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ARMOR

Armor increases your character’s defenses, but some medium or heavy armor can hamper movement. If you want to increase your character’s defense beyond the protection your armor provides, they can use a shield. Armor protects your character only while they’re wearing it.

Name Category Level Price AC Bonus Dex Cap Check Penalty Speed Penalty Strength Bulk Group Armor Traits
Though referred to as a Breastplate, this type of armor consists of several pieces of or armor that protect the torso, chest, neck, and sometimes the hips and lower legs. It strategically grants some of the protection of plate while allowing greater flexibility and speed. Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The sturdy plate provides no purchase for a cutting edge. You gain resistance to slashing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
A suit of Chain Mail consists of several pieces of armor composed of small metal rings linked together in a protective mesh. It typically includes a Chain Shirt, leggings, a pair of arms, and a coif, collectively protecting most of the body. Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The armor is so flexible it can bend with a critical hit and absorb some of the blow. Reduce the damage from critical hits by either 4 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 6 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor. This can't reduce the damage to less than the damage rolled for the hit before doubling for a critical hit.
Sometimes called a hauberk, this is a long shirt constructed of the same metal rings as chainmail. However, it is much lighter than chainmail and protects only the torso, upper arms, and upper legs of its wearer.
Adventurers who don't wear armor travel in durable clothing. Though it's not armor and uses your unarmored defense proficiency, it still has a Dex Cap and can grant an item bonus to AC if etched with .
A mix of furs, sturdy Hide, and sometimes molded boiled leather, this armor provides protection due to its layers of leather, though its bulkiness slows the wearer down and decreases mobility. Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The thick Second Skin of the armor disperses blunt force to reduce bludgeoning damage. You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
A mix of flexible and molded boiled leather, a suit of this type of armor provides some protection with maximum flexibility.
This armor is simply a layer of heavy, quilted cloth, but it is sometimes used because it's so inexpensive. Padded Armor is easier to damage and destroy than other types of armor. Heavy armor comes with a padded armor undercoat included in its Price, though it loses the comfort trait when worn under heavy armor. You can wear just that padded armor undercoat to sleep in, if your heavy armor is destroyed, or when otherwise not wearing the full heavy armor. This allows you to keep the armor invested and benefit from the power of any runes on the associated heavy armor, but no one else can wear your heavy armor without the padded undercoat.
Scale Mail consists of many metal scales sewn onto a reinforced leather backing, often in the form of a long shirt that protects the torso, arms, and legs. Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The numerous overlapping pieces of this armor protect you from piercing attacks. You gain resistance to piercing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
This Leather Armor is reinforced with metal studs and sometimes small metal plates, providing most of the flexibility of leather armor with more robust protection.
Note: no description for this item.
Half Plate consists of most of the upper body plates used in Full Plate, with lighter or sparser steel plate protection for the arms and legs. This provides some of the protection of full plate with greater flexibility and speed. A suit of this armor comes with an undercoat of and a pair of . Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The sturdy plate provides no purchase for a cutting edge. You gain resistance to slashing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
This type of armor is Chain Mail reinforced with flexible, interlocking metal plates, typically located on the wearer's torso, upper arms, and legs. A suit of this armor comes with an undercoat of and a pair of . Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The numerous overlapping pieces of this armor protect you from piercing attacks. You gain resistance to piercing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
Plate mail consists of interlocking plates that encase nearly the entire body in a carapace of steel. It is costly and heavy, and the wearer often requires help to don it correctly, but it provides some of the best defense armor can supply. A suit of this armor comes with an undercoat of and a pair of . Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.: The sturdy plate provides no purchase for a cutting edge. You gain resistance to slashing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.
A character who is a member of the Hellknights has access to this uncommon armor.

Few armors in the Inner Sea region are as memorable as the iconic Hellknight Plate. While each order has its own flourishes, Hellknight plate is instantly recognizable to any who know of the Hellknights. Hellknights go to extreme measures to punish non-Hellknights who get their hands on Hellknight plate, and the reward is not usually worth the risk, since for non-Hellknights, the armor is functionally similar to Full Plate.

Armor Specializations

Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This is called an armor specialization effect. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects.

