To wear heavier armor effectively, a character can select
the Armor Proficiency feats, but most classes are automatically proficient with
the armors that work best for them.
Armor and shields can take damage from some types of
attacks.
Here is the format for armor entries (given as column
headings on Table: Armor and Shields, below).
Cost: The cost of the armor for Small or Medium humanoid
creatures. See Armor for Unusual Creatures, below, for armor prices for other
creatures.
Armor/Shield Bonus: Each armor grants an armor bonus
to AC, while shields grant a shield bonus to AC. The armor bonus from a suit of
armor doesn’t stack with other effects or items that grant an armor bonus.
Similarly, the shield bonus from a shield doesn’t stack with other effects that
grant a shield bonus.
Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum
Dexterity bonus to AC that this type of armor allows. Heavier armors limit
mobility, reducing the wearer’s ability to dodge blows. This restriction
doesn’t affect any other Dexterity-related abilities.
Even if a character’s Dexterity bonus to AC drops to 0
because of armor, this situation does not count as losing a Dexterity bonus to
AC.
Your character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear he or she
carries) may also restrict the maximum Dexterity bonus that can be applied to
his or her Armor Class.
Shields: Shields do not affect a character’s maximum Dexterity
bonus.
Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather
hurts a character’s ability to use some skills. An armor check penalty number
is the penalty that applies to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move
Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble checks by a character wearing a certain
kind of armor. Double the normal armor check penalty is applied to Swim checks.
A character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear carried, including armor) may
also apply an armor check penalty.
Shields: If a character is wearing armor and using a shield,
both armor check penalties apply.
Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character
who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he or she is not proficient
takes the armor’s (and/or shield’s) armor check penalty on attack rolls and on
all Strength-based and Dexterity-based ability and skill checks. The penalty
for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for nonproficiency with
shields.
Sleeping in Armor: A character who sleeps in medium
or heavy armor is automatically fatigued the next day. He or she takes a –2
penalty on Strength and Dexterity and can’t charge or run. Sleeping in light
armor does not cause fatigue.
Arcane Spell Failure: Armor interferes with the
gestures that a spellcaster must make to cast an arcane spell that has a
somatic component. Arcane spellcasters face the possibility of arcane spell
failure if they’re wearing armor. Bards can wear light armor without incurring
any arcane spell failure chance for their bard spells.
Casting an Arcane Spell in Armor: A character
who casts an arcane spell while wearing armor must usually make an arcane spell
failure roll. The number in the Arcane Spell Failure Chance column on Table:
Armor and Shields is the chance that the spell fails and is ruined. If the
spell lacks a somatic component, however, it can be cast with no chance of
arcane spell failure.
Shields: If a character is wearing armor and using a shield,
add the two numbers together to get a single arcane spell failure chance.
Speed: Medium or heavy armor slows the wearer down. The
number on Table: Armor and Shields is the character’s 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. Remember,
however, that a dwarf ’s land speed remains 20 feet even in medium or heavy
armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Shields: Shields do not affect a character’s speed.
Weight: This column gives the weight of the armor sized for
a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and
armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.
Any special benefits or accessories to the types of armor
found on Table: Armor and Shields are described below.
Adamantine Breastplate: Grants the wearer DR 2/
adamantine.
Armor Spikes: You can have spikes added to your
armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage (see Table: Weapons) on a
successful grapple attack. The spikes count as a martial weapon. If you are not
proficient with them, you take a –4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to
use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with
the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (You can’t also make
an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another
off-hand weapon, and vice versa.)
An enhancement bonus to a suit of armor does not improve the
spikes’ effectiveness, but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their
own right.
Banded Mail: The suit includes gauntlets. It is
composed of long bands of iron riveted to a leather undercoat.
Battlecloak, Gnome: This is not a shield in the
traditional sense but a cloak that can be used to foil an opponent’s attack. It
grants no Shield bonuses but you can use it to disarm an opponent. You gain a
+4 to your opposed attack roll to disarm (including the roll to avoid being
disarmed should the attempt fail).
