Armor and Shields

Table 7–1: Exotic Weapons

Exotic Weapons Cost Dmg (S) Dmg (M) Dmg (L) Critical Range Increment Weight1 Type

Light Melee Weapons Buckler-axe, dwarven 20 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 ×3 — 4 lb. Slashing Hammer, throwing 30 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 ×2 20 ft. 2 lb. Bludgeoning Tortoise blade, gnome 10 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 19–20/×2 — 3 lb. Piercing Quickrazor, gnome 45 gp 1d3 1d4 1d6 19–20/×2 — 1 lb. Slashing

One-Handed Melee Weapons Swordcatcher, gnome 35 gp 1d4 1d6 1d8 19–20/×2 — 5 lb. Slashing

Two-Handed Melee Weapons Greathammer, goliath 30 gp 1d10 1d12 3d6 ×4 — 30 lb. Bludgeoning Spear, dwarven double 115 gp 1d6/1d6 1d8/1d8 2d6/2d6 ×3 — 15 lb. Slashing or piercing Warpike, dwarven2 45 gp 1d8 2d6 3d6 ×3 — 15 lb. Slashing or piercing

Ranged Weapons Crossbow, great 150 gp 2d6 2d8 3d8 18–20/×2 120 ft. 14 lb. Piercing 1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much. 2 Reach weapon.

Swordcatcher, Gnome: This short, heavy sword resembles a broad-bladed short sword with two heavy prongs extending up from the hilt. These prongs are designed to help catch and disarm opponents’ weapons. When using a gnome swordcatcher, you gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed yourself if such an attempt fails).

Tortoise Blade, Gnome: This contraption is designed to be used by a gnome in his or her off hand. It is particularly useful in cramped tunnels or warrens where swinging a weapon is difficult or impossible. It looks like a turtle shell strapped to the wielder’s wrist, with a daggerlike blade jutting out where the wielder’s fingers should be. A tortoise blade grants a +1 shield bonus to Armor Class. As with any shield, when you attack with a tortoise blade, you do not get the shield bonus to your AC. A tortoise blade also provides a –1 armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a tortoise blade can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately.

Warpike, Dwarven: The dwarven warpike resembles a halberd with a greatly elongated shaft, to the end of which a counterweight has been added. A dwarven warpike has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but you can’t use it against an adjacent foe. Normally, you strike with a dwarven warpike’s axe head, but the spike on the end is useful against charging opponents. If you use a ready action to set a dwarven warpike against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character. You can use the hook on the back of a dwarven warpike to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the dwarven warpike to avoid being tripped.

The various armors, shields, and extras listed on Table 7–2: Armor and Shields are described below (in alphabetical order) along with any special benefi ts they confer on the wearer.

Battle Cloak, Gnome: This exotic shield is not a shield in the typical sense, but rather a special cloak that can be used to foil an opponent’s attacks. Since the cloak is not really a shield, it confers no shield bonus to wearers who do not have the appropriate exotic shield profi ciency. You cannot use a battle cloak to make a shield bash attack, but a profi cient user can use it to make a disarm attempt. When using a gnome battle cloak, you gain a +4 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an enemy (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails). When used in combat, a gnome battlecloak occupies a hand just as a light shield does, allowing you to carry other items in that hand but not wield a weapon with it. Gnome battlecloaks are retrieved and readied just like other shields.

Battle Plate: This exotic heavy armor consists of reinforced metal plates, a layer of padding worn under the armor, and a suit of light chain worn between the two. The armor includes gauntlets, metal-shod boots, a heavy helm, and carefully wrought joint guards. As with full plate, buckles and straps distribute the weight over the wearer’s body, so battle plate hampers movement less than heavy plate even though heavy plate is lighter. Battle plate is dwarven armor, so a character with the Dwarven Armor Profi ciency feat is considered profi cient in its use.

