Armor and Shields

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Armor and Shields

There are hundreds of ways to create and implement protective armors. For the purposes of Epic Path, we're simplifying things considerably.

Proficiency

All armors are defined as non-armor, light armor, medium armor and heavy armor.

• Non-armors take up the armor slot on the body, may be worn without proficiency without penalty, and may have magical armor properties.
• Light armors take up the armor slot on the body, require proficiency to wear without penalty, and may have magical armor properties.
• Medium armors take up the armor slot on the body, require proficiency to wear without penalty, may have magical armor properties, and reduce all movement rates greater than 20 feet per round by 5 feet. Movement rates of 20 feet per round or less are not reduced by medium armor.
• Heavy armors take up the armor slot on the body, may not be worn without proficiency without penalty, may have magical armor properties, reduce all movement rates greater than 20 feet per round by 10 feet and reduce all movement rates of 20 feet per round or less by 5 feet per round (to a minimum of 5 feet per round).

Most characters gain proficiency with armor or shields as a result of their chosen character class. However, characters may also take one or more of the following feats to gain proficiency with armor and shields which are not normally wearable by their character class:

• Light Armor Proficiency
• Medium Armor Proficiency
• Heavy Armor Proficiency
• Shield Proficiency

The heaviest shields require their own feats to wear them without penalty. These are:

• Shield Use: War Shield
• Shield Use: Tower Shield

Note that a few character classes have the ability to wear a Tower Shield as part of the armor and weapon proficiencies offered by the class. These classes obviously do not need to take the Exotic Shield Proficiency: Tower Shield feat, since their class grants it for free.

Non-Proficiency

In order to wear armor or a shield without suffering a non-proficiency penalty, the wearer must either be permitted to wear that armor or shield by her chosen character class or have the appropriate proficiency feat for the armor type in question (e.g. Shield Proficiency, Light Armor Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency or Heavy Armor Proficiency).

A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he is not proficient takes either a -4 non-proficiency penalty (similar to the penalty for using a non-proficient weapon), or the armor's (and/or shield's) armor check penalty on attack rolls, whichever is larger. This is in addition to taking this penalty on on all Dex- and Str-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for non-proficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for non-proficient shields or non-proficient weapons.

Armor Check Penalty

Most armors as well as any shield, hurt a character's ability to use Dex- and Str-based skills. An armor check penalty applies to all Dex- and Strength-based skill checks. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty. If a character is wearing armor and using a shield, the armor check penalties of both are added together before being applied to Dex and Str-based skills.

Masterwork

Just as with weapons, you can purchase or craft masterwork versions of armor or shields. These well-made versions perform like their normal counterparts, except that its armor check penalty is lessened by 1. Without using magic, you cannot add the masterwork quality to armor or a shield after it is created; it must be crafted as a masterwork item (see the Craft skill). Armor or shields must be masterwork before they can be enchanted with either enhancement bonuses to AC or magic armor (or shield) properties.

A masterwork suit of armor or shield costs an extra 150 gp over and above the normal cost for that type of armor or shield.

Armors and shields crafted with any Dweomermetal are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality. The cost of masterwork is already included in the cost of the Dweomermetal.

Even though some types of armor and shields can be used as weapons, you can’t create a masterwork version of such an item that confers an enhancement bonus on attack rolls. However, you can create masterwork armor spikes and shield spikes, which do confer their enhancement bonus on attack rolls to attacks made with the spikes.

Sunders Against Armor

Armor is more difficult to Sunder than most worn or wielded objects, since its primary purpose is to protect the wearer. Armor has a durability score akin to unattended objects, meaning it requires more than one successful Sunder attempt to inflict the Broken condition upon the armor.

• Light armor has a durability of 2 (requires 2 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• Medium armor has a durability of 3 (requires 3 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• Heavy armor has a durability of 4 (requires 4 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• The durability of armor is increased by 1 if the armor is made entirely of metal.

