Types of Armor in the Campaign World

[mmadsen]

This is a great explanation, but I wanted to point out for completeness' sake that Lorica Segmentata is a modern term, not a period Latin term. (I'm not sure if Lorica Hamata is modern or ancient; does anyone here know?)

My understanding is that lorica hamata is the ancient term for mail, literally hook armor. Lorica segmentata is a modern term, and, evidently, no one knows the ancient term -- which strikes me as quite odd.

 

[interwyrm]

I second limiting mounts.

A major problem with heavy armor is that it reduces speed. I would say that making mounts unavailable would justify doubling the price of heavy armor, or at least explaining why nobody else wears it. If the pc's insist on aquiring heavy armor, start pestering them with skirmishers - lightly armored npcs with javelins or bows. Because in heavy armor, a character's max speed (running) is 60ft, and in light or no armor, the max speed is 120ft, the skirimishers can always keep far enough from the heavy footmen to not get hit, and always stay close enough to fire at them every other round. Pretty soon the players will understand why heavy armor is uncommon.

 

[interwyrm]

Alternatively, allow mounts, and use mounted archers on light horses.

 

[sword-dancer]

In tossing ideas back and forth with others (not my players) online, it has been pointed out that if there are no firearms, then heavy armor would still be the norm.
.
DM

I go historical

It wasn`t the firearm which killed the heavy armour it was

Ta
Ta
Ta
Tam

The pike and the economy.

1 equal how good you and your horse is armored that wouldn`t help you much against a pike hedge,
2 at the end of the HYW or so destriers were to scarce and to expensive, especially compared to their use in the field.
3 Infantry marched better without leg greaves.
4 They were maybe cheaper to replace than to armour
5 Kaiser Maximilian the last knight used his knights as backbone, corsett or core to build his pikeniers about, they were the officers and leaders of the pikeniers.
5 Style of warfare

2nd Ressources

See at Japanese armours and arms.

They`re very wellmade and compared to european arms and armour theyre light and wouldn`t withstand european weapons well.
This is because japanese Iron is bad quality, which forced forced japanese smiths to work painstakingly, their efforts were higher than europeans without coming near to their quality.

 

[sword-dancer]

Additional options:

1) Preponderance of water-based travel. Heavy armor is a definite negative if there's a credible chance you're going to end up in the drink..

Nope the heavy armoured landsknechts are considered a main reason of Juan dÀusttrias Victory at Lepanto

2) I may be off here, but I don't think most full plate wearers were footsoldiers. Limit access to mounts & the impetus for engineering full plate technology is lessened.

Nope, you coulod fight with full harness without prblem on foot, only an idiot would use an armour he couldn`t fight and move on foot, like when his horse is killed or wounded, in battle.

3) Didn't the advent of crossbows (or longbows?) play a role in the fall of heavy armors from primacy in RW usage?

No, the longbow was one of the reasons the harness was developed, to be exactly the longbow vanished from the central/western european battlefields at the time the harness development het their first development peak.

 

[Snapdragyn]

I suppose I should have more properly phrased it as 'Preponderance of water-based travel. Heavy armor is a definite negative under the core Swimming rules if there's a credible chance you're going to end up in the drink..'

I stand corrected on the other points.

 

[sword-dancer]

And since AFAIK without need, like battle or training it wouldn`t be normal to wear armour on water travel, mercs on land transported the armour often on waggons or beasts of burden i get your meaning wrong.

 

[Wolf72]

Make it illeagal in the kingdoms your players adventure in. Just like real life, the police/guards/soldier don't like having civilians on the same level as them with regards to armament. Knowledge of armor making is tightly controlled by the government and skilled armorers only sell to the government. If a character shows up armored in a town, the presumption is that he plans to attack someone and the first person to see him runs for the guard.

Alternately use/increase the fatigue penalty for wearing armor over an extended period.

I like this idea ... if you want to get a suit of restricted armor you might have to get permission from the garrison commander or local nobility ... and that might only be temporary.