Sources: Player's Handbook, Sandstorm
Working On:
Your armor protects you in combat, but it can also slow you down. The information given here is for armor sized for Medium creatures. The time it takes to get into or out of armor depends on its type (see Table 7–7: Donning Armor).
Armor Qualities
Armor isn’t the only fashion statement a character can make, but it’s a big one. In addition, depending on class, a character may be proficient with all, some, or no armors, including shields. To wear heavier armor effectively, you can select the Armor Proficiency feats (page 89), but most classes are automatically proficient in the armors that work best for them.
Armor and shields can take damage from some types of attacks (see Sunder, page 158, and Smashing an Object, page 165). When selecting your character’s armor, keep in mind the following factors (given as column headings on Table 7–6: Armor and Shields).
Cost: The cost of the armor for Small or Medium humanoid creatures. See the Armor for Unusual Creatures sidebar 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, such as the mage armor spell or bracers of armor.. Similarly, the shield bonus from a shield doesn’t stack with other effects that grant a shield bonus, such as the shield spell.
Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC that this type of armor allows. Heavier armors limit your mobility, reducing your ability to dodge blows. For example, chainmail permits a maximum Dexterity bonus of +2. A character with a Dexterity score of 18 normally gains a +4 bonus to his AC, but wearing chainmail drops that bonus to +2. Such a character’s final Armor Class would be 17 (10 base + 5 armor bonus + 2 Dex bonus = 17), assuming he has no other modifiers. This restriction doesn’t affect any other Dexterity-related abilities (such as Reflex saves and skill checks).
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. For example, a rogue can’t sneak attack a character just because you’re wearing half-plate.
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; see Encumbrance by Armor, page 161, for details.
Shields: Shields do not affect a character’s maximum Dexterity bonus.
Armor Check Penalty: Anything 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. Some characters don’t much care about the armor check penalty, but others do. The barbarian, in particular, faces a trade-off between heavier armor and better skill check results. A character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear carried, including armor) may also apply an armor check penalty; see Encumbrance by Armor, page 161, for details.
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 shields’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 nonprofiency 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, so wizards and sorcerers usually don’t do so. 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 column on Table 7–6 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 and heavy armor slows the wearer down. It’s better to be slow and alive than to be quick and dead, but don’t neglect to give speed some thought. The number on Table 7–6 is the character’s speed while wearing the armor. Humans, elves, halfelves, 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.
Armor
Light Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor/Shield Bonus | Max Dex Bonus | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure Chance | Spd 30ft | Spd 20ft | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Armor | 5 gp | +1 | +8 | 0 | 5% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 10 lb. | PHB |
| Leather Armor | 10 gp | +2 | +6 | 0 | 10% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 15 lb. | PHB |
| Studded leather armor | 25 gp | +3 | +5 | –1 | 15% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 20 lb. | PHB |
| Chain shirt | 100 gp | +4 | +4 | –2 | 20% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 25 lb. | PHB |
| Chitin armor | 20 gp | +2 | +7 | –1 | 5% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 10 lb. | Races of Eberron |
| Feather cloak | 1,000 gp | +2 | +6 | 0 | 10% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 3 lb. | Sandstorm |
| Silk swathes | 400 gp | +1 | +8 | 0 | 5% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 6 lb. | Sandstorm |
Medium Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor/Shield Bonus | Max Dex Bonus | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure Chance | Spd 30ft | Spd 20ft | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide Armor | 15 gp | +3 | +4 | –3 | 20% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 25 lb. | PHB |
| Scale mail | 50 gp | +4 | +3 | –4 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 30 lb. | PHB |
| Chainmail | 150 gp | +5 | +2 | –5 | 30% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 40 lb. | PHB |
| Breastplate | 200 gp | +5 | +3 | –4 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 30 lb. | PHB |
| Scorpion breastplate | 300 gp | +4 | +4 | –3 | 20% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 20 lb. | Races of Eberron |
Heavy Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor/Shield Bonus | Max Dex Bonus | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure Chance | Spd 30ft | Spd 20ft | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splint mail | 200 gp | +6 | +0 | –7 | 40% | 20 ft.2 | 15 ft.2 | 45 lb. | PHB |
| Banded mail | 250 gp | +6 | +1 | –6 | 35% | 20 ft.2 | 15ft.2 | 35 lb. | PHB |
| Half-plate | 600 gp | +7 | +0 | –7 | 40% | 20 ft.2 | 15 ft.2 | 50 lb. | PHB |
| Full plate | 1,500 gp | +8 | +1 | –6 | 35% | 20 ft.2 | 15 ft.2 | 50 lb. | PHB |
Shields
| Armor | Cost | Armor/Shield Bonus | Max Dex Bonus | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure Chance | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckler | 15 gp | +1 | — | –1 | 5% | 5 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, light wooden | 3 gp | +1 | — | –1 | 5% | 5 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, light steel | 9 gp | +1 | — | –1 | 5% | 6 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, heavy wooden | 7 gp | +2 | — | –2 | 15% | 10 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, heavy steel | 20 gp | +2 | — | –2 | 15% | 15 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, tower | 30 gp | +43 | +2 | –10 | 50% | 45 lb. | PHB |
| Shield, hide | 50 gp | +3 | +4 | –3 | 30% | 30 lb. | Sandstorm |
Extras
Armor spikes = +50gp, +10lb
Locked Gauntlet4 = 8gp, +5lb
Shield Spikes = +10gp, +5lb
Armor Fins - From Sandstorm = + 50gp, +2lb
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 When running in heavy armor, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.
