Armor and shield player guide: Difference between revisions

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==Skillset Placement==
==Skillset Placement==


Your guild can be armor-primary, armor-secondary, or armor-tertiary. The main consequence of your guild's armor skillset placement is to determine how quickly you learn armor skills. The better your skillset placement, the more field experience you can hold, and the more efficiently that field experience is converted into actual ranks. See [[Experience]] for a more detailed discussion.<br>
Your guild can be armor-primary, armor-secondary, or armor-tertiary. The main consequence of your guild's armor skillset placement is to determine how quickly you learn armor skills. The better your skillset placement, the more field experience you can hold, and the more efficiently that field experience is converted into actual ranks. See [[Experience]] for a more detailed discussion.<br>
<br>
<br>
Additionally, your skillset placement determines your access to skillset-based perks.
Additionally, your skillset placement determines your access to skillset-based perks.
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|-
|-
|can avoid penalty to aiming/loading bows while wearing||medium or small shields||small shields<sup>4</sup>||no shield
|can avoid penalty to aiming/loading bows while wearing||medium or small shields||small shields<sup>4</sup>||no shield
|-
|extra stance points from the {{Skill|Defending}}||every 50 ranks||every 60 ranks||every 70 ranks
|-
|-
|more nuanced [[Appraisal_skill#Shield_protection|shield appraisal]]||automatic||requires shield ranks||requires shield ranks
|more nuanced [[Appraisal_skill#Shield_protection|shield appraisal]]||automatic||requires shield ranks||requires shield ranks
|}
|}
#Although Commoners are treated as having all secondary skillsets for experience purposes, they lack the other perks of secondary skillset placements.
#Although Commoners are treated as having all secondary skillsets for experience drain purposes, they lack the other perks of secondary skillset placements.
#You must be at least 4th circle to take advantage of the ability to wear medium or large shields.
#You must be at least 4th circle to take advantage of the ability to wear medium or large shields.
#Every 10 circles, Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type, so that by 30th circle, they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
#Every 10 circles, Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type, so that by 30th circle, they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
#Barbarians can avoid the penalty by arm-wearing a small shield. Rangers can do so as well while [[See the Wind]] is active. Traders cannot avoid this penalty.
#Barbarians and Rangers can avoid the penalty by arm-wearing a small shield. Traders cannot avoid this penalty.


==Stats That Apply to Both==
==Stats That Apply to Both==
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===Hindrance===
===Hindrance===


Wearing armor makes it more difficult for you to move in combat. Hindrance comes in two types:
Wearing armor makes it more difficult for you to move in combat. Hindrance comes in two types:
*'''maneuvering hindrance''': penalizes all defenses, with evasion being most affected and shield being least affected
*'''maneuvering hindrance''': penalizes all defenses, with evasion being most affected and shield being least affected
*'''stealth hindrance''': makes it more difficult to engage in stealthy actions such as hiding
*'''stealth hindrance''': makes it more difficult to engage in stealthy actions such as hiding
Armor has separate maneuvering and stealth hindrance ratings, while shields impose equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.<br>
Armor has separate maneuvering and stealth hindrance ratings, while shields impose equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.<br>
<br>
<br>
As you gain ranks in armor skills, you will experience less hindrance in that type of armor. How much hindrance you can work off depends on your skillset placement and the type of armor.<br>
As you gain ranks in armor skills, you will experience less hindrance in that type of armor. How much hindrance you can work off depends on your skillset placement and the type of armor.<br>
<br>
<br>
When you appraise a piece of armor you are wearing, you will see:
When you appraise a piece of armor you are wearing, you will see:
*the base maneuvering and stealth hindrance for that piece
*the base maneuvering and stealth hindrance for that piece
:''You feel certain that a luminous suit of tonlet armor with winged pauldrons appears to impose great maneuvering hindrance and overwhelming stealth hindrance''
:''You feel certain that a heavy vardite plate cuirass with a reinforced design appears to impose noticeable (8/15) maneuvering hindrance and significant (10/15) stealth hindrance''
*how much maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are experiencing from it (usually lower than the base hindrance due to your skill)
*how much maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are actually experiencing from it (usually lower than the base hindrance due to your skill)
:''If you were only wearing a luminous suit of tonlet armor with winged pauldrons your maneuvering would be minimally hindered and your stealth would be moderately hindered.''
:''If you were only wearing a heavy vardite plate cuirass with a reinforced design, your maneuvering would be barely hindered (1/14), and your stealth would be fairly hindered (5/14).''
*the total amount of maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are experiencing from all of the armor you're wearing.
*the total amount of maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are currently experiencing from all of the armor you're wearing.
:''But considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently fairly hindered and your stealth is highly hindered.''
:''But considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently fairly hindered (5/14), and your stealth is highly hindered (10/14).''
<br>
<br>
'''Hindrance Levels, From Best to Worst''':
'''Base Hindrance Levels, From Best to Worst''':
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Order!!Base Hindrance!!Current Hindrance
!Order!!Base Hindrance
|-
|0||no
|-
|1||insignificant
|-
|2||trivial
|-
|3||light
|-
|4||minor
|-
|5||fair
|-
|6||mild
|-
|7||moderate
|-
|8||noticeable
|-
|9||high
|-
|10||significant
|-
|11||great
|-
|12||extreme
|-
|13||debilitating
|-
|14||overwhelming
|-
|15||insane
|}
<br>
'''Current Hindrance Levels, From Best to Worst''':
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Order!!Current Hindrance
|0||no||unhindered
|-
|-
|0||unhindered
|1||insignificant||barely
|-
|-
|1||barely hindered
|2||trivial||minimally
|-
|-
|2||minimally hindered
|3||light||insignificantly
|-
|-
|3||insignificantly hindered
|4||minor||lightly
|-
|-
|4||lightly hindered
|5||fair||fairly
|-
|-
|5||fairly hindered
|6||mild||somewhat
|-
|-
|6||somewhat hindered
|7||moderate||moderately
|-
|-
|7||moderately hindered
|8||noticeable||rather
|-
|-
|8||rather hindered
|9||high||very
|-
|-
|9||very hindered
|10||significant||highly
|-
|-
|10||highly hindered
|11||great||greatly
|-
|-
|11||greatly hindered
|12||extreme||extremely
|-
|-
|12||extremely hindered
|13||debilitating||overwhelmingly
|-
|-
|13||overwhelmingly hindered
|14||overwhelming||insanely
|-
|-
|14||insanely hindered
|15||insane||
|}
|}


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After the protection and hindrance stats, you will see a line like this:
After the protection and hindrance stats, you will see a line like this:
:''You are certain that the tonlet armor is unusually resilient to damage<sup>1</sup>, and is in pristine condition<sup>2</sup>.''
:''You are certain that the plate cuirass is nearly impervious to damage (17/18)<sup>1</sup> and is in pristine condition (100%)<sup>2</sup>.''
<br>
<br>
Shields and armor become damaged during use. Though they cannot be permanently destroyed or weakened, you will need to periodically repair your equipment to experience peak performance. The first part of that appraisal tells you how durable the armor is. The more durable it is, the longer it takes for the armor to become damaged and need repairs.<br>
Shields and armor become damaged during use. Though they cannot be permanently destroyed or weakened, you will need to periodically repair your equipment to experience peak performance. The first part of that appraisal tells you how durable the armor is. The more durable it is, the longer it takes for the armor to become damaged and need repairs.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Construction Levels, From Worst to Best''':
'''Construction Levels, From Worst to Best''':
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|}
|}
<br>
<br>
The second part of that line tells you how much damage the armor has taken. When it gets below 80%, you will start to experience diminished performance:<br>
The second part of that line tells you how much damage the armor has taken. When it gets below 80%, you will start to experience diminished performance:<br>
'''Equipment Damage Levels, From Worst to Best''':
'''Equipment Damage Levels, From Best to Worst''':
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Health!!Description
!Health!!Description
|-
|-
|98-100%||in pristine condition
|100%||in pristine condition
|-
|-
|90-97%||practically in mint condition
|91-99%||practically in mint condition
|-
|-
|80-89%||in good condition
|81-90%||in good condition
|-
|-
|70-79%||rather scuffed up
|71-80%||rather scuffed up
|-
|-
|60-69%||some minor scratches
|61-70%||some minor scratches
|-
|-
|50-59%||a few dents and dings
|51-60%||a few dents and dings
|-
|-
|40-49%||several unsightly notches
|41-50%||several unsightly notches
|-
|-
|30-39%||heavily scratched and notched
|31-40%||heavily scratched and notched
|-
|-
|20-29%||badly damaged
|21-30%||badly damaged
|-
|-
|0-19%||battered and practically destroyed
|0-20%||battered and practically destroyed
|}
|}


