Equipment: Armor

Cost indicates the going rate for said armor, assuming it is purchased in a Major City (population > 25,000) and all materials are easily available.

Armor Class indicates the armor class for the creature wearing it. "+ Dex" means the creature adds its full Dexterity attribute bonus to AC; "+Dex (max 2)" means the creature gets, at most, a +2 bonus for its Dexterity. If Dex is not mentioned, then the armor is too bulky to benefit from Dexterity.

Strength indicates the minimum Strength score a creature must have in order to wear this armor.

Stealth indicates any Advantage or Disadvantage to Stealth checks when wearing this armor.

Weight describes the total weight to the armor once donned.

Light Armor

Made from supple and thin materials, light armor favors agile adventurers since it offers some protection without sacrificing mobility. If you wear light armor, you add your Dexterity modifier to the base number from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.

Name Cost Armor Class Strength Stealth Weight
Battle Robe 25 gp 11 + Dex - - 10 lb.
Leather 10 gp 11 + Dex - - 10 lb.
Padded 5 gp 11 + Dex - Disadvantage 8 lb.
Leather Lamellar 30 gp 12 + Dex - Disadvantage 13 lb
Studded leather 45 gp 12 + Dex - - 13 lb.

Medium Armor

Medium armor offers more protection than light armor, but it also impairs movement more. If you wear medium armor, you add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to the base number from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.

Name Cost Armor Class Strength Stealth Weight
Hide 10 gp 12 + Dex (max 2) - - 12 lb.
Chain shirt 50 gp 13 + Dex (max 2) - - 20 lb.
Plated Leather 75 gp 13 + Dex (max 2) - - 40 lb.
Wood 15 gp 13 + Dex (max 2) - Disadvantage 20 lb.
Scale mail 50 gp 14 + Dex (max 2) - Disadvantage 45 lb.
Breastplate 400 gp 14 + Dex (max 2) - - 20 lb.
Half plate 750 gp 15 + Dex (max 2) - Disadvantage 40 lb.
Kozane 75 gp 15 + Dex (max 2) 12 Disadvantage 30 lb.

Heavy Armor

Of all the armor categories, heavy armor offers the best protection. These suits of armor cover the entire body and are designed to stop a wide range of attacks. Only proficient warriors can manage their weight and bulk.

Heavy armor doesn’t let you add your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, but it also doesn’t penalize you if your Dexterity modifier is negative.

Name Cost Armor Class Strength Stealth Weight
Ring mail 30 gp 14 - Disadvantage 40 lb.
Lorica Segmentata 45 gp 15 Str 11 Disadvantage 30 lb.
Chain mail 75 gp 16 Str 13 Disadvantage 55 lb.
Splint 200 gp 17 Str 15 Disadvantage 60 lb.
Plate 1,500 gp 18 Str 15 Disadvantage 65 lb.

Shields

A shield is often made from wood or metal and is either carried in one hand or strapped to that hand. You can benefit from only one shield at a time.

Name Cost Armor Class Strength Stealth Weight
Buckler 5 gp +1 - - 2 lb.
Fencing Cloak 6 gp +1 - - 2 lb.
Vambrace 15gp +1 - - 2 lb.
Shield 10 gp +2 - - 6 lb.
Tower Shield 25 gp +3 Str 16 Disadvantage 15 lb.

Battle Robe

A full-body armored robe, made primarily for masters of arcane arts engaging in combat, such as the Fiery Fist and Crimson Sunrise schools. Many prominent court officials wear them, and they are standard-issue for any caster in combat not able to wear heavier armor. Many are made to be as ornate as fine clothing, suitable even for formal occasions.

Some magical versions exist, which offer additional bonuses to AC, and many also have pockets scattered across the robe, suitable for spell components.

Free Wear. The battle robe is padded with plates of hardened leather in strategic locations, such that they do not hamper movement any more than a common robe would. As such, anyone can wear a battle robe without penalty, regardless of whether they have light armor proficiency. Note, however, that this does count as armor for purposes of Unarmored Defense features.

Breastplate

This armor consists of a fitted metal chest piece worn with supple leather. Although it leaves the legs and arms relatively unprotected, this armor provides good protection for the wearer’s vital organs while leaving the wearer relatively unencumbered.

Buckler

A buckler is a small metal shield held in a fist grip. As it is not strapped, it can be donned or doffed as easily as drawing or stowing a weapon. Wielding a buckler increases your Armor Class by 1. You can benefit from only one shield at a time. It is an offhand weapon, and so cannot be used while holding any weapon (or other equipment) in an off-hand.

