Unique Armors, 4 (d100)

Splint mail, studded leather and sturdy shields of all shapes, sizes and mysterious backgrounds. Fictional characters wear their armor like a second skin, seemingly owning no clothes but their ever-present protective gear. Armor can define a character’s personality as well as their fighting style and fuel a growing character arc. From Darth Vader’s futuristic full plate, Sturm Brightblade in his father’s ancient suit of Solamnic armor, Batman’s pitch black suit and cloak (Or any superhero costume) designed to evoke fear in criminals, Warhammer 40k’s Space Marines and their enormous powered armor, Croaker’s baroque Widowmaker armor, Goblin Slayer’s grubby armor and concealing helmet, the frost covered armor of Prince Arthas and any complete armor set from any video game, a character’s protective gear is a full body first impression. These examples are not powerfully magical or even technologically more advanced than other armors in their various settings but the rich description, emotional attachment and narrative focus allows the protection to almost become a character in its own right. This table of Unique Armor can serve as the physical basis for family heirlooms, legendary artifacts and magical or masterwork weapons. Alternatively they can be found as loot and become part of a PC’s distinctive appearance, allowing the player to become fully immersed in their character’s look and feel. —Note: Some entries call for the DM to “Roll a Random armor” which simply means that the DM can roll from the pregenerated lists on this blog or choose whatever armor they feel would be appropriate for the situation.

d100 Result

1

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor with a huge red and white archery target emblazoned across the entirely of the back plate. Knowledgeable PC’s can correctly assume that the order at one time was owned by a member of the order of freelance knights known as the Brooding Blades, who have a rather dim view of their members retreating in the course of their duties.

2

A small steel shield crafted by a gnomish smith, studded with pointless gears and damascened in copper with well rendered scenes of gnomes defeating their kobold enemies.

3

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor with the ideological sigil of Roll on "Good Domains" emblazoned across the chest piece. Knowledgeable PC’s are aware that this specific design is most often used by Roll on "Humanoid" church militant.

4

A set of hide armor composed of reinforced buckskin. The armor is fortified in such a way that it does not hinder the movements of the wearer while offering better protection in the field.

5

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor decorated with imagery associated with the divine concept of Roll on "Good Domains" that have been exhaustively desecrated. The bearer feels a weak sense of resentment to that religious ideal and feels slightly motivated to defy it and those who support it. The wielder is not compelled to act in this way and is not forced to violate any strongly held morals or beliefs. Whenever the wielder actively opposes or defies that Godly domain, the armor noticeably glows and the wielder experiences a euphoric high.

6

A breastplate with a pair of dragons etched and enameled in red over the heart. Each wyrm is rampant, clutching a vertical arrow taller than itself.

7

A set of exotic breastplate created from specially treated, giant tortoiseshell. The armor includes a breastplate, shoulder guards, and even gauntlets created from smaller and smaller turtle shells. The reptile’s bony exterior is heavily polished and the inner surfaces are fitted with padding, rendering it comfortable (If a little claustrophobic) to wear. The armor making process softened the shells, making them far more pliable and likely to bend instead of shatter when struck.

8

A suit of armor consisting of thin strips of alchemically treated resin that fully wraps around the body, similar to mummification bandages. The armor (Hide Armor statistics) features complex ridges and designs on the legs and arms. Humanoids who make direct skin contact with the resin develop minor rashes and hives which are unpleasant but never serious enough to be detrimental and fade a few hours after the skin stops touches the armor.

9

A set of finely-crafted leather armor, of a style often worn by traveling bards. The composition is primarily hardened leather, outfitted with fine, tooled etchings and adorned with several semiprecious-to-precious gems.

10

A suit of plate armor made of thick bronze, adorned with outlines of rippling muscles and glistens with golden-like sweat when struck by the sunlight.

11

A mail shirt of fine blued steel, every link of which has been etched with a mystic charm or phrase of protection.

12

A set of light tan studded armor, etched all over with small subtle lines of mystic emblems.

13

A highly polished breastplate with a coat of arms depicting a stag and an oak tree, quartered, is enameled over the heart.

14

A set of spiked leather barding made for large, muscular canines. The armor is covered in small, curved, iron spikes that stud the shoulders of the hardened red-dyed leather. The barding can be adjusted to fit any kind of animal that is roughly the size and shape of a dog or wolf. The barding increases the animal’s Armor Class as if it was properly wielding a shield.