==Shields==
==Shields==


Shields come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. In general, larger shields offer more protection but at the expense of greater weight and hindrance. (All shields have equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.)<br>
Shields come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. In general, larger shields offer more protection but at the expense of greater weight and hindrance. (All shields have equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.)<br>
<br>
<br>
Additionally, not all sizes are equally suited for all attacks.
Additionally, not all sizes are equally suited for all attacks.
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|}
|}


===Shield Protection Ratings===
===Shield Protection===


When you appraise a shield, you will see a line like this:
When you appraise a shield, you will see a line like this:
:''You are certain that the shield offers fair<sup>1</sup> to incredible<sup>2</sup> protection.''
:''You are certain that the shield offers good (12/26)<sup>1</sup> to incredible (23/26)<sup>2</sup> protection.''
<br>
<br>
The first value is the "'''basic defense'''" (or minimum defense or low-end protection). This is a guaranteed minimum level of protection afforded to all adventurers, regardless of how skilled they are in using shields.<br>
The first value is the "'''basic defense'''" (or minimum defense or low-end protection). This is a guaranteed minimum level of protection afforded to all adventurers, regardless of how skilled they are in using shields.<br>
<br>
<br>
The second value is the "'''full defense'''" (or maximum defense or high-end protection). In order to take advantage of the shield's full defense, you need to have skill in shield usage. The higher the full defense rating, the more ranks are required to take full advantage of it.<br>
The second value is the "'''full defense'''" (or maximum defense or high-end protection). In order to take advantage of the shield's full defense, you need to have skill in shield usage. The higher the full defense rating, the more ranks are required to take full advantage of it.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Shield Protection Levels, From Worst to Best''' (some values only visible to Paladins and skilled users):
'''Shield Protection Levels, From Worst to Best''' ("expanded scale" only visible to Paladins and skilled users):

{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Order!!Expanded<br>Scale!!Order!!Standard<br>Scale
!Order!!Protection
|-
|-
|0||no
|0||no||0||no
|-
|-
|1||extremely terrible
|1||extremely terrible||1||extremely terrible
|-
|-
|2||terrible
|2||terrible||||
|-
|-
|3||dismal
|3||dismal||2||dismal
|-
|-
|4||very poor
|4||very poor||||
|-
|-
|5||poor
|5||poor||3||poor
|-
|-
|6||rather low
|6||rather low||||
|-
|-
|7||low
|7||low||4||low
|-
|-
|8||fair
|8||fair||5||fair
|-
|-
|9||better than fair
|9||better than fair||||
|-
|-
|10||moderate
|10||moderate||6||moderate
|-
|-
|11||moderately good
|11||moderately good||||
|-
|-
|12||good
|12||good||7||good
|-
|-
|13||very good
|13||very good||||
|-
|-
|14||high
|14||high||8||high
|-
|-
|15||very high
|15||very high||||
|-
|-
|16||great
|16||great||9||great
|-
|-
|17||very great
|17||very great||||
|-
|-
|18||exceptional
|18||exceptional||10||exceptional
|-
|-
|19||very exceptional
|19||very exceptional||||
|-
|-
|20||impressive
|20||impressive||11||impressive
|-
|-
|21||very impressive
|21||very impressive||||
|-
|-
|22||amazing
|22||amazing||12||amazing
|-
|-
|23||incredible
|23||incredible||||
|-
|-
|24||tremendous
|24||tremendous||13||tremendous
|-
|-
|25||unbelievable
|25||unbelievable||||
|-
|-
|26||god-like
|26||god-like||14||god-like
|}
|}


===Wearing Shields===
===Wearing Shields===


Depending on your guild and the size of the shield (see [[Armor_and_shield_player_guide#Skillset_Placement|above]]), you may not actually need to hold it in the hand in order to use it. You may be able to {{com|adjust}} it so that it's worn on the arm.<br>
Depending on your guild and the size of the shield (see [[Armor_and_shield_player_guide#Skillset_Placement|above]]), you may not actually need to hold it in the hand in order to use it. You may be able to {{com|adjust}} it so that it's worn on the arm.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Advantages of Arm-worn Shields'''
'''Advantages of Arm-worn Shields'''
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*20% decrease in protection (as opposed to holding it)
*20% decrease in protection (as opposed to holding it)
*offensive and defensive penalty while using two-handed melee weapons with worn shields
*offensive and defensive penalty while using two-handed melee weapons with worn shields
*penalty to aiming and loading and bows (see [[Armor_and_shield_player_guide#Skillset_Placement|above]] for exceptions)
*penalty to aiming and loading bows (see [[Armor_and_shield_player_guide#Skillset_Placement|above]] for exceptions)


===Choosing a Shield===
===Choosing a Shield===


You should begin your training with a small shield. Depending on your budget, you will be able to choose from among a store-bought shield, a crafted leather shield, or a crafted metal shield. Player-made crafted shields will cost at least several platinum coins, so if you are just starting out pick up a reinforced cougar-hide targe from [[Bukor's Leatherworks]] (Knife Clan) until you can afford to upgrade.<br>
Regardless of guild, for your first shield, it is best to choose a small shield that has as much basic defense and as little hindrance and weight as possible. Even if you are a Paladin, it does not make sense to choose a massive wall shield as a novice, because you lack the skill in shield usage to take advantage of a large shield's higher full defense rating. (Yet its added hindrance and weight will definitely hamper you.) Moreover, you cannot wear medium or large shields on the arm until 4th circle anyway.<br>
<br>
<br>
At lower skill levels, try to maximize worn basic defense while minimizing hindrance. Most of the time you will be wearing a shield on your arm, so it's a good idea to compare the worn defense (not the higher held defense) between shields. Crafted metal small shields tend to offer higher basic defense at the cost of higher hindrance when compared to crafted leather small shields. If stealth matters, look for a lower hindrance leather shield. For those on a tight budget, consider acquiring boar-skin leather from [[Wild_Boar|wild boars]] or covellite from [[Mining|mining]] and finding a tailor or armorsmith to create your shield for a small fee.<br>
Although store-bought shields are perfectly serviceable, you will eventually want to upgrade to a player-made shield. Shields can be made of metal (via forging) or leather (via outfitting).<br>
<br>
<br>
At higher skill levels, most players favor crafted leather small shields because they offer similar or greater worn full defense to metal shields while having lower hindrance and weight.<br>
For a skilled Paladin (100+ ranks of shield), a large metal shield is the best option. Most other guilds prefer small leather shields, even those that are capable of wearing medium shields. Characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion tend to prefer the smallest, least hindering shields.<br>
<br>
For a skilled Paladin (150+ ranks of shield), a large metal shield is the most popular option (although some high-level Paladins say that a small diamond-hide shield outperforms a large {{ilink|s|triple-reinforced vardite pavise shield|vardite pavise shield}} at melee). Most other guilds prefer small leather shields, even those that are capable of wearing medium shields. Characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion tend to prefer the smallest, least hindering shields.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Why don't more people use small metal shields?'''<br>
'''Why don't more people use small metal shields?'''<br>
Although small metal shields often have a good basic defense rating, they tend to be heavier and more hindering than their leather counterparts while often having a lower full defense.<br>
:Although small metal shields often have a good basic defense rating, they tend to be more hindering than their leather counterparts. However, there are some exceptions, such as the metal sipar, which can get down to 1/15 hindrance in lumium.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Why don't more people use medium shields?'''<br>
'''Why don't more people use medium shields?'''<br>
Medium shields are not a popular choice. This is because most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with small shields, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with large shields. (Additionally, most guilds are only capable of wearing small shields.) Medium shields fall between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.<br>
:Medium shields are not a popular choice. This is because most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with small shields, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with large shields. (Additionally, most guilds are only capable of wearing small shields.) Medium shields fall between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.
<br>
<br>
'''Why don't more people use large leather shields?'''<br>
'''Why don't more people use large leather shields?'''<br>
While large leather shields may be lighter and less hindering than their metal counterparts, they tend to have lower full defense ratings. Most people who use large shields are Paladins who want to maximize protection. Hindrance is less of an issue to them, because they rely on defenses (namely shield) that aren't as sensitive to hindrance. They don't usually want to reduce hindrance at the expense of protection.
:While large leather shields may be lighter and less hindering than their metal counterparts, they tend to have lower full defense ratings. Most people who use large shields are Paladins who want to maximize protection. Hindrance is less of an issue to them, because they rely on defenses (namely shield) that aren't as sensitive to hindrance. They don't usually want to reduce hindrance at the expense of protection.


