Armour ArmourArmour absorbs damage from successful strikes and deflects those blows that would have made a glancing blow. Armour is split into 3 varieties which perform different functions. Different weapons work best against different types of armour. Chain mail if almost proof against a slashing sword blow yet provides little protection against a mace, or other bludgeon weapon, similarly war arrows are designed to pierce chainmail splitting the rings. Plate armour, the most highly sought after may be proof against arrows at long range and swords but maces transfer the shockwave to the internal organs pulverising them without touching them and the battle-axe spike backed by a heavy head pierces plate armour like butter.
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Padded |
Boiled Leather |
Metal breast plate |
Scale |
Mail Hauberk |
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Plate Armour |
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† Metal Armour that covers the lower arms makes manipulating a weapon more difficult which causes a -1 to hit.
‡ Minimum strength is adjusted by your size bonus ( melee attack ) and is compared to the racial norm.
§The maximum dexterity is increased by 1 for each 2 points of strength the character has above the minimum needed to use the armour
| Location | Roll |
% of body |
Effect of Wound Point. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head | 10 |
5% |
Stun save (Endurance). Int/Will/Alert at -1 |
| Shoulder & upper arms | 9 |
10% |
Reduces hand activity skills by 1d8 |
| Upper torso | 7-8 |
20% |
-1 to all skills |
| Lower Torso | 4-6 |
30% |
-1 to all skills |
| Thighs | 2-3 |
20% |
Any WP reduces speed to half |
| Lower arms / Shins | 1 |
15% |
-1 to hand skills or 1/2 speed |
Note : Most non-naturally armoured monsters do not cover their lower arms / shins as this restricts their movement.
It is assumed that any armoured character has light leather on areas not covered by something better, there are no penalties for this.
| Helms | Alertness Modifier | Head Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Leather | 0 | 60% |
| Boiled leather | 0 | 60% |
| 0 | 80% | |
| Small | 0 | 70% |
| Medium | 0 | 80% |
| Great | -2 | 100% |
| Bascinet | -1 | 100% |
Creatures with helms that are struck and suffer damage must make an Stun (endurance) save.
Damage from magic is not generally absorbed by armour unless the damage is of a specific type (e.g. bludgeon).
Hard armour (Boiled / Plate) provides +2 protection against magical fire / cold / acid, the other types catch fire or soak up the acid.
Damage factor |
Damage taken | Damage pattern |
|---|---|---|
2 |
Double damage | x2 |
1.5 |
Plus 50% damage (round down) | x1.5 |
1 |
Normal damage | X X X X |
1/2 |
Take every 2nd point | - X - X - X |
1/3 |
Take every 3rd point | - - X - - X - - X |
1/4 |
Take every 4th point | - - - X - - - X - - - X |
Always ignore damage before taking any when wearing armour, this reflects the better base absorbtion of thicker armour.
Thus plate against a sword only takes a fifth of the damage so the character only suffers the fifth point taken
e.g.
However against a club it only absorb half the damage so :
Armour has a different effectiveness against each weapon style. There are three types of weapon
Each fighting style is more or less effective against different armour. Slashing swords are easier to use and great for parrying but almost ineffective against chainmail or better armour, maces and hammers smash the force of the blow through armour without puncturing it, the shockwave causing the damage whilst piercing weapons puncture the armour.
Most propelled piercing weapons puncture armour and cause half damage as wounds, melee piercing weapons cause the opponent to expend more stamina dodging the blows as they know that their armour won't deflect the blow. Remember that if an arrow pierces the mail much of the force of the blow will have been dissipated and it may well just get caught in the padding underneath.
Armour will cover different areas of the body depending upon the type. All armour cover the major critical areas i.e. the torso, but as you move up in quality it will cover additional areas such as upper arms, hands, upper legs, and eventually the whole body. Helms are included of the appropriate type but are often supplemented with greater protection.
Most towns do not permit the wearing of armour within the walls unless you are noble, have been given the freedom of the town or are part of the guard. It must be packed up before entering the gates.