Chain

The armor is so flexible it can bend with a critical hit and absorb some of the blow. Reduce the damage from critical hits by either 4 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 6 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor. This can't reduce the damage to less than the damage rolled for the hit before doubling for a critical hit.

Source: Core Rulebook pg. 275 1.1

Composite

The numerous overlapping pieces of this armor protect you from piercing attacks. You gain resistance to piercing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.

Source: Core Rulebook pg. 275 1.1

Leather

The thick [ranger|second-skin|second skin] of the armor disperses blunt force to reduce bludgeoning damage. You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.

Source: Core Rulebook pg. 275 1.1

Plate

The sturdy plate provides no purchase for a cutting edge. You gain resistance to slashing damage equal to 1 + the value of the armor's potency rune for medium armor, or 2 + the value of the armor's potency rune for heavy armor.

Source: Core Rulebook pg. 275 1.1

The most common special armors are suits of armor with some combination of armor potency and resilient runes. The following stat block provides a quick reference for these types of armor.

Magic Armor Level 5+

Abjuration Invested Magical

Usage worn armor

A suit of magic armor is simply a suit of armor or explorer's clothing etched with fundamental runes. An Armor Potency rune increases the armor's item bonus to AC, and a Resilient Rune adds an item bonus to saving throws.

The Prices here are for all types of armor. You don't need to adjust the Price from Leather Armor to Full Plate or the like. These armors are made of standard materials, not precious materials such as mithral.

Source Core Rulebook pg. 556

Magic Armor (+1) Level 5

Price 160 gp

This armor has a +1 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 1).

Magic Armor (+1 Resilient) Level 8

Price 500 gp

This armor has a +1 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 1) and a Resilient Rune (+1 item bonus to saves).

Magic Armor (+2 Resilient) Level 11

Price 1,400 gp

This armor has a +2 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 2) and a Resilient Rune (+1 item bonus to saves).

Magic Armor (+2 Greater Resilient) Level 14

Price 4,500 gp

This armor has a +2 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 2) and a greater Resilient Rune (+2 item bonus to saves).

Magic Armor (+3 Greater Resilient) Level 18

Price 24,000 gp

This armor has a +3 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 3) and a greater Resilient Rune (+2 item bonus to saves).

Magic Armor (+3 Major Resilient) Level 20

Price 70,000 gp

This armor has a +3 Armor Potency rune (increase the item bonus to AC by 3) and a major Resilient Rune (+3 item bonus to saves).

Suits of armor made of precious materials are more expensive and sometimes grant special effects. You can make leather armor out of dragonhide, wooden armor out of darkwood, and metal armor out of any precious materials except for darkwood. Because armor’s Bulk is reduced when the armor is worn, use its carried Bulk when determining its material Price.

Name Level

These suits of armor have abilities far different from what can be gained by etching runes. A specific magic armor lists its fundamental runes, which you can upgrade, add, or transfer as normal. You can’t etch any property runes onto a specific armor that it doesn’t already have.

Name Level Price Bulk
Ghoul Hide 6 220 gp 2
Moonlit Chain 7 360 gp 2
Rhino Hide 9 700 gp 2
Spangled Rider's Suit 9 700 gp 1
Victory Plate 9 675 gp —
Breastplate of Command 10 1,000 gp —
Electric Eelskin 10 950 gp 1
Numerian Steel Breastplate 10 900 gp 2
Numerian Steel Breastplate 10 900 gp 2
Celestial Armor 13 2,500 gp 1
Demon Armor 13 2,500 gp 4
Forgotten Shell 13 2,500 gp 4
Mail of Luck 13 2,600 gp 3
Noxious Jerkin 13 2,800 gp L
Glorious Plate 14 4,500 gp 4
Fungal Armor 15 7,200 gp 1
Plate Armor of the Deep 15 6,500 gp 4
Victory Plate (Greater) 15 5,500 gp —
Dragonplate 16 1,000 gp 4
Impenetrable Scale 17 12,800 gp 3
Jerkin of Liberation 17 14,000 gp 1
Breastplate of Command (Greater) 18 22,000 gp —