Armor & Shields

Armor

Not all attacks can be consistently evaded, and some sources of damage are impossible to dodge at all. Armor serves as a protection against different kinds of damage by providing Defense.

Light Armor

Armor	Strength Minimum	Defense
Padded Clothing	-1	2 vs. physical
Leather Armor	-1	2 vs. physical, 1 vs. elemental
Reinforced Leather	±0	3 vs. physical, 1 vs. elemental

Medium Armor

Armor	Strength Minimum	Defense
Chain Shirt	±0	4 vs. physical
Breastplate	+1	4 vs. physical, 2 vs. elemental
Scale Mail	+1	5 vs. physical, 2 vs. elemental

Heavy Armor

Armor	Strength Minimum	Defense
Chain Mail	+2	6 vs. physical
Splint Armor	+2	6 vs. physical, 3 vs. elemental
Full Plate	+3	7 vs. physical, 3 vs. elemental

info

Novice

When wearing any armor with which you are incompetent, you suffer disadvantage on all Strength-based checks.

Expert

You may ignore the minimum strength requirement for any armor you are an expert with.

Shields

Shields can also provide Defense, but unlike armor, they must be actively used in order to be effective. When a creature you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to apply the shield's Defense against that attack.

Shield	Strength Minimum	Defense
Wicker Shield	-1	+1 vs. physical
Wooden Shield	±0	+1 vs. physical, elemental
Metal Shield	+1	+2 vs. physical, elemental
Tower Shield	+2	+3 vs. physical, elemental

info

Novice

When using shields when you are incompetent with them, you must first succeed a difficulty 10 Reflex check in order to apply the shield's Defense.

Expert

You may use a shield as a weapon if you are an expert with them. Shields use the statistics for a club when used in this way.