House Rules - New Armor

New Armor

This is a list of armors that do not appear in the Player's Handbook, but that I use in my campaigns. As armors get added to my ongoing campaigns, I will add more to this listing. These armors have been adapted from Bow & Blade: A Guidebook to Wood Elves, Nyambe, Path of the Sword, and The Quintessential Fighter.

This list uses several abbreviations to show what sourcebook the entries were drawn from. For guidance as to what sourcebooks these abbreviations reference, see my key to Sourcebook Abbreviations.

All of the material contained on this page and other pages of this blog is presented in accordance with the terms of the Open Game License.

Armor
Light Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Weight 1
Armor Tunic 2	5 shillings	+1	+8	0	0%	5 lbs.
Beaded Armor 2	25 shillings	+2	+6	-1	15%	15 lbs.
Bone Armor 2	300 shillings	+3	+6	-2	15%	15 lbs.
Chitin Armor 2	45 shillings	+4	+3	-3	20%	25 lbs.
Gyad'hywr Breastplate 2	3,000 shillings	+5	+4	-2	20%	15 lbs.
Heartwood Shirt 2	1,500 shillings	+5	+4	-3	25%	25 lbs.
Heavy Cloth 2	50 shillings	+2	+6	-	10%	15 lbs.
Leafweave Armor 2	350 shillings	+2	+6	-2	10%	10 lbs.
Leather Cloak 2	10 shillings	+1	+9	-2	0%	5 lbs.
Menaevian War Paint 2	15 shillings	+1	-	-	0%	1 lb.
Moltleather Armor 2	100 shillings	+3	+6	-	5%	15 lbs.
Serpent Mail 2	1,500 shillings	+5	+5	-	10%	25 lbs.
Silk Shirt 2	25 shillings	-	-	-	-	- lbs.
Spidersilk Vest 2	500 shillings	+3	+7	-1	5%	5 lbs.
Studded Leather Cloak	75 shillings	+2	+7	-	0%	10 lbs.
Woven Cord Armor 2	10 shillings	+1	+7	-1	5%	10 lbs.
Medium Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Weight 1
Back and Breast	50 shillings	+2	+2	-5	20%	15 lbs.
Bugbear Hide	475 shillings	+4	+4	-3	20%	25 lbs.
Dragonscale	4,500 shillings	+10	+3	-4	30%	30 lbs.
Hydra Hide	1,500 shillings	+6	+4	-3	20%	25 lbs.
Iron Mantle Armor	150 shillings	+5	+2	-5	30%	30 lbs.
Lamellar	150 shillings	+5	+3	-4	30%	35 lbs.
Woodweave Coat 2	1,500 shillings	+4	+3	-3	25%	15 lbs.
Heavy Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Weight 1
Bronze Plate	900 shillings	+6	+2	-5	30%	40 lbs.
Shields	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Weight
Buzzshield	50 shillings	+1	-	-1	10%	10 lbs.
Dragon Shield	3,000 shillings	+3	-	-	-	10 lbs.
Large chitin shield 2	10 shillings	+2	-	-2	15%	8 lbs.
Large leather shield 2	5 shillings	+2	-	-2	15%	7 lbs.
Leather body shield 2	15 shillings	+3	-	-5	25%	15 lbs.
Orc battle shield	8 shillings	+2	-	-3	25%	12 lbs.
Orc runt shield	4 shillings	+1	-	-2	15%	6 lbs.
Parrying shield 2	20 shillings	+1	-	-1	10%	6 lbs.
Sleeve shield	300 shillings	+3	+3	-5	50%	8 lbs.
Small chitin shield 2	2 shillings	+1	-	-1	5%	4 lbs.
Small leather shield 2	4 shillings	+1	-	-1	5%	3 lbs.
Extras	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure	Weight
Roundels	50 shillings	+1	-1	-1	5%	10 lbs.
1 Weight figures are for armor sized to fit Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much.
2 Can be worn or used by druids without penalty.

Armor Descriptions

Armor Tunic: Nobles, knights, and soldiers often wear armor tunics when not in combat. It is a standard cloth tunic with leather patches at the shoulders and elbows and leather covering both the front and back. The front is usually stamped with the knight or noble's coat of arms, or with the soldier's employer. An armor tunic provides some protection while still being light and flexible.

