What is Natural Armor?

[Courrain]

Does anyone have an idea as to what is considered to be Natural Armor in settings such as D&D and Pathfinder? The reason why I am asking is because WoTC never added a definition for Natural Armor to any of the glosseries found in the five Monster Manuals that they produced. They have an entry for Manufactured Weapons and Natural Weapons. And while Manufactured Armor also isn't found in the glossaries of the Monster Manuals, but everyone who has played D&D knows they are already like. Manufactured Armor is armor that has been created by armorsmith from raw materials such as cloth, leather or metal. But what about Natural Armor? What kind of skin, furcoat, feathers or scales would be strong enough to protect the individual who has them?

As for benefits, Natural Armor certainly offers a lot of them. Natural Armor is cost free, doesn't impede the character's own speed and dexterity, and doesn't suffer from an armor check penalty or arcane spell failure. All that would be needed to complete the benefit list for Natural Armor is a Natural Armor Rating to either complement or stand next to the Manufactured Armor Rating. So what do you guys think?

[GeraintElberion]

I think the basic idea is that human skin is AC10. Anything hardier than skin is going to have a natural armour boost.

[KaeYoss]

Natural armour is the domain of magic - and of course natural qualities. Once you skin a tough critter and wear its skin, you're effectively using hide armour, i.e. get an armour bonus.

[Courrain]

KaeYoss wrote:

Natural armour is the domain of magic - and of course natural qualities. Once you skin a tough critter and wear its skin, you're effectively using hide armour, i.e. get an armour bonus.

I think you may be thinking of this spell from Eden Studios' Liber Bestarius book:

Preservation
Transmutation
Level: Drd 3
Components: V,S,F
Casting Time: One Hour
Range: Touch
Effect: One dead animal, beast or magical beast
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell is cast on the corpse of a recently slain creature (no more than 30 minutes after death). If the creature's hide or natural weapons had magical, supernatural, or extraordinary properties, they are preserved, and remain even after a smith makes weapons or armor from a creature's body. While the spell is permanent, the effect may be discharged upon use, depending on the creature and the ability.

But I am referring to the armor that some creatures are born with. ;) How is a layer of skin, fur, feathers and scales considered armor?

And for anyone who has looked at the Dragonborn in Races of the Dragon, how is it that a scaly looking race has no natural armor to speak of?

[Emperor7]

Natural armor can be a combination of a number of different things; hair, thick skin, scales, etc. IMO it is something that is 'built into' the creature's body and doesn't inflict penalties. An elephant/rhino has thick skin while a bear has thick skin and fur. It creates a natural barrier to attacks trying to penetrate it. I guess you could also add a fatty layer that blocks access to muscles and organs. Eg. - giant's skin would seem to be thicker than other species, especially stone giants.

No idea as to why the dragonborn class you mentioned doesn't have one. Scales usually make one think of natural protection.

[Fake Healer]

A turtle's shell is natural armor. A rhino's thick tough hide is natural armor. A pangolin's scales are a natural armor. A squirrel has some really tough skin that is hard to pierce, natural armor(just not in D&D).
Human skin and clothing can be pierced by a thorn, drawing blood. Some animals have a level of protection naturally that prevents them from being harmed at that our level. That is natural armor. Some have low values of NA(a badger's thick fur and tough skin gives a +1) and some have a higher value(+7 for a rhino's thick and tough hide). That is natural armor.
When a PC dons an amulet of natural armor, I always think of it thickening their skin and making it more leather-like in texture.
That's my take anyway.

[Thraxus]

I also add in thick muscles and fatty tissue, as metioned about. Anything naturally that provides a dense barrier to vital organs. Grizzly bears were feared by native americans because to could porcupine them with arrows and they would not drop. A lot of that had more to do with thick layers of muscle and fat than a thick hide.

[KaeYoss]

Courrain wrote:

KaeYoss wrote:

Natural armour is the domain of magic - and of course natural qualities. Once you skin a tough critter and wear its skin, you're effectively using hide armour, i.e. get an armour bonus.

I think you may be thinking of this spell from Eden Studios' Liber Bestarius book:

...

But I am referring to the armor that some creatures are born with. ;) How is a layer of skin, fur, feathers and scales considered armor?

And for anyone who has looked at the Dragonborn in Races of the Dragon, how is it that a scaly looking race has no natural armor to speak of?

No, I didn't know this spell. I was referring to people killing a monster, skinning it, and making armour out of its hide. You don't get natural armour from something like this, you get regular armour. In fact, leather armour (in all variations) as well as hide armour (again, in all variations) is made of dead animal parts, but doesn't grant natural armour.

When I said that natural armour was the domain of magic I meant amulets of natural armour and spells like barkskin.

And with natural qualities I meant being a creature with a tough hide. A rhino will get natural armour from its skin.