Choosing your armor can be a critical decision that impacts your character's effectiveness in combat. Heavier armour provides greater protection, but at the cost of mobility and weight.

Each suit of armour listed below has the following statistics:

Resistance (Resist): This is the protection offered by the armour. Each point of Resistance applies to all Blunt, Impaling and Slashing damage that your character takes.

Load: This is the amount of Load the armour weighs. If your total Load exceeds your Body, you suffer a -1 penalty to all skill checks (including attack rolls) for each point of Load that exceeds your Body.

Maximum Agility Defence (Max AGI): Heavier armour slows you down and makes it harder to dodge attacks. If your Agility defence is higher than this number, then use this number in place of your Agility defence so long as you are wearing the armour.

Skill: This penalty applies to all Acrobatics, Stealth, and spellcasting skill checks while you wear the armor. It is always in effect, regardless of whether or not your character meets the minimum Body requirement for the armor. If your character does not meet the minimum Body requirement, the penalty for that circumstance stacks with the skill penalty.

The following suits of armour are the most common types found throughout the Realms.

Gambeson: Resistance 1, Load 0, Max AGI 16, Skill -1, 20sp.
A quilted jacket, leggings and cap, the gambeson is often worn beneath other suits of armour.
Padded: The armour has Resistance 2 against Blunt damage.

Heavy Robes: Resistance 2, Load 0, Max AGI 15, Skill -0, 40sp.
Many spellcasters tend to wear several layers of robes. In a pinch, this actually provides some decent protection. The material tends to be high-end fabric such as silk or gossamer.
Supple: The armour provides only Resistance 1 against Slashing damage.

Hide Armour: Resistance 2, Load 2, Max AGI 15, Skill -0, 30sp.
Popular in the Northern Reaches, this armour is bulky, but provides adequate protection.

Boiled Leather: Resistance 2, Load 1, Max AGI 15, Skill -0, 40sp.
A number of plates of boiled leather are sewn to a flexible backing, providing rigid protection over joints and vulnerable spots.

Bone Armour: Resistance 2, Load 1, Max AGI 15, Skill -2, 20sp.
Beads and plates of bone are sewn to a flexible backing. This odd-looking armour is commonly seen in the Southern Expanse.

Scale Armour: Resistance 3, Load 1, Max AGI 13, Skill -2, 45sp.
Hundreds of small plates are sewn to a jack, and then worn over a gambeson.

Brigandine: Resistance 3, Load 2, Max AGI 14, Skill -1, 60sp.
Thin, layered plates are sewn into the inside of a jack, and worn with several external plates over a gambeson.

Lamellar: Resistance 3, Load 1, Max AGI 15, Skill -1, 90sp.
Similar to a Brigandine or Scale Armour, but the plates are rigid leather, rather than steel, making it lighter. Worn over a gambeson. This was the standard armour for the Centurions of Aranor.

Visby Coat: Resistance 4, Load 3, Max AGI 13, Skill -2, 70sp.
The final evolution of Brigandine and Scale, the plates are inserted into pockets in the jack, and several external plates are added. Worn over a gambeson.

Maille: Resistance 4, Load 3, Max AGI 13, Skill -1, 80sp.
A steel cloth, made of thousands of interlocking rings, and worn over a gambeson.

Maille and Plate: Resistance 5, Load 4, Max AGI 12, Skill -2, 90sp.
A hauberk of maille, plus fifteen to twenty plates of steel, including a solid breastplate, all worn over a gambeson.

Laminar: Resistance 5, Load 3, Max AGI 13, Skill -2, 140sp.
Similar to lamellar, this armour was worn by the Legates and Tribunes of the legions of Aranor. Segmented interlocking plates bolted directly to a suit of maille rendered the wearer nearly indestructible.