Armor
Although the armor worn by each standing army in the Iron
Kingdoms consists of identical battle dress, the mercenaries
and adventurers of western Immoren mix and match the
elements of their armor in order to meet their personal
preferences and needs. Mercenaries commonly wear
scavenged hodgepodges of armored elements that afford
as much protection as they can secure. The Armor table
shows the cost, weight, and other properties of the common
types of armor worn in the Iron Kingdoms. New armors are
described below.
LIGHT ARMOR
Light armor trades protection for mobility and is favored
by those who rely on agility and stealth. Typically made of
lighter materials such as hardened leather, light armor offers
limited protection. If you wear light armor, you add your
Dexterity modifier to the base number from your armor type
to determine your Armor Class.
Alchemist’s Leathers. This loose-fitting suit of leather armor is hardened with alchemical treatments and includes a heavy leather cloak. Typical of the armor worn by the Iron Kingdom’s battle Alchemists, this armor is treated to provide maximum protection against blasts and alchemical agents. Alchemist’s leathers provide +2 AC against attacks that deal only acid or fire damage.
MEDIUM ARMOR
Medium armor strikes a balance between protection and
mobility. Many varieties incorporate rigid metal components
in order to protect vital organs. Although medium armor
affords better protection than its lighter counterparts, it can
impede mobility. If you wear medium armor, you add your
Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to the base number
from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.
Armored Apron. Reinforced with metal plates on its inner surface, this tough leatherworker’s apron is designed to protect the wearer’s abdomen and upper legs. It is often worn by Mechaniks to safeguard against workplace hazards.
Infantry Armor. Consisting of an armored chest plate, shoulder pads, and armored leggings over layers of leather and sometimes chain, infantry armor exists in numerous variations throughout the Iron Kingdom’s many armies and mercenary companies. Cygnar’s trenchers and long gunners, Khador’s Winter Guard, and Rhul’s gun corps all wear variations of this armor.
Tailored Plate. This suit of light plate armor usually includes full torso protection along with armored leggings and gauntlets over layers of form-fitting chain mail and leather. It sometimes includes a fitted armored coat as well. Because it is customized to the wearer, tailored plate is typically quite expensive. Such armor is a status symbol among successful mercenaries, famed duelists, and wealthy aristocrats. A character wearing tailored plate custom-fit to another person has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
HEAVY ARMOR
Heavy armor offers the greatest amount of protection
against harm. It typically covers the entire body but limits
the wearer’s mobility. Heavy armor doesn’t let you add your
Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, but it also doesn’t
penalize you if your Dexterity modifier is negative.
Storm Knight Armor. The heavy armor of Cygnar ’s renowned Storm Knights (Added Subclass Options) layers extremely heavy plate armor over padded insulation that protects the wearer from the electrical fury of the Storm Division’s voltaic weapons. A character wearing this armor is immune to lightning damage.
GREATCOATS
Greatcoats are ubiquitous in the Iron Kingdoms. Some
adventurers choose to add concealed armored plates or chain
liners to their greatcoats for increased protection.
Armored Greatcoat. The armored greatcoat is popular among combatants and adventurers across western Immoren. Made up of layers of leather, chain, and plate, it not only provides protection against weaponry, but also serves as a barrier against inclement weather. A character wearing an armored greatcoat gains +1 AC. An armored greatcoat can be worn over light armor.
SHIELDS
Assault Shield. An assault shield has spikes or blades
mounted on its front face, allowing it to be used as a
weapon in close fighting. If you successfully shove a target
while equipped with an assault shield, the target takes 1d4
piercing damage.
UNUSUAL ARMORS
In addition to the more common types of armor seen on
the battlefield, some armors incorporate steam-powered or
mechanikal components for additional effects.
Steam-powered armor has existed in one form or another for centuries. In terms of their impact on military design, the fundamental mechanics of steam-powered armor parallel the development of Warcaster armor. When the first mass-produced suit of steam armor emerged from Jachemir Venianminov’s foundry in Khorsk, it simply affirmed the usefulness and durability of such devices. Steam-powered warriors, unlike warcasters, did not require elite training, and they consumed fewer resources than Steamjacks while providing a similar return on the battlefield.
Because steam-powered armor has a reputation for being able to dole out and absorb punishment nearly as well as a light warjack, it has become widespread among mercenary companies and militias that cannot easily afford warjacks. The Man-O-War—the most widely known type of steam-powered armor—is a prime example of a mass-produced version. Built in accordance with sturdy Khadoran mechanikal designs, it is often the inspiration for those looking to build a customized suit of steam armor.
