Pathfinder Armor Bonus Comparison
Official 1e armor bonuses, from Padded at 1 to Full Plate at 9. Pick any two.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Lowest here. Quilted cloth. | 1 armor bonus | Light armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Padded armor bonus +1 |
| Leather One over Padded. | 2 armor bonus | Light armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Leather armor bonus +2 |
| Studded Leather One over Leather. | 3 armor bonus | Light armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Studded Leather armor bonus +3 |
| Chain Shirt Ties Hide at 4. | 4 armor bonus | Light armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Chain Shirt armor bonus +4 |
| Hide Ties Chain Shirt. | 4 armor bonus | Medium armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Hide armor bonus +4 |
| Scale Mail One over Hide. | 5 armor bonus | Medium armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Scale Mail armor bonus +5 |
| Chainmail Ties Breastplate at 6. | 6 armor bonus | Medium armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Chainmail armor bonus +6 |
| Breastplate Ties Chainmail. | 6 armor bonus | Medium armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Breastplate armor bonus +6 |
| Splint Mail Ties Banded Mail at 7. | 7 armor bonus | Heavy armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Splint Mail armor bonus +7 |
| Banded Mail Ties Splint Mail. | 7 armor bonus | Heavy armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Banded Mail armor bonus +7 |
| Half-Plate One over the 7s. | 8 armor bonus | Heavy armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Half-Plate armor bonus +8 |
| Full Plate Top here. Nine Paddeds. | 9 armor bonus | Heavy armor, Core Rulebook | Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook: Full Plate armor bonus +9 |
About this converter
The Core Rulebook prints one armor bonus per suit from 1 to 9. Padded opens at 1, Leather at 2, Studded Leather at 3, Chain Shirt and Hide tied at 4, Scale Mail at 5, Chainmail and Breastplate tied at 6, Splint Mail and Banded Mail tied at 7, Half-Plate at 8 and Full Plate at 9. That makes one Full Plate equal nine Paddeds of bonus. Every value here is the 1e print with Dexterity and shields left out.
How to use it
Pick two armors and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the total in armor bonus. Try 1 Full Plate against Paddeds.
XP rewards for the same bestiary run on the companion XP page, since offense and defense measure different things. Shields add 1 to 4 on top of these rows in play. Second edition remastered these numbers, so this table pins 1e. Fighters train out of the Dex cap first. Tower shields trade offense for the +4 bonus. Often worth it.
FAQ
What is Full Plate bonus?
Plus 9 armor in 1e. The highest printed suit.
What is Chain Shirt bonus?
Plus 4 armor. Ties Hide.
What is Banded Mail bonus?
Plus 7 armor. Ties Splint Mail.
Why 1e only?
Second edition remastered armor values, so rows pin the original.
Sources
- Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook ch. 6, light armor (Padded +1, Leather +2, Studded Leather +3, Chain Shirt +4)
- Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook ch. 6, medium armor (Hide +4, Scale Mail +5, Chainmail +6, Breastplate +6)
- Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook ch. 6, heavy armor (Splint Mail +7, Banded Mail +7, Half-Plate +8, Full Plate +9)
- Archives of Nethys armor tables (cross-checks on all values)
Last verified: 2026-09-28 · 12 entries
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