Topic: Armor Questions...

[Tolen]

So let me get this straight...

When I buy up skill in armor, all it does is reduce the moving maneuver penalty from that armor.  Correct?

Armor skills do not add to the DB of the character.  Right?

If so, why would anyone take more skill in armor than they need?  In the core rulebook for RMFRP, the biggest gap between the minimum and maximum penalties is AT 20, at 125.  Since it's skill bonus that modifies that penalty, why bother to go after a bonus of 130? or more? 

(All hypothetical of course, I realize it would take time and a lot of DP's to get to that point for AT 20, but it is a real concern for the lower AT's where the difference just isn't that big.)

It's been a while since I read the books, and was convinced that I remembered that armor skills added to DB.  Guess I was wrong there.

[pastaav]

The only situation when it would make sense to develop more armor skill is if you expect to carry cursed or magical armors that have a greater range between minimum and maximum moving maneuver penalty.

The armor skill does not add anything to DB.

[Ecthelion]

When I buy up skill in armor, all it does is reduce the moving maneuver penalty from that armor.  Correct?

Right

Armor skills do not add to the DB of the character.  Right?

Right

If so, why would anyone take more skill in armor than they need?

Noone would, it just doesn't make sense.

[markc]

 I think you are absolutly correct, but I might add that some armor types in a specific category might have larger or smaller penalties. For example in your game if scale mail had a penalty of 45 and chain had a penalty of 30 then if you did not have access to scale mail the PC would generally stop the skill at 30. In the future if the PC found some scale mail then they would learn some more ranks in the skill. The numbers above are not from the game but just from my mind and are to be used as an example.

 The other situation you might find is that fitted armor sometimes takes a lot less skill to get rid of the penalties and also mis fitted armor increases the panalties on the armor. I think the rules for this is on the RMSS page dealing with the armor skills and may be repeted in the combat section.

MDC

[Tolen]

Thanks all.  I was pretty sure that I understood it on re-reading it.

Like I said, when I started, I was looking for where it said that it added to DB, which it doesn't.  I was trying to explain the system to a friend, and was working on memories of the last time I ran the game years ago.  And that led me to the 'why bother' question.

It's all good.  Thanks for the help, and rest assured as other issues pop up, I'll be back...