Without metal to make armor, barbarians must make do with animal products-mainly skins, furs, and hides. They prefer lightweight, loose fitting armor that‘s easy to don and doesn't inhibit movement. Despite the crude design and often haphazard construction, barbarian armor provides a dependable defense against the perils of the wilderness.
Following are descriptions of the most common styles of barbarian armor. For convenience, outworld names are used, though the barbarian versions differ in materials and appearance.
Note that these armor types have relatively low Armor Class. None has an AC better than 6, which makes barbarian adventurers more vulnerable to damage than their outworld counter-parts. And of course, some barbarians shun armor altogether; a Forest Lord or Plainsrider wearing nothing but a loincloth will have a base AC of only 10. To increase a barbarian's chance of survival in the outworld, the DM may wish to make available one or more of the magical AC improvements from the "New Magical Items" list at the end of this chapter. These items may be lucky discoveries, rewards from grateful NPCs, or gifts from the gods.
Padded (AC 8)[]
The barbarian equivalent of padded armor consists of one or more layers of animal skins or furs. A bear skin may be slit in the center to make a hole large enough for the wearer's head, then slipped over the shoulders. Pelts of small animals, like raccoons and weasels, fastened together with strips of gut, make a garment resembling a tunic. Thick sections of wool secured around the chest with leather bands make a crude vest. Lion-skin shawls, hoods made of wolf pelts, and mastodon capes also provide Protection.
Making this style of armor requires little expertise, and the raw materials can be found just about anywhere. Fur tends to be thickest during the winter, but quality pelts are generally available at any time of year. To minimize damage to the fur, the carcass should be cut along the belly, from the tail to the throat. The skin is peeled away from back to front, then stretched over a branch or flat stone, fur side in. After the fur dries for two or three weeks, the remaining flesh is scraped away. The pelts are then trimmed, cut up, and tied together to make the desired garment.
Though easy to make, fur armor is bulky and hot, uncomfortable even in the best of conditions. Worse, it soils easily, attracts lice and insects, and eventually wears out. As shown in Table 38, different types of fur wear out at different rates. Furs of low durability (short hair, easily shed) last only a few weeks. Moderately durable furs (rich hair, reasonably long) may last a few months. Furs of high durability (coarse hair, thick and stiff) last up to a year. Furs wear out faster if not cared for (they must be kept as clean, and occasionally brushed with stone or bone combs) or subjected to extreme stress (high temperatures, insect swarms, rainstorms).
| Quality | Type |
|---|---|
| Low | Sheep, goat, rabbit, rat |
| Moderate | Weasel, lion, fox, owlbear, dog, wolf, leopard, buffalo |
| High | Mink, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, seal, skunk, bear, mastodon, lynx |
If the DM judges that a set of armor made of fur or skins has worn out, its Armor Class drops to AC 9. If the armor isn't abandoned within a reasonable amount of time, it continues to rot, shred, and tear until useless (it provides no protection). If the barbarian stubbornly hangs on to it, the rancid garment reduces his Charisma and his saving throws against disease and disease-causing spells by -2. The stench also increases the likelihood of attracting predators.
Leather (AC 8)[]
Leather armor, made from hted animal skins, takes the form of simple tunics, cloaks, and vests, roughly shaped to conform to the wearer's body. If a piece of leather is large enough, the wearer may slit it in the center, then slip it over his head to hang over chest and back. Alternately, a large piece may be secured with leather straps across the wearer's shoulder or around his waist. Small pieces may be gouged with holes, then attached to each other with leather strips, lengths of gut, or tough vine. Barbarians occasionally wear a layer of animal fur under their leather armor for comfort and warmth.
Any animal with skin thicker than that of a man is a potential source of leather. Cattle and deer are common sources, but horses, camels, hogs, goats, and sheep are also used.
Primitive leather-making begins with the removal of hair and flesh from the skin. Skins are piled in stacks and left in the sun. In a few days most of the flesh rots away, taking much of the hair with it. The remaining flesh is scraped away with knifes or sharp stones. Soaking the skins in water removes the last of the flesh and washes off dirt and dried blood. A mixture of nuts, leaves, wood, and herbs boiled in water creates a thin paste that hardens the dried skins and inhibits further rotting. To prevent cracking, a barbarian oils the skins with animal fat or smeared with brain matter. Finally, the skins are smoked over an open fire or placed in a cave with smouldering logs; smoke toughens the skins and gives them a pleasing scent.
Though leather armor is stiff and scratchy, it's much lighter than padded armor and therefore more comfortable to wear. IYs also quite durable. If kept clean and in good repair, leather armor should last a year before wearing out. Frayed or torn leather armor has AC 9; once damaged, it becomes useless within a few weeks.
Studden Leather AC 7[]
Studded leather armor comes from the same types of animal skins as regular leather. Because the skins must be soft in order to affix the studs, herbal hardening agents aren't applied, nor are the skins smoked. The studs consist of sharp pebbles, small bones, or bits of stone, inserted through the back of the garment. Studs can be secured to the skins with a gelatinous glue made from crushed bones and fish scales boiled in water.