Most suits of steam armor are cobbled together by Mechaniks. Some are retrofit models that use salvaged parts and customized armor, while others are unique models built entirely from scratch with signature styles. The individuality and built-in idiosyncrasies of such armor often render it operable only by the builder, although Man-O-War armor is built with a standard series of controls an elite solider can be trained to use.
Most suits of steam-powered armor stand six to ten feet tall. No matter their size, such suits are uniformly designed to be driven by a steam-based power plant—the boiler— mounted on the rear of the armor. Most suits of steam armor are bulky, heavily armored, and enhanced with numerous mechanikal attachments.
The operator’s space, aptly called “the coffin,” is a heavily insulated and armored cavity in the chest of the armor. The operator sits in the coffin with arms and legs extended into the arms and legs of the suit, and the inner arms are equipped with grasp manipulators and various controls that fit in and around the operator’s hands. The coffin only partially covers the operator. A hinged armored cowling, much like the visor on a knight’s helm, typically covers the operator’s head. This cowling is often folded up in order to ventilate fresh air into the armor’s interior but is folded down in battle in order to foil snipers and protect against shrapnel.
Due to a large number of straps, locking buckles, and secure points, steam armor is difficult to put on and take off. Standard-class steam armor takes 15 minutes to put on and 10 minutes to take off, and heavy-class steam armor takes 18 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively.
STEAM ARMOR FEATURES
Steam armor has several unique features, as described below.
•While you are operating steam armor that has power, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. • Steam armor has a damage threshold of 10. Damage below this number is ignored. • You have a maximum Dexterity modifier of 0 while wearing steam armor. •While wearing steam armor, your base speed becomes 20 unless it is already lower. •If you are wearing steam armor and hit a target with an unarmed strike, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Power Plant. The fuel load of medium steam armor is 10 pounds of coal and 5 gallons of water, which allows for roughly 5 hours of general labor or 1 hour of combat. Heavy armor requires 20 pounds of coal and 8 gallons of water. Operating at full steam implies that the armor is running its boiler under combat conditions, in which case 1 minute at full steam is equal to 5 minutes at normal power.
If you are wearing steam armor that doesn’t have power, you are subjected to the full weight of the armor. Your speed drops by an additional 10 feet, and you have disadvantage on saving throws and ability checks that use Strength or Dexterity until the armor has power again. A steam armor’s power plant has the same vulnerability to water as a steamjack’s boiler.
A solid hit can still rock a massive suit of steam-powered armor. If you are wearing such armor, roll on the Critical Damage table whenever one of the following happens:
• An attacker scores a critical hit against you. • The armor is subjected to circumstances that warrant a dangerous malfunction, as determined by the GM.
Repairing Critical Damage. Repairing critical damage requires the proper tools and time spent off the battlefield adjusting components and patching ruptured pressure lines.
Refer to the Repair column of the Critical Damage table to determine the DC of the Intelligence check and the time required to repair a critical damage effect.
The Iron Kingdoms’ militaries equip their Warcasters with mechanikal armor so advanced that only the most skilled armorers and arcane Mechaniks understand its construction techniques. Each suit of warcaster armor is custom-fitted to the individual. Although plate armor is the basis for warcaster armor, many types can be modified to suit the needs of an individual ’caster, with some warcasters choosing to sacrifice protection in order to augment their mobility. Every suit of warcaster armor is unique, and the cost, look, and specific materials vary considerably. The most expensive and refined suits are built from the finest alloys by the militaries of wealthy nations, and they include small, precisely tooled components. By contrast, those produced by mercenary companies and poorer nations are usually more cumbersome and employ heavier metals and thicker pipes and gauges. Yet even these are marvels of modern Mechankia, using scores of dedicated runeplates (Runes and Formulae) connected by an intricate lattice of arcane conduits.
Most importantly, each suit of Warcaster armor integrates an arcane turbine, a highly efficient and advanced type of steam engine worn on the back and fueled by coal. The steam engine in an arcane turbine powers small internal mechanisms, the negligible weight of which allows the turbine to run for many hours on a small quantity of coal. A turbine typically needs to be refueled once a day, although it can sustain itself at its lowest setting over several days of use if its wearer does not engage in active combat.
Warcaster armor includes exhaust pipes for venting smoke and excess steam pressure. These tubes expel thick plumes when running at full power but only a trickle when dampened. Warcasters must be wary of running an arcane turbine at full power in enclosed spaces, such as aboard a passenger train, where emissions can quickly become a breathing hazard.