Battle Plate: This exotic heavy armor is
composed of reinforced metal plates, a layer of padding and a suit of light
chain worn between the twoIt includes gauntlets, metal shod boots, a heavy
helm, and carefully wrought joint guards. As with full plate, buckles and
straps distribute the weight over the wearers body, so battle plate hampers
movement less than heavy plate even though heavy plate is lighter. Battle plate
is dwarven armor so a character with dwarven armor proficiency feats is
considered proficient in this armor.
Bone: Made from the large bones of thick boned beasts. The
bone is shaped into thin layers and lacquered together for strength. It is then
attached to a leather undercoat. It covers the chest, back, neck and upper
legs.
Breastplate: It comes with a helmet and
greaves. Classic Spanish style.
Brigandine: this is a coat of leather plates
overlapping the next. Each plate consists of leather with metal strips inside
it.
Buckler: This small metal shield is worn strapped to your
forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. You
can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand
weapon or using your off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon), but you take
a –1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those
that may apply for fighting with your off hand and 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 bash someone with a buckler.
Chain Shirt: A chain shirt comes with a steel
cap.
Chainmail: The suit includes gauntlets.
Covers the head, chest, arms and legs.
Chitin: This is made from the outer covering of giant insect
races. It is heated and formed to the wearer, once this process is done, the
armor will fir no one else.
Coral: This armor is grown over the course of a few years.
It is created specifically for each wearer.
Darkleaf Armor: Made of carefully cured and
beautifully carved Darkwood, supplemented by alchemically treated darkwood
leaves. This is of elvish origin. The wood is lighter than metal so heavy style
armor is treated as medium and medium is treated as light. Only medium and
heavy armors normally made of metal can be made from darkwood. Crafting
Darkleaf requires a DC25 Alchemy check as well as a craft arms and armor check.
Darkwood Buckler: It is constructed of darkwood and
is lighter than normal bucklers.
Darkwood Shield: It is constructed of darkwood and
is lighter than normal shields.
Dastana: Metal bracers that work in conjunction with armor
and shield. They can be used with armors that don’t come with bracers or
gauntlets. The armor bonus stacks.
Dragoncraft Armor and Shield: Masterwork
versions of armor and shield made from dragonhide that grant energy resistance
also. The wearer gain ER 5 against the energy type associated with the dragon
his armor was made from. It is treated as an extraordinary ability. Dragoncraft
armor and shield are treated as one category lighter for purposes of movement
and other determinations. Armor check penalties are reduced by 2. Dragoncraft
armor has the normal max dex bonus and spell failure. Dragoncraft armor can be
leather scale, hide armor, Scale mail, half plate or full plate armor. Shields
can be heavy or light.
Dragonhide Plate: This full suit of platemail
fashioned from the hide of a dragon is a favorite among druids.
Duskwood Breastplate: Duskwood: This tree
is named for the eerie appearance of its tightly growing groves. Smooth, with
small branches at the top of 60 foot trunks, duskwood trees have black bark and
smokey grey wood that is as tough as iron. Duskwood doesn't work well as armor;
it can't be shaped into rings and overlapping plates don't flex well. Duskwood
breastplates are possible
Dwarven Plate: This is extremely rare, the only
suits ever made are for Dwarves. It is composed of an extremely light but
extremely strong alloy, the formula of which is only known by a handful of
dwarves. It gives the wearer DR 3/ adamantine.
Dwarven Stone: This is more ceremonial than
anything else and reserved for dwarven defenders. It is composed of a
marble-like stone that has great strength and a moderate lightness.
Elven Chain: Extremely light chainmail made of
fine mithral links.
Fast Donning Straps: Armor with fast donning straps
has been fitted with a simpler system of straps and buckles, making it easier
to don hastily. Whenever you don this armor hastiliy you do not incur the
normal armor check penalty.
