Vambraces, Helmets and Gloves

[JohnPaulB]

I tried a search for armor parts on this site and in ITL and didn't find any.

So your character can be fully armored per
Cloth
Leather
Chain
1/2 Plate
Full Plate.

But in the lower ends of armor, what do helmets, vambraces, greeves and gloves do?

What I used to do is declare that they did not count as anything unless that part of the body was specifically hit. They didn't affect DX, but a Helmet wearers vision might be affected (though that doesn't happen in the RAW.)
That would go for any mini armoring: like bikini chainmail or iron codpiece or heavy boots.

In other words, if you were only wearing leather gloves and then picked up a hot poker stick which originally would have inflicted something like 2 points damage to your hands and left it limp, you had two turns of holding it without damage.

If you were wearing an iron helmet and something dropped on your head, you were protected for 4 points. Probably knocked to the ground, though.

So Vambraces, greeves and gloves I consider as +1 protection
Chainmail gloves = +2 protection from cutting.
Helmets = the protection they are made out of.

What do capes protect you as?
Does it stop damage or does it add to the enemy DX to-hit dice?