You will face many dangers and challenges, and it’s a good idea to have the proper equipment to help you overcome them! Equipment and armor can provide a variety of benefits to your character, including increased bonuses for your character as well as help to mitigate the harm your enemies inflict upon you!

Most equipment is worn on various parts of your character’s body: the feet, head, hands, wrists, and more. These articles of clothing and jewelry are often imbued with benefits to help your character be the best they can be! Increased ability scores, resistances, immunities, and more can all be gained by finding and wearing magical equipment. Additionally armor is a type of equipment that can greatly affect your combat and skill abilities!

There are several kinds of armor, and you must have training in order to wear some types. In some cases, it might be beneficial to wear a robe or outfit, rather than armor if you’re not trained to use heavier armor types. The armor type determines whether or not you can wear a piece of armor. You must be proficient with the armor type in order to wear the armor without penalty. The armor types are: 

Some classes are able to wear more than one armor type. Some races, like Warforged, can only wear one type of armor (docents). You can inspect armor pieces to see if you are able to wear them or not. You can also look at the icon of the item to determine if a piece of armor is able to be used by your class. If the armor’s icon is red, then you do not meet the prerequisites to wear the armor. All item prerequisites, such as class, level, race, or any other restrictions, can be found by inspecting the item and looking for red text. Any red text indicates a requirement that you do not meet to wear or use the armor.

Sometimes, you might find armor or equipment with an icon that has a yellow border (similar to the red border for items you can't use). This yellow border indicates that you are able to use the eqipment, but you won't be as good at using it as someone with training. You will suffer penalties for not being proficient, or may even temporarily lose access to some class abilities while wearing that equipment. It's best to use equipment you're proficient with, but some equipment might be good for temporary circumstances (like a little bit of added protection from a beholder's eyebeams).

Remember that like all items, some armor pieces can bind to your character on equip or bind to you when you acquire them in your inventory, so check armor descriptions carefully before wearing or looting armors! Armors also have durability, and will need to be repaired as they are damaged from wear and tear.

Adorning Armor

Some armor types take a moment for your character to put them on, so keep this in mind as you change in and out of armor in dungeons. Cloth, such as robes or outfits, and docents take no time to quickly put on. Light, medium, and heavy armor require more time to equip them (but they also provide more armor class). Allow yourself some extra time to get back into your armor if you need to remove it temporarily, such as to swim a far distance underwater - you might not have the time to slip back into it if a fight breaks out!

 

There are a variety of benefits you can receive as a result of wearing armor items. These include, but are not limited to: 

In addition, some items provide special abilities, short term boosts, or short term buffs for using or equipping them.

 

 

Remember that some armor is bulky and heavy, and while it is good at turning away an enemy blade, it could make it more difficult for your character to do some physical tasks like jumping, climbing, or swimming. You can determine how much of a hindrance your armor will cause you by looking at the Armor-check Penalty and Maximum Dex Bonus. Just because the armor has a penalty showing doesn’t mean it is bad though! It is often a balance – you can’t jump as well, but you might be more protected from being stabbed in the back! A good rule of thumb is if your character is swift and nimble, heavy armor will probably not be as beneficial to you. If your character is a sturdy hearty character, you may be well suited to a heavy set of armor!

 

 

Remember that armor can be heavy, and if you are carrying a lot of it around, it can burden a character who isn’t very strong! Be mindful of how much weight you carry to avoid becoming encumbered and slow!

 

Armor can be acquired in different ways in the game, including: 

You can compare armor with your current equipment by inspecting the armor. You will be shown a side-by-side comparison of what the benefits of the new armor are against the armor you’re already wearing.

Using Eldritch devices, it is possible to craft armor, or even increase some aspects of your armor’s benefits! To learn more about how you can use the crafting system to enhance your armor, read our other game play articles or visit the Compendium!