Better Armors for D&D 5e
This supplement is intended to be dropped into an existing D&D 5e campaign quickly and easily. It adds new mechanics to the way armor behaves, as well as adding Properties to different armor types. This way, a player can have more choices to make about how their character is equipped. The armor given in this supplement is assumed to match with the technology level of the typical D&D setting, roughly equivalent to the late medieval to early renaissance periods in Europe, but suggestions are made for how to implement these armors in other historically inspired settings.
It can be used on its own or alongside either Better Shields or Better Weapons.
To begin using Better Armors, simply select the armor from this supplement that most closely resembles the characteristics of the armor your players currently use.
Mechanics
This section explains the mechanical changes that Better Armors brings to the game. If a mechanic is not mentioned here, use the standard rules.
Sleeping In Armor
Armor is not suitable to sleep in unless it has the Comfortable property. If you sleep in armor without this property, you regain only a quarter of your hit dice and do not lose any levels of Exhaustion.
Resizing Armor
Armor is usually fitted to its wearer, and when you acquire some that was not made for you, it will need to be altered to fit. This is only possible if the armor is for a creature of your size or greater. To do this, you may take it to a relevant craftsperson to have alterations made to it, or with the appropriate tools, proficiency, and materials, you can make the alterations yourself. If you have a craftsperson modify the armor for you, it will cost one fifth the cost of the armor. Materials to do so will cost one tenth the price.
If the armor was made for a creature of your size category, you may use it without alteration if it does not have the Bespoke property. If wearing armor that is too large for you, your speed is reduced by 10ft and you have disadvantage on Dexterity checks. You cannot wear armor that is too small for you.
Dexterity Caps
In standard 5e, medium armor has a cap on the dexterity bonus added to your armor class of +2. In this supplement, each armor has its own cap based on how much it impedes movement. The number listed reflects the maximum dexterity bonus you may add to your armor class. Heavy armor does not factor dexterity into AC calculation at all - so you suffer no penalty from negative dexterity while wearing it.
Harsher Requirements
As standard in 5e, failure to meet an armor's strength requirement only reduces movement speed by 10 ft. In this supplement, failing to meet an armor's strength requirement has the following consequences:
-
Your speed is reduced by 10 ft.
-
You have disadvantage on all Dexterity and Strength checks and saving throws.
Improved Coverage
Because of how completely heavy armor covers its wearer, you do not suffer any penalty to your Dexterity Saving Throw as a result of your Dexterity modifier while wearing heavy armor.
For example: if you are a first level character with -2 Dexterity and proficiency in Dexterity Saving Throws who is wearing heavy armor, your Dexterity Saving Throw bonus is 2 because your negative dexterity modifier is compensated for by your armor.
Armor Information
Light Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Dexterity Cap | Strength | Stealth | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded | 10 gp | 11 | +5 | — | — | 6 lb. | Comfortable |
| Layered | 25 gp | 11 | +5 | — | — | 6 lb. | Bespoke, comfortable, unassuming |
| Leather | 25 gp | 12 | +5 | — | — | 8 lb. | Bespoke |
| Mail vest | 45 gp | 12 | +4 | — | — | 10 lb. | Comfortable, unassuming |
Medium Armor
| Armor | Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Dexterity Cap | Strength | Stealth | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide | 10 gp | 12 | +4 | — | — | 12 lb. | Comfortable, unassuming |
| Haubergeon | 100 gp | 14 | +2 | 13 | Disadvantage | 20 lb. | Flexible |
| Breastplate | 500 gp | 14 | +2 | — | — | 12 lb. | Bespoke |
| Jack of Plate | 600 gp | 14 | +2 | 13 | — | 15 lb. | Bespoke, unassuming |
| Brigandine | 400 gp | 15 | +2 | 13 | Disadvantage | 20 lb. | Bespoke |
| Half plate | 750 gp | 16 | +1 | 15 | Disadvantage | 25 lb. | Bespoke |
| Armor | Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Dexterity Cap | Strength | Stealth | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain mail | 200 gp | 16 | — | 15 | Disadvantage | 30 lb. | Flexible |
| Splint | 750 gp | 17 | — | 13 | Disadvantage | 35 lb. | Bespoke |
| Plate | 1500 gp | 18 | — | 15 | Disadvantage | 50 lb. | Bastion, bespoke, encumbering |
Armor Properties
Bespoke. This armor is custom-made for its wearer. It cannot be worn by anyone else, and modifying it will be difficult.
Modifying this armor to fit a new wearer of a smaller size category costs two-fifths the listed price of the armor, and modifying it for another creature of the same size category costs half the listed price.
Comfortable. This armor is flexible and comfortable enough to sleep in - you do not suffer penalties associated with sleeping in armor.
Unassuming. This armor is not obviously armor. As a result, it can be worn in situations where more overt armor would be inappropriate. This may be because it looks like clothing or because it can be worn under it.