3 A tower shield can instead grant you cover. See the description.
4 Hand not free to cast spells.
Eberron Specific Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor Bonus | Max Dex Bonus | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure Chance | Speed (30 ft.) | Speed (20 ft.) | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light armor | |||||||||
| Chitin armor | 20 gp | +2 | +7 | –1 | 5% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 10 lb. | ROE |
| Medium armor | |||||||||
| Scorpion breastplate | 300 gp | +4 | +4 | –3 | 20% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 20 lb. | ROE |
Armor Rules
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. For example, a masterwork chain shirt has an armor check penalty of –1 rather than –2.
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. A masterwork chain shirt would thus cost 250 gp.
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 (such as spiked armor or a spiked shield).
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.
Armor for Unusual Creatures
Armor and shields for unusually big creatures, unusually little creatures, and nonhumanoid creatures have different costs and weights from those given on Table 7–6: Armor and Shields. Refer to the appropriate line on the table below and apply the multipliers to cost and weight for the armor type in question.
| - | Humanoid | NonHumanoid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Cost | Weight | Cost | Weight |
| Tiny or smaller1 | ×1/2 | ×1/10 | ×1 | ×1/10 |
| Small | ×1 | ×1/2 | ×2 | ×1/2 |
| Medium | ×1 | ×1 | ×2 | ×1 |
| Large | ×2 | ×2 | ×4 | ×2 |
| Huge | ×4 | ×5 | ×8 | ×5 |
| Gargantuan | ×8 | ×8 | ×16 | ×8 |
| Colossal | ×16 | ×12 | ×32 | ×12 |
1 Divide armor bonus by 2.
Getting Into and Out of Armor
The time required to don armor depends on its type; see Table 7–7: Donning Armor.
Don: This column on Table 7–7 tells how long it takes a character to put the armor on. (One minute is 10 rounds.) Readying (strapping on) a shield is only a move action.
Don Hastily: This column tells how long it takes to put the armor on in a hurry. The armor check penalty and armor bonus for hastily donned armor are each 1 point worse than normal. For example, if Tordek donned his scale mail hastily, it would take him 1 minute (10 rounds), the armor would provide only a +3 bonus to his AC (instead of +4), and his armor check penalty would be –5 (instead of –4).
Remove: This column tells how long it takes to get the armor off (important to know if you are suddenly submerged; see the drowning rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Loosing a shield (removing it from the arm and dropping it) is only a move action.
Table 7–7: Donning Armor
| Armor Type | Don | Don Hastily | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shield (any) | 1 move action | n/a | 1 move action |
| Padded, leather, hide, studded leather, or chain shirt | 1 minute | 5 rounds | 1 minute1 |
| Breastplate,scale mail, chainmail, banded mail, or splint mail | 4 minutes1 | 1 minute | 1 minute1 |
| Half-plate or full plate | 4 minutes2 | 4 minutes1 | 1d4+1 minutes1 |
1 If the character has some help, cut this time in half. A single character doing nothing else can help one or two adjacent characters. Two characters can’t help each other don armor at the same time.
2 The wearer must have help to don this armor. Without help, it can be donned only hastily.