Back and Breast: This armor consists of a breast and back plate, usually worn in addition to lighter armor, thus providing an extra degree of protection at the expense of increased weight and less freedom of movement. The armor Bonus may be added to that of any light armor already being worn, transforming it to medium armor. The back and breast may be removed in 5 rounds and donned without aid in 1 minute, allowing a warrior to quickly switch between heavy protection for combat and light armor for agility, as the situation demands. Although the armor bonus from a back and breast set will stack with the armor bonus from a suit of light armor, any magical enhancement will not.

Beaded Armor: This armor is made from beads and woven leather cord. This makes the armor highly decorative, yet still provides some degree of protection to the wearer. It is most commonly used by the tribesmen of the At'viras Steppes and the Tozlu Desert. Beaded armor can be donned in 1 minute, donned hastily in 5 rounds, and removed in 1 minute.

Bone Armor: Thin strips of bone line the outside of a hide shirt, making this armor both light and durable. Although it offers excellent protection compared to most light armor, it does not have the durability of comparable metal armor.

Bronze Plate: Bronze plate is half-plate made with lighter construction, allowing greater mobility at the expense of heavy protection.

Bugbear Hide: The shell of a bugbear is renowned among armorsmiths for being unusually resilient to blows when cured and waxed in a certain fashion. Anyone wearing bugbear hide will be viewed extremely negatively by goblinoids.

Buzzshield: The buzzshield is an example of what happens when the ingenuity of the Hartzstadt dwarves is applied to war. The buzzshield is the size of a small steel shield, and anyone with the Shield proficiency can used it as one without penalty. If the wielder also has Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Buzzshield), it is something more.

The buzzshield contains a powerful spring, a complex gearing mechanism, and a number of retractable metal teeth. When wound up (a full round action that provokes and attack of opportunity), it becomes a lethal weapon, all the while still functioning as a shield. The buzzshield can be used as an off-hand weapon, and is considered to be a light weapon for this purpose. The buzzshield remains wound for 1d4+4 rounds, and deals 1d6 points of slashing damage on a successful hit. It has a threat range of 20 x3.

The mechanism is robust, as it is designed for war, but it is not indestructible. After 25 rounds of use, the mechanism will need maintenance. Maintaining a buzzshield requires a DC 20 Craft: Weaponsmithing check and 10 minutes of work. Dwarves from Harzstadt gain a +4 bonus to this check, and can perform the work in half the time. if the shield is used without maintenance, it ceases to function as anything but a small shield until repaired.

Chitin Armor: Goblinoids and others who live near insect-infested areas have learned to take advantage of the abundance of giant arthropods, forming useful armor from their discarded husks. While some feel that only shells stripped from living beasts have the flexibility to make decent armor, most husk-hunters find a freshly shed exoskeleton to be just as good and far easier to obtain.

Chitin armor offers decent protection, and is often used by goblinoids. It has one major drawback - it is incredibly brittle. Any attack that deals more than 20 points of damage in a single blow shatters the armor. In addition, if the wearer of the armor takes more than 50 points of damage before he can repair the armor, the husk is destroyed. Repairing the armor requires a DC 20 Craft: Armorsmithing check and takes an hour.

Dragon Shield: Rarer than full dragonscale, a dragon shield is made from a single huge scale, only found upon the death of large wyrms. Providing excellent protection, the dragon shield is light and easy to use despite being the size of any other large shield. In addition to the armor Bonus, the dragon shield will also bestow its wielder with energy resistance 5 against the energy type of the breath weapon the dragon scale was gleaned from.

Dragonscale: Similar to scale mail, dragonscale is made using the smaller scales of a great dragon. This armor guarantees a warrior excellent protection and yet limits little of his speed and mobility due to its great flexibility. In addition, the wearer gains energy resistance 10 against all attack of the same energy type as the breath weapon of the dragon from which the suit was made. Dragomnscale is extremely rare, and many adventurers are willing to risk the dangers of actually seeking a dragon out in order to gain such armor. Many dragons will react negatively to individuals clad in dragonscale armor.

Gyad'hywr Breastplate: This is a breastplate made from gyad'hwyr wood.

Heartwood Shirt: Made of specially treated wood grown in secret groves by khülen druids and spirit shamen, this is one of the finest and most expensive forms of armor available. Although made of wood, it has the hardness and hit points of normal steel.