Chain mail

Made of interlocking metal rings, chain mail includes a layer of quilted fabric worn underneath the mail to prevent chafing and to cushion the impact of blows. The suit includes gauntlets.

Chain shirt

Made of interlocking metal rings, a chain shirt is worn between layers of clothing or leather. This armor offers modest protection to the wearer’s upper body and allows the sound of the rings rubbing against one another to be muffled by outer layers.

Fencing cloak

A cloak suitable as a fencing shield is long and flexible. If you are wearing a set of fine clothing, you are considered to be wearing a fencing cloak. To use the cloak as a shield, it is wrapped twice around your arm, which must be empty-handed. It can then be used to ward blows by deflecting them, or by parrying them with a downward beat. It only applies its AC bonus against melee weapon attacks.

To be proficient with the cloak as a shield, you must have undergone fencing instruction: You must either have the Defensive Duelist, Dual Wielder, or ShieldTraining feats, or have proficiency with martial melee weapons. It is considered an off-hand weapon. It cannot be used in conjunction with the Shield Master feat.

Half plate

Half plate consists of shaped metal plates that cover most of the wearer’s body. It does not include leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with leather straps.

Hide

This crude armor consists of thick furs and pelts.

Leather

The breastplate and shoulder protectors of this armor are made of leather that has been stiffened by being boiled in oil. The rest of the armor is made of softer and more flexible materials.

Leather Lamellar

Leather lamellar consists of thick rawhide pieces lacquered and laced together to form a cuirass and skirt. It's more sturdy than normal leather armor, but less stealthy.

Lorica Segmentata

A precursor to true plate mail, lorica segmentata is essentially a laminar (made from overlapping strips of metal called lames) body armor covering the upper torso, shoulders, and upper arms. The bulk of the suit consists of metal hoops; bisected and fastened at the front and back, which wrap around the body. The shoulders are protected by a series of overlapping arcs. The fastenings are typically of brass. This armor can be folded into itself telescopically, and so can be stored and carried easily and discretely, such as in a backpack.

This armor requires twice the time to don (20 minutes), and doffing it takes twice as long (10 minutes) if it is put away properly.

Kozane

Kozane armor consists of a crested helmet with large, flat shoulder armor. In the early days of the founding of Zhi, kozane armor was often gifted to lower ranking nobles. They are constructed from small scales of leather or metal laced into plates with cord and lacquered. Certain sets had masks intended to intimidate enemies.

Strength Requirement. In addition to the normal penalties for not meeting this armor's Strength requirement, you also have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks due to you being unable to move quietly with the armor without exerting yourself and causing the armor to make noises.

Padded

Padded armor consists of quilted layers of cloth and batting.

Plate

Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates to cover the entire body. A suit of plate includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and thick layers of padding underneath the armor. Buckles and straps distribute the weight over the body.

Plated leather

Plated leather armor is intended as a marriage of leather armor's light weight and flexibility and plate's strength. Plated leather armor is a base of full leather armor with lengths of chain mail and light lobstered plate secured over the joints and smaller steel plates secured throughout the armor.

Ring mail

This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it’s usually worn only by those who can’t afford better armor.

Scale mail

This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. The suit includes gauntlets.

Shield

A shield is made from wood or metal and is carried in one hand. Wielding a shield increases your Armor Class by 2. You can benefit from only one shield at a time.

Splint

This armor is made of narrow vertical strips of metal riveted to a backing of leather that is worn over cloth padding. Flexible chain mail protects the joints.

Studded leather

Made from tough but flexible leather, studded leather is reinforced with close-set rivets or spikes.

Tower Shield

This massive shield is used frequently in organized armies for its effectiveness at protecting soldiers and aiding in the formation of lines.

While you are holding a tower shield:

  • You cannot Dash.
  • You have disadvantage on attack rolls.
  • You have half cover.
  • You can spend an amount of movement equal to half your speed to have three-quarters cover until the start of your next turn. If you do this, then when you are an obstacle to a target you grant three-quarters cover instead of half cover.

Vambrace

Vambraces, or forearm guards, are tubular or gutter defences for the forearm, typically stretching from the wrist all the way up to and including the elbow. They are often worn as part of a suit of plate armour that were often connected to gauntlets. Some are designed specifically to be used alone, granting a small bonus to armor. They offer no benefit if used along with medium or heavy armor. They cannot be used in conjunction with a shield (including fencing cloaks or bucklers), but they do allow for the use of off-hand weapons. They also do not count as armor for purposes of Unarmored Defense features.

Vambraces are almost exclusively used by duelists to gain a little bit of extra protection while not giving up the benefit of an off-hand weapon.

Wood

Favored by druids, this padded or leather armor is reinforced with wooden strips over the chest and thigh region.