Sunders Against Shields

Shields, like armor, are designed to protect the wearer, and are therefore more difficult to Sunder. Shields have a durability akin to unattended objects, requiring more than one successful Sunder attempt to inflict the Broken condition upon the shield. In addition, if an enemy attempts to sunder any of your worn or wielded items, and you are proficiently wielding a shield, you may ALWAYS elect to have that sunder check apply to your shield instead, as long as your shield does not already have the Broken condition.

• Bucklers have a durability of 1 (requires only 1 successful Sunder attempt to inflict Broken)
• Light Shields have a durability of 2 (requires 2 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• Heavy Shields have a durability of 3 (requires 3 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• War Shields have a durability of 4 (requires 4 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• Tower Shields have a durability of 5 (requires 5 successful Sunder attempts to inflict Broken)
• The durability of shields is increased by 1 if the shield is made of steel

Magic Armor and Shields

The rules for creating magic armor and shields can be found on the following pages:

• Armor:
  • Crafting Magic Armor
  • Armor Enhancement Bonus
  • Magic Armor Properties
  • Dweomermetals

• Shields:
  • Crafting Magic Shields
  • Shield Enhancement Bonus
  • Magic Shield Properties
  • Dweomermetals

Armor Values

Light Armor
Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
							30 Move	20 Move
Padded Armor	5gp	AC 1	N/A	8	0	5%	30	20	2	10 lbs.
Quilted Cloth	100gp	AC 1	DR 3 vs ranged or thrown piercing weapons (only)	8	0	10%	30	20	2	15 lbs.
Leather	10gp	AC 2	N/A	6	0	10%	30	20	2	15 lbs.
Wooden Armor	20gp	AC 3	+1 bonus to Swim checks	3	-1	15%	30	20	2	25 lbs.
Hide Shirt	20gp	AC 3	N/A	4	-1	15%	30	20	2	18 lbs.
Studded Leather	25gp	AC 3	N/A	5	-1	15%	30	20	2	20 lbs.
Parade Armor	750gp	AC 3	Possible skill bonuses	6	-1	15%	30	20	2	20 lbs.
Chain Shirt	30gp	AC 4	N/A	4	-2	20%	30	20	3	25 lbs.

Medium Armor
Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
							30 Move	20 Move
Armored Coat	50gp	AC 4	Can be donned or doffed with a move action.	3	-2	20%	25	20	3	20 lbs.
Hide	30gp	AC 4	N/A	4	-2	20%	25	20	3	25 lbs.
Scale Mail	50gp	AC 5	N/A	3	-3	25%	25	20	4	30 lbs.
Martial Regalia	1100gp	AC 5	Possible skill bonuses	5	-3	20%	25	20	3	20 lbs.
Chainmail	50gp	AC 6	N/A	2	-5	30%	25	20	4	40 lbs.
Breastplate	200gp	AC 6	N/A	3	-4	25%	25	20	4	30 lbs.

Heavy Armor
Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
							30 Move	20 Move
Splint Mail	80gp	AC 7	N/A	0	-7	40%	20	15	5	45 lbs.
Banded Mail	250gp	AC 7	N/A	1	-6	35%	20	15	5	35 lbs.
Field Plate	1200gp	AC 8	N/A	1	-5	35%	20	15	5	40 lbs.
Coat of Arms	3200gp	AC 8	Possible skill bonuses	2	-5	40%	20	15	4	30 lbs.
Full Plate	1500gp	AC 9	N/A	1	-6	35%	20	15	5	50 lbs.
War Plate	3000gp	AC 10	Perception check penalty	0	-9	45%	20	15	5	60 lbs.