Heavy Cloth: This armor consists of either thin cloth such as linen that is boiled in oil or wax to stiffen it, or thick cloth such as felt that can turn away some blows or missiles. it is hot, scratchy, and uncomfortable,

Hydra Hide: Often regarded as a poor man's dragonscale, hydra hide is nevertheless extremely tough and yet remains flexible enough to permit most movement.

Iron Mantle Armor: Iron mantle armor is made from a number of iron plates held together with leather straps, and covers the wearer's shoulders and chest. Iron mantle armor can be donned in 4 minutes, donned hastily in 1 minute, and removed in 1 minute.

Lamellar: Similar to splint and brigandine armor, lamellar has between the two in protection value, I consists of small, overlapping plates of metal sewn together or stitched to a backing of leather or cloth.

Large Chitin Shield: Commonly used by goblinoid warriors, a chitin shield is lighter than a metal or wooden shield, but easier to damage. Made from the exoskeleton on a monstrous insect, it is lightweight, but incredibly brittle. A large chitin shield has hardness 5 and 5 hit points.

Large Leather Shield: A leather shield is lighter than a metal or wooden shield, but easier to damage. The leather is cured until it is hard enough to deflect attacks. A large leather shield has hardness 3 and 12 hit points.

Leafweave Armor: Made from lacquered leaves by woodland crafters, leafweave armor is light, durable, and extremely flexible. Its only disadvantage compared to other light armor is its high price, due mainly to the intricate craftsmanship and rare materials used in its creation.

Leather Body Shield: A body shield is only slightly smaller than a tower shield. Such a shield would be unwieldy if made from any material other than leather. The leather is cured until it is hard enough to deflect attacks. A large leather shield has hardness 3 and 15 hit points.

Leather Cloak: This full-length thick leather cape trades off a minimal protective value with the benefit of minimal encumbrance of the wearer.

Menævian War Paint: The warriors of Menævia have been often observed patrolling their wild nation covered in swirls and whorls of color. Those who know the secret of Menævian war paint know why they wear this gaudy spectacle, except for the fact that they are most likely dead.

When applied, Menævian war paint is a riot of clashing colors, usually greens, reds, and tans. It remains thus until the wearer remains still for 1d4 rounds. At the end of this time, the brightly colored paint slowly changes to match the surrounding foliage - not a perfect match, but close enough to add considerably to Hide checks, giving a +6 circumstance bonus. If the wearer moves suddenly - more than half speed - the paint reverts to its bright color scheme. The effect is that brightly painted, garish warriors seem to materialize out of nowhere.

Menævian war paint also serves to protect the skin slightly. Once dry, it is surprisingly tough, acting as skin-tight armor that provides a +1 armor bonus to its wearer. Applying Menævian war paint takes 15 minutes; removing it takes about 1 minute. No other armor can be worn while using the paint. It is extremely rare for Menævians to sell this paint to non-Menævians. An alchemist who has a sample to work with might be able to figure out the recipe with a DC 35 Craft: Alchemy check. Once the formula is known, manufacturing more requires a DC 25 Craft: Alchemy check.

Menævian war paint assists in Hide checks only when in wilderness locales. It is worse than useless in cities or inside structures, conferring a -2 circumstance penalty to Hide checks.

Moltleather Armor: This material for this armor is made from molted lizardfolk skin using shaping (alchemy) and treating it with special substances. It is then treated a second time using shaping (leatherworking) to layer and thicken the material into superior leather. Moltleather armor is usually given to lizardfolk warriors as a special gift and it is difficult to find commercially as the lizardfolk do not sell it.

Most suits of moltleather are fitted to lizardfolk specifications and require substantial alteration before they can be worn by creatures of a different race, even if they are the same size. These modifications will cost 25 shillings and require a DC 20 Craft: Armorsmithing check by an artisan who has at least 4 ranks in both Craft: Armorsmithing and Craft: Leatherworking.

Orc Battle Shield: The orcish battle shield is a heavy wooden shield, usually reinforced with bronze or iron. Cruder and heavier than shields made by other races, it is an effective but cumbersome means of protection. orc battle shields are often adorned with shield spikes, orc shield blades, or both.

Orc Runt Shield: The orc runt shield is a smaller wooden shield that may or may not be reinforced with stripes of metal. These are often wielded by the lower status orcs or even slaves driven into battle by their orcish masters.

