Armor

Armor table
Any special benefits or accessories to the types of armor found on this table are described below.

Notes
 * 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.

Armor attributes
Here is the format for armor entries (given as column headings on the Armor table, above).

Cost
The cost of the armor for Small or Medium humanoid creatures. See Armor for unusual creatures, below, for armor prices for other creatures.

Armor/shield bonus
Each type of armor grants an armor bonus to Toughness saves, while shields grant a shield bonus to Defense. The Toughness bonus from a suit of armor doesn't stack with other effects or items that grant an armor bonus. Similarly, the Defense bonus from a shield doesn't stack with other effects that grant a shield bonus.

Armor check penalty
Heavier armors limit mobility, reducing the wearer's ability to move nimbly. Armor check penalty is the penalty that applies to Reflex saves, as well as Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks. Double the normal armor check penalty is applied to Swim checks. The amount of gear the character carries may also apply an armor check penalty.

Wearers lacking the necessary Armor Training feat suffer an additional penalty: they apply the armor check penalty to all Strength- and Dexterity-based checks as well as attack rolls. Shields also impose an armor check penalty, equal to the shield’s bonus, if the wielder lacks the Shield Training feat.

Shields
If a character is wearing armor and using a shield, both armor check penalties apply (they stack).

Sleeping in armor
A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued the next day. Fatigued characters cannot move all out or charge and suffer a –2 penalty to effective Strength and Dexterity and a –1 penalty on attack and defense. A fatigued character who does something else that would normally cause fatigue becomes exhausted. Sleeping in light armor does not cause fatigue.

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 spikes
You can have spikes added to your armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple attack. If you are not proficient with them, you take a -4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case.

An enhancement bonus to a suit of armor does not improve the spikes' effectiveness, but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their own right.

Banded mail
The suit includes gauntlets.

Breastplate
It comes with a helmet and greaves.

Buckler
This small metal shield is worn strapped to your forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. You can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand weapon or using your off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon), but you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off hand. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you don't get the buckler's Toughness save bonus for the rest of the round.

Bucklers are not heavy enough to be used with a shield bash.

Chain shirt
A chain shirt comes with a steel cap.

Chainmail
The suit includes gauntlets.

Full plate
The suit includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and a thick layer of padding that is worn underneath the armor. Each suit of full plate must be individually fitted to its owner by a master armorsmith, although a captured suit can be resized to fit a new owner at a cost of 200 to 800 (2d4×100) silver pieces.

Locked gauntlet
This armored gauntlet has small chains and braces that allow the wearer to attach a weapon to the gauntlet so that it cannot be dropped easily. It provides a +10 bonus on any roll made to keep from being disarmed in combat.

The price given is for a single locked gauntlet. The weight given applies only if you're wearing a breastplate, light armor, or no armor. Otherwise, the locked gauntlet replaces a gauntlet you already have as part of the armor.

While the gauntlet is locked, you can't use the hand wearing it for casting spells or employing skills.

Like a normal gauntlet, a locked gauntlet lets you deal lethal damage rather than nonlethal damage with an unarmed strike.

Half plate
The suit includes gauntlets.

Scale mail
The suit includes gauntlets.

Light shield
You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield's weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

Wood or steel
Wood and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.

Shield bash attacks
You can bash an opponent with a light shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See the Weapons table for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a light shield is a light bludgeoning weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Toughness save bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Medium and heavy shields
You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A medium or heavy shield is so heavy that you can't use your shield hand for anything else.

Wood or steel
Wood and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.

Shield bash attacks
You can bash an opponent with a medium or heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See the Weapons table for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a medium or heavy shield is a bludgeoning weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Toughness save bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Tower shield
This massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your Toughness saves. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must give up your attacks to do so. The shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding. You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else.

When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a -2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield's encumbrance.

Shield spikes
When added to your shield, these spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon that increases the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you. Spikes may be added to a buckler or to a tower shield, but these are purely decorative. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.

An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Splint mail
The suit includes gauntlets.

Getting into and out of armor
The time required to don armor depends on its type.

Notes
 * 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.

Don
This column 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.

Remove
This column tells how long it takes to get the armor off. Loosing a shield (removing it from the arm and dropping it) is only a move action.

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 reduced by 1. However, the masterwork quality of a suit of armor or shield does not provide a bonus on attack or damage rolls, even if the armor or shield is used as a weapon.

A masterwork suit of armor or shield costs an extra 150 sp over and above the normal cost for that type of armor or shield. You can't add the masterwork quality to armor or a shield after it is created; it must be crafted as a masterwork item.

All magic armor and shields are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality.

Special materials
See: Special materials