Armor size [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Armor size [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
tigg75
01-21-07, 11:48 AM If a small class character such as a Gnome is wearing correctly sized armor for his size what will the weight modifier be. 50% or 25%? I have heard both and can't seem to find the answer.
RavenDrake
01-21-07, 12:04 PM First of, what do you mean by "weight modifier"? If you mean the weight of the armour itself, it will weigh half of what a medium sized suit of armour would weigh.
tigg75
01-21-07, 12:23 PM Yeah, thats what I was looking for. I just seemed to me that not only is the small character half the height which would make the 50% make sense, but he is also half the width generally speaking. The average human weighs in at 150 pounds and the gnome is about 35 pounds, seems like a quarter would just make more sense, but rules are rules. Thanks a lot.
Novacat
01-21-07, 12:50 PM Yeah, thats what I was looking for. I just seemed to me that not only is the small character half the height which would make the 50% make sense, but he is also half the width generally speaking. The average human weighs in at 150 pounds and the gnome is about 35 pounds, seems like a quarter would just make more sense, but rules are rules. Thanks a lot.

You're forgetting the 3rd dimension. He's also half as thick. Realistically speaking, he would weigh 1/8 as much as a medium creature of his own build. However, even if you reduce the size of the armor, the depth of the metal or leather layers is going to remain the same. If a blacksmith uses 1/8-inch thick steel for medium armor, he'll likely use 1/8-inch thick steel for small armor as well, rather than reducing it to near-useless thickness to make it to scale. So small armor is, relatively speaking, much more thickly built than medium armor.

Another reason small armor only weighs half as much rather than 1/4 as much is because the book says so, which in D&D trumps all stretches of logic.
Loki5654
01-21-07, 04:06 PM Weight
This column gives the weight of the armor sized for a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.There you go, straight from the rules. No physics needed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tigg75 01-21-07, 11:48 AM	If a small class character such as a Gnome is wearing correctly sized armor for his size what will the weight modifier be. 50% or 25%? I have heard both and can't seem to find the answer.
RavenDrake 01-21-07, 12:04 PM	First of, what do you mean by "weight modifier"? If you mean the weight of the armour itself, it will weigh half of what a medium sized suit of armour would weigh.
tigg75 01-21-07, 12:23 PM	Yeah, thats what I was looking for. I just seemed to me that not only is the small character half the height which would make the 50% make sense, but he is also half the width generally speaking. The average human weighs in at 150 pounds and the gnome is about 35 pounds, seems like a quarter would just make more sense, but rules are rules. Thanks a lot.
Novacat 01-21-07, 12:50 PM	Yeah, thats what I was looking for. I just seemed to me that not only is the small character half the height which would make the 50% make sense, but he is also half the width generally speaking. The average human weighs in at 150 pounds and the gnome is about 35 pounds, seems like a quarter would just make more sense, but rules are rules. Thanks a lot. You're forgetting the 3rd dimension. He's also half as thick. Realistically speaking, he would weigh 1/8 as much as a medium creature of his own build. However, even if you reduce the size of the armor, the depth of the metal or leather layers is going to remain the same. If a blacksmith uses 1/8-inch thick steel for medium armor, he'll likely use 1/8-inch thick steel for small armor as well, rather than reducing it to near-useless thickness to make it to scale. So small armor is, relatively speaking, much more thickly built than medium armor. Another reason small armor only weighs half as much rather than 1/4 as much is because the book says so, which in D&D trumps all stretches of logic.
Loki5654 01-21-07, 04:06 PM	Weight This column gives the weight of the armor sized for a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.There you go, straight from the rules. No physics needed.