===Player-Made Shield Templates===
===Player-Made Shield Templates===


When considering which type of player-made shield you want, the larger templates offer more protection but are usually more hindering and heavier. You can get an idea of the relative size of different templates by looking at the volume of material required to make it.
When considering which type of player-made shield you want, the larger templates offer more protection but are usually more hindering and heavier. You can get an idea of the relative size of different templates by looking at the volume of material required to make them.


'''[[Tailoring_products#Shield|Leather Shields (Tailoring)]]'''
====[[Tailoring_products#Shield|Leather Shields (Tailoring)]]====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Size!!Template!!Volume
!Size!!Template!!Volume||Standard* Weight||Standard* Hindrance||Worn Basic||Worn Full
|-
|-
|small||ordinary shield||8
|small||[[Shield:Ordinary shield (leather)|ordinary shield]]||8||32||03-light||02-terrible||07-low
|-
|-
|small||small shield||8
|small||[[Shield:Small shield (crafted)|small shield]]||8||32||02-trivial||02-terrible||07-low
|-
|-
|small||targe||10
|small||[[Shield:Targe (leather)|targe]]||10||40||04-minor||02-terrible||08-fair
|-
|-
|small||target shield||12
|small||[[Shield:Target shield (crafted)|target shield]]||12||48||02-trivial||01-e.terrible||07-low
|-
|-
|medium||buckler||12
|medium||[[Shield:Buckler (crafted)|buckler]]||12||48||??||??||??
|-
|-
|medium||medium shield||16
|medium||[[Shield:Medium shield (leather)|medium shield]]||16||64||??||??||??
|-
|-
|medium||oval shield||20
|medium||[[Shield:Oval shield (leather)|oval shield]]||20||80||??||??||??
|-
|-
|large||kite shield||24
|large||[[Shield:Kite shield (leather)|kite shield]]||24||96||??||??||??
|}
|}
'''* Note:''' Standard leather refers to goblin-skin leather with no modifications
<br>

'''[[Armorsmithing_products#Shield_Design|Metal Shields (Armorsmithing)]]'''
====[[Armorsmithing_products#Shield_Design|Metal Shields (Armorsmithing)]]====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Size!!Template!!Volume
!Size!!Template!!Volume!!Standard* Weight!!Standard* Hindrance||Worn Basic||Worn Full
|-
|-
|small||target shield/round sipar/triangular sipar||14
|small||[[Shield:Target shield (metal)|target shield/round sipar/triangular sipar]]||14||70||02-trivial||04-v.poor||08-fair
|-
|-
|small||ordinary shield/targe/ceremonial shield||16
|small||[[Shield:Ordinary shield (metal)|ordinary shield/targe/ceremonial shield]]||16||80||04-minor||05-poor||09-b.t.fair
|-
|-
|medium||medium shield||20
|medium||[[Shield:Medium shield (metal)|medium shield]]||20||100||05-fair||??||??
|-
|-
|medium||medium buckler/circular buckler/curved shield||20
|medium||[[Shield:Medium buckler (crafted)|medium buckler/circular buckler/curved shield]]||20||100||??||??||??
|-
|-
|medium||oval shield/skirmisher's shield/jousting shield||25
|medium||[[Shield:Oval shield (metal)|oval shield/skirmisher's shield/jousting shield]]||25||125||06-mild||??||??
|-
|-
|large||kite shield/warrior's shield/aegis||30
|large||[[Shield:Aegis (crafted)|kite shield/warrior's shield/aegis]]||30||150||08-noticeable||??||??
|-
|-
|large||tower shield/battle shield/heater shield/war shield||40
|large||[[Shield:Tower shield (crafted)|tower shield/battle shield/heater shield/war shield]]||40||200||10-significant||??||??
|}
|}
'''* Note:''' Standard metal refers to 100% high-carbon steel with no modifications


==Body Armor==
==Body Armor==


DragonRealms differs from many other games in that any guild can wear any type of armor. As mentioned above, your guild's skillset placement simply determines how quickly you learn armor skills and how effectively you can reduce hindrance by training armor.<br>
DragonRealms differs from many other games in that any guild can wear any type of armor. As mentioned above, your guild's skillset placement simply determines how quickly you learn armor skills and how effectively you can reduce hindrance by training armor.<br>
<br>
<br>
Body armor comes in four types: light, chain, brigandine, and plate. Modern light armor is less hindering than chain, which is less hindering than brigandine, which is less hindering than plate.<br>
Body armor comes in four types: light, chain, brigandine, and plate. Modern light armor is less hindering than chain, which is less hindering than brigandine, which is less hindering than plate.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Light armor''' consists of cloth, leather, and bone armor. (Bone is a catch-all for any light armor that is not made of cloth or leather.) This is the lightest, least hindering armor. Light armor offers lower protection than the other types of armor, but it's also lighter and less hindering. This is one of the most popular armor types, especially among characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion.<br>
'''Light armor''' consists of cloth, leather, and bone armor. (Bone is a catch-all for any light armor that is not made of cloth or leather.) This is the lightest, least hindering armor. Light armor offers lower protection than the other types of armor, but it's also lighter and less hindering. This is one of the most popular armor types, especially among characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Chain armor''' or mail is made of small metal rings linked together to form a mesh. Most armor-tertiary guilds who don't opt for light armor use chain armor.<br>
'''Chain armor''' or mail is made of small metal rings linked together to form a mesh. Most armor-tertiary guilds who don't opt for light armor use chain armor.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Brigandine''' is made of metal scales, bands, or small plates. It is not commonly used as a primary armor for the same reason that medium shields are not popular: that most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with light or chain armor, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with plate armor. Brigandine falls between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.<br>
'''Brigandine''' is made of overlapping metal scales, bands, or small plates. It is not commonly used as a primary armor for the same reason that medium shields are not popular: that most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with light or chain armor, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with plate armor. Brigandine falls between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Plate armor''' is made of articulated metal plates. The heaviest and most hindering armor, plate is the primary armor of choice for Paladins. Plate is not a popular choice for armor-tertiary guilds due to its extreme hindrance.
'''Plate armor''' is made of articulated metal plates. The heaviest and most hindering armor, plate is the primary armor of choice for Paladins. Plate is not a popular choice for armor-tertiary guilds due to its extreme hindrance.


===Armor Protection and Absorption===
===Armor Protection and Absorption===
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For each type of damage, there are two defense ratings:
For each type of damage, there are two defense ratings:
*'''Protection''': An armor's protection reduces incoming damage by a flat amount, making it ideal for dealing with light hits. While it may not reduce damage by as much as absorption (the other stat), protection tends to be the stat that reduces damage to 0.
*'''Protection''': An armor's protection reduces incoming damage by a flat amount, making it ideal for dealing with light hits. While it may not reduce damage by as much as absorption (the other stat), protection tends to be the stat that reduces damage to 0.
::Protection is heavily modified by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor. (Armor factor is armor skill and a few other modifiers. Offensive factor is weapon skill and a some other modifiers.) With low armor skill (compared to the attacker), your armor loses all of its protection.
::Protection is heavily modified by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor. (Armor factor is armor skill and a few other modifiers. Offensive factor is weapon skill and some other modifiers.) With low armor skill (compared to the attacker), your armor loses all of its protection.
*'''Absorption''': An armor's absorption reduces damage by a percentage, making it ideal for mitigating large hits. However, absorption generally won't reduce damage to 0. (That's what protection does.) In player-made armor, absorption generally correlates with the density of the material used.
*'''Absorption''': An armor's absorption reduces damage by a percentage, making it ideal for mitigating large hits. However, absorption generally won't reduce damage to 0. (That's what protection does.) In player-made armor, absorption generally correlates with the density of the material used.
::Unlike protection, absorption is not severely penalized by lack of armor skill. It is only modified slightly by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor.
::Unlike protection, absorption is not severely penalized by lack of armor skill. It is only modified slightly by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor.