The heart of the turbine is a complex series of wire-coiled wheels spinning inside a thinly layered metal lattice, all constructed of arcane-sensitive alloys. When worn by a warcaster who has bonded to the armor, the turbine powers a protective power field around the warcaster that helps negate the armor’s encumbrance and safely disperses the heat generated by its boiler. This field absorbs damage that would otherwise be sustained by the warcaster. A warcaster can enhance the field’s protective qualities by overboosting it, thereby allowing the warcaster to walk unscathed through explosions and direct fire that would otherwise be instantly fatal.
When it comes time to don a suit of armor and prime the turbine, many military warcasters call upon the aid of an adjutant, but practiced mercenaries can don their armor with just a bit of hassle and additional time. The turbine requires only a couple of minutes to be stoked and quickly reaches peak efficiency.
WARCASTER POWER FIELDS
The Focus Manipulation feature allows a Warcaster to reduce
incoming damage while wearing warcaster armor, but in
addition, excess power from the armor’s arcane turbine
can be used to produce a protective shield around a bonded
wearer. While its boiler is fueled and its arcane turbine is
operating, a bonded suit of warcaster armor generates a
power field that acts as a buffer against incoming damage.
Note that non-bonded warcaster armor cannot generate a
power field.
As a bonus action, a warcaster can expend charges from the armor’s arcane turbine. Each charge expended in this way grants the warcaster 2 temporary hit points that last for 1 minute. The warcaster can’t gain temporary hit points in this way again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Warcaster Armor, Light. This warcaster armor is made of lightweight plate and includes a breastplate designed to support the armor’s turbine and boiler. Because much of the warcaster’s body is left unarmored, this armor relies primarily on the power field for protection.
Light warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC.
Warcaster Armor, Medium. This warcaster armor is based on the infantry armor used throughout the Iron Kingdoms. Although it invariably includes a fitted breastplate that houses the armor’s arcane turbine, other elements vary from nearly full suits of plate armor to armored shoulder and leg elements in combination with an armored greatcoat.
Medium warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 13 or higher.
Warcaster Armor, Heavy. This warcaster armor is based on extremely heavy full plate armor and fitted with a huge boiler and arcane turbine. Although the armor is effectively weightless, its sheer bulk somewhat restricts its wearer’s movement.
Heavy warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 15 or higher.
LIGHT ARMOR
Light armor trades protection for mobility and is favored
by those who rely on agility and stealth. Typically made of
lighter materials such as hardened leather, light armor offers
limited protection. If you wear light armor, you add your
Dexterity modifier to the base number from your armor type
to determine your Armor Class.
Alchemist’s Leathers. This loose-fitting suit of leather armor is hardened with alchemical treatments and includes a heavy leather cloak. Typical of the armor worn by the Iron Kingdom’s battle Alchemists, this armor is treated to provide maximum protection against blasts and alchemical agents. Alchemist’s leathers provide +2 AC against attacks that deal only acid or fire damage.
MEDIUM ARMOR
Medium armor strikes a balance between protection and
mobility. Many varieties incorporate rigid metal components
in order to protect vital organs. Although medium armor
affords better protection than its lighter counterparts, it can
impede mobility. If you wear medium armor, you add your
Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to the base number
from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.
Armored Apron. Reinforced with metal plates on its inner surface, this tough leatherworker’s apron is designed to protect the wearer’s abdomen and upper legs. It is often worn by Mechaniks to safeguard against workplace hazards.
Infantry Armor. Consisting of an armored chest plate, shoulder pads, and armored leggings over layers of leather and sometimes chain, infantry armor exists in numerous variations throughout the Iron Kingdom’s many armies and mercenary companies. Cygnar’s trenchers and long gunners, Khador’s Winter Guard, and Rhul’s gun corps all wear variations of this armor.
Tailored Plate. This suit of light plate armor usually includes full torso protection along with armored leggings and gauntlets over layers of form-fitting chain mail and leather. It sometimes includes a fitted armored coat as well. Because it is customized to the wearer, tailored plate is typically quite expensive. Such armor is a status symbol among successful mercenaries, famed duelists, and wealthy aristocrats. A character wearing tailored plate custom-fit to another person has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
HEAVY ARMOR
Heavy armor offers the greatest amount of protection
against harm. It typically covers the entire body but limits
the wearer’s mobility. Heavy armor doesn’t let you add your
Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, but it also doesn’t
penalize you if your Dexterity modifier is negative.
Storm Knight Armor. The heavy armor of Cygnar ’s renowned Storm Knights (Added Subclass Options) layers extremely heavy plate armor over padded insulation that protects the wearer from the electrical fury of the Storm Division’s voltaic weapons. A character wearing this armor is immune to lightning damage.
