Renaissance Armor

This is my armor chart for Old School Renaissance swashbuckling in the actual Renaissance (or any fictional setting reminiscent of the Renaissance). It is for use with Basic/Expert D&D, Labyrinth Lord, OD&D, Swords & Wizardry, or any compatible game.

ARMOR CLASSES
Type of Armor	Armor Class
Unarmored	9 [10]
Padded	8 [11]
Leather	7 [12]
Scale	6 [13]
Brigandine	5 [14]
Partial Plate	4 [15]
Plate & Brigandine	3 [16]
Full Plate	2 [17]
(Shields improve armor class by 2.)
(Bucklers improve armor class by 1.)
(Parrying daggers improve armor class by 1 vs. mêlée weapons only.)
(Helmets improve armor class by 1.)

Lamellar and laminar armor (more common in the East) vary in armor class depending on the material used.

Brigandines are coats or jacks of metal plates riveted to canvas or leather and sometimes covered with another layer of leather or fabric. They may be worn alone or with plate.

Partial plate is usually just a cuirass when worn alone. When worn with a brigandine, it refers to articulated armor protecting the arms and legs.

Full plate is generally only used in jousting, parade, or (in the early Renaissance) by knights on the field of battle.

Common soldiers generally wear padded, leather, brigandine, partial plate or no armor.

Musketeers, noblemen, and adventurers in general tend to wear brigandine or no armor, but will sometimes wear partial plate on the field of battle.

Duelists and sailors (including pirates and privateers) wear no armor.

Parrying daggers are generally only used in duels or impromptu combat.

Helmets are common on the field of battle until the late Renaissance, and are often the only protection worn.

[Edit: Swords & Wizardry Ascending AC added 19 June 2014. Shields and bucklers modified 2 July 2014.]