Magic armour
This article is about magic armour appearing first in Ultima III. For items affording protection from magical attacks in Ultima II, see Magical armour (U2).
Magic armour is armour which has been magically enchanted that it might provide additional protection to the wearer. Often rare and expensive, such equipment is highly sought after by those undertaking dangerous endeavors. Variants of this gear appear in Ultima III, Ultima IV, Ultima V, Ultima VI, Ultima VII, Ultima VII Part Two, Ultima VIII and Ultima IX, as well as in Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II.
History[edit]
Magic plate and chain were available in the late days of Sosaria, though they were very rare at the time. After Britannia's foundation, the manufacture of magical armaments became more commonplace, and such equipment was freely traded in such cities as Jhelom and Trinsic – although such enchanted gear seemed to disappear during the age of the Oppression. As time progressed, magical armour was more a commodity to be discovered rather than purchased, with the last known armourer specializing in such equipment hailing from the age of the Gargoyle War. Eventually, adventurers seeking such armour would often have to assemble suits themselves, cobbling them together out of various pieces gleaned from hidden caches and treasure hordes.
Locations[edit]
- Sub article: Locations
Variants[edit]
+2 Chain and +2 Plate[edit]
In archaic Sosaria, during Ultima III, enhanced armour could only be found within the hidden settlement of Dawn, where they were referred to simply as "+2 chain" and "+2 plate" (or as "steel armour" and "dragon armour" in the Nintendo-port of the game).
Exotic Armour[edit]
- Main article: Exotic Armour
Exotic Armour was particular type of magical raiment found in Exodus' Sosaria, which lay buried on obscure islands off of the main continent. Such enchanted armour was necessary in the Stranger's quest to defeat the hellspawn, as it was the only thing which could protect the hero from the fires of Castle Death.
Mystic Armour[edit]
- Main article: Mystic Armour
The Mystic Armour was crafted by Zircon of Minoc, and could only be worn by an individual who had become enlightened to the point of partial Avatarhood in all Eight Virtues. This magical equipment was guarded by the nobleman Sir Simon, and would be bequeathed to the Stranger, so as to withstand the trials of the Abyss.
Ghostly Armour and Flame Armour[edit]
In the SNES-port of Ultima VII, special types of enchanted gear existed known as ghostly armour and flame armour, both of which provided superior protection to standard magical armour.
Protective Value[edit]
- In Ultima III the +2 chain offered 62% defense, while the +2 plate offered 64%. Both could only be used by rangers and fighters.
- In Ultima IV, the magic chain offered 192 defense, but could only be used by fighters and paladins. The magic plate offered a defense of 208, but could only be worn by paladins.
Ultima VI[edit]
In Ultima VI, the components and defensive values of magical armour are as follows:
| Defense | |
|---|---|
 Helm |
5 |
 Chest |
10 |
Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two[edit]
In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, a complete set of magic armour contains the following pieces. The numbers listed after indicate the relative effectiveness of the armour in both games and the warmth rating:[1]
| Ultima VII | Serpent Isle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Defense | Warmth | |||
| Helm |  |
5 |  |
4 | 5 |
| Gorget |  |
4 | – | – | – |
| Chest |  |
5 |  |
5 | 5 |
| Gauntlets |  |
3 | |
3 | 0 |
| Leggings |  |
4 | |
4 | 5 |
| Boots |  |
1 | |
1 | 65 |
Ultima VIII[edit]
In Ultima VIII, the components and defensive values of magical armour are as follows:[2]
| Defense | |
|---|---|
 Helm |
5 |
  Chest |
5 6 8 |
 Leggings |
4 |
 Armguards |
4 |
There are three very different chest pieces for magic armour on Pagan, each with a different defensive value.
Lore[edit]
| “ | As is the case with weaponry, rumors abound of magical armour that will withstand the breath of a dragon. But, who knows? Perhaps these are but rumors spread by orcs to lure fighters into illusory searches resulting in death. – from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)
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| “ | Foolish is the adventurer who embarks on a quest without the best armour he can afford. Several different types of armour are available — everything from inexpensive and relatively ineffective cloth to costly but highly protective plate. The armourers of Britannia will gladly allow you to examine their wares. Take advantage of this and acquire the armour best suited to your abilities and fighting style. – from Compendium (Ultima VI)
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Trivia[edit]
- In Ultima VII Part Two, it seemed that another addition to the magic armour was planned in form of a magic cloak. However, in the end it was not included in the game, yet its paperdoll graphics can still be found in the code and are seen on the right.
- In Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, magic armour is very light-weight, giving a great advantage for inventory management.
- Due to a coding error in Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two, all boots have the same armour rating of "1". Thus it is better for a player to just ignore the magic boots altogether and instead wear the more useful swamp boots.
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Vetron. Vetron's Guide to Weapons and Armour (Ultima VII – in-game).
- ↑ Mead, Melissa. "Armor and Weapons". Ultima VIII Clue Book (Ultima VIII). Origin Systems: 1994. Pages 28–33.
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