Armor

A paladin's plate mail.

Armor, also spelled armour, is a protective covering or device worn or wielded to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, creature, or vehicle by weapons, projectiles, magic, or other potentially dangerous environments or acts.

Classes of armor

Armor can be classified in a number of ways:

By weight

A paladin's helm.

See also: Category:Armor by weight

Suits of armor worn by humanoids and humanoid-like creatures can be coarsely graded into three weights: heavy, medium, and light. Generally, but not exclusively, the heavier the armor, the greater the protection gained, albeit at the expense of faster or more flexible movement, and the ability to perform physical tasks or cast spells unimpaired.

By technological level

See also: Technology and Category:Technological armor

On Golarion, most armor is made of refined metals, wood, and other simple materials. However, more advanced armor employs more complex mechanical, chemical, electrical, or other technological processes.

Most technologically advanced armor on Golarion is of alien origin, found scattered across Numeria. Such armors often provide unique capabilities, such as physically impermeable force fields, holographic disguises, or environmental protections.

By magical enhancement

See also: Magic item and Category:Magic armor

Armor can be enhanced with many types of magical effects, which can increase its protective ability, specialize its defense against specific types of harm, or grant its wearer or wielder enhanced abilities.

By material

See also: Category:Armor by material

Armor can be crafted using many materials, from mundane wood and steel to more exotic skymetals. Styles of heavy armor made from lightweight dawnsilver, for example, impede their wearers less than their steel equivalents.

Other types of armor

A paladin's shield.

Shields

See also: Category:Shields

A further addition to a person's armor could be a shield wielded in a hand or on an arm, which can have similar properties to worn armor. Shields can also be used offensively, or even thrown, and some combatants specialize in the art of attacking with a shield.

Accessories

See also: Category:Armor accessories

Armor and shields can be augmented with spikes, oils, and other accessories to alter or increase their effectiveness.

Barding

Alain's mount, Donahan, wears protective barding.
See also Category:Images of barding.

See also: Category:Barding

Barding is armor used to protect animals, such as mounts.

On Golarion

Golarion has seen tremendous armed conflicts across many millennia, and as a result many of its cultures have developed diverse ways to create and use armor.

Manufacturing

See also: Category:Armorers, Category:Armor shops, and Category:Arms merchants

Armor is manufactured by armorers and sold by arms merchants in armor shops and armories.

In culture

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Racial armor

A dwarf in stoneplate armor.

See also: Category:Armor by people

Several of Golarion's races have armor uniquely suited to their strengths, preferences, or cultural norms.

• Dwarves alchemically treat shale and basalt rocks to craft heavy stoneplate armor.
• Elves alchemically treat leaves and weave them together to create leaf armor with the equivalent strength of metal.

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Ethnic armor

The many human ethnicities of Golarion also often have armor uniquely suited to their people or culture.

• Keleshite soldiers wear armored kilts as light armor or to supplement other suits of armor.
• A klar is a combined shield and weapon of Shoanti design originally made from the skull of a giant gecko.
• Shoanti riders wear hide shirts for its flexibility in both movement and rapid removal.

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Regional armor

Many regions of Golarion are known for deploying certain types of armor.

• Akhentepi's armor is common in Osirion and grants insight into near-term danger.

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In history

Specific pieces of armor have played pivotal roles across Golarion's war-scarred history.

• The Armor of Skulls is said to be made from the skull of the blue dragon Kazavon.
• The Shattered Shield of Arnisant, also known as the Shield of Aroden, was responsible for the destruction of the Whispering Tyrant's mortal form.

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In organizations

Hellknights have distinct plate armor.

Suits of armor often double as uniforms for organizations, such as military and law enforcement units and mercenary companies.

• The dottari of Chelaxian cities have uniform armor or distinctive accessories.
• Each Hellknight order has a distinct suit of armor.
• The Mercenary League's distinct black armor lends them their nickname, the Blackjackets.
• Members of the Red Mantis assassin cult wear distinctive red and black studded leather armor.

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In religion

Iomedae wields a shield bearing her religious symbol.

See also: Category:Armor by deity

Few followers of deities venerate armor as they do weapons:

• Abraxas is often depicted wielding a flail and shield.
• Iomedae is often depicted as wearing plate mail and wielding a shield that can cast holy light across unholy foes.
• The empyreal lord Mazludeh favors a heavy shield as her weapon.
• The religious symbol of the Osirian pantheon god Neith was a shield crossed by two arrows.

A few pieces of armor also have particular religious significance:

• A suit of armor of the pious often bears the religious symbol of a paladin who wears it.

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References

Paizo published a major sourcebook about armor titled Armor Master's Handbook. Adventurer's Armory, Adventurer's Armory 2, Lost Treasures, and Treasure Vault also include many pieces of armor.