Chapter III · Equipment
Armor
Mail and plate still turn a blade. Against a revolver they do less, and in a city where a Sovereigni may see armor as a threat, they draw the wrong kind of attention. The armorers of Eldriloch build for both problems: coats that hide steel, vests that stop shrapnel, and, for those who can afford it, plate that moves on its own.
Every armor and shield in the 3.5 Player's Handbook is available in Eldriloch. The armor below is new, and uses the same rules for proficiency, armor check penalties and arcane spell failure.
New Armor and Shields
| Armor | Cost | Armor/Shield Bonus | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Arcane Spell Failure | Speed (30 ft.) | Speed (20 ft.) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Armor | ||||||||
| Riveted duster | 35 gl | +2 | +6 | 0 | 10% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 10 lb |
| Flak vest | 75 gl | +3 | +5 | –1 | 15% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 12 lb |
| Medium Armor | ||||||||
| Riveted plate | 250 gl | +5 | +3 | –4 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 28 lb |
| Heavy Armor | ||||||||
| Iron husk* | 3,000 gl | +9 | +1 | –6 | 40% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 70 lb |
| Shields | ||||||||
| Riot shield | 30 gl | +2 | — | –2 | 15% | — | — | 15 lb |
* Powered armor. The values shown are for when it's unpowered. See the entry for its powered values. Armor for Small characters costs the same and weighs half as much.
Riveted Duster
A long leather coat lined with small riveted plates between the layers. It looks like an ordinary coat: noticing that it's armor takes a DC 15 Spot check, or a pat-down. Runners, entertainers and anyone who has to walk through a Sovereigni district armed wear them.
Flak Vest
Layered canvas and overlapping steel scales, built for airship crews and soldiers who face guns. The wearer gets a +1 bonus to AC against attacks with firearms and a +2 bonus on Reflex saves against explosives.
Riveted Plate
Steel sheet shaped over the chest and back and riveted together at angled seams that turn a bullet aside. It covers about as much as a breastplate, and the wearer gets a +1 bonus to AC against attacks with firearms. Covenant Wardens and Adryaen officers wear it under their tabards and coats.
Iron Husk
A suit of full plate on a frame of pistons and cables, driven by a fibrolite core at the small of the back. Unpowered, it's heavy, slow plate. Powered, it carries its own weight: the wearer's speed isn't reduced, its armor check penalty drops to –3, and it gives a +4 bonus on Strength checks and to Strength for carrying capacity (not for attacks or damage). A 3rd-level shard (18 gl) powers it for 8 hours. Putting on an iron husk takes 5 minutes with help and 15 without. Wearing it requires Heavy Armor Proficiency. Usmon forbids iron husks within its borders under the war-machine treaty.
Riot Shield
A tall steel shield with a thick glass viewport, carried by Peacekeepers and Wardens on crowd duty. As a standard action, the bearer can plant it to gain cover (+4 AC, +2 on Reflex saves) against attacks from one direction until the start of their next turn. A planted riot shield can't be used to make shield bashes. Use the heavy shield rules otherwise.
Designer's Note: Balance
- Riveted duster: one point better than leather in maximum Dexterity, for a modest price. What it really buys is not looking armored.
- Flak vest and riveted plate: match studded leather and the breastplate, with a small bonus against firearms. Guns are rare and expensive, so the bonus rarely matters, but it fits a world that has them.
- Iron husk: one point better than full plate, at twice the price. Its powered benefits (normal speed and a lighter penalty) cost 18 gl a day and fail when the shard runs out. A fighter in an iron husk is strong, not unstoppable.