'''Defense Levels, From Worst to Best''':
'''Armor Protection Levels, From Worst to Best''':
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
!Order!!Protection!!Absorption
!Order!!Protection
|-
|-
|0||no
|1||poor||very poor
|-
|1||poor
|-
|2||low
|-
|3||fair
|-
|4||moderate
|-
|5||good
|-
|6||very good
|-
|7||high
|-
|8||very high
|-
|9||great
|-
|10||very great
|-
|11||extreme
|-
|12||exceptional
|-
|13||incredible
|-
|14||amazing
|-
|15||unbelievable
|}
<br>
'''Armor Absorption Levels, From Worst to Best''':
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Order!!Absorption
|-
|0||no
|-
|-
|2||low||poor
|1||very poor
|-
|-
|3||fair||low
|2||poor
|-
|-
|3||low
|4||moderate||somewhat fair
|-
|-
|5||good||fair
|4||somewhat fair
|-
|-
|5||fair
|6||very good||moderate
|-
|-
|7||high||good
|6||moderate
|-
|-
|8||very high||very good
|7||good
|-
|-
|8||very good
|9||great||high
|-
|-
|10||very great||very high
|9||high
|-
|-
|10||very high
|11||extreme||great
|-
|-
|12||exceptional||very great
|11||great
|-
|-
|12||very great
|13||incredible||extreme
|-
|-
|13||extreme
|14||amazing||exceptional
|-
|-
|14||exceptional
|15||unbelievable||incredible
|-
|-
|15||incredible
|16||||outstanding
|-
|-
|17||||amazing
|16||amazing
|-
|-
|18||||unbelievable
|17||unbelievable
|}
|}


===Choosing Body Armor===
===Choosing Body Armor===


Although strictly speaking, you will get the best performance by choosing one type of armor and sticking with it, the majority of players prefer to train multiple armors to earn extra [[Time Development Points|TDPs]] for raising stats. At first, you will not notice much of a difference, but as you grow in skill, you are really shooting yourself in the foot if you deprive yourself of these TDPs.
Although strictly speaking, you will get the best performance by choosing one type of armor and sticking with it, the majority of players prefer to train multiple armors to earn extra [[Time Development Points|TDPs]] for raising stats. At low levels, the TDPs gained from ranks is quite small, but it grows substantially over time. An additional advantage of training multiple armors is the added flexibility you have down the road. If you manage to come across a really good piece of armor for a skill you don't train, it could take a very long time to back train the ranks to use it at level.


'''TDPs From Armor Ranks'''
'''TDPs From Armor Ranks'''
Line 425: Line 506:


'''Drawbacks of Mixing Armor'''
'''Drawbacks of Mixing Armor'''
*Mixed armor penalty to hindrance for every additional armor type worn at the same time. (In other words, your total hindrance will be greater than the sum of the hindrance from each piece of armor.)
*Mixed armor penalty to hindrance for every additional armor type worn at the same time. (In other words, your total hindrance will be greater than the sum of the hindrance from each piece of armor.)
::As mentioned earlier, every 10 circles, Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type, so that by 30th circle, they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
::As mentioned earlier, every 10 circles Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type so that by 30th circle they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
*Even without the mixing penalty, the more of your body that is covered by heavier armors, the more hindered you will be. This is felt most keenly by armor-tertiary guilds and those who rely heavily on stealth and evasion.
*Even without the mixing penalty, the more of your body that is covered by heavier armors the more hindered you will be. This is felt most keenly by armor-tertiary guilds and those who rely heavily on stealth and evasion.
*Paladins who prefer to wear plate are sacrificing protection for parts of the body covered by the lighter armors.
*Paladins who prefer to wear plate are sacrificing protection for parts of the body covered by the lighter armors.


====Coverage Areas====
====Coverage Areas====


When wearing armor, the experience that you get -- and the hindrance that you experience -- is based on the amount of the body covered by that armor. For example, if you were wearing full plate with brigandine accessories, 71.4% of your armor experience would go to plate armor, and the remaining 28.6% of your armor experience would go to brigandine. Moreover, 71.4% of your total hindrance would be attributed to your plate armor, whereas 28.6% of your hindrance would be attributed to your brigandine armor. (You can check your total hindrance by {{com|appraise|appraising}} a piece of armor you are wearing.)<br>
When wearing armor, the experience that you get -- and the hindrance that you experience -- is based on the amount of the body covered by that armor. For example, if you were wearing full plate with brigandine accessories, 71.4% of your armor experience would go to plate armor, and the remaining 28.6% of your armor experience would go to brigandine. Moreover, 71.4% of your total hindrance would be attributed to your plate armor, whereas 28.6% of your hindrance would be attributed to your brigandine armor. (You can check your total hindrance by {{com|appraise|appraising}} a piece of armor you are wearing.)<br>
<br>
<br>
The experience/hindrance percentages were calculated by the player of [[User:Codiax|Codiax]]<ref>[[Post:Chain Armor testing/templates - 03/25/2014 - 07:27]]</ref>. You can also see what that piece of armor is called in player-made cloth, leather, bone, chain, brigandine, and plate templates. (Store-bought armor will often follow the same naming conventions, but you should appraise it or check Elanthipedia to be sure.)
The experience/hindrance percentages were calculated by the player of [[User:Codiax|Codiax]]<ref>[[Post:Chain Armor testing/templates - 03/25/2014 - 07:27]]</ref>. You can also see what that piece of armor is called in player-made cloth, leather, bone, chain, brigandine, and plate templates. (Store-bought armor will often follow the same naming conventions, but you should appraise it or check Elanthipedia to be sure.)


{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
Line 470: Line 551:
|'''back'''||11.7%||||||||||||backplate
|'''back'''||11.7%||||||||||||backplate
|-
|-
|'''arms/hands'''||29.9%||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves
|'''arms/hands'''||29.8%||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves||sleeves
|-
|-
|'''arms'''||22.1%||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces
|'''arms'''||22.0%||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces||vambraces
|-
|-
|'''hands'''||7.8%||gloves||gloves||gloves||gloves||gloves||gauntlets
|'''hands'''||7.8%||gloves||gloves||gloves||gloves||gloves||gauntlets
Line 479: Line 560:
|}
|}


You can use this chart to created mixed armor setups that divide experience as evenly as possible. For example, if you wanted to train chain armor and light armor, you might try a chain robe (torso/legs), and a leather cowl (head/eyes/neck) and sleeves (arms/hands). When choosing where to put which types of armor, it is often advisable to put the most protection on your vital areas (head, neck, chest, abdomen, and back).
You can use this chart to created mixed armor setups that divide experience as evenly as possible. For example, if you wanted to train chain armor and light armor, you might try a chain robe (torso/legs), and a leather cowl (head/eyes/neck) and sleeves (arms/hands). When choosing where to put which types of armor, it is often advisable to put the most protection on your vital areas (head, neck, chest, abdomen, and back).<br>
<br>
For those who are considering whether to buy one large piece of armor or several small pieces of the same type (for example, a ring hauberk versus a ring lorica + ring vambraces + ring greaves), it takes the same amount of material. Here are the advantages of each approach:<br>
<br>
'''Advantages of Larger Pieces of Armor'''
*reduced item count (as few as three for a full suit of armor)
*reduced time required to repair your armor (fewer pieces)
*reduced roundtime for removing all armor in combat (since you are reducing the number of pieces to remove)
*If you are trying to alter a complete suit of armor, it requires fewer sessions (as well as sometimes being easier to design).
*When looking at your worn items, your description will not be as cluttered (assuming you don't have any items that conceal armor).
*Combining coverage areas means you are less likely to take up limited inventory slots used by other types of items. (For example, aventails use a neck slot, which is commonly used by items with special mechanics. Masks use the only nose slot. Backplates use a shirt with armor slot. Tassets and faulds use a waist slot.)
<br>
'''Advantages of Smaller Pieces of Armor'''
*reduced weight
*reduced hindrance
*Smaller pieces of armor are easier to craft, requiring less skill to get the most out of rare materials.
*If you later decide to mix armor, it is less expensive to have a few accessories made than to pay for a whole new setup.


