Game of thrones is the Starks armor studded leather in D&D terms.

[Sir cryosin]

The armor we see Ned, Robb, Jon (in the newer seasons). Looks like they are wearing studded leather over gambeson. Now d&d don't have gambeson but it does have studded leather.

[JackPhoenix]

That's not studded leather, it's leather coat over proper armor, propably worn for fashion, not for some extra protective value it may have. The few metal bits doesn't make it (non-existent) studded leather armor, though the rectangular sections (and yes, the studs) may indicate sewn in metal bits, making it coat-of-plates (or maybe brigandine in D&D terms nope, forgot D&D doesn't have that either, and ring mail or splint armor is something else).

Gambeson, however, is called padded armor in D&D, though the stats are wrong (they would be more in-line with hide, for heavier examples, or as a replacement for the stupidity that is studded leather)

[Lord Vukodlak]

That's not studded leather, it's leather coat over proper armor, propably worn for fashion, not for some extra protective value it may have. The few metal bits doesn't make it (non-existent) studded leather armor, though the rectangular sections (and yes, the studs) may indicate sewn in metal bits, making it coat-of-plates (or maybe brigandine in D&D terms nope, forgot D&D doesn't have that either, and ring mail or splint armor is something else).

Gambeson, however, is called padded armor in D&D, though the stats are wrong (they would be more in-line with hide, for heavier examples, or as a replacement for the stupidity that is studded leather)

Yeah, leather armor is very much a fantasy kind of thing the light armor would all be gambeson. Or possibly Lamellar armor which could be made from leather plates.

[PeteNutButter]

On one of the more recent episodes Sansa was talking about how they need to coat those breastplates in leather so as to reduce heat loss to the cold.

That implies you are actually dealing with metal plates, at least in some cases. Perhaps all the armor is supposed to be that, but for actor reasons it isn't?

In general I'd just lump their armors into MEDIUM. You can call it whatever you like, but it is plenty bulky enough to not be light, but appears too light to qualify as heavy armor. I try not to get hung up on materials, but more on overall feel.

I'd stat them like the medium armors we have.

[Naanomi]

Yeah, leather armor is very much a fantasy kind of thing the light armor would all be gambeson. Or possibly Lamellar armor which could be made from leather plates.
If you go outside Europe you can also find some 'probably hide Armor by DnD rules' leather armor as well...

[Unoriginal]

The armor we see Ned, Robb, Jon (in the newer seasons). Looks like they are wearing studded leather over gambeson. Now d&d don't have gambeson but it does have studded leather.


Actually, the armor the Starks wear is half-plate covered in leather, either for aesthetic purposes or to prevent touching metal at freezing temperature. We see Sansa comment on it in the latest season.


As others have said, D&D has gambeson, it's called padded armor.

Leather armor is not entirely a fantasy thing, but apparently the gambeson was much better, partially due to the fact you wore one beneath mail and other pieces of armor, as well as full plate, so it was a way better thing to buy (since you could buy the gambeson and then add other pieces when you got the money).

[Regulas]

If you go outside Europe you can also find some 'probably hide Armor by DnD rules' leather armor as well...

Well there exist's kinds of Leather armors (though definitely not "studded leather") but they were never overly common after the advent of iron.
Most leather readily available would have been sheep/goat/pig too thin to act as decent armor (but fine as a backing or straps). Cow's and horses weren't raised in the mass bulk ranching of the modern era, an entire village may have only had a half dozen cows between them who would rarely have ever been slaughtered intentionally. So unless you were upper class it's unlikely you would have had a very large supply of thick leather, in fact simple iron armor may well have been cheaper then leather armor to make (and far far easier to repair and maintain) as iron was extremely abundant and unlike large blades and plates small pieces of iron are very simple to forge (just consider how every peasant had pots and sickles and the like, all iron things). And if you did have money then you'd obviously go for steel armor.

Gambeson would have been much more affordable, and wasn't half bad all in all, though it's not what people think. Typically it's thick canvass layers and all constructed is actually very rigid and solid and bulky.

[Sigreid]

Well there exist's kinds of Leather armors (though definitely not "studded leather") but they were never overly common after the advent of iron.
Most leather readily available would have been sheep/goat/pig too thin to act as decent armor (but fine as a backing or straps). Cow's and horses weren't raised in the mass bulk ranching of the modern era, an entire village may have only had a half dozen cows between them who would rarely have ever been slaughtered intentionally. So unless you were upper class it's unlikely you would have had a very large supply of thick leather, in fact simple iron armor may well have been cheaper then leather armor to make (and far far easier to repair and maintain) as iron was extremely abundant and unlike large blades and plates small pieces of iron are very simple to forge (just consider how every peasant had pots and sickles and the like, all iron things). And if you did have money then you'd obviously go for steel armor.

Gambeson would have been much more affordable, and wasn't half bad all in all, though it's not what people think. Typically it's thick canvass layers and all constructed is actually very rigid and solid and bulky.

Most of the historians I've heard talk on the subject seem to agree that what has been misidentified based on the rivits that held metal plates to the leather outer layer that gave the armor shape. A Winsor coat of plates works like that and us really surprisingly effective.

[Protato]

I flavor the Studded Leather as being boiled leather armor held together with rivets to give it extra durability, and is better made.

[Naanomi]

There are a few historical Mongolian and Siberian armors that use metal sparingly between lots of horse hide that may be close to 'studded leather' visually (but was often bulky and probably mechanically closer to hide armor?)