GREATCOATS
Greatcoats are ubiquitous in the Iron Kingdoms. Some
adventurers choose to add concealed armored plates or chain
liners to their greatcoats for increased protection.
Armored Greatcoat. The armored greatcoat is popular among combatants and adventurers across western Immoren. Made up of layers of leather, chain, and plate, it not only provides protection against weaponry, but also serves as a barrier against inclement weather. A character wearing an armored greatcoat gains +1 AC. An armored greatcoat can be worn over light armor.
SHIELDS
Assault Shield. An assault shield has spikes or blades
mounted on its front face, allowing it to be used as a
weapon in close fighting. If you successfully shove a target
while equipped with an assault shield, the target takes 1d4
piercing damage.
UNUSUAL ARMORS
In addition to the more common types of armor seen on
the battlefield, some armors incorporate steam-powered or
mechanikal components for additional effects.
STEAM ARMOR
Steam-powered armor has existed in one form or another for centuries. In terms of their impact on military design, the fundamental mechanics of steam-powered armor parallel the development of Warcaster armor. When the first mass-produced suit of steam armor emerged from Jachemir Venianminov’s foundry in Khorsk, it simply affirmed the usefulness and durability of such devices. Steam-powered warriors, unlike warcasters, did not require elite training, and they consumed fewer resources than Steamjacks while providing a similar return on the battlefield.
Because steam-powered armor has a reputation for being able to dole out and absorb punishment nearly as well as a light warjack, it has become widespread among mercenary companies and militias that cannot easily afford warjacks. The Man-O-War—the most widely known type of steam-powered armor—is a prime example of a mass-produced version. Built in accordance with sturdy Khadoran mechanikal designs, it is often the inspiration for those looking to build a customized suit of steam armor.
Most suits of steam armor are cobbled together by Mechaniks. Some are retrofit models that use salvaged parts and customized armor, while others are unique models built entirely from scratch with signature styles. The individuality and built-in idiosyncrasies of such armor often render it operable only by the builder, although Man-O-War armor is built with a standard series of controls an elite solider can be trained to use.
Most suits of steam-powered armor stand six to ten feet tall. No matter their size, such suits are uniformly designed to be driven by a steam-based power plant—the boiler— mounted on the rear of the armor. Most suits of steam armor are bulky, heavily armored, and enhanced with numerous mechanikal attachments.
The operator’s space, aptly called “the coffin,” is a heavily insulated and armored cavity in the chest of the armor. The operator sits in the coffin with arms and legs extended into the arms and legs of the suit, and the inner arms are equipped with grasp manipulators and various controls that fit in and around the operator’s hands. The coffin only partially covers the operator. A hinged armored cowling, much like the visor on a knight’s helm, typically covers the operator’s head. This cowling is often folded up in order to ventilate fresh air into the armor’s interior but is folded down in battle in order to foil snipers and protect against shrapnel.
GETTING INTO AND OUT OF STEAM ARMOR
Due to a large number of straps, locking buckles, and secure points, steam armor is difficult to put on and take off. Standard-class steam armor takes 15 minutes to put on and 10 minutes to take off, and heavy-class steam armor takes 18 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively.
STEAM ARMOR FEATURES
Steam armor has several unique features, as described below.
•While you are operating steam armor that has power, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. • Steam armor has a damage threshold of 10. Damage below this number is ignored. • You have a maximum Dexterity modifier of 0 while wearing steam armor. •While wearing steam armor, your base speed becomes 20 unless it is already lower. •If you are wearing steam armor and hit a target with an unarmed strike, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Power Plant. The fuel load of medium steam armor is 10 pounds of coal and 5 gallons of water, which allows for roughly 5 hours of general labor or 1 hour of combat. Heavy armor requires 20 pounds of coal and 8 gallons of water. Operating at full steam implies that the armor is running its boiler under combat conditions, in which case 1 minute at full steam is equal to 5 minutes at normal power.
If you are wearing steam armor that doesn’t have power, you are subjected to the full weight of the armor. Your speed drops by an additional 10 feet, and you have disadvantage on saving throws and ability checks that use Strength or Dexterity until the armor has power again. A steam armor’s power plant has the same vulnerability to water as a steamjack’s boiler.
CRITICAL DAMAGE
A solid hit can still rock a massive suit of steam-powered armor. If you are wearing such armor, roll on the Critical Damage table whenever one of the following happens:
• An attacker scores a critical hit against you. • The armor is subjected to circumstances that warrant a dangerous malfunction, as determined by the GM.
