Plate mail

Plate mail (also known field plate or simply plate) was a type of armor used on Toril.
==Description==
Plate mail consisted of shaped, interlocking plates. These plates covered the entire body. Beneath the metal was a thick layer of padding and numerous straps and harnesses to distribute the weight.
Many of the pieces that made up a set of plate mail had their own distinct names, such as the couter (elbow guard), pauldron (shoulder guard), rerebrace (upper-arm guard), vambrace (forearm guard), and gorget (throat-plate).
Plate was often the heaviest type of armor available, sacrificing mobility and agility for superior protection.
==Variations==
Plate mail was expensive and cumbersome. Variations of plate mail were available depending on the level of protection or manoeuvrability the wearer required.
* Breastplate: Breastplate was a very minimal variation of plate mail. The breastplate covered your front and back. A light suit of studded leather was often worn underneath to protect the rest of the body.
* Half-plate: This featured a number of key parts from a set of full plate, but not all. Half-plate was fitted over chainmail and hung more loosely than full plate.
* Full plate: Also known as a "coat-of-plate", as the name suggested this referred to a complete set of plate mail. Full plate mail had to be built or adjusted to fit it's wearer. This could only be done by an armoursmith.
* Heavy plate: This was a heavily reinforced suit of full plate. Heavy plate mail offered superior protection but weighed around 100 pounds. It was usually manufactured by races of exceptional strength. Orogs were known to manufacture heavy plate mail.
==Notable plate mail==
* Storm armor of the earth's children - a rare full set of plate mail that protected its wearer against the elements of cold, electricity and fire.
==Notable Users==
===Groups===
* The Hellriders of Elturel wore suits of white plate mail.
* In Northmen society, plate mail was often worn by kings or an army's captain.
* The Purple Dragons' warriors tended to favor plate mail. When adventuring abroad, they typically wore suits of field plate mail.
===Regions & Nations===
* In the nation of Sespech, plate mail was among the armor types generally favored by warriors.
* In the nation of Unther, warriors within the army were made to wear bronze plate mail.
===Religions===
* Battleforges, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tempus, wore sturdy suits of plate mail.
* Bulwarks, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Helm, generally wore suits of plate mail.
* Plate mail was one of two types of armor that chaos knights, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Talos, generally favored. However, the plate mail of chaos knights was notably black in coloration and decorated with barbs.
* Plate mail was one of two types of armor that gauntlets, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Iyachtu Xvim, generally wore. Their plate mail was notably black in coloration.
* Plate mail was among the types of armor that glorybloods, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tempus, most often wore.
* Hands of Tyr, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tyr, wore white suits of plate mail.
* Paragons, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Torm, wore glistening white suits of plate mail.
* Questers, another variety of specialty priest of the Church of Helm, always wore suits of full plate mail.
* Scales of Tyr, another variety of specialty priest of the Church of Tyr, often wore suits of plate mail underneath their white robes of office.
* Plate mail was among the types of armor that swords of Cyric, a variety of specialty priest of the Church of Cyric, most often wore.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
:;Comic Books
::Forgotten Realms (#24)
:;Video games
::Eye of the Beholder • Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
:;Card Games
::
===Gallery===
Half plate.png|A half plate set of armor from Icewind Dale.
===External links===
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===References===
Category:Armor
Category:Heavy armor
Category:50-74 gold pieces
Category:400-499 gold pieces
Category:4000-4999 gold pieces
Category:1500-1999 gold pieces