Armor Penalties

[ElrodtheAlbino]

I have just started my own FH campaign and I am running into some problems with armor. In my simple worldview, armor should be hard to move around in, it makes you easier to hit, but difficult to damage. I know there are plenty of house rules dealing with this issue, as armor with no penalties is far too powerful. I would appreciate any hints on introducing some penalties that won't upset my players (too much).

[Eosin]

If you use the standard encumberance rules it should solve the majority of your problems. If you got a bruiser (20+ STR) this still ends up being a little shy. In that case switch to clubs and stunning attacks, nothing worse than being a tank faced with 5 orcs armed with 8d6 PD attacks.....some of it always gets through and it will only be a matter of time.

 

 

Or try using picks and such that are AP.

[Killer Shrike]

Here are my house rules, with a few options presented as well.

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/armamentsNotes.shtml

[lensman]

Now with the new 5th ed. of Fantasy Her and the introduction of the Armorsmith and Weapoinsmith modifiers, variations are encouraged.

 

Here is what I do, in addition to Armor rules

DEF pts. in Armor = - pts to wearers DEX

Every 2 pts. of DEF = - inches of movement

[Old Man]

Originally posted by lensman

 

Here is what I do, in addition to Armor rules

DEF pts. in Armor = - pts to wearers DEX

 

Wow... that sounds pretty harsh. In a decent suit of Def 6 armor you just lost 2 points of DCV and 2 points of OCV. Nasty.

[Photon1966]

Armour PenaltiesI thinkthat was a loss of 2 dex in your example, which isn't too bad, but he lost of 2" of movement would really be hampering. I do have a bruiser who wears chain and big 2-H sword, and not much else. He just scrapes by with no penalties. But in the story we are just in he is also now carrying some gear and when they got surprised he was encumbered and had to use a 1/2 phase to toss off the nap sack. So far the ENC rules haven't had a big impact but they are just starting and only the one character in armour, our double weapon guy gets bothered by his ENC.

I don't think though I'd take the 1"/2def, maybe 1"/3def, or just say som armour is restrictive and some isn't.

[CourtFool]

Check out Fantasy Hero

 

5th Edition Fantasy Hero provides several ways for balancing armor. While all of the suggestions provided there are intriguing I have been hesitant to adopt any of them. I believe in my next campaign I will make armor expensive (probably x2 cost) and keep track of damage it takes. This will add more paperwork but may deter reliance on armor if it is constantly having to be repaired/replaced.

[farik]

In our campaign we just use the encumbrance rules and we haven't had any problems. But then again we started with 50 pt characters and NCM in place so one or two hits can take a person down pretty quickly. Last session our great axe wielding tank (20 STR and Plate armor) was introduced to the glory of the military pick and the tide of battle quickly turned against us.

 

Then again we're really enjoying the detail of a low point game and use the hit location chart all the time. Most of us are wearing armor assembled with the sectional defense rules though to maximize protection in vital areas and wearing less armor inless vital areas to keep the wight down below the 10% encumbrance marker.

[Lupus]

Mostly, it depends on the genre of your game. When I run D&D, I don't bother making armour too harsh. Being able to wear heavy armour is part of the balancing factor of that game. Similarly, in a game where 'heavy fighters' from FH have an advantage in that they can wear heavy armour, you probably shouldn't be too hard on them for wearing it.

 

On the other hand, in my upcoming game, I'm gonna be discouraging people from wearing armour long-term. LTE costs, penalties to DCV for anything more than soft leather, penalties to movement for anything metal. Things like that. Also, since it's a very water-based game, any weight of armour ends up being deadly if they fall overboard...

 

Basically, they'll have to get by with light or no armour almost all the time. Until, of course, they get into set battlefield situations. If they have enough attacks against them, they'll value the extra protection. Think of Aragorn at Helm's Deep - the whole first film, he's unarmoured, because he has to remain mobile across country. But when he's pinned down and forced into a defensive battle where he may not have room to dodge, he puts on the chain armour.

 

So, in my game, I'm harsh on armour. You may not want to be so bad on it, though.