Armor

Armor is a number one concern for the hero entering the dungeon. It is the only thing between you and instadeath by sheer melee.

At the outside, there are 7 slots for armor: Helm, Cloak, Body Armor, Shirt, Shield, Gloves/Gauntlets, and Boots. Excepting elven armor and a wizard's cornuthaum, armor may only be enchanted up to +5; elven equipment and cornuthaums may be enchanted to +7. Thus, by using armor alone, the maximum protection is -44, or 54 points of protection. In practice, it is often somewhat below this, as characters give up a better AC for other protections and advantages.