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Plate mail (also known field plate[1] or simply plate[6]) 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.[6]

Many of the pieces that made up a set of plate mail had their own distinct names, such as the couter (elbow guard), pauldron (shoulder guard), rerebrace (upper-arm guard), vambrace (forearm guard),[7][8] and gorget (throat-plate).[9]

Plate was often the heaviest type of armor available, sacrificing mobility and agility for superior protection.[10]

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.[1]
  • 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.[11]
  • Full plate: Also known as a "coat-of-plate",[12] as the name suggested this referred to 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.[1]
  • 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.[13]

Notable plate mail[]

Notable Users[]

Plate Armor

Two types of plate armor side by side.

Groups[]

  • The Hellriders of Elturel wore suits of white plate mail.[15]
  • In Northmen society, plate mail was often worn by kings or an army's captain.[16]
  • The Purple Dragons' warriors tended to favor plate mail. When adventuring abroad, they typically wore suits of field plate mail.[17]

Regions & Nations[]

  • In the nation of Sespech, plate mail was among the armor types generally favored by warriors.[18]
  • In the nation of Unther, warriors within the army were made to wear bronze plate mail.[19]

Religions[]

  • Battleforges, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tempus, wore sturdy suits of plate mail.[20]
  • Bulwarks, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Helm, generally wore suits of plate mail.[21]
  • Plate mail was one of two types of armor that chaos knights, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Talos, generally favored. However, the plate mail of chaos knights was notably black in coloration and decorated with barbs.[22]
  • Plate mail was one of two types of armor that gauntlets, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Iyachtu Xvim, generally wore. Their plate mail was notably black in coloration.[23]
  • Plate mail was among the types of armor that glorybloods, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tempus, most often wore.[24]
  • Hands of Tyr, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tyr, wore white suits of plate mail.[25]
  • Paragons, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Torm, wore glistening white suits of plate mail.[26]
  • Questers, another variety of specialty priest of the Church of Helm, always wore suits of full plate mail.[27]
  • Scales of Tyr, another variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tyr, often wore suits of plate mail underneath their white robes of office.[28]
  • Plate mail was among the types of armor that swords of Cyric, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Cyric, most often wore.[29]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Comic Books
Forgotten Realms (#24)
Video games
Eye of the BeholderEye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
Card Games
Magic: The Gathering (AFR)

Gallery[]

External links[]

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the following links do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki, nor does any lore presented necessarily adhere to established canon.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  2. Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 35. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  3. David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 69. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  4. Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 123. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  5. Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt (June 2008). Player's Handbook 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 214. ISBN 0-7869-4867-1.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  7. Ed Greenwood (March 1993). “Myth Drannor Adventures”. In Newton H. Ewell ed. The Ruins of Myth Drannor (TSR, Inc.), pp. 31–32. ISBN 1-5607-6569-0.
  8. slade et al (December 1994). Encyclopedia Magica Volume I. (TSR, Inc.), p. 64. ISBN 1560768428.
  9. David Noonan, John D. Rateliff (December 2001). Song and Silence. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 53. ISBN 0-7869-1857-8.
  10. Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt (June 2008). Player's Handbook 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 213. ISBN 0-7869-4867-1.
  11. Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt (June 2008). Player's Handbook 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 215. ISBN 0-7869-4867-1.
  12. Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 53. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
  13. Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  14. Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 138. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
  15. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 32. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  16. Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
  17. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), pp. 21–22. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  18. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 52. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  19. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 49. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  20. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  21. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  22. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 111. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  23. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 111. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  24. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 114. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  25. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 118. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  26. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 115. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  27. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 79. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  28. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 119. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
  29. John Terra (February 1996). Warriors and Priests of the Realms. Edited by Steven E. Schend. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 0-7869-0368-6.
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