D20 Mechanic: Armor
Due to our overhaul of defense rules, armor requires a massive rework; this dovetails with changes that were originally planned to fix the issues with armor in Trinity where everyone wears pretty much the same armor.
We've gone over several revisions of the armor system at this point. While as of 10/24/2017 what is on Test Page 11 is workable, I feel that there is another category we're missing, and to fill in that gap, we have to rename the armor categories. We're going to borrow WoW armor categories, and just assign them to what I feel fits best.
In addition, these rules also dramatically change how shields work.
Contents
Mechanics
This section explains how the mechanics for armor and shields work.
Armor
Armor: Defense Categories
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Force | |
| Targeted | Mail, Plate | Cloth, Mail |
| Area | Leather, Plate | Cloth, Leather |
Armor comes in three categories: cloth, leather, mail, and plate.
Armor, regardless of its type, never protects against attacks with the indirect tag, unless the armor otherwise specifies that it does so.
Plate protects against physical attacks, both targeted and area.
Mail protects against physical targeted attacks and force targeted attacks.
Leather protects against physical area attacks and force area attacks.
Cloth protects against force attacks, both targeted and area.
- Example: Frank the Fighter is wearing plate. He can make armor saves against being stabbed with a sword (targeted physical), or against a dragon's tail sweep (area physical), but not against a magic missile (targeted force) or fireball (area force).
- Example: Claire the Cleric is wearing mail. She can make armor saves against being stabbed with a sword (targeted physical), or against a magic missile (targeted force), but not against a dragon's tail sweep (area physical) or a fireball (area force).
- Example: Timmy the Thief is wearing leather. He can make armor saves against a fireball (area force), or against a dragon's tail sweep (area physical), but not against a magic missile (targeted force) or being stabbed with a sword (targeted physical).
- Example: Mac the Mage is wearing cloth. He can make armor saves against a magic missile (targeted force), or against a fireball (area force), but not against being stabbed with a sword (targeted physical) or a dragon's tail sweep (area physical).
When you are attacked, if you are wearing armor that protects against that attack form, you make an armor save. This is a straight d20, but can be modified, such as by effects that give you a bonus to d20 rolls.
In general, there are three ranges for the armor save: no effect, which means the armor doesn't provide any protection against the attack; half damage, which means that you take half the damage you would have from the attack; and critical, which means you take half the damage you would have unless you spend an action point, which then reduces the damage you would have taken to zero and you are treated as though you were never targeted by the effect in the first place (for instance, you do not suffer any riders on the effect, nor do you suffer any potential "miss" effects from the attack).
The armor save effect stacks with effects such as protect or barrier. So if you have protect and get a "half effect" result on your armor save against a physical attack, you take quarter damage, not half.
If you are not proficient with the armor you are wearing, you double the penalties associated with wearing that armor and suffer a -4 penalty on armor checks with it.
Movement and Speed
Some varieties of armor are more restrictive on your movements, while others are heavy enough to slow you down - not much, as armor is specifically designed to keep you alive in combat and slowing you down too much would negate that purpose, but it is noticeable.
If the armor you are wearing has a movement penalty, you reduce your movement speed by that amount.
If the armor you are wearing has a speed penalty, whenever you take a move action to move, you reduce your Initiative by that amount.
Shields
Instead of providing a static bonus to your defenses, shields are instead an active defensive mechanism.
When you are attacked (be it with a weapon, Force effect, or otherwise), if you are wielding a shield, you can spend a reaction to make a block with your shield. The formula for a block is as follows:
- d20 + (relevant defense - 10) + block bonus
The "relevant defense" is the same as the Defense you would have used against the attack, minus 10.
The ability modifier you use is the same as the ability modifier you would have used for the normal defense against the attack.
Unlike with armor, there are two types of shields: light and heavy. A light shield provides a +2 shield bonus, while a heavy shield provides a +4 shield bonus. Shields are effective against all forms of attack, and provide their bonus regardless of the defense the attack targeted.
Light shields allow you to make use of that hand (and thus you can still benefit from two-handed weapons, make skill checks that require both hands, and so forth); a heavy shield is large and bulky enough that you cannot use that hand for anything other than the shield.
If you attempt to use a shield and are not proficient with them, you must spend two reactions to make use of it, and it provides only half the bonus it would normally provide (so +1 for a light, or +2 for a heavy).
Basic Armor
The following is the list of armor and shields in Trinity. These are basic armors and shields; that is, they are not Force aligned.
ARMOR AND SHIELDS
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor Save | ||||||
| Name | No Effect | Half Damage | Critical | Movement | Speed | Cost |
| CLOTH | ||||||
| Robes | 1-12 | 13-19 | 20+ | -0 | -0 | Some |
| Vestments | 1-10 | 11-19 | 20+ | -1 | -0 | Some |
| Raiment | 1-8 | 9-18 | 19+ | -1 | -2 | Some |
| LEATHER | ||||||
| Jack | 1-12 | 13-19 | 20+ | -0 | -0 | Some |
| Gear | 1-10 | 11-19 | 20+ | -1 | -0 | Some |
| Coat | 1-8 | 9-18 | 19+ | -1 | -2 | Some |
| Harness | 1-12 | 13-19 | 20+ | -0 | -0 | Some |
| Chainmail | 1-10 | 11-19 | 20+ | -1 | -0 | Some |
| Hauberk | 1-8 | 9-18 | 19+ | -1 | -2 | Some |
| PLATE | ||||||
| Cuirass | 1-12 | 13-19 | 20+ | -0 | -0 | Some |
| Battlegear | 1-10 | 11-19 | 20+ | -1 | -0 | Some |
| Fullplate | 1-8 | 9-18 | 19+ | -1 | -2 | Some |
| SHIELDS | ||||||
| Shield, Light | --- | --- | --- | -0 | -0 | Some |
| Shield, Heavy | --- | --- | --- | -0 | -0 | Some |
Armor Enhancement Descriptions
Descriptions of armor enhancements.