Fast-Donning Straps: Armor with fast-donning straps has been fi tted with a simpler system of straps and buckles, making it much easier to don hastily. Whenever you don fast-donning armor hastily, you do not incur the normal increase in armor check penalty (although the armor’s armor bonus to AC is still 1 point less than normal).

Heavy Plate Armor: Forged for the strongest of warriors, heavy plate armor is simply a heavily reinforced suit of full plate armor.

Interlocking Plate: This specially crafted suit of exotic armor consists of a suit of chainmail with metal plates covering vital areas. The plates are cunningly wrought, so that they lock together to offer greater protection when the wearer is relatively still. If you move no farther than 5 feet on your turn while wearing interlocking plate,

Mammoth leather Interlocking plate Mountain plate Interlocking scale

Illus. by S. Roller you gain an additional +2 armor bonus to your Armor Class until the beginning of your next turn. This special armor bonus stacks with the armor bonus from the suit of interlocking plate (but not with armor bonuses from other sources).

Interlocking plate is dwarven armor, so a character with the Dwarven Armor Profi ciency feat is considered profi cient in its use.

Interlocking Scale: This heavy suit of exotic armor includes a long coat and leggings made of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal. The scales are cunningly wrought, so that they lock together to offer greater protection when the wearer is relatively still. If you move no farther than 5 feet on your turn while wearing interlocking scale, you gain an additional +2 armor bonus to your

Gnome battle cloak

Shield gauntlet Steel extreme shield

Armor Class until the beginning of your next turn. This special armor bonus stacks with the armor bonus from the suit of interlocking scale (but not with armor bonuses from other sources).

Interlocking scale is dwarven armor, so a character with the Dwarven Armor Profi ciency feat is considered profi cient in its use.

Mammoth Leather: Perfected by goliath shamans, this thick, exotic leather armor is made from mammoth hide. Because of the leather’s thickness, the armor is extremely confi ning for those who do not have the appropriate Exotic Armor Profi ciency feat. Wearing mammoth leather does not violate a druid’s spiritual oath.

Mountain Plate: Made of thick metal plates bolted and fused together, this exotic heavy armor is incredibly massive. The suit includes plated gauntlets, metal-shod boots, a heavy helm, and reinforced joint guards.

A character wearing mountain plate cannot run. When wearing mountain plate, a dwarf’s speed is reduced as if he were not a dwarf (just as heavy armor would typically reduce the speed of a human or any other character who is not a dwarf). Mountain plate is dwarven armor, so a character with the Dwarven Armor Profi ciency feat is considered profi cient in its use.

Mountain plate constructed of any material that would reduce its armor category from heavy to medium (such as mithral) gains all the benefi ts of the material except the armor category reduction. For example, mithral mountain plate would be heavy armor with a maximum Dexterity bonus of +2, an armor check penalty of –6, and an arcane spell failure chance of 50%. The wearer’s speed remains as given for normal mountain plate.

Riding Straps: Armor equipped with riding straps is specially fi tted to allow the wearer maximum maneuverability while riding. Armor with the straps affi xed grants a +1 circumstance bonus on Ride checks. This bonus stacks with the bonus a military saddle provides on Ride checks made to stay in the saddle.

Shield, Extreme, Wooden or Steel: You strap a large or larger shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. These exotic shields are so heavy that you can’t use your shield hand for anything else while using one, nor can you make shield bash attacks.

Illus. by S. Roller

Stone plate Shield sheath Tumbler’s breastplate

Gnome twist cloth

Table 7–2: Armor and Shields Armor/Shield Maximum Armor Arcane Spell Speed

Armor Cost Bonus Dex Bonus Check Penalty Failure Chance (30 ft.) (20 ft.) Weight1

Heavy armor Stone plate 750 gp +6 +1 –7 30% 20 ft.2 15 ft.2 35 lb. Heavy plate 2,000 gp +9 +0 –8 45% 20 ft.2 15 ft.2 100 lb.

Shields Shield, tower, steel 75 gp +4 +2 –10 50% — — 100 lb.