Wearing armour helps you absorb damage, the amount absorbed depends upon the weapon type, bludgeon, slashing or piercing. Any but the lightest will affect your athletics ability.
Most places only stock armour for typical humans off the shelf, anything else will have to be made specially or altered from existing stock.
Flexible armour such as leather or chain helps against slashing weapons as it spreads and distorts with the force without penetration. Against bludgeon weapons it is less effective as much of the impact shock will penetrate and pulverise internal organs.
Hard armour such as boiled leather or metal chest pieces are more effective against bludgeon weapons as the impact is spread over the whole body.
This is a supple thick leather
Padded or quilted Padded armour is constructed of an outer fabric, 2 layers of padding fabric and a lining fabric, stitched together with either horizontal, vertical, checked or diamond patterning.
This is multiple smaller harder pieces of leather sewn or riveted together providing protection to the upper half of the body. Triangular or half diamond studs may be present turning it into studded leather.
This is light mail which either was worn as a hauberk covering the torso, upper legs and upper arms or as a full suit. Although heavy it is flexible allowing and the weight is well distributed (shoulders, arms and waist if a belt is worn) causing a minimal restriction to movement. It is designed to deflect the glancing blows of swords and is an excellent defence.
Mail may be bought off the shelf, it causes a -1 dexterity modifier but is 10% cheaper. Mail made to measure has no modifier.
Scale armour comprises many small scales (often of iron but varied according to the material available from cuir bouilli to horn ) attached to a backing material of either leather or cloth.
Scale armour offers the same protection from blunt attacks as mail. It is also cheaper to produce but it isn't as flexible and doesn't offer the same amount of coverage.
A coat of plates is a hauberk over which is a leather coat which has solid plates riveted in to provide protection against bludgeon weapons, longbows and crossbows. It is solid yet more flexible than a single piece breastplate so doesn't hamper movement as much
Plate mail is a suit of full chain with a solid breast plate and limited plate on the front of the arms and legs. It requires a squire to help you put it on.
This is a fully interlocking made to measure suit of armour plates providing complete protection to the whole body. Only master armourers can make plate armour, even then it can take up to 6 months with several fittings required. Be careful not to put on any weight or the armour will no longer fit. It requires a squire to help you put it on.
Plate armour is immune to war/swallow arrows (except in special circumstances such as if the arrows go through the cracks).
Helms are worn to protect the vulnerable head area. The absorption of the helm is only considered when a wound is done directly to the head. With the covering of the head the perception of the person wearing the helm is reduced.
Small Helm |
Medium Helm |
Great Helm |
Bascinet |
Helms only cover a portion of the head dependent upon the type of helm. When a strike to the head occurs you must determine whether it hit the helm or your open face. If the strike was to the open face then the helm offers no protection.
Helms are so thick that they convert all wound points that would pass through to stamina points, however the head is a critical location so all damage that passes trough is doubled.
Any strike to the head may stun a character.
If the save is dreadful then the character has been knocked out for a round then starts the wake up procedure.
Breast Plates are worn to protect the vulnerable chest and abdomen area. The absorption of the plate is only considered when a wound is done directly to the chest. They only add to the protection of light leather, padded and mail body armour, other armour types already include a solid chest plate or equivalent.
Leg and arm protection was sometimes added separately which may be of a different type to the main armour. Typically it is plate armour covering only the front vulnerable part of the limbs.
Shields make it harder to hit somebody. By training in their use it is possible to increase their effectiveness.
Although shields provide coverage they can be large, bulky and unwieldy which makes it harder to do other tasks, medium and bigger shields reduce a character's dexterity whilst large ones also reduce their attack skill as it is harder to reach the opponent.
The arming sword and buckler was the most common combination for much of the middle ages in open battle as the speed and agility it gave outweighed the advantages of the greater coverage of a medium shield.