You can temporarily disable an armor's property as a free action; reactivating a property is a standard action.
ANGELSTEEL
|
|---|
| The links in this armor glow with the silvery light of the Divine planes. |
| Armor - Mail |
| Rarity: Uncommon |
| POWERS |
| Power (Daily): As a reaction, when you are hit by an attack or effect, you gain a power bonus equal to your attunement bonus to the targeted defense until the end of the encounter. |
ASHEN VESTMENTS
|
|---|
| This blue and white coat is singed and scorched, as though it has been subject to fire and lightning. |
| Armor - Leather |
| Rarity: Mythic |
| Special: You must have more levels in trainer than any other base class to wear this armor. |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain the benefits of Ashen materia socketed into your equipment. |
| This item counts as though it were socketed with a Ashen materia. |
BARKSKIN
|
|---|
| The enchantment placed upon this armor toughens the material and provides it with a rough texture like tree bark. |
| Armor - Leather, Mail |
| Rarity: Common |
| POWERS |
| Power (Daily): As a swift action, you gain a power bonus equal to your attunement bonus to all defenses for five minutes or until the end of the encounter. Each time you are hit, reduce this bonus by 1. |
BATTLEFORGED
|
|---|
| Armor enchanted for the heat of battle, it helps you carry on when the going gets rough. |
| Armor - Plate |
| Rarity: Common |
| PROPERTY |
| If you use your second wind while you are bloodied, you are healed for an additional potency 2 damage. |
BLACK IRON
|
|---|
| The black metal of this armor glows red when violence flares. |
| Armor - Mail, Plate |
| Rarity: Common |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain innate barrier (fire) and innate barrier (shadow). |
BLOODCUT
|
|---|
| This armor has a crimson tinge that flares blood red when its power is activated. |
| Armor - Leather, Mail |
| Rarity: Common |
| POWERS |
| Power (Healing Surge): When you are bloodied, as a swift action, you can spend a healing surge to gain resist damage equal to double your attunement bonus until the start of your next turn. |
BLOODTHREAD
|
|---|
| Master tailors weave threads of enchanted blood into the supple cloth used to create this robe or jacket. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Common |
| PROPERTY |
| While you are bloodied, you gain an item bonus to all your defenses equal to your attunement bonus. |
BRAVE
|
|---|
| This battle garb is rumored to prevent its wearer from defeat as long as he or she has the will to fight. |
| Armor - Cloth, Leather |
| Rarity: Rare |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain innate regen. |
CLERIC'S VESTMENTS
|
|---|
| This white robe is adorned with intricate inscriptions which change to become the verses of the dogma of the wearer's patron. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Mythic |
| Special: You must have more levels in priest than any other base class to wear this armor. |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain the benefits of Cleric materia socketed into your equipment. |
| This item counts as though it were socketed with a Cleric materia. |
DELOREAN RAIMENT
|
|---|
| This shimmering golden robe seems to move of its own accord, seemingly reacting to its wearer's motions before they happen. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Mythic |
| Special: You must have more levels in epochent than any other base class to wear this armor. |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain the benefits of Delorean materia socketed into your equipment. |
| This item counts as though it were socketed with a Delorean materia. |
EVOKER'S RAIMENT
|
|---|
| This highly stylized green robe has a vaguely draconic motif. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Mythic |
| Special: You must have more levels in caller than any other base class to wear this armor. |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain the benefits of Evoker materia socketed into your equipment. |
| This item counts as though it were socketed with a Evoker materia. |
GAIA
|
|---|
| Dyed with earth tones, this heavy tunic aligns your spirit with the energies of the planet. |
| Armor - Cloth, Leather |
| Rarity: Uncommon |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain innate earth absorb. |
| Whenever you use an ability with the [earth] descriptor, you gain an item bonus to your attack or effect roll equal to your attunement bonus. |
| Whenever you use an ability with the [earth] descriptor that deals damage rated by potency, you gain a +1 item bonus to that effect's potency. |
MIRROR
|
|---|
| Armor with the power to reflect force effects used on the wearer. |
| Armor - Mail, Plate |
| Rarity: Uncommon |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain innate reflect. |
POWER
|
|---|
| A supportive garment that enhances the wearer's fighting capabilities. |
| Armor - Leather, Mail |
| Rarity: Uncommon |
| PROPERTY |
| Whenever you deal damage with a weapon, you gain a +1 item bonus to your damage potency. |
SECRET
|
|---|
| This clothing is suited to covert missions. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Uncommon |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain innate invisibility. |
WIZARD VESTMENTS
|
|---|
| This red robe has numerous arcane sigils embroidered into it. |
| Armor - Cloth |
| Rarity: Mythic |
| Special: You must have more levels in mage than any other base class to wear this armor. |
| PROPERTY |
| You gain the benefits of Wizard materia socketed into your equipment. |
| This item counts as though it were socketed with a Wizard materia. |
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