Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding - Page 3

TheOneTrueClockWorK · 01-02-2017, 02:50 PM

So, I've been working on a high/dark fantasy, TL3 world for some time now. I'm grappling with a decision regarding armor style and would like some advice.

My game uses the Low-Tech armor rules. I really like the look of plate armor and brigandine, which are both TL4. I can easily work these into the game by saying that the region has TL4 armor. However, I also really like transitional armor, which is also more TL3, and I'd like both styles of armor to exist in the world, in the same region, in a way that makes sense.

My first thought was to say that only a few armorers in the region have the skills to create TL4 armor, so it would need to be created by one of them, or imported from a TL4 area. But, my issue with this is the question of "why hasn't that knowledge spread to the rest of the area's armorers?" It would be easy enough to say that TL4 armors are still really new, but that wouldn't explain why old ruins have magically animated suits of armor guarding them.

The other idea is that, because the story is based around civilization recovering from a great interplaner war, perhaps these armors are simply revivals of old armoring techniques, from a once-TL4 world gone back to TL3.

What are the thoughts of the wise forums?

01-02-2017, 02:50 PM	#1
TheOneTrueClockWorK Join Date: Oct 2016	Trouble with Armor and Worldbuilding So, I've been working on a high/dark fantasy, TL3 world for some time now. I'm grappling with a decision regarding armor style and would like some advice. My game uses the Low-Tech armor rules. I really like the look of plate armor and brigandine, which are both TL4. I can easily work these into the game by saying that the region has TL4 armor. However, I also really like transitional armor, which is also more TL3, and I'd like both styles of armor to exist in the world, in the same region, in a way that makes sense. My first thought was to say that only a few armorers in the region have the skills to create TL4 armor, so it would need to be created by one of them, or imported from a TL4 area. But, my issue with this is the question of "why hasn't that knowledge spread to the rest of the area's armorers?" It would be easy enough to say that TL4 armors are still really new, but that wouldn't explain why old ruins have magically animated suits of armor guarding them. The other idea is that, because the story is based around civilization recovering from a great interplaner war, perhaps these armors are simply revivals of old armoring techniques, from a once-TL4 world gone back to TL3. What are the thoughts of the wise forums?