Shields
Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
							30 Move	20 Move
Buckler	5gp	AC 1	Two-handed use allowed, see below	Any	-1	5%	30	20	1	5 lbs.
Light Steel Shield	9 gp	AC 1	Shield hand-held items, shield bash	Any	-1	15%	30	20	3	6 lbs.
Light Wooden Shield	3gp	AC 1	Shield hand-held items, shield bash	Any	-1	5%	30	20	2	5 lbs.
Heavy Steel Shield	20 gp	AC 2	No shield-hand use, shield bash	Any	-2	25%	30	20	4	15 lbs.
Heavy Wooden Shield	7 gp	AC 2	No shield-hand use, shield bash	Any	-2	15%	30	20	3	10 lbs.
War Steel Shield	50 gp	AC 3	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, -1 to-hit	+6	-4	40%	30	20	5	60 lbs.
War Wooden Shield	25 gp	AC 3	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, -1 to-hit	+6	-4	30%	30	20	4	30 lbs.
Tower Steel Shield	60 gp	AC 4	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, total cover, -2 to-hit	+2	-10	60%	30	20	6	90 lbs.
Tower Wooden Shield	30 gp	AC 4	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, total cover, -2 to-hit	+2	-10	50%	30	20	5	45 lbs.

Light Armor

Chain Shirt

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Chain Shirt	30gp	AC 4	N/A	4	-2	20%	30	20	3	25 lbs.
	A chain shirt is more accurately described as a chainmail breastplate. It consists of a shirt of padded armor over which is a multiply-linked chainmail shirt which covers the entire torso. Chainmail is made of thousands of interwoven rings of iron, brass, or other readily-worked, high-strength, inexpensive metal. The main cost of chainmail is in the labor used to put it together. A chain shirt is remarkably heavy for its size, but the strength and flexibility give it a very good level of protection for a 'light' armor.

Hide Shirt

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Hide Shirt	20gp	AC 3	N/A	4	-1	15%	30	20	2	18 lbs.
	A hide shirt is more accurately called a leather breastplate. It consists of two or more layers of thick linseed-treated top-grain leather laminated with glue and lacquer into a segmented shell to cover the torso. It is lightweight and surprisingly protective, but quite rigid, so it is a bit restrictive.

Leather

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Leather	10gp	AC 2	N/A	6	0	10%	30	20	2	15 lbs.
	Leather armor consists of a suit of heavy cotton or linen which has been covered and reinforced with thick top-grain leather pieces treated with linseed oil, for hardness and supple durability. Heavy leather gloves and boots protect the hands and feet, while a sturdy boiled-leather cap protects the head.

Padded Armor

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Padded Armor	5gp	AC 1	N/A	8	0	5%	30	20	2	10 lbs.
	This armor consists of special clothing. It has a thick jacket made out of heavy cotton cloth and lined with leather reinforcements. The pants are of heavy canvas with leather straps and groin protection. A canvas hood over a leather cap protects the head and neck. Heavy leather boots and thick gloves of padded canvas round out the look.

Parade Armor

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Parade Armor	750gp	AC 3	Possible skill bonuses.	6	-1	15%	30	20	2	20 lbs.
	Parade armor is a product of a sophisticated culture that is capable of producing very protective armors, but chooses to make lighter armor that 'looks good.' This is used for functions such as parades, coronation ceremonies, standing guard in palaces, and so on. For adventurers, parade armor is a level of protection similar to studded leather but which has a little style to it. Parade armor may or may not be available in all campaigns. Parade armor is made of heavy cloth, leather reinforcements that may or may not be visible, and light chainmail reinforcements, which may or may not be visible. Due to this fine construction, parade armor may be constructed from any one of the dweomermetals. Parade armor is often used as a uniform by large and established social organizations, such as governments, churches, martial orders, etc. The clever construction of the armor deadens the noise that leather armors usually make, so wearers do not apply the armor check penalty of parade armor to their stealth checks. If you are wearing a suit of parade armor in situations where the authority it represents is respected, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence a respectful creature. Of course, wearing a uniform for an organization you don't belong to may have dire consequences.

