Equipment

Equipment

Characters begin play only with basic equipment. This normally includes a weapon, light armor, rations, and travelling supplies. Additional equipment, including heavy armor, improved materials (quicksilver, adamantine, ironwood), substantial supplies, mounts, etc may be obtained using the Improved Background Benefit.

Armor & Shields

Armor Value

All armor has an armor value which is added to your available dodge bonus for a combined Physical Defense. This value is removed from the dice pools of incoming attacks. Unlike dodge, armor is not reduced after each incoming attack during the round. However, armor may be partially or completely bypassed by weapons or skills with the “Armor Piercing” ability.

Damage Reduction

Medium and Heavy forms of armor provide Damage Reduction, which reduces incoming lethal damage to non-lethal damage. Each point of Damage Reduction reduces a single point of Lethal damage per attack. Certain powers provide Damage Reduction which in some cases may stack with the benefit provided by armor. If a power indicates that it adds "+x Physical Damage Reduction" it stacks with the benefit from armor, while powers that say "x Physical Damage Reduction" do not stack, and the highest value is applied.

Max Dodge

All armor has a maximum dodge value it allows wearers to apply towards their defense. Some special materials or spells can improve this limit. A player’s dodge is equal to the average of their Dexterity and Intelligence rounded down.

Shields

Shields provide a Shield bonus to defense, and act to counter the Armor Piercing attribute. Both the defensive bonus, and the Armor Piercing Reduction may only be applied when the shield user is not flat-footed.

Armor

Armor Type	Examples	Armor Value	Damage Reduction	Max Dodge	Armor Check Penalty	Required Strength
Light	Studded Leather, Chain Shirt	1	-	5	-	1
Medium	Chainmail, Scale Mail	2	1	3	1	2
Heavy	Full Plate	3	2	1	2	3

Shields

Shield Type	Examples	Armor Value	Armor Piercing Reduction	Armor Check Penalty	Required Strength
Light	Buckler, Hoplon	1	1	-	2
Heavy	Heater Shield, Kite Shield	2	1	1	3