Sorting armor by effectiveness

[cavetroll]

What's the category for "Gambeson" / "Quilted Jack" / "Arming Coat"? I.e what are the "well-equipped peasants" wearing this season?
What about animal hides (of any type), a staple armor of the druid, ogre, and giant?

I think padding armors like gambeson, probably just fall under the leather category for protection.
In the monster section I'm not going to try to determine what kind of armor each humanoid, giantkin etc is wearing specifically, their AC is just a number that represents their overall protection.
Hide will fall under leather for PCs.

 

[cavetroll]

What's the difference between Brigandine and Leather Brigandine? I must have missed that explanation somewhere.

Good question, I can't remember what I was thinking. I think it I thought Brigandine was mostly metal plates whereas Leather Brigandine was the same, except made out of leather. Thats super confusing, so I think I will get rid of "Leather Brigandine".

Updated list:

 

[cavetroll]

Lastly, tangentially-related to this table... I always thought "ringmail" was what someone else described earlier in the thread: metal rings sewn onto a leather or quilted backing?

From what I understand, it never existed, and would afford next to no protection to be worth making. It was just a DnD thing.

 

[GrahamWills]

I'm not sure it makes sense to distinguish so many types of armor when you are assuming they all have exactly the same property (a single "armor" stat). Especially since that seems to imply that it increases the chance of an attack missing you, which is probably exactly the opposite of what the "armor" stat measures.

Is the "armor" value meant to be reduction in damage? If so the list makes more sense. But honestly it makes more sense to separate the two out -- or even add a third category: "resistant to major wounds". A helm pretty much defends against major wounds; plate mail reduces damage but makes you easier to hit; and a shield makes you harder to hit (since you hit the shield instead) but doesn't do any reduction if the attack actually hits you.

If all you are talking about is damage reduction, just go with no light, medium and heavy, and have the armor modifier distinguish between chain mail and re-inforced chain mail or whatever terms make sense for the era you are simulating.

My preference, if I was to see a list of 10 different armors, is for them to be qualitatively different. I'd like to be choosing between "I get hit all the time, but it doesn't do as much damage" and "Most hits miss me, but when they connect, I'm in trouble". Otherwise, it just seems like it's a measure of quality.

 

[cavetroll]

Is the "armor" value meant to be reduction in damage?

No, its the equivalent to D&D Armor Class.

My preference, if I was to see a list of 10 different armors, is for them to be qualitatively different. I'd like to be choosing between "I get hit all the time, but it doesn't do as much damage" and "Most hits miss me, but when they connect, I'm in trouble". Otherwise, it just seems like it's a measure of quality.

Its interesting, I have some things related to armor choice but not as direct as that.

 

[Thunderfoot]

I would review your costs for Quilted/Padded and Leather. The crafts work involved in their creations seem to have a backward monetary balance applied. (I.e. its easier to sew than boil leather stretched over a last.)

 

[aramis erak]

From what I understand, it never existed, and would afford next to no protection to be worth making. It was just a DnD thing.

Ring on leather was historical... Romano-Britain through to Reiver period Scots.
Calling it "Mail" (or maille) is the issue. Mail was almost exclusively used for interlocked rings. Ring on leather is non-interlocking, but sewn to the substrate,

Having worn ring on leather bracers, with various sized rings, doing rebated steel work, it's surprisingly good at spreading a blade's force. It's light, too. The leather soaks sweat, tho', so if you want it to last, treating the leather is useful. Or wear linen under it, so the moisture wicks out to be evaporated.

 

[cavetroll]

I would review your costs for Quilted/Padded and Leather. The crafts work involved in their creations seem to have a backward monetary balance applied. (I.e. its easier to sew than boil leather stretched over a last.)

thanks, copy paste error, fixed.

Ring on leather was historical...

I don't know of course, Ring armour - Wikipedia
says :"No actual examples of this type of armour are known from collections or archaeological excavations in Europe"
also

 

[Ixal]

Right, I removed it from the list after discovering that. Its not on the final list above.

I watched this section of a video from I think the most expert of people I could find

he talked about how plate was suitable when you are going direct into battle, like a duel, but for day to day adventuring "full plate harness would really interfere with my ability to do travelling and day to day adventuring. So full plate harness might be great if you have got servants, at least two horses and a baggage train "

But fair enough, I can leave off the strength requirement, it will be expensive enough that nobody can buy it until they are level 3 anyway, so that is fine.

Sadly he does not put forth an explanation why he thinks plate armor is impractical for adventuring. Normally in RPGs characters are in a group, so getting help putting it on should be no problem.
And of course wearing plate armor for 10 hours a day for weeks is uncomfortable. Wearing lesser armor for that time would be better (but not all that great either).
But as he said, you wear plate armor (or generally any armor) when you expect battle. For example when you go into a dungeon.

Some example about how flexible plate armor is

 

[Sepulchrave II]

I'd be more inclined to go with three types - Light, Medium, Heavy - and list some examples in each category from round the world that would fit that category, then let people describe it however they like. So for instance, the Light armour category would include the European Jack, Aztec cotton armour, Chinese paper armours, and perhaps some ancient world armours like Egyptian leather and metal straps, the tiny breastplates strapped on to poorer Roman hastati, the think coats worn by steppe nomads, and so on. That's if you're going to go with full sets, as opposed to individual pieces (while the latter is more accurate to history it's a lot of work).

I agree that this kind of granularity is adequate and preferable, although I'd maybe add an extra category.

Light: Gambeson; jack; leather etc.
Medium: Short mail byrnie or haubergeon; scale (ancient type); "studded;" "ring;" cuirass (breastplate) only etc.
Heavy: Full mail with chausses, coif, gauntlets etc; splinted
Extra-Heavy: Full plate, cataphract armor, O-Yoroi etc.

I'd assume relevant headwear, and then let the player add any aesthetic flourishes.