===Player-Made Armor Templates===
===Player-Made Armor Templates===
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====Light Armor====
====Light Armor====


Player-made light armor comes in three material types, which each have three different styles. Each style requires the same amount of material to make and (all other things being equal) will be pretty similar in total stats. Light armor styles differ in which kinds of damage they favor (offer better protection against) or disfavor (offer less protection against).
Player-made light armor comes in three material types, which each have three different styles. Each style requires the same amount of material to make and (all other things being equal) will be pretty similar in total stats. Light armor styles differ in which kinds of damage they favor (offer better protection against) or disfavor (offer less protection against).


'''[[Tailoring_products#Armor|Cloth Armor (Tailoring)]]'''
'''[[Tailoring_products#Armor|Cloth Armor (Tailoring)]]'''
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====Metal Armor====
====Metal Armor====
Player-made metal armor comes in three types, which each have three different styles. Unlike light armor, the three styles of each metal armor are effectively three tiers of protection. For each type of armor, there is a light, a medium, and a heavy style.


Player-made metal armor comes in three material types, which each have three different styles. Unlike light armor, the three styles of each metal armor are effectively three tiers of protection. For each type of armor, there is a light, a medium, and a heavy style.<br>
<br>
Heavier styles:
Heavier styles:
*offer superior protection (absorption is based on metal density and unchanged across styles)
*offer superior defense
*are more hindering
*are more hindering
*weigh more
*weigh more
*require more metal to make
*require more metal to make

<br>
'''Metal Armor (Armorsmithing)'''
'''Metal Armor (Armorsmithing)'''
{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
Line 557: Line 653:


=====Commonly Used Materials=====
=====Commonly Used Materials=====
Metal armor material cliff notes:
* If you want cheap and light, buy covellite.
* If you want minimum hindrance, buy minimum density lumium.
* If you want great all-around protection, buy maximum density high carbon steel.
* If you want better physical protection than steel, buy maximum density damite.
* If you have a fortune to blow, consult with an armorsmith about the rarest metals.


For more details, see [[:Category:Crafting_materials#Forging_materials|forging materials]].
For a direct comparison of metal qualities, see [[:Category:Crafting_materials#Forging_materials|forging materials]].


*'''steel''': this is the entry-level material for metal armor. It is a significant improvement over storebought armor. Affordable.
*[[Steel (HCS)|Steel]]: This is the standard material for metal armor. It is a significant improvement over storebought armor. Affordable.
*[[Covellite]]: Slightly less protection than steel, but significantly lighter, less hindering and much better durability. Affordable.
*'''lumium''': superior to steel in protection and weight. Moderately expensive.
*'''damite''': superior to lumium in protection, but heavier and more hindering. Expensive.
*[[Lumium]]: Almost the protection of steel, but can be made lighter and less hindering. Pretty affordable, about twice as expensive as steel.
*'''audrualm''': exceptional in protection for its light weight. Costs a mint and is hard to find in large quantities.
*[[Damite]]: Superior to steel in protection, but heavier and more hindering. Expensive, about fifty times more expensive than lumium.
*[[Kadepa]]: Similar to damite (though with slightly less absorption, and better cold/fire defense). About twice as expensive as damite.
*'''vardite''': like damite on steroids. Costs a mint and is pretty hard to find in large quantities.
*[[Audrualm]]: Higher absorption and better cold/fire defense at the same weight and hindrance as lumium. Three to five times the cost of damite.
*[[Silversteel]]: Slightly lower elemental, but the same physical protection as audrualm. Practically invulnerable to damage. Six to eight times the cost of damite.
*[[Icesteel]]: Highest elemental protection, but the physical protection is slightly less than steel. Hard to find in large quantities, and about ten times the cost of damite.
*[[Vardite]]: Same physical protection as tyrium, with higher electrical defense and slightly less cold/fire defense. It is pretty hard to find in large quantities. About ten times the cost of damite.
*[[Tyrium]]: Makes very rounded metal armor with the best physical and consistent elemental protection. Finding it in quantities needed for armor is practically impossible; it is almost always used for weapons instead. At least thirty times the cost of damite.


====Armor Enhancements====
====Armor Enhancements====
Player-made shields and armor (except bone armor) can also be enhanced in the following ways:

Player-made armor (except bone armor) can also be enhanced in the following ways:
*'''tempering/sealing''': improves construction/durability (this should always be done)
*'''tempering/sealing''': improves construction/durability (this should always be done)
*'''lightening/trimming''': decreases weight by 10% (but not protection or hindrance)
*'''lightening/trimming''': decreases weight by 10% (without affecting protection or hindrance)
*'''reinforcing''': increases protection, hindrance, and weight
*'''reinforcing''': increases protection, hindrance, and weight
:There may be a bug with reinforcing shields. No one I know has ever seen the shield's protection increase, but the weight and hindrance still increase. So at this time, I would not recommend reinforcing your shield. --[[User:ISHARON|ISHARON]] ([[User talk:ISHARON|talk]]) 17:12, 4 September 2015 (CDT)
<br>
<br>
'''You can reinforce or lighten but not both, as they are opposites.''' These enhancements are permanent, so choose wisely.<br>
'''You can reinforce or lighten but not both, as they are mutually exclusive processes.''' These enhancements are permanent, so choose wisely.<br>
<br>
<br>
When looking at player-made armor, enhancements may show up in the following ways. (You can also {{com|rub}} the armor with a {{ilink|i|cleaning cloth}} to see which enhancements have been done.
When looking at player-made armor, enhancements may show up in the following ways. (You can also {{com|rub}} the armor with a {{ilink|i|cleaning cloth}} to see which enhancements have been done.)


'''Armor Enhancements'''
'''Armor Enhancements'''
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|-
|-
!Type!!Tempering!!Lightening!!Reinforcing
!Type!!Tempering!!Lightening!!Reinforcing
|-
|'''Leather Shield'''||sealed/sealed with protective wax||lightened/with fitted seams||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|-
|'''Metal Shield'''||tempered/with a tempered face||lightened/with a trimmed face||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|-
|-
|'''Cloth Armor'''||sealed/sealed with protective wax||lightened/with fitted seams||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|'''Cloth Armor'''||sealed/sealed with protective wax||lightened/with fitted seams||reinforced/with a reinforced design
Line 590: Line 701:
|'''Chain Armor'''||tempered/crafted from tempered links||lightened/with trimmed links||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|'''Chain Armor'''||tempered/crafted from tempered links||lightened/with trimmed links||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|-
|-
|'''Brigandine'''||tempered, crafted from tempered bands||lightened/with trimmed bands||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|'''Brigandine'''||tempered/crafted from tempered scales/bands||lightened/with trimmed scales/bands||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|-
|-
|'''Plate Armor'''||tempered/crafted from tempered plates||lightened/with trimmed plates||reinforced/with a reinforced design
|'''Plate Armor'''||tempered/crafted from tempered plates||lightened/with trimmed plates||reinforced/with a reinforced design
Line 599: Line 710:
===Storebought===
===Storebought===


You can either [[:Category:Shops_by_town|browse Elanthipedia's shops]], or you can use the query pages to find something more specific. The query pages allow you to specify types, minimum or maximum stats, etc. When using the queries, you may want to exclude festival, quest, and auction merchandise by scrolling down to where it says "Rare?" and choosing "only not."
You can either [[:Category:Shops_by_town|browse Elanthipedia's shops]], or you can use the query pages to find something more specific. The query pages allow you to specify types, minimum or maximum stats, etc. When using the queries, you may want to exclude festival, quest, and auction merchandise by scrolling down to where it says "Rare?" and choosing "only not." (Be aware that the queries may not retrieve items that were added to Elanthipedia after the server move of May 2014.)


*[[Special:RunQuery/ShieldQuery|Shield Query]]
*[[Special:RunQuery/ShieldQuery|Shield Query]]
*[[Special:RunQuery/ArmorQuery|Armor Query]]
*[[Special:RunQuery/ArmorQuery|Armor Query]]
<br>
Remember, Crossing's [[Grizzled old war veteran|grizzled old war veteran]] will also trade you for [[Character_Manager#Starting_Gear|your starter armor]] if you don't desire leather.


