DF: Armor Layering and Enchantments

[RobKamm]

Originally Posted by Culture20

Don't forget that it's 5 times per natural/base DR of the armor. The numerous examples of the T-Shirt warrior point out that they only get 5 penetrations before losing enchantment, but Fortify on TL9 DR40 armor would keep its enchantment for 200 penetrations.

Yes. Which demonstrates why I shouldn't post while trying to run out the door to work. Thank you for catching it. That sentence ought to have read:

There is a small benefit to getting the lower layers enchanted that I've considered in theory, but have never seen come up in play. That is that it may be possible for the outer layer (presumably with the heavier enchantment) to be penetrated enough times to lose it's enchantment.

The point, however, remains. The outer armour either stops the hit or the hit is usually strong enough to blast through both layers and cause enough injury that the subject is looking for the exit. I can't remember ever having seen a fight or even running series of fights wherein the inner layer outlasted the outer one. We track just in case, but it really has proven a theoretical issue for us.

For the sake of full disclosure: I've can only remember one player go with a breastplate over a mail hauberk and try to get both Fortified. If memory serves he only got Fortify 1 on the mail -- so even in that extreme example there wasn't a large range of damages that would have penetrated one but not the other. Most of the others were DR0 gambesons (Fortified to DR1) under mail - even less of a range. They've done it more as a "see what I can do" and a cheap safety net rather than realizing actual benefit in play.