Repairing Critical Damage. Repairing critical damage requires the proper tools and time spent off the battlefield adjusting components and patching ruptured pressure lines.
Refer to the Repair column of the Critical Damage table to determine the DC of the Intelligence check and the time required to repair a critical damage effect.
WARCASTER ARMOR
The Iron Kingdoms’ militaries equip their Warcasters with mechanikal armor so advanced that only the most skilled armorers and arcane Mechaniks understand its construction techniques. Each suit of warcaster armor is custom-fitted to the individual. Although plate armor is the basis for warcaster armor, many types can be modified to suit the needs of an individual ’caster, with some warcasters choosing to sacrifice protection in order to augment their mobility. Every suit of warcaster armor is unique, and the cost, look, and specific materials vary considerably. The most expensive and refined suits are built from the finest alloys by the militaries of wealthy nations, and they include small, precisely tooled components. By contrast, those produced by mercenary companies and poorer nations are usually more cumbersome and employ heavier metals and thicker pipes and gauges. Yet even these are marvels of modern Mechankia, using scores of dedicated runeplates (Runes and Formulae) connected by an intricate lattice of arcane conduits.
Most importantly, each suit of Warcaster armor integrates an arcane turbine, a highly efficient and advanced type of steam engine worn on the back and fueled by coal. The steam engine in an arcane turbine powers small internal mechanisms, the negligible weight of which allows the turbine to run for many hours on a small quantity of coal. A turbine typically needs to be refueled once a day, although it can sustain itself at its lowest setting over several days of use if its wearer does not engage in active combat.
Warcaster armor includes exhaust pipes for venting smoke and excess steam pressure. These tubes expel thick plumes when running at full power but only a trickle when dampened. Warcasters must be wary of running an arcane turbine at full power in enclosed spaces, such as aboard a passenger train, where emissions can quickly become a breathing hazard.
The heart of the turbine is a complex series of wire-coiled wheels spinning inside a thinly layered metal lattice, all constructed of arcane-sensitive alloys. When worn by a warcaster who has bonded to the armor, the turbine powers a protective power field around the warcaster that helps negate the armor’s encumbrance and safely disperses the heat generated by its boiler. This field absorbs damage that would otherwise be sustained by the warcaster. A warcaster can enhance the field’s protective qualities by overboosting it, thereby allowing the warcaster to walk unscathed through explosions and direct fire that would otherwise be instantly fatal.
When it comes time to don a suit of armor and prime the turbine, many military warcasters call upon the aid of an adjutant, but practiced mercenaries can don their armor with just a bit of hassle and additional time. The turbine requires only a couple of minutes to be stoked and quickly reaches peak efficiency.
WARCASTER POWER FIELDS
The Focus Manipulation feature allows a Warcaster to reduce
incoming damage while wearing warcaster armor, but in
addition, excess power from the armor’s arcane turbine
can be used to produce a protective shield around a bonded
wearer. While its boiler is fueled and its arcane turbine is
operating, a bonded suit of warcaster armor generates a
power field that acts as a buffer against incoming damage.
Note that non-bonded warcaster armor cannot generate a
power field.
As a bonus action, a warcaster can expend charges from the armor’s arcane turbine. Each charge expended in this way grants the warcaster 2 temporary hit points that last for 1 minute. The warcaster can’t gain temporary hit points in this way again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Warcaster Armor, Light. This warcaster armor is made of lightweight plate and includes a breastplate designed to support the armor’s turbine and boiler. Because much of the warcaster’s body is left unarmored, this armor relies primarily on the power field for protection.
Light warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC.
Warcaster Armor, Medium. This warcaster armor is based on the infantry armor used throughout the Iron Kingdoms. Although it invariably includes a fitted breastplate that houses the armor’s arcane turbine, other elements vary from nearly full suits of plate armor to armored shoulder and leg elements in combination with an armored greatcoat.
Medium warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 13 or higher.
Warcaster Armor, Heavy. This warcaster armor is based on extremely heavy full plate armor and fitted with a huge boiler and arcane turbine. Although the armor is effectively weightless, its sheer bulk somewhat restricts its wearer’s movement.
Heavy warcaster armor incorporates an arcane turbine with a power draw of 5 charges per hour for the bond plate and the power field’s mechanikal devices. Additional devices can be connected to the turbine, as described in the arcane turbine rules.
If this armor does not have power, its wearer has –2 AC. Additionally, while it does not have power, this armor reduces its wearer’s speed by 10 feet, and the wearer has disadvantage on Stealth checks unless the wearer has Strength 15 or higher.
