Armor provides Defense and Mitigation at the cost of mobility, spellcasting, and certain skills. Shields offer a flat +2 Defense but heavy Arcana penalties (improving with rarity).
| Armor | Defense | Mitigation | Acrobatics | Arcana Invoc. | Arcana Ritual | Lockpick | Intimidate | Sense Motive | Seduction | Stealth | Surgery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Light | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Common Medium | 4 | 1 | 0 | -6 | -6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | -3 |
| Common Heavy | 3 | 3 | -5 | -7 | -7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -5 | -5 | -5 |
| Uncommon Light | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Uncommon Medium | 4 | 1 | 0 | -5 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -2 |
| Uncommon Heavy | 3 | 3 | -4 | -6 | -6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -4 | -4 | -4 |
| Rare Light | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Rare Medium | 4 | 1 | 0 | -4 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| Rare Heavy | 3 | 3 | -3 | -5 | -5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -3 | -3 | -3 |
| Exotic Light | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | -2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Exotic Medium | 5 | 2 | 0 | -3 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exotic Heavy | 4 | 4 | -2 | -4 | -4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -2 |
| Shield | Defense | Arcana Penalty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Shield | +2 | -6 | All shields grant +2 Defense. Arcana penalty decreases with rarity. |
| Uncommon Shield | +2 | -4 | All shields grant +2 Defense. Arcana penalty decreases with rarity. |
| Rare Shield | +2 | -2 | All shields grant +2 Defense. Arcana penalty decreases with rarity. |
| Exotic Shield | +2 | 0 | All shields grant +2 Defense. Arcana penalty decreases with rarity. |