Quote:
Originally Posted by tbone
That's what I figured, too, as there's no single "Cheap" mod for armor. (Though I think there are some mods for low-quality armor tucked away in the Low-Tech series or somewhere.)
So I assume those zombies and orcs will usually have little (and thus low-value) armor: cloth/leather, or just a piece or two of heavier armor.
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Monsters pg 34 has a definition of sorts for poor-quality armor:
Hobgoblins wear scavenged scale, mail, and plate bits that average DR 3 (included above); gaps remove -2 from the penalty for Attacking Chinks in Armor (Exploits, p. 37), and resale value is $1d x30 as scrap if someone hauls 40-50 lbs. back to town (see Scrap, Exploits, pp. 16-17). They wield medium shields (DB 2) and crude, saw-toothed falchions that leave nasty wounds (break as cheap, and sell for at most $125).
Scale armor is 48 lb. and $960 for DR 3 (2 vs crushing). So if you can loot armor off a hobgoblin nstead of buying scale, that's a good deal. Effectively $100ish for DR 3 and less weight. The bonus to targeting armor chinks does not matter, either vs. orcs or against PCs or their hirelings. A -6 penalty to attack torso chinks in exchange for an effective +2 damage bonus is not worth it. You would LOVE for enemies to take that trade instead of attacking your vitals or face.
Edit: here's Low-Tech's take on cheap armor (pg 109).
Cheap Quality
This might be mass-produced munitions armor, issued to an army’s rank and file; an early example is the lorica segmentata (Segmented Plate, pp. 107-108) of the Roman legions. Alternatively, the armor could be the work of an inexperienced armorer, or incorporate low-grad materials. Cheap armor has -1 DR. -0.6 CF; weight is unchanged.