Overlapping armor?

[cthulhudarren]

I have a question about this. I know each piece of armor is assumed to come with some kind of under-padding, but can you layer armor?

What if you have, for example, ringmail pants (legs and abdomen) and a chainmail hauberk (chest and abdomen). Can you do this and gain the armor points from both pieces for abdomen protection? Or must the pieces never overlap?

 

[Dan True]

Don't think it's covered in the rules.

If one should have to rule oneself, it comes down to a question between game balance and realism. Is it balanced that players and monsters can simply stack armour? i don't know, but most systems seems to decide that it cannot be done. However the ENC penalty might make up for it.

Realistically though, it is certainly possible. In late middle age it was quite normal to have a layer of chainmail, then some plates and perhabs even a garbeson on top to take the arrows. It is however only viable on horseback, except if this combination is used solely on the chest or some such.

However, it may be that the "full plate" armour of the system assumes it has chainmail below hard-to-cover-joints and such, and this combination is therefore already in the system.

But rulewise, I cannot say if it's covered. I haven't found it anyway.

- Dan

 

[hector]

I'd probably rule that you get the higher of the two pieces, as the pants would only cover the lower abdomen (up to the waist, basically), while you'd be relying on the chain for the upper abdomen. That way, I'm not penalising combinations that make sense, but I'm also not rewarding layering armour in such a way as makes no sense...

 

[Loz]

This is covered in the rules. Equipment chapter, armour description (under AP):

If a character is wearing multiple pieces of armour on a location, only the highest armour point score is used.

But... the advantage to wearing overlapping or multiple armour types is that if the upper layer is destroyed, through a Sunder CM, for instance, you still have a lower layer to protect you. You can treat overlaps/multiples as discrete armour sets.

 

[Dan True]

This is covered in the rules. Equipment chapter, armour description (under AP):

If a character is wearing multiple pieces of armour on a location, only the highest armour point score is used.

Doh, thanks!

 

[Vagni]

This is covered in the rules. Equipment chapter, armour description (under AP):

If a character is wearing multiple pieces of armour on a location, only the highest armour point score is used.

But... the advantage to wearing overlapping or multiple armour types is that if the upper layer is destroyed, through a Sunder CM, for instance, you still have a lower layer to protect you. You can treat overlaps/multiples as discrete armour sets.

Previous editions of RQ had rules for overlapping armour, but they were always a pain to work out with the ENC and AP modifiers that ensued for every hit location.

MRQII's version is nice and simple, easy to work out and plays far better with the Combat Manoeuvres rules.

Personally I think that MRQII really is the best version of RQ to date by far, many of the rules are simpler and more streamlined but still just as realistic. It's still recognisable as RQ and loads of the 'grey areas' from previous editions (such as Divine magic, POW and fatigue) have been cleared up in a really well thought out way. I for one am delighted that Mongoose took this one on. Well done guys.

(Loz and co., unmarked £20 notes are best...send them on to the usual location... :wink: )

 

[cthulhudarren]

This is covered in the rules. Equipment chapter, armour description (under AP):

If a character is wearing multiple pieces of armour on a location, only the highest armour point score is used.

doh!

How'd I miss that?! Thanks.