Armor items are protective items worn by characters to improve their defenses. Armor items are classified as light armor, heavy armor, or shield. Equipping light armor or heavy armor, other than unenchanted cloth armor, improves a character's armor class. Equipping a shield improves a character's armor class and Reflex defense, if the character is proficient with the shield.
Armor comparison chart[]
This chart lists the basic, unenchanted items. Enhancement bonuses are listed in a separate chart on this page.
| Light | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Source | Armor Bonus | Check | Speed | Price(gp) | Weight | |
| Cloth armor (basic clothing) | PHB | +0 | - | - | 1 | 4 lb. | |
| Leather Armor | PHB | +2 | - | - | 25 | 15 lb. | |
| Hide armor | PHB | +3 | -1 | - | 30 | 25 lb. | |
| Heavy | |||||||
| Chainmail | PHB | +6 | -1 | -1 | 40 | 40 lb. | |
| Scale armor | PHB | +7 | - | -1 | 45 | 45 lb. | |
| Plate armor | PHB | +8 | -2 | -1 | 50 | 50 lb. | |
| Special Light | |||||||
| Studded leather (Leather) |
MME | +3 Tough |
- | - | 35 | 28 | |
| Ring mail (chainmail) |
MME | +3 Durable 2 |
-1 | - | 40 | 30 | |
| Special Heavy | |||||||
| Banded mail (chainmail) |
MME | +6 Tough |
-1 | -1 | 55 | 35 | |
| Splint mail (Scale) |
MME | +7 Durable 3 |
-2 | -1 | 50 | 55 | |
| Spiked plate (Plate) |
MME | +8 Barbed |
-3 | -1 | 55 | 60 | |
| Full plate (Plate) |
MME | +8 Tough |
-1 | -1 | 65 | 60 | |
| Shields | |||||||
| Name | Source | Shield Bonus | Check | Speed | Price(gp) | Weight | |
| Light shield | PHB | +1 | - | - | 5 | 6 lb. | |
| Heavy shield | PHB | +2 | -2 | - | 10 | 15 lb. | |
| Barbed shield | MME | +2 Barbed |
-3 | - | 20 | 18 lb. | |
Magic armor[]
At higher levels, magic armor provides a better armor bonus than the base armor. [HotFL:344] This replaces but does not supersede the masterwork armor originally described in other books.
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Masterwork armor[]
Masterwork armor originally appeared for experienced adventurers, providing better protection than the comparable armor. Such armor was crafted from specific materials. Starting with Essentials, magic armor no longer requires esoteric materials, and can be reinforced during the enchantment of the armor in question.
Masterwork armor is based on an existing armor type. If you're proficient with the regular version of the armor, you can use the masterwork armor.
Masterwork armor costs the exact same amount as the magic ability it's enchanted with. However, such armor has a minimum enhancement bonus required for the magic item.
If masterwork armor is manually chosen, note that it might not provide as much protection should the enchantment on the armor be upgraded. However, certain armors (such as those listed outside the PHB) may provide boosts to secondary defenses. These armors include the following:
| Name | Base | Source | Armor Bonus | Minimum Enhancement | Check | Speed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Githweave armor | Cloth | AV | +0 +1 Will[AV:7] |
+3 | - | - | 2lb |
| Mindweave armor | Cloth | AV | +0 +2 Will[AV:7] |
+4 | - | - | 2lb |
| Efreetweave armor | Cloth | AV | +1 +1 Will[AV:7] |
+5 | - | - | 2lb |
| Mindpatterned armor | Cloth | AV | +1 +2 Will[AV:7] |
+6 | - | - | 2lb |
| Drowmesh | Leather | AV | +2 +1 Reflex[AV:7] |
+3 | - | - | 10lb |
| Mindweave armor | Leather | AV | +2 +2 Reflex[AV:7] |
+4 | - | - | 10lb |
| Anathema armor | Leather | AV | +3 +1 Reflex[AV:7] |
+5 | - | - | 10lb |
| Swordwing armor | Leather | AV | +3 +2 Reflex[AV:7] |
+6 | - | - | 10lb |
| Earthhide armor | Hide | AV | +3 +1 Fortitude[AV:7] |
+3 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Feyhide armor | Hide | AV | +3 +2 Fortitude[AV:7] |
+4 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Stalkerhide armor | Hide | AV | +4 +1 Fortitude[AV:7] |
+5 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Voidhide armor | Hide | AV | +4 +2 Fortitude[AV:7] |
+6 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Crysteel armor | Chain | AV 7 | +8 +2 Will |
+4 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Weavemail armor | Chain | AV 7 | +10 +1 Will |
+5 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Pitmail armor | Chain | AV 7 | +11 +2 Will |
+6 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Stormscale armor | Scale | AV | +9 +2 Fortitude |
+4 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Nagascale armor | Scale | AV | +11 +1 Fortitude |
+5 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Titanscale armor | Scale | AV | +12 +2 Fortitude |
+6 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Rimfire plate armor | Plate | AV | +8 Resist 1 all |
+2 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Specter plate armor | Plate | AV | +10 Resist 2 all |
+4 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Tarrasque plate armor | Plate | AV | +12 Resist 5 all |
+6 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
If you can choose magic items (as with Living Forgotten Realms), try to get one of the green-colored rows (Githweave, Efreetweave, Earthhide, Stalkerhide, Weavemail, or Nagascale) as they're always superior options. Other rows may be of benefit, but have no official rules for rescaling.
