Can medium/heavy armor be stripped down to light armor?

[Quasqueton]

Can a suit of medium or heavy armor be "stripped down" to the basic chain shirt (or whatever equivalent) for sleeping in overnight?

The stock chain shirt is basically just the literal chain shirt and some leather pieces for arms and legs. And this seems to be the base layer of most of the medium and heavy armors.

So, is armor an all or nothing piece of equipment, or can a plate-wearing fighter piece-down to his base "chain shirt" for an AC of 14 while sleeping?

Quasqueton

 

[The Souljourner]

I'd say definitely not. The pieces of heavier armor may resemble lighter armor, but they aren't designed to be worn that way. At best, I'd allow you to mimic similar armor, but with a -1 AC penalty and an armor check penalty that is 2 worse than the similar armor.

So you could have an AC 3 chain shirt with a -4 armor check penalty.

And that definitely wouldn't allow you to use the properties of magical armor.

-The Souljourner

 

[Quasqueton]

Without this option, a tank fighter must either buy and carry around an extra suit of armor to sleep in and to wear about town, or be AC 10 for that night ambush or street mugging. But the high-dex rogue, archer, ranger, barbarian, etc. can all have AC 18 twenty-four hours a day, with penalty.

I'm thinking of allowing this. But masterwork and magical enhancement bonuses will only apply to the armor when fully assembled.

Quasqueton

 

[DarkMaster]

Can a suit of medium or heavy armor be "stripped down" to the basic chain shirt (or whatever equivalent) for sleeping in overnight?

The stock chain shirt is basically just the literal chain shirt and some leather pieces for arms and legs. And this seems to be the base layer of most of the medium and heavy armors.

So, is armor an all or nothing piece of equipment, or can a plate-wearing fighter piece-down to his base "chain shirt" for an AC of 14 while sleeping?

Quasqueton

One of my player Had the same question with a full plate being stripped down to a breastplate only, I didn't allow it. It probably can be done, but It is a lot of trouble for such a small gain. If you start allowing it, you have to come for rules about all the armors and I didn't want to bother with it.

Another thing wouldn't you endup with a chain mail in your example?

 

[Liquidsabre]

Without this option, a tank fighter must either buy and carry around an extra suit of armor to sleep in

Oh a fighter chain shirt nightie/jammies! Rofl, I can see it now!

Hmmm, not a bad idea really...

 

[Aaron2]

Can a suit of medium or heavy armor be "stripped down" to the basic chain shirt (or whatever equivalent) for sleeping in overnight?

I allow it but I use a much larger armor lists. So plate mail (I think called half-plate in 3e) can be worn as full mail, a mail hauberk or padded. Likewise, full plate can be worn as field plate, half plate, breastplate, or padded. I wouldn't let just any heavy armor be converted to a chain shirt since most heavy armor doesn't have mail underneath. However, pretty much every set of heavy armor should include a padded hauberk.

I'm not fond of how D&D handles armor since it often assumes stuff; wearing a "Breastplate" assumes leather arm and leg protection. There is no entry for wearing just the breastplate which was actually very common IRL.


Aaron

 

[Tony Vargas]

I've been meaning to run this idea by my DM for a long time - I think it'd be cool to get a suit of plate that can be 'stripped down' to the equivalent of breastplate, instead of carting about two (or three) suits of armors for different occassions. Currently, that's what two of our party members are doing. I have a breastplate, and also have a suit of MW studded for 'stealth missions' - I have just kind of assumed that the studded leather arm & leg protection is the same for each - just switch out the breastplate for a studded hauberk - but I just up and paid full price for each, and carry them at full encumbrance.. The other has an even more extreme swing: MW plate & a suit of ordinary leather.

I think some logical 'strips' might be:

Full Plate > Breastplate

Half-Plate > Chainmail > Chainshirt/padded

Any heavy armor > padded


With some specially designed extras, or 'equivalencies,' maybe:

Breastplate > Studded

Banded > 'Scale' > padded

Hide > leather

 

[Sejs]

Depends on the armor, but I'd generally allow it. Just wear the underpadding from a suit of heavier armor and get padded. Don't put on the pants, collar and some other bits from a suit of chain and get basically a chain shirt. Don't put on several of the parts for a suit of plate and end up with a breastplate equavelant.

 

[Ranger REG]

Can a suit of medium or heavy armor be "stripped down" to the basic chain shirt (or whatever equivalent) for sleeping in overnight?[/b]

Only down to the padding, which can only give +1 armor bonus at best.

The stock chain shirt is basically just the literal chain shirt and some leather pieces for arms and legs. And this seems to be the base layer of most of the medium and heavy armors.

Actually, the top chainmail is a lot more heavier and bears a longer sleeve than a simple chain hauberk or chain shirt

The only way to do this is introduce "piecemeal armor" rule.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Oh a fighter chain shirt nightie/jammies! Rofl, I can see it now!

Hmmm, not a bad idea really...

One of the wizards IMC has a set of mithril chain pyjamas, to wear when his Mage Armour spell wore off.

Geoff.