Suits Or Pieces Of Armor?

[Diamond Cross]

Do you prefer systems that count and entire suit of armor?

Or do you prefer systems that use armor pieces by location?

For example, Harn does armor pieces by location. You have head, torso, right and left arms, right and left hands, right and left legs, right and left feet locations.

Personally I prefer to use an entire suit of armor. It greatly cuts down on the book keeping.

 

[Greyfeld]

I prefer individual pieces, because it gives me the opportunity to mix and match armor to maximize, or specialize, any desired effect.

That said, why do I never see any pants armor in D&D?

 

[delericho]

No preference. I'm equally happy with either.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Do you prefer systems that count and entire suit of armor?

Or do you prefer systems that use armor pieces by location?

For example, Harn does armor pieces by location. You have head, torso, right and left arms, right and left hands, right and left legs, right and left feet locations.

Personally I prefer to use an entire suit of armor. It greatly cuts down on the book keeping.

Agree. Theoretically I prefer pieces and locations, but they just end up being more trouble than they're worth. (And you also run the risk of characters always calling for an aimed shot to the head for an insta-kill. Although aimed shots at other areas for a specific purpose is something I do miss. Such as knocking a sword out of an enemy's hand.)

 

[El Mahdi]

I prefer to just count the entire suit.

Counting pieces can definitely add to realism, but I find that it can seriously bog down resolution mechanics, and raises new problems with called shots (as mentioned above).

I prefer to just think of partial armor as providing a lower AC or Defense bonus, to model the improved ease of an opponent hitting a vulnerable (unarmored) part of the body.

 

[IronWolf]

I definitely prefer the suit of armor approach. If a character wants to describe it uniquely that is fine with me, we'll just determine which suit of armor is considered mechanically and then they can describe it as they wish.

I would prefer to avoid called shots and figuring out various bonuses depending on where someone was trying to hit.

 

[IronWolf]

Although aimed shots at other areas for a specific purpose is something I do miss. Such as knocking a sword out of an enemy's hand.)

Depending on your system you could always use the disarm special attack.

 

[Camelot]

I like a mixture. Most of the typical "suit of armor" I like being dealt with as a whole, but a few segments (like helment, boots, and gloves) I like being separate, because I like having a lot of magic items, and those are the interesting areas for magic armor. Who'd wear a magic left leg armor?

 

[TarionzCousin]

That said, why do I never see any pants armor in D&D?

Have you ever seen "Pants" in any equipment list? No, you haven't.

Because pants aren't allowed in D&D!

 

[steenan]

For me, it strongly depends on the rest of the game. If a game uses hit locations and wound levels, tracking separate pieces of armor is much better. I'll put more armor on head and torso than on left hand, for example - protect the parts where a hit is more dangerous. If a game uses abstract HP and AC, separate pieces of armor will not add any realism anyway, only unnecessary complication. In this case I'd be happy with not only armors as full suits, but reduced to light, medium and heavy. And so on.