[DF] Basic Set, Low Tech or Bruno's Armor?

[panton41]

I've been organizing a DF game for a while and as much as I like the new armor sets in Low Tech it's also a pain to use. I know "officially" DF uses armor in Basic Set (as DF13 Loadout shows) and I liked Bruno's armor set as a compromise. So what works best?

Basic Set armor seems to fit genre tropes better and allows characters to afford better armor, but I like the revised weights in Low Tech. However even with the "munition armor" limitation it's still expensive and doesn't work out as well on SM-2 characters. The armor sets Bruno made work well and more realistic stats compared to Basic Set and make a nice compromise, but are still expensive compared to Basic Set.

[ericbsmith]

Originally Posted by ciaran_skye

I've been organizing a DF game for a while and as much as I like the new armor sets in Low Tech it's also a pain to use.

Have you tried using Bruno's Low-Tech data file for GCA? In her file is my "Build Your Own" armor, which significantly eases the creation of new armor using the rules in Low-Tech.

Originally Posted by ciaran_skye

I know "officially" DF uses armor in Basic Set (as DF13 Loadout shows) and I liked Bruno's armor set as a compromise. So what works best?

For me, honestly, it's the Basic Set. By the time I manage to work a player through character creation they want to play, so the simpler the better. I actually created some DF Loadouts (before the e23 supplement came out) which included an Adventurers Kit and Armor Suits for various SM's.

[Crakkerjakk]

I'd go with Bruno's for simplicity. Basic Set is ridiculously heavy and cheap. Low Tech is too fiddly for people who aren't dedicated GURPS folks. Bruno's version strikes the correct balance of protection, weight, and cost, and gives higher-end stuff for melee types to aspire to before having to delve into the heavily magiced stuff.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by ciaran_skye

So what works best?

Basic. Low Tech provides a dazzling array of options, and Bruno's work is very nice, but for me, it comes down to the fact that every DF book which has addressed or will address armor in any meaningful way is going to point back to Basic. It's not just DF13; DF8's armor-related tables assume Basic-type armor, and those armor types are the basis of glancing treatments of protection elsewhere in the series (frex, armored ninja suits in DF12). If you change the basis of your armor, you'll have to do something to every published armor reference you run into during play, and I don't need that kind of extra workload.

[panton41]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

Have you tried using Bruno's Low-Tech data file for GCA? In her file is my "Build Your Own" armor, which significantly eases the creation of new armor using the rules in Low-Tech.

I have it, use it and like it, but it's still missing a lot of hooks for DF armor.

[Hannes665]

Since we mostly stick to the same Fantasy game, going on 4 or 5 years now we are not generating new PC´s every month we stick to LT. Using GCA it took us all of 15 minutes to update our PC´s armor.

Since SJ decided to publish LT I wold have loved to see at least some reference to LT in their DF line for us that like to use LT armor in our Fantasy games, granted that LT is almost exclusive historical armor and don´t always fit the higher cinematic fantasy genre it´s a nice update of the armor rules.

We went from Basic Set armor to Bruno to LT.

[OldSam]

So let's hope that the Instant Armor and Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor addons arrive soon... ;) I think these should be what you're looking for in the end.

For now in a DF-Game I would stick with Basic (and the Loadouts) because that fits the genre, it's simple and with the Loadouts it's even super fast =)

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by OldSam

So let's hope that the Instant Armor and Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor addons arrive soon... ;) I think these should be what you're looking for in the end.

For now in a DF-Game I would stick with Basic (and the Loadouts) because that fits the genre, it's simple and with the Loadouts it's even super fast =)

I'd think that Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor is a rebranding of Instant Armor, to keep in line with the Loadouts series. I could be wrong, but I'd not think these were two releases. Could be wrong, tho.

[Anders]

I'm thinking of having the town armorer's name be Bruno...

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

I'd think that Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor is a rebranding of Instant Armor, to keep in line with the Loadouts series. I could be wrong, but I'd not think these were two releases. Could be wrong, tho.

I'm fairly certain that you are wrong, though you'd need to go back through Dan's posts to figure out what the differences are.