PADDED ARMOR

Padded armor,  also referred to as quilted armor,  is the simplest form  of 
manmade armor. It consists of two or more layers of spun cloth stuffed with 
thick batting and quilted together.

Padded  armor  typically covers  the chest and shoulders,  but  full-length 
suits are sometimes seen.

Padded armor is mostly found among the poor and unskilled. Only the poorest
excuses for  armed forces would be caught  dead in padded armor.  The bulky 
and restrictive nature of the armor makes it a poor substitute for a  stout
set of leather (q.v.).

Village militias, neophyte bandit packs, urban street gangs,  and primitive 
barbarian hordes are the most common users of padded armor.  In short, this 
includes anyone who cannot afford leather armor (i.e. the truly destitute),
cultures without the technology to tan hide (i.e., the truly primitive), or 
those  who  have  no other option  at  their  time of need (i.e., the truly 
desperate).

Padded armor can be made by any race or nation. Thus, it is common protec-
tion for the poorer classes. Since making a padded suit of armor  requires
little more than a crude needle and thread,  low-level or desperate adven-
turers  in need  of additional  protection  can usually whip up  a  set of
padded armor in less than two days.  The durability and  level of  comfort 
afforded by the homemade suit naturally varies in direct proportion to the 
skill of the would-be armorer. 

Padded armor, being little more than multiple layers of clothing, tends to
soil and wear out easily. Although newly fashioned sets may sell  cheaply, 
padded armor must be replaced often,  even if it is well cared for.  Lice, 
sweat, dirt, fleas, and insects all take their toll.

When the padded armor has seen its last days,  the armor,  now rotted  and 
torn,  is little  more than bulky clothing.  Importantly,  heavily  soiled 
armor reduces the wearer's resistance against various diseases. 

Under ideal conditions, a set of padded armor should be  replaced  monthly.
However,  when travelling  through heavily  infested swamps or in monster-
laden forests, padded armor may require replacement as often as  every few 
days.  On any  long journey,  spare sets of  padded armor should be  taken 
along as if they were spare sets of clothing. Too much frugality before  a 
journey can lead to much discomfort later.

Naturally,  those who have no access to better armor try  to make the best 
appearance whenever they can. Nobody wants to appear  cheap or  desperate, 
especially when they are. Therefore, decorating one's padded armor is  the 
most common form of "upgrading" the appearance of one's forces. All armies 
and nations have  banners and  shields adorned with their own colors,  and 
these  colors  are often  repeated in  intricate patterns  on their padded 
armor.  This is  most often  seen when  the  local king or  noble  quickly 
recruits the  local farmers' militia  to defend  his lands or  aid him  in 
launching an assault.  The wives,  sisters, and  daughters quickly whip up 
anything they can to protect their  ill-trained  husbands,  brothers,  and
sons.  The colors of the lord are either  quilted into the  design of  the 
armor  in  checkerboard  fashion,  or  painted or dyed  onto  the  hastily 
prepared protection.

In similar fashion, the most nefarious of evil knights have been known  to 
use quilted armor  to camouflage their  own soldiers  as peasants  of  the 
opposing ranks,  taking devious advantage  of the militia's known lack  of 
combat training.

Certainly in the case of padded armor, one can tell a knave by his suit.

Slot(s):                                head, neck, torso, legs, feet,
                                        arms, hands
Size:                                   large

Protection against:
 cut                                    fair
 stab                                   fair
 bash                                   very good
 other                                  fair

List by type: banded plate, battlesuit, chain mail, elfin chain mail, field plate, full plate, mail coat, mail shirt, o-yoroi, padded armour, robe, robes, scale mail, shirt, sleeved coat, sleeved mail coat, splint mail and studded armour

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