Looking through the rules, I can't find any reason to have a helm. Heck, looking at the PRD I don't even see prices for helms.
I was thinking a helm would allow you to use an armored AC against called shots aimed at your head, but I can't even find any rules on called shots. Is it simply that my search-fu is weak, or are helms truly worthless in PFRPG?
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Looking through the rules, I can't find any reason to have a helm. Heck, looking at the PRD I don't even see prices for helms.
I was thinking a helm would allow you to use an armored AC against called shots aimed at your head, but I can't even find any rules on called shots. Is it simply that my search-fu is weak, or are helms truly worthless in PFRPG?
worthless, there are no called shots
I may be wrong, but I don't think called shots have been used since 2E.
Helms add Coolness +12. Check the corebook. Geeze.
I was thinking a helm would allow you to use an armored AC against called shots aimed at your head, but I can't even find any rules on called shots. Is it simply that my search-fu is weak, or are helms truly worthless in PFRPG?
There are no called shot as mentioned earlier, but if you are ready to houserule, I'd suggest a bonus to AC against the confirmation of criticals as far as helms are concerned.
Not all criticals are blows to the head, but I could imagine many head-shots being represented as confirmed criticals.
'findel
Pure fluff.
If you want them to have a mechanical effect, one reasonable suggestion I've seen is apply a penalty to AC vs. confirming critical hits if a helmet is not worn.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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In the real world, full helmets and gorgets are two of the most important pieces of armor.
In a role-playing world, full helmets make everybody look alike, which is boring from an art point-of-view. So most every character has a full exposed face. Maybe he has a little metal cap with camail hanging down the back. Maybe he doesn't. He probably has armor covering his shoulders, but not his neck.
Considering they are part of both full plate and half plate in the descriptions of those armors in the core rulebook I would say that they are part of the reason that those armors provide a higher level of protection and that you would have some penalty if you chose not to wear a helm with those armors.
Helmets are so you can take them off and unveil your beautiful long hair as you flip it around Slow motion movie style. Then you hold it under one arm for that particularly bada$$ look.
In other words. Total fluff, but still relevant for "realness." If things only existed when they had mechanics it would be a dull fantasy world.
Ultimate Combat is introducing called shots again, so helms may regain some mechanical use.
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Found the bit in the 1st ed DMG
It is assumed that an appropriate type of head armoring will be added to the suit of armor in order to allow uniform protection of the wearer. Wearing of a "great helm" adds the appropriate weight and restricts vision to the front 60 degrees only, but it gives the head AC 1. If a helmet is not worn 1 blow in 6 will strike at the AC 10 head, unless the opponent is intelligent, in which case 1 blow in 2 will be aimed at the AC 10 head (d6 1-3 = head blow).
N.B. AC 1 is 1st ed speak for AC 19
3rd edition got rid of helms altogether. They exist as part of the armor but are not listed as a separate item.
Fluff indeed. The way we've always handled this is to say that helmets are a standard part of any "suit" of armor, as are things like vambraces (steel or leather), greaves, schynbald, etc. Even if you are only wearing a breastplate (or a chainshirt etc.) the assumption (at least at our table) is that you are of course armored everywhere else, and that all of those individual pieces are figured in to the breastplate's statistics. For mechanical purposes, our take is that the primary piece of armor is what's listed in the book, and that the rest of the suit is designed for individual taste. This deals with the hooligans who want to wear a breastplate and nothing else (read naked on the bottom half), and still get the mechanical benefits of that armor. Of course this is all just how we handle the fluff at our table, because by RAW you could just wear a breastplate, go naked on the bottom half, and still get all the benefits of that "suit" of armor.
Looking through the rules, I can't find any reason to have a helm. Heck, looking at the PRD I don't even see prices for helms.
I was thinking a helm would allow you to use an armored AC against called shots aimed at your head, but I can't even find any rules on called shots. Is it simply that my search-fu is weak, or are helms truly worthless in PFRPG?
My group once had a house rule: Helms give you +1 AC but a -2 penalty to perception checks. Don't think we use it anymore, but I thought id put it out there.