===Player-Made===
===Player-Made===
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*[[:Category:Player_Carvers|Player Carvers]]: for bone armor
*[[:Category:Player_Carvers|Player Carvers]]: for bone armor
<br>
<br>
*[http://www.elanthia.org/TraderShops/ Isharon's Trader Shop Inventory spreadsheet]: a sortable list of the inventory and prices of all player-owned shops
*[http://drservice.info/Plaza/ Etherian's Plaza Shop Browser]: a sortable, searchable list of the inventory and prices of all player-owned shops
<br>
<br>
*[http://www.elanthia.org/Charts/ItemStats.xls Isharon's Item Stat spreadsheet]: stats for weapons, shields, and armor (does not include every item in the game)
*[http://www.elanthia.org/Charts/ItemStats.xls Isharon's Item Stat spreadsheet]: stats for weapons, shields, and armor (does not include every item in the game)
Line 619: Line 732:
<references />
<references />


{{Cat|Player Guides}}
{{Cat|Player guides}}

Revision as of 09:28, 13 December 2020

This guide is designed to help new and experienced players understand how armor works and how to create mixed armor setups.

Skillset Placement

Your guild can be armor-primary, armor-secondary, or armor-tertiary. The main consequence of your guild's armor skillset placement is to determine how quickly you learn armor skills. The better your skillset placement, the more field experience you can hold, and the more efficiently that field experience is converted into actual ranks. See Experience for a more detailed discussion.

Additionally, your skillset placement determines your access to skillset-based perks.

Primary Secondary Tertiary
Guilds Paladin Barbarian, Ranger, Trader all others1
arm-worn shields all sizes2 medium2 or small small
arm-worn shield protection penalty lowest average worst
ability to work down hindrance best average worst
armor mixing penalty none3 average worst
can avoid penalty to aiming/loading bows while wearing medium or small shields small shields4 no shield
extra stance points from the Defending skill every 50 ranks every 60 ranks every 70 ranks
more nuanced shield appraisal automatic requires shield ranks requires shield ranks
  1. Although Commoners are treated as having all secondary skillsets for experience drain purposes, they lack the other perks of secondary skillset placements.
  2. You must be at least 4th circle to take advantage of the ability to wear medium or large shields.
  3. Every 10 circles, Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type, so that by 30th circle, they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
  4. Barbarians and Rangers can avoid the penalty by arm-wearing a small shield. Traders cannot avoid this penalty.

Stats That Apply to Both

Hindrance

Wearing armor makes it more difficult for you to move in combat. Hindrance comes in two types:

  • maneuvering hindrance: penalizes all defenses, with evasion being most affected and shield being least affected
  • stealth hindrance: makes it more difficult to engage in stealthy actions such as hiding

Armor has separate maneuvering and stealth hindrance ratings, while shields impose equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.

As you gain ranks in armor skills, you will experience less hindrance in that type of armor. How much hindrance you can work off depends on your skillset placement and the type of armor.

When you appraise a piece of armor you are wearing, you will see:

  • the base maneuvering and stealth hindrance for that piece
You feel certain that a heavy vardite plate cuirass with a reinforced design appears to impose noticeable (8/15) maneuvering hindrance and significant (10/15) stealth hindrance
  • how much maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are actually experiencing from it (usually lower than the base hindrance due to your skill)
If you were only wearing a heavy vardite plate cuirass with a reinforced design, your maneuvering would be barely hindered (1/14), and your stealth would be fairly hindered (5/14).
  • the total amount of maneuvering and stealth hindrance you are currently experiencing from all of the armor you're wearing.
But considering all the armor and shields you are wearing or carrying, you are currently fairly hindered (5/14), and your stealth is highly hindered (10/14).


Base Hindrance Levels, From Best to Worst:

Order Base Hindrance
0 no
1 insignificant
2 trivial
3 light
4 minor
5 fair
6 mild
7 moderate
8 noticeable
9 high
10 significant
11 great
12 extreme
13 debilitating
14 overwhelming
15 insane


Current Hindrance Levels, From Best to Worst:

Order Current Hindrance
0 unhindered
1 barely hindered
2 minimally hindered
3 insignificantly hindered
4 lightly hindered
5 fairly hindered
6 somewhat hindered
7 moderately hindered
8 rather hindered
9 very hindered
10 highly hindered
11 greatly hindered
12 extremely hindered
13 overwhelmingly hindered
14 insanely hindered

Construction/Durability and Condition

After the protection and hindrance stats, you will see a line like this:

You are certain that the plate cuirass is nearly impervious to damage (17/18)1 and is in pristine condition (100%)2.


Shields and armor become damaged during use. Though they cannot be permanently destroyed or weakened, you will need to periodically repair your equipment to experience peak performance. The first part of that appraisal tells you how durable the armor is. The more durable it is, the longer it takes for the armor to become damaged and need repairs.

Construction Levels, From Worst to Best:

Order Construction
1 extremely weak and easily damaged
2 very delicate and easily damaged
3 quite fragile and easily damaged
4 rather flimsy and easily damaged
5 particularly weak against damage
6 somewhat unsound against damage
7 appreciably susceptible to damage
8 marginally vulnerable to damage
9 of average construction
10 a bit safeguarded against damage
11 rather reinforced against damage
12 quite guarded against damage
13 highly protected against damage
14 very strong against damage
15 extremely resistant to damage
16 unusually resilient to damage
17 nearly impervious to damage
18 practically invulnerable to damage


The second part of that line tells you how much damage the armor has taken. When it gets below 80%, you will start to experience diminished performance:
Equipment Damage Levels, From Best to Worst:

Health Description
100% in pristine condition
91-99% practically in mint condition
81-90% in good condition
71-80% rather scuffed up
61-70% some minor scratches
51-60% a few dents and dings
41-50% several unsightly notches
31-40% heavily scratched and notched
21-30% badly damaged
0-20% battered and practically destroyed

Shields

Shields come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. In general, larger shields offer more protection but at the expense of greater weight and hindrance. (All shields have equal maneuvering and stealth hindrance.)

Additionally, not all sizes are equally suited for all attacks.

Size Melee Missile
small 100% 80%
medium 98% 90%
large 96% 100%

Shield Protection

When you appraise a shield, you will see a line like this:

You are certain that the shield offers good (12/26)1 to incredible (23/26)2 protection.


The first value is the "basic defense" (or minimum defense or low-end protection). This is a guaranteed minimum level of protection afforded to all adventurers, regardless of how skilled they are in using shields.

The second value is the "full defense" (or maximum defense or high-end protection). In order to take advantage of the shield's full defense, you need to have skill in shield usage. The higher the full defense rating, the more ranks are required to take full advantage of it.

Shield Protection Levels, From Worst to Best ("expanded scale" only visible to Paladins and skilled users):

Order Expanded
Scale
Order Standard
Scale
0 no 0 no
1 extremely terrible 1 extremely terrible
2 terrible
3 dismal 2 dismal
4 very poor
5 poor 3 poor
6 rather low
7 low 4 low
8 fair 5 fair
9 better than fair
10 moderate 6 moderate
11 moderately good
12 good 7 good
13 very good
14 high 8 high
15 very high
16 great 9 great
17 very great
18 exceptional 10 exceptional
19 very exceptional
20 impressive 11 impressive
21 very impressive
22 amazing 12 amazing
23 incredible
24 tremendous 13 tremendous
25 unbelievable
26 god-like 14 god-like

Wearing Shields

Depending on your guild and the size of the shield (see above), you may not actually need to hold it in the hand in order to use it. You may be able to ADJUST it so that it's worn on the arm.

Advantages of Arm-worn Shields

  • frees up the hands to allow use of two-handed weapons, including crossbows and bows
  • As long as you're in shield stance, you are ready to block any surprise attack.


Drawbacks of Arm-worn Shields

  • 20% decrease in protection (as opposed to holding it)
  • offensive and defensive penalty while using two-handed melee weapons with worn shields
  • penalty to aiming and loading bows (see above for exceptions)

Choosing a Shield

You should begin your training with a small shield. Depending on your budget, you will be able to choose from among a store-bought shield, a crafted leather shield, or a crafted metal shield. Player-made crafted shields will cost at least several platinum coins, so if you are just starting out pick up a reinforced cougar-hide targe from Bukor's Leatherworks (Knife Clan) until you can afford to upgrade.

At lower skill levels, try to maximize worn basic defense while minimizing hindrance. Most of the time you will be wearing a shield on your arm, so it's a good idea to compare the worn defense (not the higher held defense) between shields. Crafted metal small shields tend to offer higher basic defense at the cost of higher hindrance when compared to crafted leather small shields. If stealth matters, look for a lower hindrance leather shield. For those on a tight budget, consider acquiring boar-skin leather from wild boars or covellite from mining and finding a tailor or armorsmith to create your shield for a small fee.