15

A suit of gleaming splint mail crafted from interlocking strips of metal. The larger ones are gold plated, gilding the chest, legs and arms, while the smaller pieces are of hard, dull steel.

16

A set of scale barding sized for a horse. The armor is styled to make the horse resemble a giant lizard-like creature, possibly a deformed dragon if observed by a person with particularly bad eyesight in poor lighting. The barding can be adjusted to fit any kind of animal that is roughly the size and shape of a horse or pony. The barding increases the animal’s Armor Class as if it was properly wielding a shield.

17

A light steel shield emblazoned with the image of a rampant unicorn.

18

An impressive suit of black full plate armor, embellished with spiked pauldrons and vambraces. The breastplate is damascened in gold with a skeletal bat design, wings spread wide, and the poleyns bear gold demonic faces.

19

A heavy white dragonhide shield, with a gold boss shaped like a dragon’s head.

20

A chain shirt worked from meteoric iron. The armor elicits unease in domestic animals and wild beasts.

21

A suit of steel splint mail painted black and decorated with crimson occult devices.

22

A full set of parade armor of the Royal Guard of Kjarran (Chain mail statistics), consisting of a dark red coat reinforced with chain mail, grey breeches, and polished black leather boots. The royal crest is embroidered in gold thread on the right side of the chest.

23

A set of ancient, gyphon-leather armor, consisting of a hard leather breastplate adorned with a bronze eagle, leather vambraces (Forearm guards) and a skirt made of leather strips reinforced with metal.

24

A suit of blood red studded leather armor covered in sharply pointed black steel spikes and fastened with toggles made from bear claws.

25

A leaf shaped elven darkwood shield, inlaid with vine patterns in mithral and gold.

26

A stylish black leather armor, covered in zigzag patterns and fastened with shark’s teeth toggles.

27

A set of red and black studded leather armor of orcish manufacture, marked on the back with a single staring eye tooled in silver.

28

A short-sleeved chain shirt of black steel links, with a silver falcon badge in the center of the chest. The bird of prey has a single eye of deep black jet.

29

A suit of deep blue padded armor, with marine motifs, including waves and ships, embroidered on to it in silver thread, and with a leaping dolphin badge made from silver stitched on to the front. The suit remains warm and protective when wet and the threads do not absorb water thereby weighting down a swimming bearer.

30

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor with pauldrons carved with grinning demonic faces, and a belt with a silver buckle in the shape of a leering fiend’s face.

31

A light black wooden shield inlaid with a skull and crossbones design in mother of pearl.

32

A Halfling-sized suit of leather armor, its breastplate embellished with grapes, vines and hops in bright embroidery.

33

A suit of dove grey studded leather armor with polished steel buttons, finished off with a belt featuring a brass lion’s head buckle.

34

A suit of strange-looking armor, created entirely of huge leathery ironwood leaves strengthened by druidic magic and alchemical compounds. The armor is painted with primal whorls and natural fractal patterns. The suit is as effective as scale mail and may be worn by druids or those incapable of wearing metal armor without penalty.

35

A suit of white studded leather armor, with a rearing white dragon with red garnet eyes engraved into the center of the chest.

36

A suit of leather armor made from the hide of a displacer beast. Its head had been fashioned into a hood that acts as the helm with two topazes replacing its eyes.

37

A suit of bearskin hide armor, with the head still attached and acting as a helm. Two moonstones replace its eyes.

38

A suit of four mirror armor (Half plate statistics), consisting of two round bronze plates, each decorated with a sun motif, to protect the front and back, and two rectangular plates at the sides, all extremely heavily polished and worn over chainmail, along with a spiked helmet.

39

A set of lacquered blue leather lamellar armor (Chain shirt statistics), with the individual plates stitched together with gold thread.

40

A suit of striped hide armor made from tigerskin, decorated with a claw necklace and a silver tiger’s head belt buckle.

41

A set of steel scale mail, adorned with bronze trim and lapis lazuli around the gorget, vambraces and gauntlets.

42

A sinister-looking breastplate of dark metal with a grinning skull engraved into the cuirass.

43

A purple tower shield, inlaid with a silver laurel wreath and edged in gold. The shield’s back bears a tally of the owner’s kills.

