Medieval Style Armor
Chainmail:
Chainmail armor is made up thousands of tiny wire rings, interlocked together
to form what could be called a kind of cloth. It is flexible, but hard
to penetrate with anything besides impaling attacks. Thus, each suit of
chainmail is rated with a Penetration Value, or PV. This is the amount
of cutting damage which must be done (before DR and before multiplying
for cutting) for the blade to actually cut through the mail and cut skin.
Thus, if the PV is not exceeded, the damage done is crushing, not cutting.
Impaling attacks, however, can easily slip through the links of the chain,
giving it only PD 1 DR 2 versus impaling attacks. Against all other attacks,
chainmail has PD 3 DR 4. The wearer is at -3 to all stealth rolls.
Quilted Armor:
Quilted armor is made of two pieces of thick cloth with a thick layer of
padding quilted between them. It is inexpensive and easy to make, but gives
relitively little protection. Quilted armor has PD 1 DR 1 against all types
of attacks.
Leather Armor:
Leather armor is simply a very thick layer of hardened leather. It is lighter
than Quilted armor and gives more protection, but is more expensive to
make. Leather armor has PD 2 DR 2 against all types of attacks. The wearer
is at -1 to all stealth rolls.
Quilted Ring Mail:
Quilted Ring Mail is normal quilted armor with thick metal rings sewn onto
the fabric. This gives the quilted armor a bit more protection, as well
as a bit more weight. Quilted Ring Mail has PD 2 DR 1 against all types
of attacks. The wearer is at -2 to all stealth rolls.
Leather Ring Mail:
Leather Ring Mail is normal leather armor with thick metal rings sewn onto
the leather. This gives the leather armor a bit more protection,
as well as adding a bit more weight. Leather Ring Mail has PD 3 DR 2 against
all types of attacks. The wearer is at -2 to all stealth rolls.
Bezainted Mail:
Bezainted mail is normal leather armor with thick metal discs studded onto
it. It is more than twice as expensive as ring mail and takes much longer
to make. Bezainted Mail has PD 3 DR 3 against all types of attacks. The
wearer is at -3 to all stealth rolls.
Jazeraint Armor (or Scale Mail):
Jazeraint armor is made of metal scales (thus scale mail) riveted onto
a leather backing. Jazeraint is very heavy and noisy, but protects almost
as well chainmail for a fraction of the cost. Scale Mail has PD 3 DR 4
against all types of attacks. The wearer is at -5 to all Stealth rolls.
Helms:
-
Pot helms protect only the brain (areas 3-4), the rest of the head is not
armored at all.
-
Bascinets cover the brain (areas 3-4), the back and sides of the head and
protect these areas with their full PD and DR. This means that only thrusts
from the front may hit the unprotected areas of the head (protects area
5 against all attacks except thrusts from the front). The sides of
the bascinet covers the ears, subtracting 3 from all hearing rolls.
-
Bascinets can also be made with a wire mesh over the face. This gives the
wearer PD 2 DR 1 to protect the face. This is somewhat distracting
however, and subtracts 1 from all vision rolls.
-
Heaumes (also called Greathelms) cover the entire head and neck (areas
3-5, 5) with their full PD and DR. The only place unprotected is the eyeslit,
which is -10 to hit. Heaumes are hot, stuffy and hard to hear and see out
of. All vision and hearing rolls are at -5, all Dex based skills are at
-1, and if worn in combat the wearer takes an additional point of fatigue
afterwards. Some heaumes have visors, when up they cover as an open
faced bascinet.
Poor Quality Chainmail (PV 5)
Chainmail Vest |
$140 |
25 lbs |
Chainmail Shirt |
$180 |
34 lbs |
Chainmail Half-Vest |
$85 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Leggings |
$70 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Coif |
$35 |
4 lbs |
Average Quality Chainmail (PV 7)
Chainmail Vest |
$230 |
25 lbs |
Chainmail Shirt |
$300 |
34 lbs |
Chainmail Half-Vest |
$140 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Leggings |
$110 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Coif |
$55 |
4 lbs |
FineQuality Chainmail (PV 9)
Chainmail Vest |
$920 |
25 lbs |
Chainmail Shirt |
$1200 |
34 lbs |
Chainmail Half-Vest |
$560 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Leggings |
$440 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Coif |
$220 |
4 lbs |
Very Fine Quality Chainmail (PV 11)
Chainmail Vest |
$4600 |
25 lbs |
Chainmail Shirt |
$6000 |
34 lbs |
Chainmail Half-Vest |
$2800 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Leggings |
$2200 |
15 lbs |
Chainmail Coif |
$1100 |
4 lbs |
For mail which which has been specially designed to be quiet (only -1 to
Stealth) add the following:
Vest |
$200 |
Shirt |
$260 |
Half-Vest |
$120 |
Leggings |
$140 |
Coif |
$70 |
Helmets (PD 4 DR 5)
Steel Pot Helm |
$100 |
5 lbs |
Steel Bascinet - Open Face |
$200 |
7 lbs |
Steel Bascinet - Caged Face |
$250 |
9 lbs |
Full Heaume |
$340 |
12 lbs |
Quilted Cloth and Leather (PD 1 DR 1)
Cloth Vest |
$30 |
6 lbs |
Cloth Shirt |
$50 |
8 lbs |
Cloth Leggings |
$20 |
4 lbs |
Cloth Gloves |
$15 |
0 lbs |
Cloth Cap |
$5 |
0 lbs |
Leather Jacket |
$50 |
4 lbs |
Leather Shoes |
$40 |
2 lbs |
Heavy Leather (PD 2 DR 2)
Vest |
$100 |
10 lbs |
Shirt |
$150 |
12 lbs |
Leggings |
$60 |
4 lbs |
Gloves |
$20 |
0 lbs |
Bascinet |
$20 |
1 lb |
Boots |
$80 |
3 lbs |
Quilted Ring Mail (PD 2 DR 1)
Vest |
$50 |
12 lbs |
Shirt |
$75 |
16 lbs |
Leggings |
$30 |
8 lbs |
Cap |
$10 |
1 lb |
Leather Ring Mail (PD 3 DR 2)
Vest |
$150 |
20 lbs |
Shirt |
$220 |
24 lbs |
Leggings |
$90 |
8 lbs |
Bascinet (PD 3 DR 1) |
$35 |
2 lbs |
Boots |
$100 |
5 lbs |
Bezainted (PD 3 DR 3)
Vest |
$200 |
20 lbs |
Shirt |
$300 |
24 lbs |
Leggings |
$120 |
8 lbs |
Bascinet (PD 3 DR 2) |
$60 |
2 lbs |
Boots |
$125 |
5 lbs |
Jazeraint (PD 3 DR 4)
Vest |
$420 |
35 lbs |
Shirt |
$630 |
49 lbs |
Leggings |
$250 |
21 lbs |
Bascinet (PD 3 DR 3) |
$120 |
10 lbs |
Vest: Covers areas 9-11, 17-18.
Shirt: Covers areas 6-11, 17-18.
Half-Vest: Covers areas 9-11, 17-18 with chainmail from the front,
but only PD 1, DR 1 (leather) from back attacks.
Leggings: Covers areas 12-14.
Coif: Covers area 3-4, 5 (except for thrusting attacks from the
front).
Boots: Covers areas 15-16.
Gloves: Covers area 7.
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Fantasy Armor / Copyright 1996 - Tim Morgan / vecna@eskimo.com