How armour should work has become a hit subject on Ricks Smith's The Slope PBEM campaign so I dug up my armour talents rules, I'd be interested in any thoughts.
! Variant Rules for Armour
I wanted an armour system that remained simple, but incorporated the following:
* Wearing armour is a skill. People who don't know how find it hard to fight in it. This is perhaps an exaggeration of reality but I think wearing armour is a defining aspect of a character so it should be reflected in a talent.
* For someone who knows how to use it, armour is definitely a good thing to have. The benefits and disadvantages of armour take into account that sometimes characters will have to fight e.g. just after waking up with their armour lying on the ground in a pile.
* Weak characters find it difficult to wear lots of armour. Whereas in TFT a starting character will usually have less ST and more DX if the character plans to wear armour.
* I didn't want to confuse the thickness and level of protection of the armour with what it's made of. Contrary to TFT, leather armour isn't particularly less heavy or encumbering than plate, it just doesn't do as good a job.
The following talents reduce the penalties for wearing armour.
* '''ARMOUR 1''' (1): Requires IQ 7 and ST 9. This is useful when wearing even non-military heavy clothing so it's useful even for non-warriors.
* '''ARMOUR 2''' (1): Requires IQ 8, ST 11 and ARMOUR 1.
* '''ARMOUR 3''' (1): Requires IQ 9, ST 13 and ARMOUR 2.
* '''ARMOUR 4''' (1): Requires IQ 10, ST 15 and ARMOUR 3.
* '''ARMOUR 5''' (1): Requires IQ 11, ST 17 and ARMOUR 4.
* '''LEVEL 0 "None"''': Represents light or no clothing.
* '''LEVEL 1 "Clothes"''': Represents a few basic defences or, more likely, heavy clothing worn for some other reason and maybe some sort of resistant hat.
** Without ARMOUR 1: DX -1, MA 9.
** With ARMOUR 1 or better: DX -1, MA 10.
* '''LEVEL 2 "Light"''': Represents some minimal reinforcement of a basic jacket, maybe a skull cap, a greave on the secondary leg at least and probably the primary too, possibly an apology for something to protect the right arm.
** With ARMOUR 1: DX -2, MA 9.
** With ARMOUR 2 or better: DX -2, MA 9.
* '''LEVEL 3 "Panoply"''': Perhaps a Roman legionary's kit, or a Greek panoply: protection for lower arms and legs, a breastplate, maybe a skirt, an open helm with a nose piece and perhaps cheek plates.
** Without ARMOUR 1: DX -5, MA 6.
** With ARMOUR 1: DX -3, MA 7.
** With ARMOUR 2: DX -2, MA 8.
** With ARMOUR 3 or better: DX -2, MA 9.
* '''LEVEL 4 "Cataphract"''': Something like a mediaeval knight's hit: perhaps a cuirass or mail shirt that covers both front and back, a helm that closes up, protection on both upper and lower arms and legs, armoured shoes and gauntlets.
** Without ARMOUR 1: DX -7, MA 3.
** With ARMOUR 1: DX -5, MA 5.
** With ARMOUR 2: DX -4, MA 7.
** With ARMOUR 3: DX -3, MA 8.
** With ARMOUR 4 or better: DX -2, MA 8.
* '''LEVEL 5 "Harness"''': The full articulated harness of the renaissance: Lots of pieces and a piece to cover everything. Or something similar.
** Without ARMOUR 1: Figure cannot move.
** With ARMOUR 1: DX -8, MA 3.
** With ARMOUR 2: DX -6, MA 5.
** With ARMOUR 3: DX -4, MA 6.
** With ARMOUR 4: DX -3, MA 7.
** With ARMOUR 5: DX -3, MA 8.
* '''LEVEL 6 "Joust"''': Armour probably excessive for walking about in, on its way to being jousting armour but not quite completely impractical yet:
** Without ARMOUR 2: Figure cannot move.
** With ARMOUR 2: DX -8, MA 2.
** With ARMOUR 4: DX -5, MA 6.
** With ARMOUR 5: DX -4, MA 7.
* The MA given above is for humans.
* If the character has RUNNING talent multiply MA by 1.5 and subtract 3, or leave it the same, whichever is more.
* If the character is an elf multiply MA by 1.5 and subtract 3.
* A dwarf's MA is the human MA, plus 7, halved.
So an elf with RUNNING and no armour has MA 10 becomes 12 with RUNNING, becomes 15 for being an elf.