At higher skill levels, most players favor crafted leather small shields because they offer similar or greater worn full defense to metal shields while having lower hindrance and weight.

For a skilled Paladin (150+ ranks of shield), a large metal shield is the most popular option (although some high-level Paladins say that a small diamond-hide shield outperforms a large vardite pavise shield at melee). Most other guilds prefer small leather shields, even those that are capable of wearing medium shields. Characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion tend to prefer the smallest, least hindering shields.

Why don't more people use small metal shields?

Although small metal shields often have a good basic defense rating, they tend to be more hindering than their leather counterparts. However, there are some exceptions, such as the metal sipar, which can get down to 1/15 hindrance in lumium.


Why don't more people use medium shields?

Medium shields are not a popular choice. This is because most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with small shields, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with large shields. (Additionally, most guilds are only capable of wearing small shields.) Medium shields fall between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.


Why don't more people use large leather shields?

While large leather shields may be lighter and less hindering than their metal counterparts, they tend to have lower full defense ratings. Most people who use large shields are Paladins who want to maximize protection. Hindrance is less of an issue to them, because they rely on defenses (namely shield) that aren't as sensitive to hindrance. They don't usually want to reduce hindrance at the expense of protection.

Player-Made Shield Templates

When considering which type of player-made shield you want, the larger templates offer more protection but are usually more hindering and heavier. You can get an idea of the relative size of different templates by looking at the volume of material required to make them.

Leather Shields (Tailoring)

Size Template Volume Standard* Weight Standard* Hindrance Worn Basic Worn Full
small ordinary shield 8 32 03-light 02-terrible 07-low
small small shield 8 32 02-trivial 02-terrible 07-low
small targe 10 40 04-minor 02-terrible 08-fair
small target shield 12 48 02-trivial 01-e.terrible 07-low
medium buckler 12 48 ?? ?? ??
medium medium shield 16 64 ?? ?? ??
medium oval shield 20 80 ?? ?? ??
large kite shield 24 96 ?? ?? ??

* Note: Standard leather refers to goblin-skin leather with no modifications

Metal Shields (Armorsmithing)

Size Template Volume Standard* Weight Standard* Hindrance Worn Basic Worn Full
small target shield/round sipar/triangular sipar 14 70 02-trivial 04-v.poor 08-fair
small ordinary shield/targe/ceremonial shield 16 80 04-minor 05-poor 09-b.t.fair
medium medium shield 20 100 05-fair ?? ??
medium medium buckler/circular buckler/curved shield 20 100 ?? ?? ??
medium oval shield/skirmisher's shield/jousting shield 25 125 06-mild ?? ??
large kite shield/warrior's shield/aegis 30 150 08-noticeable ?? ??
large tower shield/battle shield/heater shield/war shield 40 200 10-significant ?? ??

* Note: Standard metal refers to 100% high-carbon steel with no modifications

Body Armor

DragonRealms differs from many other games in that any guild can wear any type of armor. As mentioned above, your guild's skillset placement simply determines how quickly you learn armor skills and how effectively you can reduce hindrance by training armor.

Body armor comes in four types: light, chain, brigandine, and plate. Modern light armor is less hindering than chain, which is less hindering than brigandine, which is less hindering than plate.

Light armor consists of cloth, leather, and bone armor. (Bone is a catch-all for any light armor that is not made of cloth or leather.) This is the lightest, least hindering armor. Light armor offers lower protection than the other types of armor, but it's also lighter and less hindering. This is one of the most popular armor types, especially among characters that rely heavily on stealth and evasion.

Chain armor or mail is made of small metal rings linked together to form a mesh. Most armor-tertiary guilds who don't opt for light armor use chain armor.

Brigandine is made of overlapping metal scales, bands, or small plates. It is not commonly used as a primary armor for the same reason that medium shields are not popular: that most people either want to minimize hindrance, so they go with light or chain armor, or they want to maximize protection, so they go with plate armor. Brigandine falls between the two, a niche for which there isn't much demand.

Plate armor is made of articulated metal plates. The heaviest and most hindering armor, plate is the primary armor of choice for Paladins. Plate is not a popular choice for armor-tertiary guilds due to its extreme hindrance.

Armor Protection and Absorption

Armor protects against six different types of damage:

  • Physical: puncture, slice, impact
  • Elemental: fire, cold, electrical

For each type of damage, there are two defense ratings:

  • Protection: An armor's protection reduces incoming damage by a flat amount, making it ideal for dealing with light hits. While it may not reduce damage by as much as absorption (the other stat), protection tends to be the stat that reduces damage to 0.
Protection is heavily modified by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor. (Armor factor is armor skill and a few other modifiers. Offensive factor is weapon skill and some other modifiers.) With low armor skill (compared to the attacker), your armor loses all of its protection.
  • Absorption: An armor's absorption reduces damage by a percentage, making it ideal for mitigating large hits. However, absorption generally won't reduce damage to 0. (That's what protection does.) In player-made armor, absorption generally correlates with the density of the material used.
Unlike protection, absorption is not severely penalized by lack of armor skill. It is only modified slightly by a skill contest of your armor factor versus the attacker's offensive factor.

Armor Protection Levels, From Worst to Best:

Order Protection
0 no
1 poor
2 low
3 fair
4 moderate
5 good
6 very good
7 high
8 very high
9 great
10 very great
11 extreme
12 exceptional
13 incredible
14 amazing
15 unbelievable


Armor Absorption Levels, From Worst to Best:

Order Absorption
0 no
1 very poor
2 poor
3 low
4 somewhat fair
5 fair
6 moderate
7 good
8 very good
9 high
10 very high
11 great
12 very great
13 extreme
14 exceptional
15 incredible
16 amazing
17 unbelievable

Choosing Body Armor

Although strictly speaking, you will get the best performance by choosing one type of armor and sticking with it, the majority of players prefer to train multiple armors to earn extra TDPs for raising stats. At low levels, the TDPs gained from ranks is quite small, but it grows substantially over time. An additional advantage of training multiple armors is the added flexibility you have down the road. If you manage to come across a really good piece of armor for a skill you don't train, it could take a very long time to back train the ranks to use it at level.

TDPs From Armor Ranks

Ranks 1 Armor 2 Armors 3 Armors 4 Armors
50 6 12 18 24
100 25 50 75 100
150 56 112 168 224
200 100 200 300 400
250 156 312 468 624
500 626 1,252 1,878 2,504
750 1,408 2,816 4,224 5,632
1,000 2,502 5,004 7,506 10,008
1,250 3,909 7,818 11,727 15,636
1,500 5,628 11,256 16,884 22,512
1,750 7,660 15,320 22,980 30,640

Drawbacks of Mixing Armor

  • Mixed armor penalty to hindrance for every additional armor type worn at the same time. (In other words, your total hindrance will be greater than the sum of the hindrance from each piece of armor.)
As mentioned earlier, every 10 circles Paladins gain the ability to negate the mixing penalty for one armor type so that by 30th circle they can wear all four armors without a mixing penalty.
  • Even without the mixing penalty, the more of your body that is covered by heavier armors the more hindered you will be. This is felt most keenly by armor-tertiary guilds and those who rely heavily on stealth and evasion.
  • Paladins who prefer to wear plate are sacrificing protection for parts of the body covered by the lighter armors.

Coverage Areas

When wearing armor, the experience that you get -- and the hindrance that you experience -- is based on the amount of the body covered by that armor. For example, if you were wearing full plate with brigandine accessories, 71.4% of your armor experience would go to plate armor, and the remaining 28.6% of your armor experience would go to brigandine. Moreover, 71.4% of your total hindrance would be attributed to your plate armor, whereas 28.6% of your hindrance would be attributed to your brigandine armor. (You can check your total hindrance by APPRAISING a piece of armor you are wearing.)

The experience/hindrance percentages were calculated by the player of Codiax[1]. You can also see what that piece of armor is called in player-made cloth, leather, bone, chain, brigandine, and plate templates. (Store-bought armor will often follow the same naming conventions, but you should appraise it or check Elanthipedia to be sure.)

