Lighter Armor

We’ve covered the heavy stuff, but what about the most common armors? This is the lightweight stuff; usually leather or reinforced leather, leather with studs or rings added, or even just the padding most people wear under the heavier armors.

It’s surprising how much protection leather can give. This is much heavier leather than what is used in modern shoes or boots; this is the thick stuff. Cutting through it can be a real effort, and its combination of rigidity and flexibility can help ward off some blows, or spread concussive force around a bit. Adding bits of metal here and there can help it turn a slash or stop of a thrust. It has the great advantage of being much lighter, cooler, and cheaper than the heavier armors we’ve discussed before. In a medieval culture, animal hides are common and cheap. In a fantasy culture, there’s a lot more kinds of leather available!

Some variation of leather is likely the most common type of armor seen anywhere; the local law enforcement organization probably wears leather on duty because it’s light and cheap and they’re going to be in it all day long. (And they’re not expecting a pitched battle) Its still worn over padding so it’s going to get hot, but there’s not a lot that can be done about that.

Padded armor is a bit of a joke in most RPG systems (what’s a bunch of cloth going to do?) but if you’ve ever worn an actual gambeson or arming coat, it offers a fair bit of protection and would be a rough equivalent of a lot of sparring armor; it will help soften blunt blows and might even stop a slash that didn’t connect fully. Again, hot, but also cheap (it’s just cloth!) and widely available.