Shroud and Cowl Armoring

Equipment type,function, and availability is a significant tool for the game master to use when presenting a campaign (or an area within a campaign).

The following is meant as an example of changing equipment assumptions to give a campaign a different look and feel and step away from familiar without totally undoing the game as expected.
No helmets, not shields, no breastplates... a different place indeed from pseudo-medieval Europe of typical fantasy adventure.

Shroud and Cowl Pieces
There are five broadly defined pieces of armor that may be worn by combatants.

Cowl-    protects head, neck, and shoulders

Mask- protects the face face and a lesser protection for the neck in some designs.

Shroud- minor protection to shoulders, with better protection for torso, hips, and thighs

ArmGarde- protects the hand, forearm, and elbow.  Note entirely unlike a combination sode & kote of traditional samurai armor on earth.

Shynbalde- Greaves that proitect the top of foot, shin, and knee.

Shroud and Cowl Armor Table

Armor	Armor Bonus	ENC	Cost	Other
Leather Cowl	½	1	5	-1 to listen
Padded Cowl	1	2	10	-2 to listen
Disked Cowl	1&½	2	20	-1 to listen
Mesh Cowl	1&½	1	40	-1 to listen
Spiked Cowl	1&½	2	100	-1 to listen, 1d4 attack against bite and unarmed
Scale Cowl	2	2	50	-2 to listen
Leather/Bone/Wood Mask	½	1	7	+1 save vs flash and gaze attacks,-1 perception
Crystal Mask	1	1	400	+2 save vs flash and gaze attacks,-2 perception
Metallic Mask	1&½	1	15	+1 save vs flash and gaze attacks,-2 perception
Leather Shroud	1	2	20
Bezainted/studded Shroud	2	3	70
Disk Shroud	3	4	150
Spike Shroud	3	5	200	1d4 attack against bite and unarmed, -1 move
Mesh Shroud	3	3	250
Mirror Shroud	3	4	1,000	1in6 to reflect flash, gaze, and ray attacks
Scale Shroud	4	4	250
Crystal Shroud	4	4	2,000	2in6 to reflect flash, gaze, and ray attacks
Leather or Wicker Arm-Garde*	½	1	5	-½ to attack
Padded, Wood or Bone Arm-Garde*	1&½	2	15	-½ to attack
Metal Arm-Garde*	2	2	50	-½ to attack
Leather or Wicker ShynBalde**	1	2	10	-1 move
Padded, Wood or Bone ShynBalde**	1&½	3	25	-2 move
Metal Arm- ShynBalde**	2	3	60	-2 move

*- values are per item. ** values are for a pair.

Best Armor for AC is  Scale Cowl +2, Metallic Face Mask +1.5, Scale shroud- +4 , 2 metal armgardes +4 and Metakl ShynBaldes +2 for a total AC adjustment of +13.5 .   Encumbrance would be 14, anyone with STR 13 or less would be encumbered (before other weapons and equipment are accounted for). They would attack at -1 and move at a base rate of 10 (instead of 12). Cost would be 475.

ENC notes: STR score or less, unencumbered. Over STR to STR is Encumbered 2/3 move -2 to dodging and action saves. Over x2 STR to x3 STR  is Burdened ½ move and -4 to dodging, action, and attacks.

Cost Notes: cost is generic on the table, whatever the common coin of trade/value is for adventurers.

I setup costs here so the best armor is out of reach of beginning adventurers who will start with the typical 30-180 spread of coin as an assumption in pricing.

Successful adventurers will still likely be able to buy all the armor they want sometime during second level.

AC notes:  The total AC bonus here goes up to 13.5.  Drop any halves left when adding up AC. A 13 bonus still looks high but I allow for "mob attacks" where the number of attackers (if over 1) is taken as a bonus to hit for all attackers  (there are some pickier rules that's appropriate for another post).

Helmets if found in another realm wouldn't stack with cowls. 

Shields if found in another realm wouldn't stack with a pair of Arm-Gaurds only the AC for an opposite Arm would be factored.