Armor & Shields
Armor is the primary source of a character's Armor Class. Each piece of armor has an AC bonus, a maximum Dexterity bonus it allows, an armor check penalty (ACP) that applies to many physical skills, and an arcane spell failure (ASF) chance that affects arcane casters. Shields add their bonus on top of armor but are tracked separately.
Key Statistics
Adds directly to AC. Doesn't apply against touch attacks or when flat-footed (unless you have Uncanny Dodge).
Caps how much of your DEX modifier can contribute to AC. If your DEX is higher than this cap, the excess is ignored. Touch AC is unaffected.
Applies to Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Swim checks. Nonproficient wearers double this penalty.
Chance that an arcane spell with a V or S component fails when cast in armor. Roll this % before casting; if it comes up, the spell is lost. Divine casters ignore ASF entirely.
Medium and heavy armor reduce speed. Characters with a base speed of 30 ft move 20 ft; those with 20 ft move 15 ft. This reduction applies even with magic enhancement.
Wearing armor you're not proficient with imposes a −4 attack penalty, doubles the ACP, and prevents natural healing while worn. You still get the AC bonus.
Armor
| Name | Cost | AC Bonus | Max Dex | ACP | ASF | Speed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIGHT ARMOR | |||||||
| Padded | 5 gp | +1 | +8 | 0 | 5% | 30/20 ft | 10 lbs |
| Leather | 10 gp | +2 | +6 | 0 | 10% | 30/20 ft | 15 lbs |
| Studded leather | 25 gp | +3 | +5 | −1 | 15% | 30/20 ft | 20 lbs |
| Chain shirt | 100 gp | +4 | +4 | −2 | 20% | 30/20 ft | 25 lbs |
| MEDIUM ARMOR | |||||||
| Hide | 15 gp | +4 | +4 | −3 | 20% | 20/15 ft | 25 lbs |
| Scale mail | 50 gp | +5 | +3 | −4 | 25% | 20/15 ft | 30 lbs |
| Chainmail | 150 gp | +6 | +2 | −5 | 30% | 20/15 ft | 40 lbs |
| Breastplate | 200 gp | +6 | +3 | −4 | 25% | 20/15 ft | 30 lbs |
| HEAVY ARMOR | |||||||
| Splint mail | 200 gp | +7 | +0 | −7 | 40% | 20/15 ft | 45 lbs |
| Banded mail | 250 gp | +7 | +1 | −6 | 35% | 20/15 ft | 35 lbs |
| Half-plate | 600 gp | +8 | +0 | −7 | 40% | 20/15 ft | 50 lbs |
| Full plate | 1,500 gp | +9 | +1 | −6 | 35% | 20/15 ft | 50 lbs |
Speed column: 30 ft base / 20 ft base. Heavy armor wearers with the heavy armor proficiency feat and Armor Training (fighter) can ignore speed reduction.
Shields
A shield's bonus stacks with armor — shields and armor are separate bonus types, both adding to AC. Using a shield occupies one hand (except bucklers, which strap to the forearm). Attacking with a shield is a separate combat feat path (Shield Bash).
| Name | Cost | AC Bonus | ACP | ASF | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckler | 5 gp | +1 | −1 | 5% | 5 lbs | Straps to arm; lose bonus if that hand is used to cast or attack |
| Light wooden shield | 3 gp | +1 | −1 | 5% | 5 lbs | Occupies off hand |
| Light steel shield | 9 gp | +1 | −1 | 5% | 6 lbs | Occupies off hand |
| Heavy wooden shield | 7 gp | +2 | −2 | 15% | 10 lbs | Occupies off hand |
| Heavy steel shield | 20 gp | +2 | −2 | 15% | 15 lbs | Occupies off hand |
| Tower shield | 30 gp | +4 | −10 | 50% | 45 lbs | Max Dex +2; can use as total cover (standard action, no other actions that turn) |
Donning & Removing Armor
| Armor Type | Don | Don Hastily | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shield | Move action | — | Move action |
| Light armor | 1 minute | 5 rounds | 1 minute |
| Medium armor | 4 minutes | 1 minute | 1 minute |
| Heavy armor | 4 minutes† | 4 minutes† | 1d4+1 min |
† Heavy armor requires help to don in 4 minutes; alone it takes 1 full minute per piece. Donning hastily gives the AC bonus but the wearer is treated as nonproficient until they take a full minute to adjust the fit.
A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is fatigued when they wake up. They cannot remove this fatigue by resting while in the armor. Light armor and padded armor do not cause fatigue.
Special Materials
Weapons and armor can be crafted from special materials — adamantine, mithral, dragonhide, cold iron, darkleaf cloth, elysian bronze, living steel, and more — each granting distinct mechanical properties. These materials apply to both weapons and armor.
View All 19 Special Materials →