Flexible. This armor is constructed so as to minimize awkwardness or restriction of movement. If you don't meet the armor's strength requirements, you do not suffer disadvantage on Dexterity or Strength checks and saving throws.
Bastion. This armor offers almost total coverage. When making a Dexterity saving throw, you may use your Constitution bonus and weather the storm instead of using your Dexterity bonus to evade it.
Encumbering. This armor is difficult to move swiftly in, either because it is inflexible, or because it distributes weight unevenly. Your speed is reduced by 5 ft when wearing it.
Armor Descriptions
Below is a description of what the armor in this supplement can be expected to look like and include.
Light Armors
Padded. Padded armor is any armor made of quilted or padded fabric. It is the cheapest form of armor, but does offer some modest protection. It is the most comfortable form of armor, and often forms the base layer of more expensive armor types.
Layered. Layered armor is armor made from layering together many layers of thin fabric. Due to the increased material requirements, it is considerably more costly than padded armor, but it is much harder to discern it as being protective gear - it can be fashioned into a form that closely resembles thick clothing.
Leather. Leather armor is armor made from vegetable tanned leather boiled in wax, shaped for the user and worn over padding. It is relatively inexpensive compared to other kinds of armor and offers greater protection than padding alone.
Armors made from wood, bamboo, or even rigid cloth armors like the linothorax can behave very similarly to leather armor, and the stats for leather armor should be used for any such equipment.
Mail vest. A mail vest is a sleeveless vest of chain mail that is intended to be worn between layers of ordinary clothing, which muffles any noise it may make. It is designed to offer protection without drawing attention, and is popular among nobles, spies, and diplomats.
Any armor intended to be concealed that is made of non-fabric materials should use these stats unless the stats for a jack of plate are more appropriate.
Medium Armors
Hide. Hide armor is formed of thick hides and pelts. It is popular among nomads and others who dwell for long periods in the wilderness, as it is easily made from natural resources. It is intended as protection, but can often be mistaken for clothing.
Haubergeon. A haubergeon is a shirt of mail, be that scale or chain, that goes down to the mid thigh and may have full sleeves. It is commonly used by fighters that prize mobility and cannot afford armor that uses plates. This set includes padded armor.
Breastplate. The breastplate is a metal plate that protects only the front of the user's torso, worn with supple leather straps on the shoulders.
A full cuirass - a breastplate and backplate fastened together - can use these stats if no other armour is being worn. A cuirass that includes spaulders or other additional parts would be more appropriately described by the stats from brigandine or half plate.
Jack of Plate. A jack of plate is constructed of a series of metal plates that are stitched into the inside of a garment, sandwiched between two sides of fabric. The plates are arranged to provide comprehensive coverage, and the end result is a highly protective but subtle armor for the torso.
Any armor that is concealed but offers more protection than a mail vest can use these stats.
Brigandine. Brigandine consists of laminar armor that is covered with a layer of cloth or leather affixed to the lames by metal rivets or studs. The leather or cloth cover is often adorned with heraldry or bright colours. This set includes a base layer of padded armor under a full cuirass covering the back and breast down to the hips, as well as pauldrons and vambraces of the same construction.
Any armor that includes a full cuirass and some but not total limb protection may be appropriately described by the stats for brigandine, provided it is not metal plate armor.
Half plate. Half plate includes a plate armor cuirass, but is not a full harness. This set includes a base layer of padded armor under a plate back and breast and some arrangement of supplemental plate armor that does not provide full coverage of the limbs. Most commonly, this includes spaulders and gauntlets. It can also include tassets or a fauld, or other protection for the limbs and joints.
Heavy Armors
Chain mail. This is a long coat of chain mail with full sleeves that reaches the knee, with a belt at the waist. It is the most common form of heavy armor, and is often worn under a heraldic surcoat or tabard. This set includes a base layer of padded armor over which a mail hauberk sits and includes a pair of mail gauntlets and chausses.
A mail-like armor that is not made of metal or does not offer full coverage might be more appropriately described by the stats for a haubergeon.
Splint. Splint armor can be used to mean any suit of non-plate metal armor which includes splinted leg and arm protection, but in this case is a suit comprised of a brigandine-style cuirass and full splinted limb protection. This set includes padded armor over which sit a brigandine cuirass, a pair of splinted greaves and cuisses, and a pair of splinted gauntlets and rerebraces.
Any metal armor that gives almost total coverage but is not made of plates, such as the archetypal samurai's gusoku, may be most appropriately described by these stats.
Plate. Plate armor, depending on the setting, may mean plate armor over mail or may mean a full plate harness. This set includes padded armor as a base with a full suit of plate armor over the top - from sabatons to pauldrons.
Materials and Modifications
Armor is typically made from mundane readily available materials in a relatively standard form. But an adventurer can often find creative and useful ways to modify it to suit their needs, and sometimes they may come across ancient relics made of exotic materials with special properties - or have such pieces made for them.
