Armor

Armor needs no introduction; it's an essential part of any adventurer's wardrobe. Anyone can put on a suit of armor or strap a shield to an arm, but only those proficient in the armor's use know how to wear it effectively. If you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can't cast spells.

Armor Class

Armor Class, or AC, is the measure of how protected you are against attacks. Each armor grants an AC, as detailed in the table below. The higher the AC, the more protection it grants from attacks.
Your AC is determined by adding the armor's base AC to a bonus, usually your Dexterity modifier. Some armors cap the modifier bonus you can add and some get no bonus at all. If you're not wearing armor, your AC is equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier.

Armor	Cost	Armor Class (AC)	Strength	Stealth	Weight
Light Armor
Padded	5gp	11 + DEX modifier	—	Disadvantage	8lbs
Leather	10gp	11 + DEX modifier	—	—	10lbs
Studded Leather	45gp	12 + DEX modifier	—	—	13lbs
Medium Armor
Hide	10gp	12 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	—	12lbs
Chain Shirt	50gp	13 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	—	20lbs
Scale Mail	50gp	14 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	Disadvantage	45lbs
Breastplate	400gp	14 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	—	20lbs
Half Plate	750gp	15 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	Disadvantage	40lbs
Spiked Armor	75gp	14 + DEX modifier (max 2)	—	Disadvantage	40lbs
Heavy Armor
Ring Mail	30gp	14	—	Disadvantage	40lbs
Chain Mail	75gp	16	STR 13	Disadvantage	55lbs
Splint Mail	200gp	17	STR 15	Disadvantage	60lbs
Plate Mail	1,500gp	18	STR 15	Disadvantage	65lbs
Shield
Shield	10 gp	+2			6 lb

Light Armor

Made from supple and thin materials, light armor favors agile adventurers since it offers some protection without sacrificing mobility. If you wear light armor, you add your Dexterity modifier to the base number from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.

• Padded. Padded armor consists of quilted layers of cloth and batting.
• Leather. The breastplate and shoulder protectors of this armor are made of leather that has been stiffened by being boiled in oil. The rest of the armor is made of softer and more flexible materials.
• Studded Leather. Made from tough but flexible leather, studded leather is reinforced with close-set rivets or spikes.

Medium Armor

Medium armor offers more protection than light armor, but it also impairs movement more. If you wear medium armor, you add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to the base number from your armor type to determine your Armor Class.

• Hide. This crude armor consists of thick furs and pelts. It is commonly worn by barbarian tribes, evil humanoids, and other folk who lack access to the tools and materials needed to create better armor.
• Chain Shirt. Made of interlocking metal rings, a chain shirt is worn between layers of clothing or leather. This armor offers modest protection to the wearer's upper body and allows the sound of the rings rubbing against one another to be muffled by outer layers.
• Scale Mail. This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. The suit includes gauntlets.
• Breastplate. This armor consists of a fitted metal chest piece worn with supple leather. Although it leaves the legs and arms relatively unprotected, this armor provides good protection for the wearer's vital organs while leaving the wearer relatively unencumbered.
• Half Plate. Half plate consists of shaped metal plates that cover most of the wearer's body. It does not include leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with leather straps.
• Spiked Armor. Spiked armor is a rare type of medium armor made by dwarves. It consists of a leather coat and leggings covered with spikes that are usually made of metal.

Heavy Armor

Of all the armor categories, heavy armor offers the best protection. These suits of armor cover the entire body and are designed to stop a wide range of attacks. Only proficient warriors can manage their weight and bulk. Heavy armor doesn't let you add your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, but it also doesn't penalize you if your Dexterity modifier is negative.
Heavier armor interferes with the wearer's ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor table shows "Str 13" or "Str 15" in the Strength column for an armor type, the armor reduces the wearer's speed by 10 feet unless the wearer has a Strength score equal to or higher than the listed score.

• Ring Mail. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.
• Chain Mail. Made of interlocking metal rings, chain mail includes a layer of quilted fabric worn underneath the mail to prevent chafing and to cushion the impact of blows. The suit includes gauntlets.
• Splint. This armor is made of narrow vertical strips of metal riveted to a backing of leather that is worn over cloth padding. Flexible chain mail protects the joints.
• Plate. Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates to cover the entire body. A suit of plate includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and thick layers of padding underneath the armor. Buckles and straps distribute the weight over the body.

Stealth

Some armor is particularly noisy or heavy and get in the way of attempts to be quiet. If you wear one of these types of armor, you will have disadvantage on all Stealth checks, as shown in the Armor table.

Shields

A shield is made from wood or metal, and is carried in one hand. Wielding a shield increases your Armor Class by 2. You can only benefit from one shield at a time. 

Getting Into and Out of Armor

The time it takes to don or doff armor depends on the armor's category.

• Don. This is the time it takes to put on armor. You benefit from the armor's AC only if you take the full time to don the suit of armor.
• Doff. This is the time it takes to take off armor. If you have help, reduce this time by half.

Category	Don	Doff
Light armor	1 minute	1 minute
Medium armor	5 minutes	1 minute
Heavy armor	10 minutes	5 minutes
Shield	1 action	1 action

Rare Materials

Armor crafted from rare or exotic materials can add benefits that mundane armor lacks.  For example:

• Adamantine is one of the hardest substances in existence. While you're wearing adamantine armor, any critical hit that strikes you becomes normal.
• Mithril is a light, flexible metal. A mithral chain shirt or breastplate can be worn under normal clothes. Armor made from mithril doesn't have a minimum Strength score requirement, nor does it suffer from disadvantage to stealth checks.

Tip: AC Calculations Don't Stack

When the game gives you more than one way to calculate your Armor Class, you can use only one of them. You choose the one to use. For example, if you have the loxodon's Natural Armor trait and the monk's Unarmored Defense feature, you don't mix them together. Instead, you choose which one determines your AC.