Armor and Shields

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... 2 Chapter III – Alternate encumbrance ...... 9 Credits ...... 3 Merciful encumbrance ...... 9 Introduction ...... 4 Encumbrance slots ...... 9 What is MANUAL OF ARMS? ...... 4 What is the point? ...... 10 What is this book about? ...... 4 Chapter IV – Armor options ...... 11 Are shields a type of armor? ...... 4 New materials ...... 11 Which game system? ...... 4 Helmets ...... 11 What did you change? ...... 4 Armor and saving throws ...... 12 Must I use the entire book at once?...... 4 Masterwork armor ...... 12 Chapters ...... 4 Piecemeal armor ...... 13 Chapter I: Armor and shields ...... 5 Cumbersome armor ...... 13 Light, Medium and Heavy Armor...... 5 Specialized armor ...... 14 Shields ...... 5 Damage types and armor ...... 14 New armor ...... 6 Breaking shields ...... 14 New shields ...... 6 Unarmored defense ...... 15 Chapter II – Simple armor creation ...... 7 Unencumbered defense ...... 15 Simple armor table ...... 8 OPEN GAME LICENSE ...... 16

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Credits

Written by Eric Diaz

Cover Image by Adalhelma (by Pixabay) Template: Publisher's Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games Special thanks to Rick Troula for putting it together

Interior art Page 7: © copyright by Jazbee 2012. Pages 2, 10, 12, 15: Storn Cook / © Louis Porter, Jr. Design. Page 13: Publisher's Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

Special thanks All the readers of my blog, Methods & Madness, for the feedback and encouragement.

Find our products here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12430/Chaos-Factory-Books

Introduction

What is MANUAL OF ARMS? One asterisk (*) means I changed the trait of an armor that already existed. Two asterisks (**) mean that the Manual of Arms is a series of booklets that enhance, armor or shield are not in the original rules. change and reinterpret existing equipment and mechanics for non-magical combat. Each booklet deals with a single subject. If there is enough interest, they Must I use the entire book at once? will be collected in a single tome in the future. Not really. The chapters are modular. You can choose which ones to use, or even choose what paragraphs or What is this book about? single items to add to your game. This book is a collection of ideas to make armor and shields more diverse, streamlined, balanced, varied, Chapters and fun. Chapter I contains a list of types of armor, shields, and their properties. If you want to use this book only to get Are shields a type of armor? new items, without any tinkering, or you don’t care for designer’s notes and analysis of the game mechanics, The game usually treats shields are armor, although this is the chapter you’re going to use. they also have offensive properties. The truth is that shields have defensive and offensive capabilities. Chapter II contains a simple system for creating While this book focuses on shields as armor, there are a armor. It replaces all existing armor for something few notes on using shields as weapons. simpler, more streamlined, abstract and varied. Chapter III discusses new encumbrance systems - Which game system? harsher than the usual rules (“Lifting and Carrying”), but more lenient than the “Variant: Encumbrance” This book contains ideas that are useful for many rules. games. However, the main focus is the world’s most famous role-playing game, in its latest version. Chapter IV contains several loose thoughts, ideas and tips on how to use armor and shields – including some

significant changes to the game mechanics. What did you change?

I have added a few things in chapter I, and changed many things in chapters II, II and IV. In the first chapter, I used asterisks to indicate what was changed. Sample file

Chapter I: Armor and shields

Light, Medium and Heavy Armor Armor Type Armor Class (AC) Strength Stealth Weight Cost

Padded Light 11 + Dex modifier — Disadvantage 8 lb. 5 gp

Leather Light 11 + Dex modifier — — 10 lb. 10 gp

Gambeson** Light 12 + Dex modifier — Disadvantage 12 lb. 20 gp

Studded Leather Light 12 + Dex modifier — — 12 lb.* 45 gp

Hide Medium 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 12 lb. 10 gp

Chain Shirt Medium 13 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 20 lb. 50 gp

Scale Mail Medium 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) — Disadvantage 40 lb.* 50 gp

Breastplate Medium 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) — — 20 lb. 400 gp