In the real world, full helmets and gorgets are two of the most important pieces of armor.
Considering they are part of both full plate and half plate in the descriptions of those armors in the core rulebook I would say that they are part of the reason that those armors provide a higher level of protection and that you would have some penalty if you chose not to wear a helm with those armors.
These two pretty much sum it up in my opinion.
Ultimate Combat is introducing called shots again, so helms may regain some mechanical use.
Has that been confirmed by the DEVs? If so are called shots going to be part of the combat maneuver mechanics, or their own new mechanic?
Ultimate Combat is introducing called shots again, so helms may regain some mechanical use.Has that been confirmed by the DEVs? If so are called shots going to be part of the combat maneuver mechanics, or their own new mechanic?
You’ll notice that this book does not include any new class options for barbarians, cavaliers, fighters, and rogues. That’s because those four classes have no magical abilities on their own (rogues can learn simple magic with rogue talents, but their default abilities are completely nonmagical). Even the standard monk, in contrast, has magical abilities such as abundant step and quivering palm—and the qinggong monk archetype in this chapter presents a high-magic monk for fans of wuxia-style storytelling. Remember that even nonmagical classes can benefit from some of the feats in Chapter 2 and many of the spells in Chapter 5. Also, unlike the present book, Ultimate Combat focuses on nonmagical matters, and includes ninja and samurai alternate classes, firearms, gladiators, vehicle combat, finishing moves, siege weapons, armor as damage reduction, called shots, more feats, and new options and archetypes for martial characters.
I'd say that's confirmed by the Devs.
Ultimate Combat is introducing called shots again, so helms may regain some mechanical use.Has that been confirmed by the DEVs? If so are called shots going to be part of the combat maneuver mechanics, or their own new mechanic?I'd say that's confirmed by the Devs.
You’ll notice that this book does not include any new class options for barbarians, cavaliers, fighters, and rogues. That’s because those four classes have no magical abilities on their own (rogues can learn simple magic with rogue talents, but their default abilities are completely nonmagical). Even the standard monk, in contrast, has magical abilities such as abundant step and quivering palm—and the qinggong monk archetype in this chapter presents a high-magic monk for fans of wuxia-style storytelling. Remember that even nonmagical classes can benefit from some of the feats in Chapter 2 and many of the spells in Chapter 5. Also, unlike the present book, Ultimate Combat focuses on nonmagical matters, and includes ninja and samurai alternate classes, firearms, gladiators, vehicle combat, finishing moves, siege weapons, armor as damage reduction, called shots, more feats, and new options and archetypes for martial characters.
Solid! Though that doesn't answer my question about whether it's a new part of the Combat Maneuver mechanics or its own new mechanic. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Thanks Mdt.
Solid! Though that doesn't answer my question about whether it's a new part of the Combat Maneuver mechanics or its own new mechanic. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Thanks Mdt.
Sorry, there was no answer to your question, until UC comes out.
No problem though, happy to help.
Helmets aren't exactly worthless. They're just not considered an item by themselves. Armour usually includes helmets.
Not always, or automatically, but still.
Armour is armour. It's one piece as far as the rules are concerned. They don't have different protection values depending on what you're being attacked with, the rules don't cover which body parts are covered by it (this means not only head but other extremities as well, and also things like your back).
Helmets aren't exactly worthless. They're just not considered an item by themselves. Armour usually includes helmets.
Not always, or automatically, but still.
Armour is armour. It's one piece as far as the rules are concerned. They don't have different protection values depending on what you're being attacked with, the rules don't cover which body parts are covered by it (this means not only head but other extremities as well, and also things like your back).
Armored Kilts.
Helmets aren't exactly worthless. They're just not considered an item by themselves. Armour usually includes helmets.
Not always, or automatically, but still.
Armour is armour. It's one piece as far as the rules are concerned. They don't have different protection values depending on what you're being attacked with, the rules don't cover which body parts are covered by it (this means not only head but other extremities as well, and also things like your back).
Armored Kilts.
He's got you there KaeYoss... :)
He's got you there KaeYoss... :)
Who?
You could certainly make rules for piecemeal armor like the old 2E Dark Sun had.