The buckler was a a small round, usually metal shield which could be hung from a belt. This type of shield was reserved for hand-to-hand combat. The shields normally measured between 8 and 13 inches in diameter. They were held in a fist grip rather than strapped on like shields Many bucklers were pointed with a central tip or several smaller “teeth”. These points could be used offensively to great effect as well as aided in binding and deflecting an opponent’s weapon. |
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| Type | Description |  
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|---|---|---|
| Kite | Rounded at the top of the shield and tapered at the bottom providing body cover. | |
| Heater | Strongly associated with jousting knights. These are smaller as they compliment full suits of armor and are suited to horseback | |
| Targe | The traditional Scottish / Viking round shield |
Large shields are unwieldy and can only be used with spears, or other stabbing weapons such as short swords. They are not suitable for use with arming swords, axes, maces...
| Type | Description |  |
|---|---|---|
| Scutum | The Roman Scutum served the purpose to deflect missiles targeted at the soldiers, as well as protect them from the impact of hand held weapons wielded at them. The shields large size allowed the soldiers to form a shield wall that could protect them during an advance. | |
| Pavise | The Pavise was the shield used by Crossbow men. This type of tall shield provided protection when reloading his crossbow |
Shield construction started with the type of materials that would be required for a particular type of shield. These were chosen according to the style of combat and armor worn by the owner to determine the weight and style of the shields. Medieval shield construction used the following materials:
A Medieval shield construction might also include a strap called a guige that allowed it to be slung over the knight's back when not in use or on horseback
| Type | Slashing | Piercing / Thrust | Chop | Bludgeon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unarmoured | Devastating | Deep but narrow penetation | Very devastating | Devastating |
| Leather | Very cut resistant | Reasonable | ||
| Padded jack (30+ layers) | Quite good but detiorates | Good against bodkins | Not so effective against a concentrated force | Good cushioning of the blow |
| Boiled | Good deflection | Good deflection | ||
| Mail over light cloth | Normal weapons do not penetrate but large swords cause some blunt trauma | Longbow and thrusting swords pierce | Does not spread the force well | Quite Good |
| Scale (iron plates) | Useless but some converts to blunt trauma | Goes through the gaps | Not good but some converts to blunt trauma | Not good but some converts to blunt trauma |
| Coat of plates / splint (as plate but less coverage and clumsier) |
Useless but some converts to blunt trauma | Some goes through the gaps | Not good but some converts to blunt trauma | Not good but some converts to blunt trauma |
| Plate (Shields not used with plate, may use a buckler) | Useless but some converts to blunt trauma | No penetation except at very short range | Excellect deflection, hurts if at 90 degrees | Some penetration |
The following quotes are from various discussion groups and attributable to many people other than myself (I just can't remember whom)
Cutting test with the Poleaxe: The poleaxe failed to fully penetrate the maille, although believe me when I say whoever was under that maille would have been thoroughly dead. The poleaxe is a devastating weapon.
Thrusting test with poleaxe: the poleaxe’s top spike devastated the maille. It easily broke through and penetrated the gambeson underneath, burying itself in the 4x4 post at the heart of the pell.
Too many people out there training at slow speeds or cutting and thrusting on fixed targets do not realize just how hard it is to land THAT perfect blow. Leather armor was very effective for it's intended purpose, protecting a person from incidental cuts and the less than perfect blows that are most of the blows happening in a melee. No armor will protect a person from that right-on, 90-degree perfect blow, if that happens your life will immediately begin to suck.
An un-split hide, say shoulder area, might be 5/8"+ thick. Properly treated it can be fairly supple. If you want to see how tough it is to cut, wrap a hunk of hide around a cardboard tube or a rolled mat and hang it from a tree limb, then set it to swinging and try cutting it.
Bob Charon has a quote that describes the perfect gambeson as being 24-30 layers of linen covered over with an elk hide 1/2" thick.
There's a reason we use leather aprons in metal shops . Very,very cut resistant
Mary Rose draw weight 140-160lb
What I have gathered from reading here is first that swords simply cannot cut maille, and definitely cannot cut plate. Second, that while pointed swords can stab through maille, they cannot pierce plate. Third, that regular shortbow arrows have trouble penetrating maille, and can definitely not penetrate plate. Fourth, that longbow or composite bow bodkin arrows penetrate maille easily at close range, and cannot penetrate steel plate enough to damage the wearer, but can sometimes penetrate munitions plate.
