Armor Bonuses...

[iamtim]

Ok, folks, gotta call in the MRQ "brain trust" here.

In the game I'm about to run, the characters are from a tech level behind. Steel is right out, as is heavy leather (or, really, anything from cows).

They have sheep, though, and iron.

So I'm thinking that armor would be made from thick, layered wool, or layered and hardened sheepskin "leather". I'm further thinking that the wool "armor" would be worth about 1 AP, whereas the layered sheepskin "leather" armor would be worth about 2 AP.

Does that about right?

 

[atgxtg]

Ok, folks, gotta call in the MRQ "brain trust" here.

In the game I'm about to run, the characters are from a tech level behind. Steel is right out, as is heavy leather (or, really, anything from cows).

They have sheep, though, and iron.

So I'm thinking that armor would be made from thick, layered wool, or layered and hardened sheepskin "leather". I'm further thinking that the wool "armor" would be worth about 1 AP, whereas the layered sheepskin "leather" armor would be worth about 2 AP.

Does that about right?

Well if they have iron they could have plate, mail,ring and scale. RQ usually assume armor isn't even iron and you iron might be worth 50% more protection.

Wool could be used to make a gambeson or padding. 1 point is okay.

Worked sheeppskin at 2 AP is fine too. If they have the knowledge they could boil it in oil to creattre cuirbolli a 3 point armor. If they have acces to cotton, they can make linen which is as good as cuirboilli.

As a matter of fact, I started working on a "revised" armor table to fix a few of the Oopses on the chart in the book. It might prove helpful.

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20587

I'm probably going to expand it a bit and try to toss in the missing armor types.

 

[iamtim]

Well if they have iron they could have plate, mail,ring and scale.

Just as a point of clarification, iron is rare. Not that it's rare in the ground, they just don't have huge mining resources. Essentially, this culture landed where they are as the result of a shipwreck 300 years prior. So they are a bit lagging with regards to technology such as ironworking.

Generally speaking, the "village blacksmith" is also the "village miner", who takes trips out to the "mine" to gather enough ore to make spear/arrowheads, small knives, axeheads and the like.

Armor would be a huge undertaking.

 

[atgxtg]

Ah, I take it no bronze or copper then. Okay.

Maybe a few peices from before thw wrkeck and/or a helemt or two made for the leader or chief warrior.

Considering how difficult it would be for your people to "mine" iron, you might just say that he uses what I beleived was called sand iron.These are iron deposts collected from a a mountain stream or ribver bed (sort of like panning for gold). THat would be a lot simplier than the tunnels and pick ax bit, and makes more sense for a "one man operation". Many of the Japanese swords were made from sand iron (refined to steel).

In that case the best armor they might commonly have is curiboilli (3 point) made by boiling leather. If they can add the odd bits of metal, stone or bone to it they could make something like bezainted/studded. Basically it has some reienfocement so it is the eqivalent of ring armor (ring is really only bits of metal sewed to a leather backing).

Quilted cloth (from the wool) makes great padding, and if waxed is about as good as curibolli.

So they do have lots of options. Some cultures have even made armor out of tree bark.

A lot will depend on just how bad the need the armor.

 

[AKAramis]

If they have reeds and the ability to make a varnish (Technically it's only Lacquer if it comes from the Lacquer tree...), then they can also make lacquered woven reed armors, likewise for grasses.

Woven reed and woven grass can make decent armor; better than cour-boulli, even, if combined with a varnish to harden it.

Lacquered leather is also fun...

Statting it out? well... i'll leave that to others...

Consider this, tho': Samurai arm and leg armor was often lacquered woven grasses.

 

[Rurik]

In Africa (in a few places actually) cultures that did not have the resources or know how to produce armor did figure out to build big sheilds (which are mostly wood).

So as a thought an armor light culture may have a propensity towards kite type sheilds.

 

[atgxtg]

All quite true. Shark cartilligae was another favorite. Samurai armor alos has a lot of woven cord and small plates. Reall y the CHOBHAM armor of the past.


One thing about samruai armor though was that if stressed mobility over protection and also that it wan't really designed to stop a sword. It was really designed to stop arrows. THere is also the fact that a well made Katana could cut right through steel, so it was considered pointless to try to use armor to defend against them.


Heck you can use anything for armor, Steel beleted radials even. Or paper.

 

[atgxtg]

All quite true. Shark cartilligae was another favorite. Samurai armor alos has a lot of woven cord and small plates. Really the CHOBHAM armor of the past.

In game terms I'd probably give reed armor stats similar to linen armor. With a 6 point range we don't have quite the wiggle room to fit it in above cuirboilli and below ring.


One thing about samruai armor though was that if stressed mobility over protection and also that it wan't really designed to stop a sword. It was really designed to stop arrows. THere is also the fact that a well made Katana could cut right through steel, so it was considered pointless to try to use armor to defend against them.


Heck you can use anything for armor, Steel beleted radials even. Or paper.