Area Exp/Hind Cloth Leather Bone Chain Brigandine Plate
head/eyes/neck 20.8% cowl cowl balaclava balaclava sallet/armet/great helm
head/eyes 14.3% bascinet/visored helm/closed helm
head/neck 16.9% hood helm helm helm helm
head 10.4% cap cap cap cap cap dome helm/morion/barbute
eyes 3.9% mask mask mask mask mask mask
neck/chest/back 29.9% mantle mantle mantle mantle mantle
neck 6.5% aventail aventail aventail aventail aventail aventail
torso/arms/legs 71.4% hauberk leathers hauberk hauberk hauberk full plate/fluted plate
torso/arms 55.8% shirt coat coat shirt shirt half plate
torso/legs 49.4% robe robe robe robe robe field plate
torso 33.8% tabard jerkin tabard lorica lorica cuirass
chest/back 23.4% vest vest vest vest vest
chest 11.7% breastplate
abdomen 10.4% tasset tasset tasset tasset tasset fauld
back 11.7% backplate
arms/hands 29.8% sleeves sleeves sleeves sleeves sleeves sleeves
arms 22.0% vambraces vambraces vambraces vambraces vambraces vambraces
hands 7.8% gloves gloves gloves gloves gloves gauntlets
legs 15.6% pants greaves greaves greaves greaves greaves

You can use this chart to created mixed armor setups that divide experience as evenly as possible. For example, if you wanted to train chain armor and light armor, you might try a chain robe (torso/legs), and a leather cowl (head/eyes/neck) and sleeves (arms/hands). When choosing where to put which types of armor, it is often advisable to put the most protection on your vital areas (head, neck, chest, abdomen, and back).

For those who are considering whether to buy one large piece of armor or several small pieces of the same type (for example, a ring hauberk versus a ring lorica + ring vambraces + ring greaves), it takes the same amount of material. Here are the advantages of each approach:

Advantages of Larger Pieces of Armor

  • reduced item count (as few as three for a full suit of armor)
  • reduced time required to repair your armor (fewer pieces)
  • reduced roundtime for removing all armor in combat (since you are reducing the number of pieces to remove)
  • If you are trying to alter a complete suit of armor, it requires fewer sessions (as well as sometimes being easier to design).
  • When looking at your worn items, your description will not be as cluttered (assuming you don't have any items that conceal armor).
  • Combining coverage areas means you are less likely to take up limited inventory slots used by other types of items. (For example, aventails use a neck slot, which is commonly used by items with special mechanics. Masks use the only nose slot. Backplates use a shirt with armor slot. Tassets and faulds use a waist slot.)


Advantages of Smaller Pieces of Armor

  • reduced weight
  • reduced hindrance
  • Smaller pieces of armor are easier to craft, requiring less skill to get the most out of rare materials.
  • If you later decide to mix armor, it is less expensive to have a few accessories made than to pay for a whole new setup.

Player-Made Armor Templates

As with shields, you will eventually want to upgrade to player-made armor when you can afford it.

Light Armor

Player-made light armor comes in three material types, which each have three different styles. Each style requires the same amount of material to make and (all other things being equal) will be pretty similar in total stats. Light armor styles differ in which kinds of damage they favor (offer better protection against) or disfavor (offer less protection against).

Cloth Armor (Tailoring)

Style Favors Disfavors
Quilted puncture
Padded slice
Insulated impact puncture

Leather Armor (Tailoring)

Style Favors Disfavors
Rugged puncture
Thick impact
Coarse slice

Bone Armor (Carving)

Style Favors Disfavors
Segmented N/A N/A
Notched slice impact
Ribbed impact puncture/slice

Metal Armor

Player-made metal armor comes in three types, which each have three different styles. Unlike light armor, the three styles of each metal armor are effectively three tiers of protection. For each type of armor, there is a light, a medium, and a heavy style.

Heavier styles:

  • offer superior protection (absorption is based on metal density and unchanged across styles)
  • are more hindering
  • weigh more
  • require more metal to make

Metal Armor (Armorsmithing)

Type Light Medium Heavy
Chain ring chain mail
Brigandine scale brigandine lamellar
Plate light plate plate heavy plate
Plate (head) dome helm morion barbute
Plate (head/eyes) bascinet visored helm closed helm
Plate (head/eyes/neck) sallet armet great helm
  • Armor-tertiary and armor-secondary guilds usually prefer the light styles of metal armor, especially if they rely heavily on evasion.
  • Paladins (armor-primary) prefer the heavy styles, although sometimes you see novices with low strength and stamina using the light styles.
Commonly Used Materials

Metal armor material cliff notes:

  • If you want cheap and light, buy covellite.
  • If you want minimum hindrance, buy minimum density lumium.
  • If you want great all-around protection, buy maximum density high carbon steel.
  • If you want better physical protection than steel, buy maximum density damite.
  • If you have a fortune to blow, consult with an armorsmith about the rarest metals.

For a direct comparison of metal qualities, see forging materials.

  • Steel: This is the standard material for metal armor. It is a significant improvement over storebought armor. Affordable.
  • Covellite: Slightly less protection than steel, but significantly lighter, less hindering and much better durability. Affordable.
  • Lumium: Almost the protection of steel, but can be made lighter and less hindering. Pretty affordable, about twice as expensive as steel.
  • Damite: Superior to steel in protection, but heavier and more hindering. Expensive, about fifty times more expensive than lumium.
  • Kadepa: Similar to damite (though with slightly less absorption, and better cold/fire defense). About twice as expensive as damite.
  • Audrualm: Higher absorption and better cold/fire defense at the same weight and hindrance as lumium. Three to five times the cost of damite.
  • Silversteel: Slightly lower elemental, but the same physical protection as audrualm. Practically invulnerable to damage. Six to eight times the cost of damite.
  • Icesteel: Highest elemental protection, but the physical protection is slightly less than steel. Hard to find in large quantities, and about ten times the cost of damite.
  • Vardite: Same physical protection as tyrium, with higher electrical defense and slightly less cold/fire defense. It is pretty hard to find in large quantities. About ten times the cost of damite.
  • Tyrium: Makes very rounded metal armor with the best physical and consistent elemental protection. Finding it in quantities needed for armor is practically impossible; it is almost always used for weapons instead. At least thirty times the cost of damite.

Armor Enhancements

Player-made shields and armor (except bone armor) can also be enhanced in the following ways:

  • tempering/sealing: improves construction/durability (this should always be done)
  • lightening/trimming: decreases weight by 10% (without affecting protection or hindrance)
  • reinforcing: increases protection, hindrance, and weight
There may be a bug with reinforcing shields. No one I know has ever seen the shield's protection increase, but the weight and hindrance still increase. So at this time, I would not recommend reinforcing your shield. --ISHARON (talk) 17:12, 4 September 2015 (CDT)


You can reinforce or lighten but not both, as they are mutually exclusive processes. These enhancements are permanent, so choose wisely.

When looking at player-made armor, enhancements may show up in the following ways. (You can also RUB the armor with a cleaning cloth to see which enhancements have been done.)

Armor Enhancements

Type Tempering Lightening Reinforcing
Leather Shield sealed/sealed with protective wax lightened/with fitted seams reinforced/with a reinforced design
Metal Shield tempered/with a tempered face lightened/with a trimmed face reinforced/with a reinforced design
Cloth Armor sealed/sealed with protective wax lightened/with fitted seams reinforced/with a reinforced design
Leather Armor sealed/sealed with protective wax lightened/with fitted seams reinforced/with a reinforced design
Bone Armor N/A N/A N/A
Chain Armor tempered/crafted from tempered links lightened/with trimmed links reinforced/with a reinforced design
Brigandine tempered/crafted from tempered scales/bands lightened/with trimmed scales/bands reinforced/with a reinforced design
Plate Armor tempered/crafted from tempered plates lightened/with trimmed plates reinforced/with a reinforced design

Shopping Guide

Storebought

You can either browse Elanthipedia's shops, or you can use the query pages to find something more specific. The query pages allow you to specify types, minimum or maximum stats, etc. When using the queries, you may want to exclude festival, quest, and auction merchandise by scrolling down to where it says "Rare?" and choosing "only not." (Be aware that the queries may not retrieve items that were added to Elanthipedia after the server move of May 2014.)


Remember, Crossing's grizzled old war veteran will also trade you for your starter armor if you don't desire leather.

Player-Made

You can either go directly to the crafter and order something to your specifications, or you can browse the player-owned shops in the market plazas.



References