Quilted Cloth

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Quilted Cloth	100gp	AC 1	DR 3 vs ranged or thrown piercing weapons (only)	8	0	10%	30	20	2	15 lbs.
	This armor consists of special clothing. The outer layer is quilted in a diamond shape with a nigh-rigid inner layer of stiff leather, with padding both in front of and behind the inner leather. This armor is designed against specifically against small piercing weapons, such as thrown daggers, arrows and bolts of all kinds, etc. Against light thrown piercing weapons and all ranged piercing weapons, quilted cloth grants DR3/-. Against all other forms of attack, it gives only it's armor class benefits.

Studded Leather

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Studded Leather	25gp	AC 3	N/A	5	-1	15%	30	20	2	20 lbs.
	Studded leather is a leather armor suit which has been reinforced by the addition of five pounds of hammered brass or iron rivets, studs, and bosses. Anywhere the wearer is likely to suffer a strike will have studs added. Studded leather has a very distinctive 'manly polkadots' look to it. The extra weight and rigidity of the studs makes the leather a bit more cumbersome, but studded leather is otherwise quite a good level of protection.

Wooden Armor

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Wooden Armor	20gp	AC 3	+1 bonus to Swim checks	3	-1	15%	30	20	2	25 lbs.
	Wooden armor is a suit of padded cloth armor which has been reinforced with various carved wooden parts. The wooden parts used are quite sophisticated, usually being laminated of sheets of coppiced ironwood (such as buloke, lignum vitae, or grey ironbark) glued to sheets of a very soft wood (such as balsa, soft pine, or linden). The resulting wooden parts are extremely durable but light, and wooden armor is actually bouyant enough to give a +1 to swim checks made while wearing it. This replaces the normal -1 the Armor Check Penalty would give to swim checks. The armor gives the normal -1 to all other skills.

Medium Armor

Armored Coat

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Armored Coat	50gp	AC 4	Can be donned or doffed with a move action.	3	-2	20%	25	20	3	20 lbs.
	An armored coat is a type of armor which is usually seen in more sophisticated, even civilized, settings. An armored coat is a massive leather coat, reaching to the ankles, with panels of light chain and heavy layers of linseed-treated top-grain leather in discrete spots for additional protection. Because the coat is not strapped to the body and merely rides on the shoulders it encumbers as medium armor, slowing your movement. But the huge advantage is the ease with which you can slip it on and off. Getting fully armored as a move action is a major advantage! An armored coat can be worn effortlessly over normal clothes, but will not fit over any other sort of armor, so don't try stacking it with other armors. Note: Mechanically, this item is an 'Armor slot' item, meaning it will stack with 'body' and 'chest' items but not other armor items.

Breastplate

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Breastplate	200gp	AC 6	N/A	3	-4	25%	25	20	4	30 lbs.
	A breastplate is a vest and pants of padded cloth armor over which there is a solid, sculpted sheet of good-quality steel that covers the chest, belly, and groin in the front, the sides below the armpits, and the back down to the lower back. A breastplate also includes articulated lames for the shoulders and scutes for the buttocks. It leaves the arms, hands, feet, and head uncovered. It offers an amazing amount of protection for the body, and the weight and encumbrance reflect this fact.

Chainmail

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Chainmail	50gp	AC 6	N/A	2	-5	30%	25	20	4	40 lbs.
	A suit of chainmail is a chain shirt to which has been added a full chain hood and a sturdy set of chain leggings. A leather cap and a suit of light padding is worn beneath the chain, and a seperate groin protector of finer chain is worn under the shirt and leggings to protect the groin and buttocks. The feet have sturdy leather boots covered by the chain leggings and the hands have chainmail gloves with leather beneath. The weight of the armor rides upon the shoulders and hips alone, making it a bit more awkward to wear than you might expect, even for the considerable protection it offers. Chainmail is the lightest of the 'full' armors, offering complete protection to the entire body save the face.

Hide

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Hide	30gp	AC 4	N/A	4	-2	20%	25	20	3	25 lbs.
	Hide armor is a full suit of leather armor to which is added a hide shirt. Cloth and leather covers the entire body, while multiple layers of laminated and linseed-oil treated leather covers the torso, groin, and top of the head.

