Bracers
Bracers are a type of armor that appears in EvilHack.
Contents
Description
Bracers are a form of shield that are worn on the forearms, making them unique in that they allow for both performance of two weapon combat and wielding of two-handed weapons—they also do not reduce a Monk's to-hit when attacking while unarmed, and also do not suppress the extra attacks of Monks and other heroes that are at Grand Master skill in martial arts like normal shields do. In return, they gain lower bonuses to AC from the shield skill and cannot be used to shield bash, though blocking attacks with them still trains the skill. Bracers are non-bulky shields akin to the small shield for spellcasting purposes.
There are two different types of bracers:
| Item | AC | Properties | Base material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracers | 1 | none | leather |
| Dark elven bracers | 2 | weakened in light | adamantine |
Strategy
Bracers allow for more flexibility in a hero's build at the slight cost of some defensive ability, and ensures that Rangers, Monks, and any heroes that wish to wield bows or favor two-handed weapons can still make use of their shield slot.
History
Bracers are introduced in EvilHack 0.8.2.
Origin
A bracer (or arm-guard) is a strap or sheath, commonly made of leather, stone or plastic, that covers the inside surface of an archer's bow-holding arm to protect their forearm against injury by accidental whipping from the bowstring or the fletching of the arrow while shooting—the bracer also prevents the loose sleeve from catching the bowstring. Bracers normally only cover part of the forearm, though full-length bracers extending to the upper arm are also available.
In many common role-playing games, bracers are a general piece of armour rather than protective archery equipment, possibly due to confusion with vambraces: Vambraces (French: avant-bras, sometimes known as "lower cannons" in the Middle Ages) are a term for forearm guards worn as part of a suit of plate armour that originates in the early 14th century. Vambraces were made from either boiled leather or steel, were often connected to gauntlets, and may be worn with or without separate couters (or elbow guards) in a full suit of medieval armour. Leather vambraces were sometimes reinforced with longitudinal strips of hardened hide or metal, creating splinted armour; some vambraces were decorated with extravagant designs, as was customary for nobles during the late Middle Ages.