44

A suit of steel lamellar armor (Chainmail statistics), with red silk stitching and trim, and a steel helmet inset with carnelians and topped with a plume of three red macaw feathers.

45

A highly polished steel breastplate, bearing the engraved holy symbol of Conn the Lawgiver.

46

A Keiwanese mountain pattern scale armor consisting of a fine mail coat fashioned from hundreds of small, interlocking steel pieces shaped like the character for the word “mountain.”

47

A suit of elephant hide armor, fastened with scrimshawed ivory buttons depicting scenes of warfare.

48

A set of dire boar hide armor, with well rendered hunting scenes tooled into the cuirass’ front and back.

49

A suit of hide armor made in the frozen Northlands from a variety of animal skins and furs, and adorned with a profusion of horns, claws and fangs.

50

A bizarre-looking and intimidating suit of scale mail made from the scales and exoskeletons of various demons and devils. The red steel helm is shaped to resemble a leering fiend’s horned head.

51

A silvered breastplate designed for a Roll on "Humanoid" Race warrior, with a griffon rampant damascened in gold situated below the chest.

52

A light wooden shield covered in brass and inlaid in turquoise and obsidian with a coiled snake design.

53

A lightweight darkleaf cloth hide armor, made from the woven leaves and bark of the darkwood tree. The cuirass is inlaid with a silver oak leaf and set with four dark green alexandrites.

54

A suit of red dragonhide armor, designed with impressive-looking ridges, and topped with a dragon’s headshaped helm studded with red spinels. This set of half plate may be worn by druids or those incapable of wearing metal armor without penalty.

55

A high teardrop-shaped shield that completely protects a warrior’s flank whilst still allowing a decent visions cone. It is particularly used by heavy calvary troops, although shield-walls can also benefit from this kind of shield.

56

An adamantine breastplate engraved with holy scriptures praising the War God, surrounded by a ring of dark indigo schorl gemstones.

57

A suit of splint mail made from steel bands, each stamped with a diamond shaped mark, fastened to a backing of giant lizardskin.

58

A light-weight black steel shield of drow manufacture, damascened in silver with a delicate spider web pattern.

59

A suit of splint mail of blue-tinged steel, with three dark blue iolite gemstones set in the gorget.

60

A tall, convex scutum shield, built from a wooden framework of thin oak, covered with a layer of steel, polished to a mirror-like shine.

61

A battered suit of small-sized splint mail, made for a captain of the gnomish Loam Warren Guard and embellished with a gold badger crest and yellow-green peridots.

62

A light steel shield, engraved with a battle scene depicting Kjarran knights and fierce orcish warriors and decorated with electrum inlay. It is polished to a high sheen.

63

A light wooden shield covered in krenshar fur and embellished with exotic macaw feathers and jade fetishes.

64

A heavy steel kite shield, plated in bronze and with the image of an owl image inlaid in lapis lazuli in the center.

65

A suit of dull grey steel half-plate of hobgoblin craftsmanship, with pauldrons shaped like human skulls, and a red dragon’s head inlaid in copper on the cuirass.

66

A shield as tall as the warrior’s shoulders and as wide as he is, extremely effective in a shield wall as it can be used to block roads and corridors acting as a mobile bulwark.

67

A set of half plate with a breastplate engraved with a depiction of the beautiful yet terrifying Goddess of Magic.

68

A suit of black half plate, with silver zigzag patterns on the pauldrons and greaves, and a silver crescent moon in the center of the breastplate. A helm with a blue plume completes the armor.

69

A finely crafted heavy steel shield, engraved with the image of a brave paladin beating back the forces of Hell. The gilt border of the shield is studded with red garnets and spinels.

70

A bright red tatami-do samurai armor (Scale mail statistics), of metal lamellar plates and hexagonal kikko over chainmail. The red and black kabuto can be collapsed and folded.

71

A suit of field plate armor crafted for a paladin of Conn the Father and bearing the god’s symbol of two hands clasped in a handshake in gold on the breastplate.

72

A suit of full plate with two steel spikes on each pauldron, one on each cowter, and several small spikes on the visored helm. The armor is finished with gold trim.

73

An intricately engraved suit of full plate, decorated with an eagle motif, and topped with a splendid winged great helm.

74

A green light steel heater shield, with a beautifully realized pegasus in flight inlaid in silver. Its eyes are small pieces of jet.

