Clarifying wording?

[Syrus]

3.7.1. Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if 2/3 of the target area is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can not be no more than 1/2 inch apart.

The 1/2" rule is clear enough, but can we get some language that clarifies the 2/3 rule?

Common questions:
I have 2 pieces of armor covering the target area. Does it count?
If 2/3 applies, does 1/2" need to be satisfied?
How do you determine how much is covered by metal or leather?
Does it have to be 2/3 of the WHOLE target area, or just where the target is covered?

Any ideas?

[Plithut]

1. I have 2 pieces of armor covering the target area. Does it count?
Yes

2. If 2/3 applies, does 1/2" need to be satisfied?
Yes

3. How do you determine how much is covered by metal or leather?
The body is divided into different target areas, body, arm, leg, head etc. You take the over all coverage of the specific area.

4. Does it have to be 2/3 of the WHOLE target area, or just where the target is covered?
It has to be covering 2/3s of a target area to be counted. I.E. you have to have 2/3s of your torso covered for it to count as body armor.

[debuenzo]

multiple pieces of armor are still considered armor, but no EXTRA hit is awarded
example: im wearing a greave and upper thigh armor that hangs from my breastplate
i get hit in the right greave, i call "armor right leg"
then i get hit in the right leg upper thigh armor, i take the leg and i kneel on my right knee

3.3.3. Armor must be of a size to cover a significant portion (approximately one-third) of a Target Area. Armor extending continuously from another Target Area is not required to significantly cover neighboring Target Areas to count as Armor.


3.7.1. Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if 2/3 of the target area is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can not be no more than (?) 1/2 inch apart.

this is a very odd wording especially w/ the double negative

i interpret it as 2/3s of the armor itself must be made with armor legal materials (and protects only what it covers) and that each piece should be no greater than 1/2" apart

[Kegg]

3.7.1. Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if 2/3 of the target area is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can not be no more than 1/2 inch apart.

The 1/2" rule is clear enough, but can we get some language that clarifies the 2/3 rule?

Common questions:
I have 2 pieces of armor covering the target area. Does it count?
If 2/3 applies, does 1/2" need to be satisfied?
How do you determine how much is covered by metal or leather?
Does it have to be 2/3 of the WHOLE target area, or just where the target is covered?

Any ideas?

This rule is to determine whether a material is armor or not. It has nothing to do with target areas.

So the answer to your first question is.... this rule does not effect it. The rule that effects it is.

3.3.1. Armor confers one additional hit to the Target Area covered by the Armor. Multiple pieces of Armor on the same Target Area only confer a single hit. A single piece of Armor covering multiple areas confer a hit on each Target Area covered.
3.3.3. Armor must be of a size to cover a significant portion (approximately one-third) of a Target Area. Armor extending continuously from another Target Area is not required to significantly cover neighboring Target Areas to count as Armor.

The answer to your second question is that sort of.

If you have large gaps in your armor material (as opposed to the backing), it is not considered armor where the gaps are. If the area is 2/3 covered with armor material, it is normally considered OK if there are SOME gaps that are more than 1/2". The 1/2" rule is really for when you place studs into leather that is too thin to be armor by itself.

To answer your third question, it really is a subjective appraisal by just looking at it.
Is it more than half covered?
More than 2/3 covered?
90% covered?

If a marshall fails your armor for inadequate coverage you and you think it passes you would probably need to measure each plate and the total area and do a comparison. To be on the safe side shot for something closer to 80% coverage.

As far as your fourth question... see my reply to the first.

[Syrus]

The reason I had started this thread is to possibly find language that fulfills the intended spirit of the rule without leaving these questions that I had listed, each of which I'd attempted to answer more than once.

If the rule was meant to determine if the material is armor, rather than target areas, then using "target area" in the rule is misleading language.

Perhaps a slight change in language could be discussed to clarify the intent of the rule?

Studded, scaled, or brigandine Armor can only be counted as Armor if either 2/3 of the area protected by the armor is covered by metal or leather, or the studs/rings/plates can be no more than 1/2 inch apart.
(Also edited to remove a double negative.)