Martial Regalia

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Martial Regalia	1100gp	AC 5	Possible skill bonuses	5	-3	20%	25	20	3	20 lbs.
	Martial Regalia armor is a product of a sophisticated culture that is capable of producing very protective armors, but chooses to make agile armor that 'looks good.' This is used for functions such as parades, coronation ceremonies, standing guard in palaces, and so on. For adventurers, regalia is a level of protection similar to chain mail but which has a little style to it. Martial Regalia may or may not be available in all campaigns. Martial Regalia is made of tooled leather designed to conceal the heavy chainmail reinforcements. Due to this fine construction, regalia may be constructed from any one of the dweomermetals. Martial Regalia is often used as a uniform by rich, powerful organizations that need to maintain appearances, but actually be ready to fight at the same time. The leather over the chainmail deadens the noise such armor typically makes, and wearers take only half the armor check penalty on stealth checks as a result (round up). If you are wearing a suit of regalia that bears the markings of such a uniform in situations where the authority it represents is respected, you gain a +3 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence a respectful creature. Of course, wearing a uniform for an organization you don't belong to may have dire consequences.

Scale Mail

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Scale mail	50gp	AC 5	N/A	3	-3	25%	25	20	4	30 lbs.
	Scale mail is a full suit of leather armor to which is added a layer of beaten metal scales. These are riveted to the leather much like studded armor, but the scales are much larger and actually overlap on much of the armor. Cloth and leather covers the entire body, while scales coat the shoulders, outer arms, tighs, shins, etc. A sturdy chain coif and leather cap protects the head. The hands and feet are covered by scale-reinforced leather.

Heavy Armor

Banded Mail

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Banded mail	250gp	AC 7	N/A	1	-6	35%	20	15	5	35 lbs.
	Banded mail is a more sophisticated evolution of splint mail, which is reflected in the price. The big advance in banded mail is the replacement of the chain leggings with greaves and the use of smaller and more numerous steel plates over cloth, rather than chain. The metal plates in banded mail are interlocked tightly enough that they transfer their own weight, and when that weight reaches the greaves, the warrior inside is no longer carrying that weight. Banded mail looks smoother and sleeker than splint mail, and it certainly feels it, too. A steel helm, steel gauntlets, and greaves cover the head, hands, and feet.

Coat of Arms

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Coat of Arms	3200gp	AC 8	Possible skill bonuses	2	-5	40%	20	15	4	30 lbs.
	A Coat of Arms is the product of a sophisticated culture that is capable of producing very protective armors, but chooses to make sturdy armor that 'looks good.' Despite its name, a Coat of Arms is a full suit of armor, not a coat. It is used for functions such as parades, coronation ceremonies, standing guard in palaces, and so on. For adventurers, a Coat of Arms provides a level of protection similar to field plate but which has considerably more "style". Coats of Arms may or may not be available in all campaigns. A Coat of Arms is made of tooled leather and/or ceramic bonded over the metal plates of the armor. Due to this fine construction, a Coat of Arms may be constructed from any one of the dweomermetals, not just those for metal armor. Coats of Arms are often used as a uniform by rich, powerful organizations that need to maintain appearances, but must also be ready for a serious fight. The leather and ceramic-bonded steel plates used in Coats of Arms make less noise than heavy armor typically makes, and wearers take only half the armor check penalty on stealth checks as a result (round up). If you are wearing a Coat of Arms that bears the markings of a uniform in situations where the authority it represents is respected, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence a respectful creature. Of course, wearing a uniform for an organization you don't belong to may have dire consequences.

Field Plate

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Field Plate	1200gp	AC 8	N/A	1	-5	35%	20	15	5	40 lbs.
	Field plate is very similar to Full Plate, except that it has been made easier to wear and a bit lighter. Metal is removed at the intersection points of the large forged steel plates of the plate armor, so that there is more room for freedom of movement. The amount of chainmail is increased in the joints and the number of auxiliary protective pieces is reduced, making it easier to wear. The down side is, there are larger gaps in the joints that are less well protected, so the armor value is decreased. As a positive, custom-fitting field plate looted as treasure is much easier, and only requires 10-60 gold pieces.

