Armor in the Desert

Wearing armor in the hot lands of the desert is simply not feasible. Whatever benefit in protection one may gain from wearing heavy armor, one loses in increased danger of heat stroke and exhaustion. For those who insist upon wearing heavy armor under such conditions, or perhaps for those who are caught within such a hostile environment unawares, use the following guidelines.

Fatigue rolls must be made for travel in the desert, hampered by armor:

Cuirass: -1
Hauberk: -3
Half armor: -6
Full armor: -9
Metal reinforced leather: additional -1
Metal armor (steel scale mail, chain mail, ring mail, plate mail, or lorica segmentata): additional -3

Assume a Fatigue roll must be made at an Ease Factor of 12. The frequency of these checks depends on the characters' actions: if they are traveling by night in the desert, they must check but once per day. If they are traveling during the day, they must make a check once per hour. Rest and water allow victims to recover lost Fatigue levels; without drinking at least a quart of water per day, no lost levels can be recovered.


This page last modified 6/23/98.

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