Level Up (A5E) Do heavy armors come with cloth armor to wear underneath?

[Jacob Vardy]

For under your armour? Sure. If you have unlimited funds. And don't generally mind worker exploitation - but then, if you're rich enough to afford armour, that generally goes without saying.

Silk padded armour and armour padding was a thing.

Silk was only really expensive in the Far West. If you had access to the South China Sea or Indian Ocean it was much less so. Nor am i aware of it being more exploitative than linen. Pre-industrial mass manufacturing of textiles was pretty much always exploitative.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Silk padded armour and armour padding was a thing.

Silk was only really expensive in the Far West. If you had access to the South China Sea or Indian Ocean it was much less so. Nor am i aware of it being more exploitative than linen. Pre-industrial mass manufacturing of textiles was pretty much always exploitative.

Yeah, good point, I suppose. I was always under the impression that silk was pretty expensive compared to linen no matter where you go, but I suppose when is also a thing. Obviously, it was more available (and therefore cheaper) in China and India. I'm aware that silk makes for very good armour and armour-padding. I still think of it as pretty high-end, but then, all armour is high-end.

 

[GMMichael]

In the second paragraph under Donning, Doffing, Sizing, and Sleeping in Armor it says, "It is assumed that cloth armor is worn under breastplates and suits of mail." (p. 320 of the Adventurer's Guide)

Do these armors come with the cloth armor or does it need to be purchased separately? We are starting our first game of LUA5E and 5GP makes a difference at level 1!

My armor-smith is piss-poor at quilting. So no, I hope plate armor does not come with cloth armor.

 

[Jacob Vardy]

Yeah, good point, I suppose. I was always under the impression that silk was pretty expensive compared to linen no matter where you go, but I suppose when is also a thing. Obviously, it was more available (and therefore cheaper) in China and India.

I read up on it recently for a campaign loosely based on the Swahili Coast and more northern Islamicate cities. Silk harvesting and weaving was mechanised in China about 1000 CE. They were limited to hand and water power so it wasn't as significant as cotton and steam power but there were large manufactories pouring out silk. To the point that Mediterranean silk makers went out of business. Low grade silk was used in a whole heap of industries. Chinese, Indian, and Islamicate rulers banned peasants wearing it, so at least rich peasants were wearing silk.

I'm aware that silk makes for very good armour and armour-padding. I still think of it as pretty high-end, but then, all armour is high-end.

Agreed. And silk armour isn't likely to last over several generations even if well cared for.