Limitations imposed by wearing armour on Medieval soldiers' locomotor performance

[Guest Vile Traveller]

Came across an interesting article by the Royal Society into the effects on movement of wearing Medieval filed armour. Of particular interest are two snippets:

1. Weight distributed across the body (i.e. armour) actually has a greater effect on the wearer than the same weight carried in a backpack. Leg armour in particular seems to be a culprit. This is counter to what many RPGs assume.
2. Restricted breathing has an impact - carrying a lot of padding and plate around your thorax, as well as wearing a helmet, is going to wear you out a lot faster.

This has interesting implications if you want to model "realistic" adventuring where characters don't travel, sleep, and explore in heavy armour. You can read the whole thing here:

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/07/15/rspb.2011.0816.full

[Sunwolfe]

I remember a lot of folk disregard the Fatigue rules in RQ3 as too much of a hassle to keep track of, and, honestly, it could take away from the cinematic/heroic end of things. I must say, however, as RQ was fashioned to simulate SCA combat, the fatigue rules did do a good job in that regard. I fought sword-and-board in that organization for ten years and can attest that though being turtled and unable to get up was spurious, the fact is all that padding, leather, metal and body heat wears a fella down! Three-four minutes at a time of constant shift, block and attack, in a harness that wieghed...maybe...35-45 pounds w/helm and add a shield...another 8-12 pounds, not to mention a 2-4 pound ratan "sword"... and you've to a recipe for serious weight loss! LOL. 

Cheers,

[Guest Vile Traveller]

Yes, in my experience shields were very unpopular due to their seemingly rapidly-increasing weight. Evene if you don't want to go all-out in adopting fatigue rules in combat, it's worth reconsidering whether adventurers can really spend all day yomping through the wilderness in full plate and helm, and shield at the ready. More-or-less stationary guards and garrisons are likely to have an advantage there ...

Edited September 28, 2015 by Vile

[seneschal]

If you read the Authurian tales, Lancelot & Company typically wore their heavy gear only when they knew they were going into battle or were otherwise expecting trouble.  The rest of the time it was packed up and tended by their squires.  Their big war horses likewise were generally led behind in-saddled; knights rode lighter palfreys when the weren't charging into battle.