75

A menacing black suit of spiked full plate with the image of an oversized skull on the breastplate, its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

76

A suit of full plate with gold fleurs-de-lys damascened on the pauldrons and a gold chalice surrounded by eight black onyx stones in the center of the cuirass.

77

A bizarre looking suit of rough halfplate made from pieces of pinkish-white coral and painted with scenes of battling aquatic elves, dolphins and sahuagin.

78

A suit of reindeer hide armor trimmed in winter wolf fur and adorned with polar bear’s teeth (Studded leather statistics).

79

Sturdy ceramic plate etched with tear drops adorns the center of this masterfully crafted suit of hide armor. Small humans with oversized weapons grace the edge of the ceramic plate. Silver embossed Auran lettering on the left shoulder read, “I serve the master.”

80

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" decorated with sinister ornaments. A faint cackling can be heard whenever the armor is stuck.

81

A round remorhaz hide heavy shield, set with pieces of blue amber and embellished with silver.

82

A suit of padded armor that seems almost patchwork, consisting mostly of stitches and cloth scraps.

83

An exceptionally crafted suit of half plate that is covered with black enamel and inlaid with precious metals.

84

A deep red scalloped heavy steel shield, covered in stylized golden flames surrounding a central image of minarets and onion domed buildings, also rendered in gold. The towers are studded with precious stones.

85

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor that feels heavier that it should, as if was being weighed down by something trapped within. During combat, dark apparitions bound to this armor haunt the edges of the wielder’s peripheral vision. They become hideously visible to only the wielder whenever he is close to death, as the twisted ghosts snatch part of the dying creature’s soulstuff, adding it to the collective misery of all creatures ever slain while wearing the armor.

86

A heavy mithral shield of dwarven manufacture, with the names of the kings of Khazdralhad inlaid in orichalcum, and set with a dozen aquamarines.

87

An elaborately engraved cuirass of polished steel (Breastplate statistics) affixed on the back with two hook-rods fashioned to look like feathers that project as high as three feet above the shoulders.

88

A dark-gray suit of splint mail decorated with images of skulls and spirits adorning its spiked surfaces.

89

An incredibly ornate (And not very practical) jewel‐studded and gold covered round light shield of superior Gopuran craftsmanship, with a diabolic face depicted in the center.

90

A set of armor that can be easily mistaken for normal clothing, it consists of a short leather jacket reinforced with hidden metal plates, (Studded leather statistics) the protective nature of this jacket can be easily overlooked. It is fitted with hidden pockets and wrist scabbards that can hold a dagger, wand or other small weapon.

91

A suit of military issue ring mail decorated in garishly bright stripes of cloth. A large cloth badge depicting a Roll on "Random Musical Instruments" has been sewn unto the chest piece. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize this armor as that of an army musician and that the bearer of such markings (According to most codes of war) is to not to be purposely harmed and is not to be armed with anything other than a belt knife, a shovel and his instrument in a combat zone.

92

A heavy wooden shield made from ebony and inlaid with scenes of lost cities in the jungle in ivory. A huge uncut emerald sits in the middle of the shield.

93

An oval bronze shield decorated with circle and spiral patterns in relief and enamel.

94

A suit of mithral banded mail (Splint mail statistics), fastened to a red leather backing, with bejeweled gauntlets set with red garnets.

95

A resilient suit of adamantine splint mail made for a dwarven king by the renowned armorer Branulf Forgestoker. The suit is embellished with platinum badges showing scenes of life in the mountain kingdom of Khazdralhad.

96

A suit of elephant hide armor decorated with painted displacer beast claws. The material smells faintly of straw and dung that no amount of soap and washing can ever quite remove.

97

An extravagant shield made from blue dragon scales and edged with enamel.

98

A suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor that radiates evil and profanity like a sour odor that permeates any creature who keeps it on their person for any length of time. The constant influx of immoral and selfish influence can wear on the wielder’s mind and long-term owners are never quite sure if they’re wearing the armor, or if the armor is wearing them.

99

A celestially crafted suit of Roll on "Random Armor" armor that is half the weight of a normal example of its kind. The object is inscribed with feathered wings, suns, and other symbols of good. Fiends find the weapon’s presence repulsive.

100

A diamond shaped heavy steel shield inlaid with geometric patterns in platinum, red coral and mother of pearl.