Forestwarden Shroud: This is a covering for any type
of armor and it can be incorporated during the creation process or added at any
time afterward. It’s slick surface allow leaves and braches to easily slide off
of it, negating the effect that heavy undergrowth has on the wearers tumble and
move silently checks.
Full Plate: The suit includes gauntlets,
heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and a thick layer of padding that is worn
underneath the armor. 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 (2d4x100) gold pieces.
Gauntlet, Locked: This armored gauntlet has small
chains and braces that allow the wearer to attach a weapon to the gauntlet so
that it cannot be dropped easily. It provides a +10 bonus on any roll made to
keep from being disarmed in combat. Removing a weapon from a locked gauntlet or
attaching a weapon to a locked gauntlet is a full-round action that provokes
attacks of opportunity.
The price given is for a single locked gauntlet. The weight
given applies only if you’re wearing a breastplate, light armor, or no armor.
Otherwise, the locked gauntlet replaces a gauntlet you already have as part of
the armor.
While the gauntlet is locked, you can’t use the hand wearing
it for casting spells or employing skills. (You can still cast spells with
somatic components, provided that your other hand is free.)
Like a normal gauntlet, a locked gauntlet lets you deal
lethal damage rather than nonlethal damage with an unarmed strike.
Half-Plate: The suit includes gauntlets.
Steel plates attached to a leather undersuit. Chainmail covers the joints.
Heavy Plate Armor: Forged for the strongest of
warriors, heavy plate armor is simply a heavily reinforced suit of full
platemail.
Impact Armor: This armor appears as normal
armor for its type (it is available in studded leather, chain or half-plate),
however the metallic parts have a slight lavender sheen. The armor will
instantly stiffen any time there is a hit from a weapon (other than piercing),
and grant damage reduction per the following: Studded DR1/piercing, Chain
DR2/piercing, Half-Plate DR3/piercing. Creating impact armor requires a DC25
craft (alchemy) check in addition to the normal crafting checks.
Interlocking Plate: This specially crafted suit of
exotic armor consists of a suit of chainmail with metal plates covering vital
areas. The plates are cunningly wrought, so that they offer greater protection
when the wearer is relatively still. If you move no more than 5’ in a turn
while wearing interlocking plate, you gain a +2 AC bonus until the beginning of
your next turn. Interlocking plate is
dwarven armor so a character with dwarven armor proficiency feats is considered
proficient in this armor.
Interlocking Scale: This specially crafted suit of
exotic armor consists of a suit of a long coat and leggings made of leather
covered with interlocking pieces of metal. The scales are cunningly wrought, so
that they offer greater protection when the wearer is relatively still. If you
move no more than 5’ in a turn while wearing interlocking plate, you gain a +2
AC bonus until the beginning of your next turn. Interlocking scale is dwarven armor so a character with dwarven
armor proficiency feats is considered proficient in this armor.
Lamellar: Similar to splint and brigandine, it consists of
overlapping metal plates sewn onto a leather undercoat.
Leafweave: Made by the Elves, leafweave is
made from the leafs of the bronzewood tree and treated alchemically to attain
the strength and flexibility of leather. Crafting Leafweave requires a DC25
Alchemy check as well as a craft arms and armor check.
Mammoth Leather: Perfected by Goliath shamans,
this thick exotic leather armor is made from mammoth hide. Because of the
leathers thickness, the armor is extremely confining to those that do not have
the exotic armor proficiency. Wearing mammoth leather does not violate a
druid’s spiritual oath.
Mithril Shirt: Made from an alloy of Silver and
Iron and treated by Elven masters. This chain shirt is exceptionally strong and
lightweight.
Mountain Plate: Made of thick metal plates bolted
and fused together, this exotic heavy armor is incredibly massive. The suit
includes plated gauntlets, metal shod boots, a heavy helm and reinforced joint
guards. A character wearing mountain plate cannot run. When wearing mountain
plate, a dwarves speed is reduced as if he were not a dwarf. Mountain Plate is
dwarven armor so a character with dwarven armor proficiency feats is considered
proficient in this armor. Mountain plate constructed of any material that would
reduce it’s armor category from heavy to medium (such as mithral) gains all of
the benefits of the material except for the speed, it always stays the same as
if it were normal mountain plate.
