It includes an ornate visored
helm, gauntlets, and armored footgear. Because of its balanced
and expert construction, full plate is only as bulky as chain
mail, but provides the best non-magical protection available. Full
plate must be fitted to its wearer by an armorer, and (if non-magical)
cannot be worn by anyone other than the one for whom it was prepared.
It is normally worn only by cavaliers, paladins, and fighters of
long service and many battles, and is only rarely donned by adventuring
rangers, barbarians, and clerics.

    Similar to field plate (see above), full plate can absorb some of the
damage that would otherwise be suffered by its wearer. This capacity
is 2 points per die of damage, so that on a damage die roll of 2 or 1, the
wearer does not suffer any damage. Full plate can absorb as many as
26 points of damage in this fashion before needing repair. Until it is
tended to, the armor will be one armor class worse in protective power
and will not absorb any more points of damage. Full plate armor can
be repaired by a qualified armorer at a cost of 200 gp and two days for
each point of absorbing power restored.

BULK: fairly
WEIGHT*: 65#
BASE MOVEMENT: 6"
COST: 4000 gp

PP: -100
OL: -80
FRT: -80
MS: -100
HS: -110 (req. cloak)
HN: -70
CW: -99.9 (WSG: -20, a character in anything heavier than chain cannot climb any severe slope or cliff)
[DEX bonuses do not apply when wearing chain or heavier] <check and clarify: this only applies to thief abilities>

TW: -100%
PV: -18'
HJ: -18'
BJR: -10'
BJS: -20'
TA: -50%
TE: -50%
TF: -50%

PT, <0: +x
PT, 0-30: +x
PT, 31-75: +x
PT, 76+: +x

PUMMEL DAMAGE: -x% (protection)
GRAPPLE 'AC': +x% (penalty)
GRAPPLE DAMAGE: -x% (protection)

* Assumes human-size.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta
Gary, I'm wondering what real-life era you think most closely corresponds to the AD&D worldview (esp., technology-wise).

For example, in the 1E DMG you mention that full plate armor is "a late development and is not considered (c. 1500)", although you did include it in Unearthed Arcana.

In the Waterborne Adventures section, you wrote that "Cogs, carracks, and caravels of the 13th and 14th centuries are considered to be excellent merchant ships".
However, my reading of history is that carracks & caravels weren't invented until the mid-1400's, i.e., the 15th century.

I guess I'm most interested in the ships aspect.
In your AD&D campaign, were carracks, caravels & naos (a) the majority of sailing ships (as in 1500's), (b) an elite minority (as in 1400's), or (c) only an exotic hypothetical prospect (as in 1300's or earlier)?
 

The short answer to all that is: You are the DM, suit technology in the campaign to what you plan to do therein.

Full plate armor was a development of the 15th century, and when I was writing the pieces that comprised the bulk of the UA book my concept of developing technology in a fantasy milieu had altered.
It then seemed illogical to to me to have the level of advancement stuck in the early middle ages.
Thus I had fragatas and sambuks and prahus and galleasses and galleons on the seas as well as junks, cogs, caravels, and carracks.

Cheers,
Gary