Half Plate Medium 15 + Dex modifier (max 2) — Disadvantage 40 lb. 750 gp

Ring Mail Heavy 14 — Disadvantage 40 lb. 30 gp

Brigandine** Heavy 15 11 Disadvantage 45 lb. 50 gp

Chain Mail Heavy 16 13 Disadvantage 55 lb. 75 gp

Splint Mail Heavy 17 15 Disadvantage 60 lb. 200 gp

Plate Mail Heavy 18 15 Disadvantage 65 lb. 1,500 gp

Shields Armor Armor Class (AC) Strength Stealth Weight Cost

Buckler** +1 — — 2 lb. 5 gp

Cloak** +1 — — 4 lb. 10 gp

Shield +2 — — 6 lb. 10 gp

Pavise** +2 13 Disadvantage 12 lb. 30 gp

Tower shield** +3 15 Disadvantage 20 lb. 50 gp Sample file

New armor Cloak The term “cloak and dagger” comes from a 15th century Gambeson fighting method, in which a cloak (or cape) wrapped A longer and thicker version of padded armor, covering around the hand and arm is used as a shield. I added it arms and legs more extensively. Added as a cheap here because I think it looks cool. Feel free to ignore this alternative to studded leather. option in games (or circumstances) where defending with Brigandine your cloak feels ridiculous. Small steel plates riveted inside a jacket of cloth. The Like the buckler, it should not be counted as a shield that arms and legs are covered with similar protection, or you can use with other feats or fighting styles, and anyone chain. Overall, lighter than chain mail but heavier and with light armor proficiency should be able to use it. more expensive than ring mail. Added only to allow Pavise characters in heavy armor to choose AC 15. A tall (three to four feet), heavy shield, traditionally used by crossbowmen. It contains a spike (or other New shields mechanism) that allows you to “plant” it in the ground as an action, so you can treat it as half cover (or three Buckler quarters cover, while crouching) instead of a shield. A buckler is a small shield gripped with the fist. As we’ve Alternatively, one can hold it next to an ally, as an action, said in Manual of Arms: Weapons, it works better as a providing cover for both. It only requires Strength 13 if (simple melee) weapon than a new shield, for several you are using it as a shield, instead of cover. reasons. Tower shield If you do not have that book, here are the stats: This massive shield is nearly as tall as an adult. It can be Buckler. Damage 1d2 bludgeoning, 2 lb., 5 gp, with the used for cover, like the pavise. finesse, light, and special (“When you take the Attack Optional rule: Carrying this enormous shield is likely to action and attack with a light or finesse melee weapon cause you disadvantage in stealth even if you’re not that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus wielding it. It is also too large for small creatures to use. action to defend yourself with a buckler that you’re holding in the other hand. This grants you a +1 bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.”) properties. Why did you change it? Is this However, if you prefer a defensive-only version, just use realistic? it a lighter, +1 AC shield. Notice that the buckler should In the following chapters, we will discuss the not count as a shield for the purposes of existing fighting changes in weight, strength requirements, etc. We styles, feats, etc. In addition, I would allow anyone with will also discuss how realistic armor is in this light armor proficiency to wield one, regardless of shield system (hint: not much). proficiency. Sample file

Chapter II – Simple armor creation

In the first chapter, and throughout this book, we play fast to say, for example, that every breastplate weights (or and loose with “realism”. There are a few reasons for costs) the same. that. Real armor can vary immensely in weight, size, First, this is a game of dragons and flying wizards, composition, etc. There are layers (a breastplate with and we don’t usually let realism get in the way of our fun chain armor, with padding underneath), materials (linen, until the suspension of disbelief becomes annoying (if it iron, leather, horn, stone), quality (hardened iron, leather does, feel free to ignore any of the options present here). from different monsters, etc.), symmetry (gladiator armor The usual rules are not particularly realistic, either. It is could be asymmetrical) and craftsmanship (butted mail highly debate, for example, if leather armor is particularly versus riveted mail, etc.) to consider. Some of these efficient (when compared to padded armor), and no topics are discussed on chapter IV. particular reason why leather would avoid disadvantage The issue is further complicated because, even in the to stealth. original rules, some types or armor are just smaller parts Second, even if we were trying to make things more of others, while some include greaves, many layers, or are realistic, we would have to recognize that there is no way completely fictional. As the nomenclature is all over – chainmail is made of rings,

Then there is weight to consider. In previous versions of the game, heavy armor was always heavier (or at least equal to) medium armor, and so on. For some reason we cannot fathom, the current rules list 45 lb. scale mail as medium armor and 40 lb. ring armor as heavy. Likewise, we have 13 lbs. studded leather as light armor and 12 lb. hide as medium armor. Since there is no reason, in reality or fantasy, for that extra pound, I am assuming the writers added it just to mess with our heads… I’m kidding! Well, maybe a little. To make things a lot simpler, you could just ignore the names of the armor and judge it by weight and AC. Let the players choose if they are wearing a helmet, shoulder pads, leather or chain to protect the joints, etc.

Now the table is neatly organized in order of AC and weight. Heavy armor is now always heavier than medium armor, and light armor always lighter. Price still varies according to quality. Good armor offers better protection Samplewithout adding much weight. file Here are some ways to describe your armor:

Light Armor: Made from supple and thin materials, You might as well say you are wearing a “long, thick such as linen, leather, etc. Alternatively, fight bare- gambeson” for medium armor, for example. chested with an iron helmet and greaves, or heavy winter The materials you can use to build armor are clothing. described on chapter IV. Medium Armor: made of hardier materials, mostly metal – in plates, scales, strips in varying sizes or metal What about stealth? rings (interlocking or sewn into leather), and a layer of padding underneath. Alternatively, a breastplate with Some types of armor are noisy (or clumsy), greaves, braces, etc., but some exposed gaps (joints, etc.). usually due to weight, low-quality artisanship, or both, causing the wearer to have Heavy Armor: covers the entire body in thick metal, disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. mostly in large plates, plus padding. It includes a helmet, gorget, or both. You can find noisy, low quality light and medium armor for half the usual price. Within these guidelines, you can call your armor Alternatively, you can find good medium padded, gambeson, leather, hide, scale, chain, ring, armor with additional pieces or layers that brigandine, breastplate, lorica segmentata, mirror armor, increases its AC by one point, but also makes just helmet and braces, dark clothing and a cape, or the armor noisy and doubles weight (and adds anything of the sort. We used the terms “gambeson” and +2 to Strength requirements) and price. Heavy “brigandine” in chapter I to fill existing gaps, not to armor is always noisy (price, weight and include any realistic versions of these types of armor. Strength as listed).

Simple armor table Type AC Strength Weight Cost

Light 11 + Dex 7 10 lb. 10 gp

Light 12 + Dex 8 10 lb. 50 gp

Medium 12 + Dex (max 2) 8 15 lb. 10 gp

Medium 13 + Dex (max 2) 9 20 lb. 50 gp

Medium 14 + Dex (max 2) 10 20 lb. 400 gp

Heavy 14 11 45 lb. 30 gp

Heavy 15 12 50 lb. 50 gp

Heavy 16 13 55 lb. 75 gp

Heavy 17 15 60 lb. 200 gp HeavySample 18 15 65 lb. file1,500 gp