To have an armor made from a special material, you must loot it or commission it from a craftsperson. You will also need the necessary materials and funds for the piece. The materials listed here have preternatural properties, conveying effects that would be otherwise impossible.
Modifications are much simpler - these can be applied to any existing armor set for additional benefits, provided you either know a capable craftsperson or are one yourself and have access to the necessary supplies. Upgrades and materials impact the armor's value by the amounts specified.
Special Materials
Adamantine. Any armor that is commonly made of metal can be made of adamantine, the hardest substance known to exist. It is extremely hard to work.
Any attack against you that would be a critical hit becomes a normal hit, but the Strength requirement for the armor increases by +2, its weight doubles, and it slows the user's movement by 5 ft.
Adamantine is so rare that armor from it does not have a predictable price and cannot be reliably bought, but you should expect to pay at least 2000 gp more than the armor's standard cost.
Mithral. Any armor that is commonly made of metal can be made of mithral, a preternaturally strong, flexible, and lightweight metal.
If the armor would usually impose a Stealth disadvantage, it does not when made of mithral. Its strength requirement decreases by -2, and its weight is halved.
Mithral is so rare that armor from it does not have a predictable price and cannot be reliably bought, but you should expect to pay at least 3000 gp more than the armor's standard cost.
Sea-steel. Any armor that is commonly made of metal can be made of sea-steel, a silvery alloy of mysterious composition created by cultures that dwell in the oceans and seas of the world. It is noteworthy for the fact that it does not rust or tarnish and can be worked at a relatively low temperature.
Armor made of sea-steel is rust-proof and designed to make swimming and underwater locomotion easier - when underwater, you do not have disadvantage on any checks or saves relating to physical movement.
Sea-steel is relatively inexpensive where it is made, but those with the knowledge of how to make it dwell almost exclusively underwater, so it can be significantly pricier on land. If you can find someone selling or making pieces from it, you can expect to pay around 500 gp more than the armor's base cost.
Modifications
Bladed. This armor is built to include a short fixed blade.
When you make an unarmed strike, you do an additional 1d4 piercing damage. If the armor has the Unassuming property, it loses it. This upgrade costs 25 gp.
Convenient. This armor has been built or modified such that it can be donned and doffed more easily. This is done through creative use of straps, latches, and hinges, as well as by joining pieces that might otherwise be separate.
The armor gains the "Bespoke" property and takes half the usual time to don or doff. This upgrade costs 25 gp.
Decorated. This armor is expensively decorated. It could be beset with gems and stones, inlaid with gold, blackened, blued, painted, or include brass links in the mail. However you choose to have your armor decorated, it is immediately clear that such fine work was very expensive.
Whenever you make a Persuasion check while wearing this armor, you have advantage due to the status implied by the fine quality of your armor.
Only armor with a value of over 100 gp can have this upgrade applied, and it is very expensive. Applying the upgrade costs as much as the total value of the armor, including any upgrades already applied.
Reinforced. This armor is reinforced, whether with supplemental armor or with thicker materials.
This upgrade increases the armor's AC by 1. The armor's Dexterity Cap, if it has one, decreases by 2. The Strength requirement for the armor goes up by 2, and the weight goes up by half of its current weight. When wearing the armor, your speed is reduced by 5ft.
Applying the upgrade costs half as much as the total value of the armor, including any upgrades already applied.
Scary. This armor is decorated in a sinister or intimidating fashion, whether through gnarled spiked protrusions, painted grotesques, cleverly applied red pigments, or other intimidating enhancements.
Whenever you make an Intimidation check while wearing this armor, you have advantage due to the intimidating nature of the armor's design.
If the armor has the Unassuming property, it loses it. Applying the upgrade costs a quarter of the total value of the armor, including any upgrades already applied.
Spiked. This armor has been modified such that there are spikes, serrations, or sharpened edges on certain areas where they are unlikely to hinder the wearer.
When a hostile creature attempts to grapple, shove, or otherwise directly touch you, for example as part of an attack, it takes 1d4 points of piercing damage.
If the armor has the Unassuming property, it loses it. Applying the upgrade costs half the armor's total value due to the skill required, including any upgrades already applied.
Changelog
Version 4
- Scale removed for redundancy
- Stripping down removed
- Refined armor descriptions
- Materials adjusted
Version 3
- Materials and modifications added
Version 2
- Total armor table rework
- Descriptions altered
- Harsher Requirements added
- Improved Coverage added
Version 1
- Splint armor reworded
- Helmets removed
- Inconspicuous -> Unassuming
- Underlayer removed
- Unassuming removed from Padded armor
- Half plate weight reduced
- Rebalanced medium armor stats
Version 0
- Minimum viable product for feeback: armor, new mechanics, helmets.