Riding Straps: Armor equipped with riding straps
allow the wearer maximum maneuverability while riding, and grants a +1 bonus to
ride checks. This bonus stacks with the bonus from a military saddle.
Ringmail: Overlapping steel rings sewn onto a leather
undercoat.
Scale Mail: The suit includes gauntlets.
Steel discs riveted to a leather undercoat.
Shell: This armor is light but fairly sturdy, it is made
from the outer shells of giant crustaceans or tortises. It is treated to become
more pliable to resist cracking.
Shield, Gauntlet: A favorite of divine
spellcasters, this exotic shield is a heavy steel shield built with a special
bracing gauntlet. The special gauntlet allows you to carry other items in your
shield hand (such as spell components), you cannot use weapons with it, but it
is free to perform somatic spell components.
Shield, Heavy, Wooden or Steel: You strap
a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A heavy shield is so heavy
that you can’t 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.
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a
heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage
dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning
weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a
one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus
until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on
a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but
the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield, Light, Wooden or Steel: You strap
a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield’s weight
lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with
it.
Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the
same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a
light shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage
dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a light shield is a martial bludgeoning
weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a light 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). An enhancement bonus on a
shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but
the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield, Tower: This massive wooden shield is nearly
as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus
to your AC. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must
give up your attacks to do so. The shield does not, however, 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, nor can you use
your shield hand for anything else.
When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a –2
penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s encumbrance.
Shield Spikes: When added to your shield, these
spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon that increases the damage dealt
by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size
category larger than you. You can’t put spikes on a buckler or a tower shield.
Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack
(see above).
An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the
effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made
into a magic weapon in its own right.
Silk: This is composed of several layers of fine silk
overlapped and sewn together.
Splint Mail: The suit includes gauntlets.
Stone Plate: This armor is made from
interlocking stone plates, cunningly crafted for strength and thinness. A layer
of thin hide underneath prevents the stone from chafing and cushions the impact
of blows. Several layers of stone plates usually hang over vital areas, and
most of the weight hangs on the bearers shoulders. The suit includes hide
gauntlets with small stone plates sewn into them. This armor does not violate a
druid’s spiritual oath.
Thistledown: This lightweight material gets
its name from its soft texture and dove grey color. It weighs only ½ as much as
normal padded armor and grants a +2 hide bonus in shadowy or poorly lit areas.
Tumbler’s Breastplate: This exotic armor resembles
a normal breastplate that has been smoothed and polished to perfection. Those
skilled in it’s use can take advantage of the breastplate’s protection while
tumbling. The wearer receives a +2 bonus on tumble checks, but the normal armor
penalty still applies.
Twist Cloth, Gnome: This unusual exotic armor is made
of loose, flowing cloth strips and hung on the wearer. Proficient wearers twist
and sway within the armor, causing opponents to strike empty air rather than
armor when they miss with an attack. If you have proficiency in this armor the
armor bonus also applies to touch attacks.
Wood: Made from dense wood and treated with resins to
increase durability and strength. Covers the neck, chest, back and upper arms
and legs.
MASTERWORK ARMOR
Just as with weapons, you can purchase or craft masterwork
versions of armor or shields. Such a well-made item functions like the normal version,
except that its armor check penalty is lessened by 1.
A masterwork suit of armor or shield costs an extra 150 gp
over and above the normal cost for that type of armor or shield. The masterwork
quality of a suit of armor or shield never provides a bonus on attack or damage
rolls, even if the armor or shield is used as a weapon.
All magic armors and shields are automatically considered to
be of masterwork quality.
You can’t add the masterwork quality to armor or a shield
after it is created; it must be crafted as a masterwork item.