Armor

It’s better to hit first, but when you can’t it’s also good to have some armor. What is your character wearing on their adventure?

Armor General Menu

• ox hide, cuirass, torso cover, byrnie, short mail shirt, strip mail
• hauberk, haubergeon, padding, plate, breast plate
• force, corium, chain mail, splinted armour, bone
• laminated armor,
• scales helmet, burgonet ring mail leather
• bamboo corselet vest brigandine
• habergeon (chain shirt) gorget, neck guard, bevor skull cap cuir-bouilli (boiled leather)
• sallet (light helm) close-helm pot-helm magical force field
• couter (elbow piece) cuisse (thigh guard) sabaton, solleret (foot) vambrace (forearm guard)
• mark fauld (banded skirt) studded quilting studded leather
• peytral (for horses) brassard (arm brace) jupon, padded vest doublet, pourpoint
• stocking glove camail cannons
• leather thong light armour cross armour spangen helm
• phrygian cap upper arm plate curried leather poleyn, knee cover
• jerkin shoe bronze helm layered mail
• enchanted Elven armour mithril spiked armour elbow pad (cop)
• titanium power plate Dwarf mail coat goggles, glasses trellis armour
• Elfin chain shirt dragon scale mail gauntlet, glove mail glove
• shoulder pads boot, half boot kidney guard mesh robe
• bar mail, link mail banded mail apton bevor cap
• cup, codpiece, cod cape mail coif, hood jakke
• boiled leather studded leather carda targe
• lamellar (small plates) rawhide strip mail enforced chain
• greave, shin plate backplate visor pauldron
• fluted helm morion tasset robe
• sleeves rerebrace tawed hide stone-troll hide
• besague culet cabasset
• cloak scale armour mirror armour lacquer armour
• woven leather maximillian armour bone lamellar puttees

Notes on armour:

• a gambeson, padded coat, or arming coat would be worn alone or beneath heavier armour
• besagne, rondels, or joint plates, besides providing protection to the gaps between plate armour, can be decorated or spiked
• a jupon could be worn over armour and decorated with heraldry
• during battle, parts of armour can pop, rip, rend, etc: leather thongs, ties, rivets, clasps, buckles straps, snaps, harnesses, bands, ties, laces, rope, ring, grommet
• be sure to have cresting, insignia, symbols, or heraldry emblazoned on your armour… that is if you belong to some faction, sect, army, etc. You could also adorn your kit with skulls, knuckle bones of slain enemies, and blood and other such fear-invoking articles.
• decoration with feathers, ribbons, jewels, gold inlay, beaten or etched copper, locks of hair (or full scalps), filigree gold, dragon carvings, maiden idols, holy symbols, maps, tallies of slain foes, runes or words of epic wisdom, family tree, macaroni designs made by your kids in their elementary school classes, inscriptions, brads, rivets, weaves, braids, laces, ties, rings, bands, twists, patterns, etchings, embossings, and so on
• If you have a lot of armour, you may have a squire or similar servant to help you put your armour on and take it off. There are a lot of snaps, buckles, cinches, ties, etc. on a set of full plate and it could take you up to an hour to put on and take off your armour.
• Armour is anything that covers a part of your body to protect you, ranging from fabric padding to meshes and mails of rings or bands or intricate weaves. For general clothing go here: clothing.
• Materials for armour can be common (bark, wool, paper, or hide) to exotic metals with strange, foreign names. Different materials, and combinations thereof, offer different protection: plates are hard to slash and claw but can be pierced by strong sharp thin weapons (crossbow bolts) and are prone to bashing damage (maces).
• You can use common armour from historical time periods or you can invent your own fantastic hybrids and even invent your own materials and give them fantasy names like Elaborn Chain or Mishigal Leather. Through your fantasy adventuring, you can come across magical, blessed, cursed, or otherwise mythically imbued, armour.
• Armour can have legends attached to it, histories of great battles or of stalwart knights who have donned it. You can also get hides from all kinds of creatures that may impart a special kind of protection to the wearer.
• It’s fun to build a suit of armour with specific pieces to really customize your character. Start with a padded shirt or coat and add some layers, with plate on top. Realistically, plate armour is cumbersome — heavy and hard to move in — so if you want any agility, you might want to lighten up. Then again, if you’re going toe to toe with a foe, platemail is generally good protection.
• Some debate erupts over whether or not magic users could wear armour and still cast spells. This is one of those things that falls under “house rules” since it depends on the way you want your world to operate. It’s fiction, people! Just keep in mind that any restrictions or allowances you grant your characters should be mirrored by the foes that you meet as you adventure.
• In terms of cost, quilted fabric would be cheapest and any common foot soldier could have this. Adding a small bit of chainmail (byrnie or coif, each) would be pretty costly but some artisans or merchant classes could afford to outfit a guard or two with it. A full haubergeon or hauberk would be out of reach for anyone but higher classes. Any solid plate pieces would be available only to the lords and knights and those of similar social stature.
• Anyway, there are many books and websites out there on armour details and it is all tremendously interesting. This list hopefully gives you a start for your gaming and writing. Regardless of your armour, try not to get hit by too many weapons…