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The armor table on p. 110-111 of GURPS: Low Tech 4e includes the appropriate padding. Such included padding does not cover the chinks with any DR, so you need to take the DX penalty for layered armor if you use a more substantial arming jacket under your plate.
Historically, lots of people DID wear something under their plates or mail which rates DR in GURPS.
Even 2-3 layers of linen works great as a padding under maille, like in the 10th and 11th centuries. Basically a long sleeved tunic under a shorter sleeved tunic. Go rich and toss a silk over-tunic over the linen tunic and you've made a damned fine multi-layer protective 'garment.'
ReplyDeleteBack in my fighting days, I did both padded gambesons and just layers of clothing and both worked to mitigate crushing blows.
How would mail voiders attached to the arming doublet affect DR and DX? Since these are just patches of mail it should have less weight and movement effect than a full mail shirt and armor effect should be mail over padding if the enemy stabs an armpit or something
ReplyDeleteLow Tech p. 101 says:
DeleteAt TL4, plate armor made use of a specialized garment
called an arming doublet, which incorporated cords called
arming points (twine or leather lacing) to attach small bits
of plate and mail. This long-sleeved garment is very lightly
padded and provides no additional DR. However, the
patches of armor – called voiders or gussets – do give DR,
and are specifically located at armor gaps; e.g., they’re
sewn over the armpit and inside elbows. An arming
doublet should be worn with any TL4 plate armor that
includes arms and/or legs. It costs $160 and weighs 3 lbs.
The GURPS writers knew their stuff. Thanks
DeleteGURPS has noted ancient armor scholar Dan Howard as one of the Low Tech authors.
DeleteHe once built a Dendra Panopoly because he wondered how uncomfortable it was. Then made a second one later, using only period techniques, once he'd seen the one on display in Greece.