There has been tests of axe vs mail, and the conclusions are pretty mutch the same as for swords; While totaly devastating to unarmoured flesh, a broadaxe bounces of mail and padding, maybe destroying or damaging a few links.
And on maille vs cloth, you certainly can get equal protection as mail using layered linen, but at the cost of movability and comfort since you will look like the michelin man. Linen is also a very good moisture absorber and insulator so it will be hot and soak up all yout sweat from the inside making it heavier and heavier as you go. Not to mention that small cuts and wear will have it deteriorate faster than a maille hauberk. But nonetheless, cloth armour was used,
Well even with the "Dane axe" being lighter and faster than th earlier style the weight would still be placed on the extreme end makeing the impact several times greater than what a sword could achieve. The effects would obviously be devestating to an un armoured opponent but would also severly wound a mailled opponent do to concusive force
Axes can cut. Axes can thrust. Axes can be used for grappling, much like a longsword. Axes can hook. Axes can hit behind a shield. Axes produce more powerful blows than swords. Well, it is generally speaking, there are very different axes, so some cannot thrust and some cannot hook.
Axes are better than maces against unarmored/lightly armored opponents because they are sharp and therefore can slice and thrust which does not require large swings. Maces also cannot hook.
Axes are cheaper than swords (because one can make a useful axe even of copper, not to mention harder iron and steel). Also every blacksmith was able to make axes, but very few were able to make swords. Axes are better for attack (give more powerful blows, I remember my surprise when small blunt reenactment axe which weighed ONLY 1 pound cut much deeper into a corner of a tree stump than a 3-pound sword). well, axes are, obviously, worse for defense (handle is a vulnerable part and balance is not the best one for fencing).
Axes are worse than hammers against heavily armored opponents. That is why in 14th century and later war axes often also had hammer heads and/or spikes.
2) Axes vs armor.
It is very difficult to penetrate both mail and jacks with a simple cut. But if one cuts with a point (where point slides across the armor) both axes and swords can break chain mail links and shred jacks. I experimented with cutting stuffed gambeson and found that such point cut was devastating while ordinary edge cut was totally useless and cut-slice was only marginally useful. Well, everything depends on sharpness and geometry of the point and quality/thickness of armor of course. But it is much easier co cause a blunt trauma with an axe than with a sword. I've been fighting with blunt steel weapons for several years and I barely feel most hits with swords. I wear chain mail over (relatively but not overly) thick stuffed gambeson as my body armor with more rigid limb protection. Even hits to my shoulders are not painful at all, though I do not use spaulders. But I am afraid of axes. I have seen helmets made of 14 ga mild steel being penetrated by blunt reenactment axes (with no injuries as penetration was not very deep, but I still consider it too dangerous. In our club we fight with full force only with single-handed swords as our armor does not offer satisfactory protection against axes, maces and 2-handed weapons).
3) Chain mail vs jacks.
Jacks were probably cheaper. But they tend to get really heavy when it rains. Jacks offer good protection against cuts and reasonable protection against thrusts. Chain mail is almost immune to cuts and offers reasonable to good protection against thrusts. However there is one big difference. Jacks protect well against round and rectangular bodkins, especially shorter ones, as well as other weapons with rectangular or nearly rectangular points such as some swords and daggers. However jacks offer far less protection against narrow broadheds (funny phrase, isn't it? Big Grin ) and other weapons with relatively narrow flat points with really sharp edges. I didn't do any experiments with triangular bodkins but I think that they will also easily penetrate jacks when properly sharpened. Chain mail offers better protection against such points. Oh, but jacks offer much better protection against blunt trauma.
Well, everything was written about some approximate generic axe, sword, jack, etc. In order to discuss the problem in more details one should exactly define which weapons and armor are to be compared.
Arrows - Broadheads better against padded than bodkins