Full Plate

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Full Plate	1500gp	AC 9	N/A	1	-6	35%	20	15	5	50 lbs.
	Full Plate is the good stuff. Take banded mail and replace the bands with solid forged steel parts custom-fitted to the wearer's body. Full plate armor is self-supporting. You can assemble a suit of full plate without a person inside and it stands on its own. Light cloth padding is worn beneath full plate, and light chainmail over the padding re-inforces the joints. Scutes protect the buttocks and lames and pauldrons protect the shoulders. Non-magical Full Plate must be custom manufactured to fit the wearer, although suits recovered as treasure may be re-fitted for the cost of 200-800 gold pieces. An open-face steel helm, steel gauntlets, and steel greaves/sollerets cover the head, hands, and feet.

Splint Mail

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Splint mail	80gp	AC 7	N/A	0	-7	40%	20	15	5	45 lbs.
	Splint mail is a set of chainmail which has had scores of long metal strips riveted to the outside. A steel cap, metal gauntlets, and sollerets over leather boots completes the suit of armor. Splint mail is genuinely heavy armor, but the relatively unsophisticated construction makes it even more burdensome than chainmail. The entire weight of the armor rests upon the shoulders and waist. Splint mail is quite affordable for heavy armor, but that's just about the end of its good qualities.

War Plate

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	War Plate	3000gp	AC 10	Reduces all perception checks by the Armor Check Penalty	0	-9	45%	20	15	5	60 lbs.
	War plate is a suit of full plate which has been taken to the logical conclusion. The only place that is left unprotected by full plate is the face and joints, so war plate 'fixes' that problem. War plate replaces rondels and many lames with fitted steel plates to cover over weak points. War plate has fewer bits and pieces to cover the joints, but much larger and carefully fitted pieces. Donning war plate takes twice as long as donning full plate. Most significantly, war plate includes a helm which covers the face. A result of this extra protection is that war plate subtracts its armor check penalty from the perception rolls of the wearer. Ouch. Non-magical War Plate must be custom manufactured to fit the wearer, although suits recovered as treasure may be re-fitted for the cost of 300-1800 gold pieces.

Shields

Buckler

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Buckler	5gp	AC 1	Two-handed use allowed, see below	Any	-1	5%	30	20	1	5 lbs.
	This small wooden 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 and for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you lose the buckler's Armor Class bonus until your next turn. You can cast a spell with somatic components using your shield arm, but you lose the buckler's Armor Class bonus until your next turn. You can't make a shield bash with a buckler. Using a buckler is considered to be using a light shield in terms of proficiency. Bucklers cannot be made of steel.

Shield, Heavy Steel

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Heavy Steel Shield	20 gp	AC 2	No shield-hand use, shield bash	Any	-2	25%	30	20	4	15 lbs.
	You strap a heavy shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A heavy shield is so heavy that you can't use your shield hand for anything else. Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to some spells and effects. Steel shields have more hardness and hit points, wooden shields do not rust. You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Armor Class bonus until your next turn. 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.

Shield, Heavy Wooden

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Heavy Wooden Shield	7 gp	AC 2	No shield-hand use, shield bash	Any	-2	15%	30	20	3	10 lbs.
	You strap a heavy shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A heavy shield is so heavy that you can't use your shield hand for anything else. Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to some spells and effects. Steel shields have more hardness and hit points, wooden shields do not rust. You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Armor Class bonus until your next turn. 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.

Shield, Light Steel

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Light Steel Shield	9 gp	AC 1	Shield hand-held items, shield bash	Any	-1	15%	30	20	3	6 lbs.
	You strap a light 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. Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to some spells and effects. Steel shields have more hardness and hit points, wooden shields do not rust. You can bash an opponent with a light shield. Used this way, a light shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Armor Class bonus until your next turn. 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.