Though studded leather provides more protection than padded armor or standard leather, iYs cumbersome and heavy. It wears out quickly, lasting no longer than padded armor made of Low-durability fur. The holes for the studs weaken the leather's natural strength, and sooner or later, the holes widen and the studs fall out.
Bone Armor (AC 7)[]
This is essentially bone fragments strung together with pieces of leather. Bone armor is typically worn over a suit of leather armor, with the bones secured over the leather to prevent them from sliding around too much during combat.
Larger animals are preferred over smaller ones when creating a suit of bone armor. Smaller bones are used to cover the arms and legs, while the larger bones are used to protect the chest and back.
Wood Armor (AC 6)[]
Strips of wood are attached to an undercoat of leather for this armor. The wood is first carved and treated with oils to increase its durability; this process typically takes two weeks or more, depending upon the amount of carving and shaping done to the wood. The wood is then attached to the armor with bone spikes, leather strips, or with some other natural material.
This annor requires almost constant upkeep, and numerous natural disasters, ranging anything from fire to termites, can quickly render the armor unusable. After a battle, the wood needs to be treated with preserving oils to seal the wood against the elements.
While some suits of wood armor last several years, a barbarian adventurer can expect such armor to last 1d4 months. Depending upon the activity of the barbarian, this time could be drs tically altered to one extreme or another. Barbarian adventurers who are in one pitched battle after another might consider themselves fortunate if their armor lasts one month. Advisors to their tribal chieftain who never see battle may keep a suit for several years.
Hide (AC 6)[]
Hide armor is made from animals with thick, tough skins, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, sharks, and alligators. Large pieces are worn intact, draped across the body or secured with leather straps. Smaller pieces may be tied or stitched together to make crude tunics, leggings, vests, and robes.
Members of a tribe often wear the same type of hide to denote allegiance to a deity or identification with a particular mak. Swamp barbarians may wear nothing but alligator hide; worshippers of an elephant god may wear only elephant. Further, some tribes decorate their hide armor with grisly trophies, like scalps, teeth, claws, or entire heads. These decorations don't affect the Armor Class of the hide, but instead are displayed to show off kills or demonstrate ferocity.
Hide armor is made more or less the same way as leather armor. The hide is stripped from the carcass, then left in the sun until the flesh rots away. After it's washed and shorn of excess hair, the hide is oiled with fat or smeared with animal brains. To toughen the hide and prevent decay, it may be soaked in a mixture of water and wood (oak, chesnut, mangrove, and hemlock are processed). But even with meticulous preparation, hide armor eventually begins to smell like rotten meat, particularly during warm weather. Although the wearer may get used to the smell, his companions may find it disgusting. Strangers may refuse to have anything to with him. Hide armor made by a barbarian begins to smell in few months, sooner in hot climates. Until the wearer replaces his rotten armor, he suffers a -2 penalty to his Charisma score.
Equally bothersome is the weight of hide armor. Even the strongest character strains under its bulk and requires frequent rests. To minimize fatigue, the wearer might have to remove his armor when traveling or camping.
Despite these drawbacks, hide armor remains a popular choice for barbarians. It provides a better AC rating than padded or leather armor and is just as easy to make. It's exceptionally durable, lasting a year or more if given proper care. And some believe that the spirit of an animal watches over whoever wear its hide, granting strength and courage in times of stress.
Shields[]
To a barbarian, a shield may be any object he can hold in front of him—a tortoise shell, a dragon scale, a slab of stone. Such improvised shields, however, are problematic, as they're awkward to carry and often quite heavy.
Most barbarians prefer hand-made shields, usually consisting of frames of wood or bone covered with hide. A stick wedged inside the frame serves as a hand grip. Hand-made shields tend to be small, rarely more than 2 or 3 feet in diameter, so they don't interfere with hunting and running.
Forbidden Armor[]
If he has no firm cultural restrictions and the DM doesn't object a barbarian may experiment with chainmail or other types of armor normally unavailable to him. But the barbarian may find metal armor so cumbersome that it inhibits his concentration and physical skills. To simulate this discomfort, the DM may impose some or all of the following penalties:
- His movement rate is reduced to normal for his race.
- The barbarian suffers all effects to his abilities for the armor worn as detailed in The Complete Thief's Handbook (pages 114-115). For example, a barbarian wearing chain mail armor suffers a -40% penalty on his climb walls rolls, as well as reducing his jumping abilities.
- He suffers a -1 penalty to all attack, damage, ability and nonweapon proficiency rob. If the barbarian persists in wearing forbidden armor, the DM may boost these penalties by -1 every few days, to a maximum of -3.
Optional Hide Armor Rules[]
The following rule may be used for characters wearing hide armor.
Preferred Animal Bonus. The DM may designate a particular animal as a preferred source of hide mor in the barbarian's homeland, such an alligator or elephant. If a barbarian kiUs the preferred animal by himself, then makes armor from its hide, the armor grants him the effects of a bless spell; when wearing the armor, his saving throw rolls made against fear effects are raised by +1, and he gains a +1 bonus to all attack rolls. These bonuses aren't transferable; if anyone other than the barbarian wears the hide, it acts as normal hide armor. If the barbarian loses the hide armor, he may make a replacement that grants the identical bonuses, providing he single-handedly kills another animal of the same species.
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