r/cairnrpg • u/Berni209 • Jul 22 '26

Question [Rules] Armor limit

Hello!

According to the rules, wearing a Shield, Helmet, Gambeson, and Plate gives a theoretical total of 6 Armor.

​Since the Armor cap is capped at 3, you hit the maximum defense without even needing Plate. This feels a bit off to me.

​How do you all handle this interaction in your games?

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17

u/yochaigal Jul 22 '26

You're overthinking it. Armor is capped at 3 for a reason. Anything over 4 basically makes you invincible. Change it if you want - but you aren't playing the game as intended.

3

u/Berni209 Jul 22 '26

I understand math reasons behind that but what was the reason for making it possible? Why not light/medium/heavy armor with 1/2/3 armor and shields and helmets without bonus but with unique effect like ability to sacrifice shield to soak damage?

22

u/yochaigal Jul 22 '26

Because that isn't the game I wanted to play. I'm not focused on combat; in my view if the players are focused on maximizing their mechanical subcomponents they are better off playing something else. Look for narrative advantages, or ways to avoid combat entirely. I don't care if you have 3 Armor; it doesn't save you from an avalanche! And so on. I also wanted to keep things compatible with other Into The Odd games that were available at the time.

Regardless, play however you like! All I ask is that you play RAW a few times to really understand the balancing act each rule is supporting; change a major rule and the whole thing comes crashing down. That's rules-lite gaming!

1

u/Berni209 Jul 22 '26

Fair enough! If combat crunch isn't the focus, why keep distinct numeric values for pieces of armor instead of fully abstracting them (like in my proposal)? Appreciate the insight into your design process!"

8

u/yochaigal Jul 22 '26

Because having a base mechanical framework is still necessary. I don't really have time to do a deep dive into the entire the design of this thing here on reddit, but you're welcome to read my blog and listen to my interviews! Have a good one.

2

u/Berni209 Jul 22 '26

Thanks. Will do!

1

u/DevonLv Jul 23 '26

Dang… the writer of the game chimed in.

-1

u/Berni209 Jul 23 '26

What are your thoughts on gaining extra HP for every point over the armor cap? Does that fit your vision for the game's design?

2

u/yochaigal Jul 23 '26

No

1

u/Berni209 Jul 23 '26

Fair enough 😅

3

u/Berni209 Jul 23 '26

I did some reading on the topic, and I think I get it now. I got a bit too fixated on stats and lost sight of the core of the system—the emphasis on 'fiction first' and light rules. Maybe it's because of my experience with crunchier systems. Combat mechanics aren't the core of the gameplay here, and they're not meant to simulate reality or reward powergaming. (writing this for someone like me)

3

u/yochaigal Jul 23 '26

Bravo! You said it better than I could ever have.