Clay Dreslough
01-06-2006, 11:26 AM
I fear that a number of RPGs have given people the false impression that it's not difficult to swing a sword through a piece of plate mail.
Many systems have 'armor points' that are subtracted during combat. Or they simply reduce damage inflicted by some percentage.
Remember that the plate mail is made of metal, just like the sword. If it's virtually impossible to swing your sword THROUGH your opponent's sword, it will also be difficult to swing a sword THROUGH his armor.
It is possible to repeatedly bruise an armored foe until he can't continue fighting at full strength. But it's not easy for a mortal human to swing a sword through a piece of metal.
Having fought in armor, I can say that it is definitely NOT the "defense of last resort". Because plate mail (or oil-hardened leather for that matter) is nearly impervious to human-strength attacks, it becomes as useful as a shield. For example, if you're wearing a good helm, you can actually lean your head into your opponent instead of keeping it out of range. This vastly increases your attack options. The same is true for other pieces of armor, from bracers to shin guards.
If you are building a REALISTIC system, armor should be prevalent as the dominant active AND passive defense. The wearer doesn't have to be skilled for chain mail to stop a sword blade. From the Bronze Age to the advent of gunpowder, armor was used by all warriors that could get their hands on it. You didn't see knights runnining around the Holy Lands naked because the penalties of wearing armor outweighed the benefits.
That said, how armor works in your system depends entirely on the feel your want for your game. For me, it's _FUN_ to play in a system where a skilled swashbuckler in a leotard, or a mighty barbarian in a loincloth, can defeat a heavily armored foe.
If this is what you want, there's no need to argue about realism. Just build a set of rules where armor is useful for most players, but where you can also build a successful character that wears little or no armor.
The most common way to do this is to have a 'Dodge Skill' or 'Defense Bonus' that is negatively impacted by wearing armor. This gives characters the choice between relying on 'Dodge-based' defense and 'Armor-based' defense.
Clay
Many systems have 'armor points' that are subtracted during combat. Or they simply reduce damage inflicted by some percentage.
Remember that the plate mail is made of metal, just like the sword. If it's virtually impossible to swing your sword THROUGH your opponent's sword, it will also be difficult to swing a sword THROUGH his armor.
It is possible to repeatedly bruise an armored foe until he can't continue fighting at full strength. But it's not easy for a mortal human to swing a sword through a piece of metal.
Having fought in armor, I can say that it is definitely NOT the "defense of last resort". Because plate mail (or oil-hardened leather for that matter) is nearly impervious to human-strength attacks, it becomes as useful as a shield. For example, if you're wearing a good helm, you can actually lean your head into your opponent instead of keeping it out of range. This vastly increases your attack options. The same is true for other pieces of armor, from bracers to shin guards.
If you are building a REALISTIC system, armor should be prevalent as the dominant active AND passive defense. The wearer doesn't have to be skilled for chain mail to stop a sword blade. From the Bronze Age to the advent of gunpowder, armor was used by all warriors that could get their hands on it. You didn't see knights runnining around the Holy Lands naked because the penalties of wearing armor outweighed the benefits.
That said, how armor works in your system depends entirely on the feel your want for your game. For me, it's _FUN_ to play in a system where a skilled swashbuckler in a leotard, or a mighty barbarian in a loincloth, can defeat a heavily armored foe.
If this is what you want, there's no need to argue about realism. Just build a set of rules where armor is useful for most players, but where you can also build a successful character that wears little or no armor.
The most common way to do this is to have a 'Dodge Skill' or 'Defense Bonus' that is negatively impacted by wearing armor. This gives characters the choice between relying on 'Dodge-based' defense and 'Armor-based' defense.
Clay