Just curious to know if you guys would let one of your players wear a chainmail and a plate armor at the same time for a Paladin? It looks to me like this would be inconvenient as movements would be severely restricted, but then again the Paladin ignores the clumsy tag for armors…
Just curious to know if you guys would let one of your players wear a chainmail and a plate armor at the same time…
Just curious to know if you guys would let one of your players wear a chainmail and a plate armor at the same time…
No. Well, I mean, sure, if it’s just the look the Paladin is after, but I wouldn’t allow the stacking armor bonuses. My understanding is that the armor number is a kind of rating. It’s 1 Armor and 3 Armor, not +1 and +3 Armor. So Plate plus anything except a shield is still just 3.
I think chainmail is usually included under plate mail by default. At least I see it as you’re getting that one extra armor from the extra layer of armor plates on top of the chainmail. To answer your question, I don’t let my players “layer” armor like you are saying.
I would as long as you require a Defy Danger roll for things like drawing a sword, turning around, getting on and off your horse, walking, standing still, raising your arms…
Historically it was often combined – certainly in the earlier plate armours where articulation technology was in its infancy. “Transitional plate” or “floating plate” armours were on base hauberks of mail. And in general – yeah, no advantage. Articulated plate is not improved by wearing mail underneath it – you just get heavier and clumsier. I’d also rule that it gives two clumsy tags to do it, and the Paladin is only allowed to ignore one clumsy tag in DW.
I agree with Scott. Why would someone wear plate without chain at all? The layered approach makes more sense when contemplating their armor values.
By “articulated plate” – I mean plate that has joints covered, and the joints still bend/move. Mail was used when they couldn’t do that properly as something almost, but not quite as good as plate.
Should I point out that Plate + Shield is Armor 4, which is the same armor as a freaking sauropod or an earth elemental! 🙂 There are only four creatures in the game with armor 5, and two of them are dragons. Here’s the list. It’s clear that armor ratings are not supposed to go higher that 4 or 5. Also, it’s very clear in the book that you can’t wear two kinds of armor in order to get the bonus (otherwise it would have the + in front of the value). I think plate just assumes extra coverage where you need it, so narratively it might have chainmail mixed in, but mechanically it’s “plate.”
Apocalypse Dragon 5
Dragon 5
Inevitable 5
Lich 5
Angel 4
Blink Dog 4
Chuul 4
Djinn 4
Dragon Turtle 4
Earth Elemental 4
Formian Drone 4
Knight 4
Magmin 4
Nightmare 4
Sauropod 4
Shadow 4
Stacking armor like that makes me think someone is trying to min-max the game, which isn’t gonna work in DW
The rules specifically don’t allow stacking armor
Indeed, not sure how I missed it: “If you have more than 1 item with n Armor, only the highest value counts.” Page 325.
Thanks all for the insights and feedback!
I’m not sure if this has been brought up yet but unless you’re talking full plate, plate mail is mail or leather reinforced by solid plating. So wearing plates over the mail, yeah. That’s why it’s called plate-MAIL.
This is just like asking if you can combine padded and chain and my answer would be “you sort of have to, have you ever tried to wear any sort of mail without a padded cuirass? It is really not comfortable.”
This also reminds of the player in an MotW game that was trying to get dual-wielding bonuses and we told the GM that mechanically it’s one weapon and maybe he can justify some stunts with it but no bonus attack.
A paladin on a quest with a plate and a shield is already at armor 5. Its a frigging tank! 😅
It’s min maxy and pointless, but a fighter who takes barkskin can have 7 armor, then if he takes underdog then he can have 8 when he is outnumbered!!!! Screw those bandits, they aren’t going to make a dent. Of course the second he fights something that ignores armor he’s going to regret his move choices lol. But fighters also have the move that’s basically bloody aegis but using your armor to take the hits instead of your conditions, so yeah…. fighters be crazy
Fighters are supposed to be crazy when it comes to fighting (yo). I don’t think that’s necessarily min-maxing any more than a Bard taking Thing-Talker so they can flirt with rocks. It’s just playing their role to the friggin’ hilt.
Don’t get me wrong, if you want to play a fighter who does exceptionally well in an uneven fight and for some reason has gained a blessing from nature to make his skin harder when they are touching the ground (maybe they defended a druid grove from a horde of orcs?) Then by all means be my guest. Actually that character sounds awesome lol
In Apocolypse World, have you seen the Gunlugger’s move NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH in which he basically counts as a gang for purposes of combat? Yeah, crazy fighter shit to the hilt.