Does It Fit?

[airwalkrr]

My game is 100% human, and there really are no magical weapons or equipment. Therefore, when the word "race" is used, it is not meant to differ between, say, elves and dwarves. It's meant to differ between, say, Chinese or Englishman.

With no magical weapons, the prizes become better weapons and armor--and stuff that is in good shape.

So, my rule needs to be a little more persnickety than the prevailing words of wisdom here directed towards standard D&D.

What I'm looking for is a way to figure sizes between humans.

Unless your players really dig ultra-realism, I would suggest something simple, like having a blacksmith charge 1/10 the cost of the armor to resize it for a new character. Until the armor gets resized, treat it as hastily donned armor (-1 AC and -1 ACP IIRC).

 

[Ashtagon]

Light and Medium armours always fit other characters of the same size class and general shape (same number and type of limbs).

Armour that is the wrong size class will never fit, end of story. Armour made for a creature with a different number/type of limbs may impose a -4 penalty on all Str/Dex based d20 checks (GM decision).

Heavy armours also require the character to be Powerful Build if the armour was made for that kind of race (or Slight Build if made for a race with that racial feature). If this feature causes a fitting issue, the armour imposes a -4 penalty on all Str/Dex based d20 checks.

Certain heavy armours (hi there field plate and full plate) are made to measure for individual wearers, and require refitting with an armourer to have any hope of fitting. Heavy armour that requires the Powerful Build to 'fit' correctly imposes a -4 penalty on all Dtr/Dex based d20 checks.

That probably works for most reasonable games. Note that realistic breastplates made for women look identical to those made for men. There is no reason to impose gender-based penalties.

 

[El Mahdi]

Real simple: If it's the same race and general size category (small, medium, large, etc.), then I just go with 50/50 (odds/evens on dice roll, flip a coin, rock/paper/scissors, draw a card, etc.).

If successful, it fits - full A/C bonus.

If unsuccessful, it doesn't quite fit: -1 on A/C bonus, increase armor check penalty by 1, and decrease max Dex bonus by 1.

Later, they can attempt to resize it (by an armorer if they have the money, by themselves if they have the armorer skill).


Descriptively, I'd go with something like this for unsuccessful rolls:

• If Leather, Plate, Breastplate, Plate Mail, etc: it was crafted for someone skinnier/fatter/taller/shorter than you. No matter how you adjust the straps, it just doesn't quite fit right. It's useable but a little uncomfortable.
• If Hide or Chain Mail: it was crafted for someone skinnier/fatter/shorter/taller than you so it's too tight/loose/short/long for comfort. It's useable but a little uncomfortable.

 

[Jacob]

I see people noting the talk about how magic armor resizes to differently sized creatures, and I feel the need to call foul?

DMG p.217

Armor for Unusual Creatures The cost of armor for nonhumanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies. The cost of the masterwork quality and any magical enhancement remains the same.

Why would this line be there if magic armor could supposedly change size to fit?

I think this idea stems from a previous topic which dealt with lycanthropes turning into their hybrid form (and if any of you have something to add to that discussion, please have at it). If someone of medium size transforms into their bear/dire boar/dire wolf/etc. hybrid form, the armor would resize to the new form, shirking back down if the character would take it off. At least that's the way it's looking like for me. Again, feel free to add to that discussion.

In terms of the armor found on corpses and the like, unless you're trying to find a means for the PCs to not to get treasure, I would keep with what others are saying and either have it fit if they are the same size/type, or to at least have the armor repaired if it's damaged beyond use. If it's a matter o the PCs saying, "well why don't we use the metal from this armor to make another armor?" then simply use the cost of the armor to pay the difference as a craftsman makes the differently sized armor from scratch.

And hey, did you know you could repair magical armor with Craft Magic Arms and Armor? Consider it as a sneaky way to throw in treasure, and have the PCs care about busted armor.

 

[airwalkrr]

From the DMG 3.5 page 213:

"When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn't be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. As a rule, size should not keep overweight characters, characters of various genders, or characters of various kinds from using magic items. Players shouldn't be penalized for choosing a halfling character or deciding that their character is especially tall."

Whether this applies to armor is debatable, as it goes on to say that there is a 30% chance (01-30) of armor and weapons found being Small, a 60% chance of being Medium (31-90) and a 10% chance (91-100) of being any size of DM's choice. This might just apply to mundane armor and weapons, or maybe it is meant to include magical armor and weapons as well.

Nevertheless the fact remains that size and type are generally the only qualifiers for whether something fits and full plate is the only exception.

 

[Dandu]

I would like to commend all of you for not engaging in innuendo.

 

[El Mahdi]

I would like to commend all of you for not engaging in innuendo.

We just hadn't thought of it yet. But now that you've brought it up...

Heh, heh...Water Bob said "Does it Fit?"...heh, heh...heh, heh...get it?...heh, heh...

 

[Greenfield]

I would like to commend all of you for not engaging in innuendo.

In my what?

No, definitely does NOT fit!

 

[airwalkrr]

*sigh*