These obsolete masterwork armors provide practically no change over regular armor:
| Name | Base | Source | Armor Bonus | Minimum Enhancement | Check | Speed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feyweave armor | Cloth | PHB | +1 | +4 | - | - | 5 lb. |
| Starweave armor | Cloth | PHB | +2 | +6 | - | - | 3 lb. |
| Feyleather armor | Leather | PHB | +3 | +4 | - | - | 15 lb. |
| Starleather armor | Leather | PHB | +4 | +6 | - | - | 15 lb. |
| Darkhide armor | Hide | PHB | +4 | +4 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Elderhide armor | Hide | PHB | +5 | +6 | -1 | - | 25 lb. |
| Finemail armor | Chain | AV | +7 | +2 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Braidmail armor | Chain | AV | +8 | +3 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Forgemail | Chain | PHB | +9 | +4 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Spiritmail | Chain | PHB | +12 | +6 | -1 | -1 | 40 lb. |
| Drakescale armor | Scale | AV | +8 | +2 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Wyvernscale armor | Scale | AV | +9 | +3 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Wyrmscale armor | Scale | PHB | +10 | +4 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Elderscale armor | Scale | PHB | +13 | +6 | - | -1 | 45 lb. |
| Layered plate armor | Plate | AV | +9 | +2 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Gith plate armor | Plate | AV | +10 | +3 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Warplate armor | Plate | PHB | +11 | +4 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Legion plate armor | Plate | AV | +12 | +5 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
| Godplate armor | Plate | PHB | +14 | +6 | -2 | -1 | 50 lb. |
Armor proficiency[]
Main article: Armor Proficiency
A character must be proficient, or trained, with armor and shields to avoid penalties when wearing them.
There are eight armor proficiencies corresponding to the eight types of armor and shields:
| Light armor | Heavy armor | Shields |
|---|---|---|
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All published classes include cloth armor proficiency as a class trait, but other proficiencies must be granted as a class trait or by a feat. Wearing light armor or heavy armor without the corresponding proficiency incurs a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Reflex defense. Wearing a shield without the corresponding proficiency negates the shield's armor class and Reflex defense bonuses.
Armor actions[]
Equipping light armor or heavy armor takes at least 5 minutes, for example, during a short rest.
Equipping or stowing a shield is a standard action.
Dark Sun armor[]
In Dark Sun, metal is considered a rare resource. While it can be obtained through great expense, most armor available to common people is made from whatever materials can be obtained.
- Cloth Armor is woven from feathers of avian creatures on Athas.
- Leather Armor is fashioned from a variety of desert creatures, with tougher creatures providing skins for masterwork armor.
- Hide armor is also formed from the variety of creatures.
- Chainmail armor was a challenge, but was possible by adorning stiff leather jackets with small disks or squares of horn, bone or wood.
- Scale Armor is made from horn, scales and carapaces, including those shed by Thri-kreen.
- Plate armor is made from giant insect or crustacean chitin.
- Shields simply rely on wood, chitin shell and similar materials.
Metal armor does exist, but is normally of masterwork quality due to the rarity. However, wearing it in the heat of Athasian deserts is dangerous: as an optional rule, there may be a -5 penalty to endurance checks pertaining to heat or resisting the effects of heat.