[LT] Relative DR of Plate Components

GodlessRose · 07-19-2011, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanHoward

The head and chest was usually covered in the heaviest plate. Followed by the back, abdomen, shoulders and upper arms. The lightest plate was on the legs, hands, and feet.

Thanks. I'm still wondering about how to quantify it, though.

Here is a more specific question. If I stat out a suit with a DR 7 breastplate and bascinet, DR 4 gauntlets, sollerets, and legs, and the other parts all DR 6 or 5, would it be reasonable to treat it as a typical harness for NPCs to wear? Or would it be unusual for the DR values to vary that much from chest to legs/hands?

sir_pudding · 07-19-2011, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GodlessRose

would it be reasonable to treat it as a typical harness for NPCs to wear? Or would it be unusual for the DR values to vary that much from chest to legs/hands?

Where? When? For whom? It would be very unusual for Plains Indians c. 1790, not so much for some European Calvary c. 1600. For the Skull Legions of the Dread Citadel c. The Year of The Death Snail? Who is to say?

GodlessRose · 07-20-2011, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Where? When? For whom? It would be very unusual for Plains Indians c. 1790, not so much for some European Calvary c. 1600. For the Skull Legions of the Dread Citadel c. The Year of The Death Snail? Who is to say?

Considering that the question is about full suits of plate, I think we can safely limit ourselves to times and places where they were used.

I started thinking about this while writing up sample armors for a Banestorm game, so I don’t have a specific historical setting in mind. To reiterate, I’m looking for general rules of thumb about DR ratios between components of historical field plate harnesses.

If there was a tremendous range in fashions, with (for instance) suits of almost uniform DR and suits with both DR x gauntlets and DR 3x breastplates both being common, then, well, the rule of thumb would be that anything in that range is fine. Trying to pin it down further would be pointless for gaming purposes.

But if a certain ratio was most common - like DR 7 chests to DR 4 hands - and different schemes were the norm in only a few eras/countries, then that would be good to know. And I have a suspicion that the range of cost-effective strategies for constructing full suits of plate is limited. I just don’t know where the limits are.

sir_pudding · 07-20-2011, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GodlessRose

Considering that the question is about full suits of plate, I think we can safely limit ourselves to times and places where they were used.

I'll be quite shocked if Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor doesn't have at least one example of renaissance harness.

GodlessRose · 07-20-2011, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I'll be quite shocked if Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor doesn't have at least one example of renaissance harness.

I would be too. But SJG just got the first draft a couple weeks ago, IIRC. So it will be a while till that hits e23.

sir_pudding · 07-20-2011, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GodlessRose

I would be too. But SJG just got the first draft a couple weeks ago, IIRC. So it will be a while till that hits e23.

Fair enough, but it's not as though LT doesn't relate it's armor constructions to specific real world examples. Why not take a real world harness and simply assign constructions as appropriate? Such as this piece from the Higgins collection?

Kalzazz · 07-20-2011, 01:25 AM

Well, an example of armor one of my characters used was

DR 6 bascinet (except ears) and visor, skull padding
Crest
DR 6 torso plate
DR 3 legs, arms, feet, gauntlets and gorget
Fine mail groin
Arming doublet

Enchanted with Fortify 1 and Lighten 25%

Coming to $5468.75 and 34.875 lbs

Novembermike · 07-20-2011, 01:37 AM

It's going to depend. Are we talking about a Landsknecht foot soldier? That's probably going to be a breastplate, helmet, upper legs and maybe the hands. Standard knight armor is probably going to be lighter on the hands and around some joints, but I don't know if it was significantly lighter over entire sections as used by GURPS Low Tech.

Really, you could probably just look at it and try to save weight where reasonable and you should end up with realistic armor. The head and vitals need a lot of armor, the legs and arms need less. There's not that much to it.

07-20-2011, 01:25 AM	#7
Kalzazz Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: [LT] Relative DR of Plate Components Well, an example of armor one of my characters used was DR 6 bascinet (except ears) and visor, skull padding Crest DR 6 torso plate DR 3 legs, arms, feet, gauntlets and gorget Fine mail groin Arming doublet Enchanted with Fortify 1 and Lighten 25% Coming to $5468.75 and 34.875 lbs

07-20-2011, 01:37 AM	#8
Novembermike Join Date: Apr 2011	Re: [LT] Relative DR of Plate Components It's going to depend. Are we talking about a Landsknecht foot soldier? That's probably going to be a breastplate, helmet, upper legs and maybe the hands. Standard knight armor is probably going to be lighter on the hands and around some joints, but I don't know if it was significantly lighter over entire sections as used by GURPS Low Tech. Really, you could probably just look at it and try to save weight where reasonable and you should end up with realistic armor. The head and vitals need a lot of armor, the legs and arms need less. There's not that much to it.