Shield, Light Wooden

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Light Wooden Shield	3gp	AC 1	Shield hand-held items, shield bash	Any	-1	5%	30	20	2	5 lbs.
	You strap a light 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. Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to some spells and effects. Steel shields have more hardness and hit points, wooden shields do not rust. You can bash an opponent with a light shield. Used this way, a light shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Armor Class bonus until your next turn. 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.

Shield, Steel Tower

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Tower Shield	60 gp	AC 4	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, total cover, -2 to-hit	+2	-10	60%	30	20	6	90 lbs.
	A Tower Shield is the largest shield made. In order to use a tower shield, you must take the feat Shield Use: Tower Shield. It is usually wooden, because a metal shield this big weighs a LOT. A tower shield is commonly made as tall as the wielder, so that when it is carried it covers even the crown of the head from attacks. In most situations, a tower shield provides the indicated shield bonus to your Armor Class. As a standard action, however, you can use a tower shield to grant you total cover until the beginning of your next turn. When using a tower shield in this way, you must choose one edge of your space. That edge is treated as a solid wall for attacks targeting you only. You gain total cover for attacks that pass through this edge and no cover for attacks that do not pass through this edge. 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, Wooden Tower

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	Tower Shield	30 gp	AC 4	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, total cover, -2 to-hit	+2	-10	50%	30	20	5	45 lbs.
	A Tower Shield is the largest shield made. In order to use a tower shield, you must take the feat Shield Use: Tower Shield. It is usually wooden, because a metal shield this big weighs a LOT. A tower shield is commonly made as tall as the wielder, so that when it is carried it covers even the crown of the head from attacks. In most situations, a tower shield provides the indicated shield bonus to your Armor Class. As a standard action, however, you can use a tower shield to grant you total cover until the beginning of your next turn. When using a tower shield in this way, you must choose one edge of your space. That edge is treated as a solid wall for attacks targeting you only. You gain total cover for attacks that pass through this edge and no cover for attacks that do not pass through this edge. 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, Steel War

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	War Shield	50 gp	AC 3	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, -1 to-hit	+6	-4	40%	30	20	5	50 lbs.
	A War shield is strapped to the forearm and secured around the shoulders with a harness, as well as gripped by the hand. The hand and arm holding a War shield can do nothing else. Instead of move actions, donning and removing a war shield are full round actions. War Shields are so heavy and so tightly strapped to the user's body that they cannot be used to perform shield bashes. As such, there is no damage entry for a War Shield. War shields are noticeably larger than a heavy shield, and are more heavily built, to boot. To use a War Shield, you must take the feat Shield Use: War Shield. Once you take this feat, a War Shield is treated as a heavy shield for all other feats you may take. A War shield commonly covers "from chin to shin". You cannot use a war shield to grant yourself cover. When employing a war shield in combat, you take a –1 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s size, mass, and strappings.

Shield, Wooden War

	Armor	Cost	Armor/Shield Bonus	Special	Max Dex Bonus	Armor Check Penalty	Arcane Spell Failure Chance	Speed		Durability	Weight
								30 Move	20 Move
	War Shield	25 gp	AC 3	No shield-hand use, no shield bash, -1 to-hit	+6	-4	30%	30	20	4	25 lbs.
	A War shield is strapped to the forearm and secured around the shoulders with a harness, as well as gripped by the hand. The hand and arm holding a War shield can do nothing else. Instead of move actions, donning and removing a war shield are full round actions. War Shields are so heavy and so tightly strapped to the user's body that they cannot be used to perform shield bashes. As such, there is no damage entry for a War Shield. War shields are noticeably larger than a heavy shield, and are more heavily built, to boot. To use a War Shield, you must take the feat Shield Use: War Shield. Once you take this feat, a War Shield is treated as a heavy shield for all other feats you may take. A War shield commonly covers "from chin to shin". You cannot use a war shield to grant yourself cover. When employing a war shield in combat, you take a –1 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s size, mass, and strappings.