| In China there were a few reasons why they didn't tend to wear armour as I see it: Main text by Robyn Paterson HERO Notes by Hugh Neilson 1) It was rare, expensive, and generally only made during wartime by rich guys for themselves and their troops. Unlike Japan, where the proliferation of armour became common as a result of wars, in China the armour tended to be forgotten after the war ended. (probably for other reasons listed here...) 2) It was hard to maintain. In Southern China, with it's lovely heat and humidity, the armour would literally rot away, leather, metal...didn't matter much. In Northern China, this wasn't such a problem, but it still costs money to maintain this stuff unless you know how to do it yourself. (and few would) [HERO Note: OK, now we’re getting somewhere. Simply rule that part of the “real armor” limitation means this requires 5 minutes of maintenance per week. It succeeds if you make your Armorsmith roll at -8. “Waaa” say the players “How can we do that?” Simple, Grasshopper. Either you’re REALY good at armorsmithing, or you take extra time (+1 to your skill for every extra time increment) or you get someone qualified (whom you must first find and then pay) to do it for you.] No maintenance this week? Armor loses 1 DEF. Now you need a 1 day roll at -8 to fix it. No DEF left? Next missed maintenance, it cannot be salvaged at all. Expensive, perishable armor is a lot less attractive than expensive permanent armor, wouldn’t you say?] 3) It's uncomfortable, especially when the heat is literally on. Do you really wanna travel and live in this stuff? Do you want to travel and live in your winter coat? 4) It's heavy. Especially if you move around a lot (and China was one of the biggest countries on Earth for most of human history), do you really wanna drag this stuff all over the countryside for a fight you "might" have. (In game, of course, PCs know there will be fights, but...) And China is a really hilly country, so half the time you're walking in that armour..uphill. [HERO Note: Enforce encumbrance, and exacerbate it with weather conditions. Hero has rules for overheating. Make it easier to overheat while wearing armor. That’s part of the “real armor” limitation, if anyone asks. Oh, and enforce hilly country increasing the END cost to move long-term, and also increasing the end for encumbrance. ] 5) It limits your "style". Performing high-energy martial arts in a suit of armour, when you need to put your whole body into maneuvers, motions and stances is generally just going to limit you. Better to just not be there when the blow comes. [HERO Note: Do these maneuvers exist in your campaign? Can the players buy them, and have they been used against them? New rule - “Real Armor” puts ALL martial maneuvers on “Act 16 less DEF or less”. Now that 8 pt armor means your spiffy maneuvers act 8-. If activation fails, you just couldn’t pull that maneuver off in your heavy armor. See you next phase. ] 6) Chinese weapon fighting styles tend to focus on precise impaling attacks as opposed to slashing weapons. One of the big differences between Japanese and Chinese fighting styles is that Japanese cut, Chinese impale. Many Chinese swords don't even have sharp edges on them because they are only designed to pierce vital points on the target. I see this as the equivalent of the "arrow" thing, these blades are gonna go through most armour like butter. [HERO Note: Simple one – make more weapons AP. Make them AP only versus real armor!] 7) Except during wartime, even city guard don't wear armour, and will regard anyone who does as bandits and troublemakers unless they have some sort of official markings. The Chinese are big on staying inconspicuous, and it's much easier to get away with carrying concealed weapons like sword if you're not wearing a suit of armour to attract their attention. Also keep in mind they are an extremely legalistic society during most of the later dynasties, and people tend to end up in jail (or torture chambers) really really quick if they are suspected troublemakers. Low profile= good. During many eras swords were carried for protection when travelling, so they're not a big deal, but armour would be. 8) China is filled with waterways and Canals (something most people outside of it don't know), and they were a common obstacle and means of travel. Armour doesn't float very well. [Make them play out some waterway crossings in their armor. After a while, just enforce reductions in cross-country movement due to the waterways. “You can either get there before the day the bandits threatened to kill the princess, OR you can drag that armor along. What’s it gonna be?”] 9) The "wimp" factor, unskilled grunts wear armour during wartime, but a "real" warrior shows he has no fear by relying on his skill to save him. (A good excuse probably expoused by those who can't afford armour....^_^) [HERO Note: Social issues. Have them get arrested. Maybe armor-wearers take a penalty on interaction skills – after all, they’re just common thugs, not REAL warriors. Wearing all that metal leaves a smell, so leaving your armor back at the inn (exposed to thieves – it’s expensive, remember?) doesn’t remove the whole penalty. ] End result. Armour just wasn't a big thing old China. |