunts (see Soak below).
- MD (Max Reflex): the most Reflex you can add to saves while the armor's penalties apply to you.
- CP (Check Penalty): subtracted from Athletics, Acrobatics and Martial Arts checks while the armor's penalties apply to you.
- Might: the minimum Might to wear the armor without penalty.
- SP (Speed Penalty): taken off your speeds if the armor's penalties apply to you.
- Bulk: for armor sized for a Medium creature; larger or smaller suits weigh more or less.
- Material: sets the armor's durability (see Armor Durability).
Soak
- Physical damage (usually bludgeoning, piercing, slashing): reduce it by your full armor Soak.
- Energy damage (acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, thunder, poison, necrotic, radiant, psychic, and similar): reduce it by half your armor Soak, rounded down.
- Apply Soak before Resistance or Vulnerability.
- Mixed damage: apply Soak separately to each type unless a rule says otherwise.
- Armor Piercing (AP/ArP) reduces the Soak applied against that weapon.
Requirements and Penalties
Each suit lists a minimum Might. If you meet it, or have the matching Armor Proficiency talent, you wear the armor freely. If you fall short and lack the talent:
- Check Penalty (CP): subtracted from your Athletics, Acrobatics and Martial Arts checks (Flexible armor doesn't apply it).
- Max Reflex (MD): your Reflex bonus to saves is capped at the armor's MD.
- Speed Penalty (SP): your speeds are reduced by the listed amount.
- You are Encumbered.
Anything that improves a suit's Check Penalty or Max Reflex (Specialization, Masterwork, Potency) only matters while these penalties apply to you.
Armor Proficiency
The three Armor Proficiency talents (Light Armor Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency, Heavy Armor Proficiency) (Armor tree) let you wear armor of their category without the penalties above even if you don't meet its Might requirement. Each also lets you specialize in one suit of that category.
| Talent | Requirements | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Light Armor Proficiency | Might 0 | Proficient with Light armor; specialize in one Light suit. |
| Medium Armor Proficiency | Light Armor Proficiency, Might 2 | Proficient with Medium armor; specialize in one Medium suit. |
| Heavy Armor Proficiency | Light and Medium Armor Proficiency, Might 3 | Proficient with Heavy armor; specialize in one Heavy suit. |
Armor Specialization. For each Armor Proficiency talent you take, pick one suit of that category. While you wear it, its Soak and Max Reflex are 1 higher and its Check Penalty is 1 better.
Armor Properties
- Bulwark – on Reflex Saves against damaging effects (e.g., an explosion), use a flat +3 in place of your Reflex modifier.
- Flexible – the Check Penalty doesn't apply to Acrobatics, Athletics, or Martial Arts.
- Noisy – likely to give you away when using Stealth.
Heavy armor (Splint Mail, Half Plate, Full Plate) includes a padded undercoat, which can be worn alone (e.g., to sleep) while keeping the heavy armor's invested runes active.
Armor Durability
| Material | Hardness | HP | Broken Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Leather | 4 | 16 | 8 |
| Metal | 9 | 36 | 18 |
Armor's durability comes from what it's mostly made of. Armor rarely takes damage; see Item Damage in Gear & Supply.
Armor Descriptions
Padded Armor. Layers of heavy quilted cloth. Cheap and easy to damage. Heavier suits include a padded undercoat in their price; wearing just the undercoat keeps the heavy armor's runes invested while you sleep or if the outer suit is destroyed, and nobody else can wear your heavy armor without it.
Leather. Boiled and shaped leather pieces over softer hide, giving some protection while barely slowing you down.
Studded Leather. Leather armor reinforced with rivets and small plates. Nearly as supple as plain leather and a good deal tougher.
Chain Shirt. A long shirt of interlocking iron rings covering the torso, upper arms and thighs. Much lighter than a full coat of mail.
Hide. Thick furs and rawhide, sometimes with molded leather panels. It turns a blade well but makes you heavy on your feet.
Scale Mail. Overlapping metal scales stitched onto a leather coat that covers the torso, arms and legs.
Chain Mail. A full coat of linked rings with leggings, sleeves and a hood, protecting most of the body.
Breastplate. Fitted plates guarding the chest, neck and sometimes hips, trading some coverage for freedom of movement.
Splint Mail. Mail reinforced with strips of metal along the torso and limbs. Comes with a padded undercoat and gauntlets.
Half Plate. Plate across the upper body with lighter protection on the arms and legs. Comes with a padded undercoat and gauntlets.
Full Plate. Interlocking steel plates that encase nearly the whole body. It's costly and heavy, and you'll want a hand putting it on, but little protects better. Comes with a padded undercoat and gauntlets.