Plate mail

Plate mail (also known field plate or simply plate ) was a type of armor used on Toril.

Description
Plate mail consisted of shaped, interlocking plates. These plates covered the entire body. Beneath the metal was a thick layer of padding and numerous straps and harnesses to distribute the weight. Plate mail was the heaviest type of armor available. The superior protection sacrifices mobility and agility.

Variations
Plate mail was expensive and cumbersome. Variations of plate mail were available depending on the level of protection or manoeuvrability the wearer required.
 * Breastplate: Breastplate was a very minimal variation of plate mail. The breastplate covered your front and back. A light suit of studded leather was often worn underneath to protect the rest of the body.
 * Half-plate: This featured a number of key parts from a set of full plate, but not all. Half-plate was fitted over chainmail and hung more loosely than full plate.
 * Full plate: As the name suggests, this was a complete set of plate mail. Full plate mail had to be built or adjusted to fit it's wearer. This could only be done by an armoursmith.
 * Heavy plate: This was a heavily reinforced suit of full plate. Heavy plate mail offered superior protection but weighed around 100 pounds. It was usually manufactured by races of exceptional strength. Orogs were known to manufacture heavy plate mail.

Notable plate mail

 * Storm armor of the earth's children - a rare full set of plate mail that protected its wearer against the elements of cold, electricity and fire.

Groups

 * In Northmen society, plate mail was often worn by kings or an army's captain.

Appearances

 * Comic Books
 * Forgotten Realms (#24)
 * Video games
 * Eye of the Beholder