Parrying Shield: A parrying shield is a special shield often used by the inhabitants of the Tozlu Desert. It is a small leather shield with special projections used for deflecting arrows. A wielder must have the Parrying Shield feat to make full use of a parrying shield. A parrying shield has hardness 3 and 9 hit points.

Roundels: Consisting of a series of discs attached to the vulnerable joints of metal armor, roundels provide a greater level of protection at the expense of extra weight. Roundels may be combined with any medium or heavy armor with the exception of full plate.

Serpent Mail: This masterwork armor is made from the skins of great serpents bred specially for this purpose. Like moltleather, serpent mail is nonmagical but is treated with magical processes during its making. Serpent mail is given as a gift to particularly notable lizardfolk warriors, and is difficult to find commercially as the lizardfolk do not sell it.

Most suits of serpent mail are fitted to lizardfolk specifications and require substantial alteration before they can be worn by creatures of a different race, even if they are the same size. These modifications will cost 100 shillings and require a DC 25 Craft: Armorsmithing check by an artisan who has at least 8 ranks in both Craft: Armorsmithing and Craft: Leatherworking.

Silk Shirt: Often sported by fashion-conscious fops and nobles, silk armor has a very real purpose in combat. Though it does not bestow any Armor Bonus, it may be combined with any other type of armor with no penalty. When the wearer is struck with any piercing ranged weapon, the silk naturally wraps itself around the head of the weapon, making removal far easier. Any Heal check applied to the effects of damage dealt by ranged piercing weapons will gain a +2 circumstance bonus.

Sleeve Shield: These shields are crafted of steel and somewhat resemble vambraces from a suit of plate armor. The front plates, both on the forearm and the upper arm, are exceptionally wide - somewhere in size between a buckler and a small shield - and can deflect enemy blows. A blade very much like a short sword extends from the gauntlet. Intricate linkages and hinging allows the arm to bend, but sleeve shields do still hamper the wearer. in addition, the built-in blades preclude the use of any other weapons or shields - including bucklers - in the hand.

Sleeve shields are used both for defense - adding +3 to the wearer's Armor Class - and for attacks, in which capacity they are identical to a short sword. As beneficial as this seems, the main benefit of sleeve shields is that any melee attack that fails to hit the wearer by 3 points or less is assumed to have been deflected by the sleeves. This allows the wearer to make an immediate attack of opportunity against the attacker.

The listed abilities are for a matched pair of sleeves. If a character wears only one sleeve, the Armor Class bonus falls to +1 and the wearer gets an attack of opportunity only if the attacker misses by 1 point. Wearing only one sleeve allows the character to wield a two-handed weapon or shield in the other hand. Maximum Dexterity Bonus, Armor Check, and Spell Failure modifiers remain unchanged. The use of sleeve shields is popular among dwarves from Hartzstadt, which is where these weapons were first developed.

Small Chitin Shield: Commonly used by goblinoid warriors, a chitin shield is lighter than a metal or wooden shield, but easier to damage. Made from the exoskeleton on a monstrous insect, it is lightweight, but incredibly brittle.A small chitin shield has hardness 5 and 3 hit points.

Small Leather Shield: A leather shield is lighter than a metal or wooden shield, but easier to damage. The leather is cured until it is hard enough to deflect attacks. A small leather shield has hardness 3 and 7 hit points.

Spidersilk Vest: It is well known that spider's silk is many times stronger than steel. While the chitine have been known to farm spiders for their silk, others must resort to hunting monstrous spiders in wild for their supply. Any monstrous spider of at least Large size can provide enough silk for a single spidersilk vest for a Medium-size creature. A DC 30 Craft: Weaving check is required to convert the spider threads into silk cloth, and a DC 27 Craft: Tailor check is needed to successfully craft the silk into the vest.

Studded Leather Cloak: This leather cape includes large metal rivets to help turn the blows of weapons.

Woodweave Coat: Made from wooden strips of specially treated wood, this armor is favored by many khülen woodsmen and warriors. Although made of wood, it has the hardness and hit points of normal steel.

Woven Cord Armor: This armor is made from woven fibers. Though not as flexible as leather armor, woven cord armor offers superior ventilation. As a result, woven cord armor is commonly used by the denizens of the At'viras Steppes, and sometimes by the inhabitants of the Tozlu Desert. Woven cord armor can be donned in 1 minute, donned hastily in 5 rounds, and removed in 1 minute.

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