Extras Fast-donning straps +150 gp — — — — — — — Riding straps +200 gp — — — — — — — Shield sheath +25 gp — — — — — — — Signature crest +50 gp — — — — — — —

Armor/Shield Maximum Armor Arcane Spell Speed Exotic Armor Cost Bonus Dex Bonus Check Penalty Failure Chance (30 ft.) (20 ft.) Weight1

Light armor Twist cloth, gnome 150 gp +1 — 0 5% 30 ft. 20 ft. 5 lb. Mammoth leather 45 gp +4 +4 –4 20% 30 ft. 20 ft. 30 lb. Medium armor Interlocking scale 250 gp +4 +2 –6 30% 20 ft. 15 ft. 30 lb. Tumbler’s breastplate 450 gp +5 +4 –4 25% 20 ft. 15 ft. 30 lb. Heavy armor Interlocking plate 1,750 gp +8 +0 –8 40% 20 ft.2 15 ft.2 50 lb. Battle plate 2,500 gp +9 +1 –7 50% 20 ft.2 15 ft.2 125 lb. Mountain plate 3,250 gp +10 +0 –9 60% 15 ft.3 10 ft. 3 225 lb. Shields Battle cloak, gnome 5 gp +1 — 0 0% — — 1 lb. Shield, extreme wooden 10 gp +3 — –4 15% — — 15 lb. Shield, extreme steel 30 gp +3 — –4 15% — — 25 lb. Shield, gauntlet 50 gp +2 — –2 35% — — 20 lb. Shield, rider’s 75 gp +2 — –2 15% — — 15 lb.

1 Weight figures are for armor sized to fit Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor fitted for Large creatures weighs twice as much. 2 When running in heavy armor, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple. 3 You cannot run in mountain plate.

Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, but they respond differently to special attacks (such as warp wood and heat metal). You need only take the Exotic Shield Profi ciency (extreme shield) feat once to use both the wooden and steel versions profi ciently.

Shield, Gauntlet: A favorite of divine spellcasters, this exotic shield is a heavy steel shield built with a special bracing gauntlet. The special gauntlet allows you to carry other items in your shield hand (such as material spell components), although you cannot use weapons with it. The shield hand is likewise free to perform somatic spell components.

Shield, Rider’s: This high-quality exotic heavy wooden shield is longer and heavier than other heavy shields. If you have the Exotic Shield Profi ciency (rider’s shield) feat and use a rider’s shield, you and your mount both gain the benefi t of the shield’s AC bonus.

Shield Sheath: This small sheath fi ts on the inside of a shield (but not a buckler) and holds one light weapon (of your size category or smaller). As long as you have the shield ready, drawing the weapon in the shield sheath is a free action. No shield can have more than one shield sheath attached to it.

Shield, Tower, Steel: This shield is identical to the tower shield described on page 125 of the Player’s Handbook, except that it is made of steel and therefore responds differently to special attacks such as warp wood and heat metal. Characters profi cient with the normal (wooden) tower shield are also automatically profi cient with the steel tower shield.

Signature Crest: Armor emblazoned with a signature crest allows others to easily recognize the wearer. Much like a noble’s signet ring, the crest is a customized design unique to an individual or family. Identifying a signature crest correctly requires a DC 20 Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check (although the DM can adjust this DC as needed to reflect the relative fame of the individual or family).

Stone Plate: This armor is made of interlocking stone plates, cunningly carved for both thinness and strength. A layer of cured hide underneath the stone prevents chafing and cushions the impact of blows. Several layers of stone plates usually hang over vital areas, and most of the armor’s weight hangs from the shoulders. The suit includes hide gauntlets with tiny stone plates sewn onto them. Wearing stone plate does not violate a druid’s spiritual oath.

Tumbler’s Breastplate: This exotic armor resembles a normal breastplate that has been smoothed and polished to perfection. Those skilled in its use can take advantage of the