Barding

Source Core Rulebook

Barding is a type of armor that covers the head, neck, chest, body, and possibly legs of a horse or other mount. Barding made of medium or heavy armor provides better protection than light barding, but at the expense of speed. Barding can be made of any of the armor types found on Table: Armor and Shields.

Armor for a horse (a Large non-humanoid creature) costs four times as much as human armor (a Medium humanoid creature) and also weighs twice as much (see Table: Armor for Unusual Creatures). If the barding is for a pony or other Medium mount, the cost is only double, and the weight is the same as for Medium armor worn by a humanoid. Medium or heavy barding slows a mount that wears it, as shown on the table below.

Flying mounts can’t fly in medium or heavy barding.

Removing and fitting barding takes five times as long as the figures given on Table: Donning Armor. A barded animal cannot be used to carry any load other than a rider and normal saddlebags.

	Barding Movement Modifier
	(40 ft)	(50 ft.)	(60 ft.)
Medium	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.
Heavy	30 ft.*	35 ft.*	40 ft.*

The Quintessential paladin
Author Alejandro Melchor
Series Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

Although some special mounts may have natural protection, warhorses and the more common mounts do not, and if the paladin is going to charge into battle on it, it is better that he does not rely entirely on the Mounted Combat feat to deliver it from attacks.

The SRD lists the formulae to calculate the information for barding, and the following table lists it in expanded manner for ease of reference.

Barding Table
Armour	Cost	Armour Bonus	Max Dexterity Bonus	Armour Check Bonus	40 ft.	50 ft.	60 ft.	Weight*
Light Armour
Padded	20 gp	+1	+8	0	40 ft.	50 ft.	60 ft.	20 lb.
Leather	40 gp	+2	+6	0	40 ft.	50 ft.	60 ft.	30 lb.
studded leather	100 gp	+3	+5	-1	40 ft.	50 ft.	60 ft.	40 lb.
Chain mantle	400 gp	+4	+4	-2	40 ft.	50 ft.	60 ft.	50 lb.
Medium Armour
Hide	60 gp	+3	+4	-3	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.	50 lb.
Scale barding	200 gp	+4	+3	-4	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.	60 lb.
Chain barding	600 gp	+5	+2	-5	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.	80 lb.
Heavy Armour
Splint barding	800 gp	+6	+0	-7	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.	90 lb.
Banded barding	1,000 gp	+6	+1	-6	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.	70 lb.
Half-plate	2,400 gp	+7	+0	-6	30 ft.	35 ft.	40 ft.**	100 lb.

<sub>* Information for Large size creatures, such as horses. Halve for Medium-size creatures such as ponies and riding dogs.

**A mount wearing heavy armour moves at only three times its normal walk speed when running, rather than four times.</sub>