Posts: 208 Location: Texas
Tue 27 Apr, 2010 5:08 pm
For fantasy armor, I think the outfit depicted in the drawing looks fine, and even a step above most of the fantasy fare out there.
But as for the concept:
If I were a hunter (of monsters or anything else), I would consider having to rely on my armor and/or weapon to save my life means something went horribly, horribly wrong. If I am going to be a successful hunter, I'm not going to be getting into a climatic clash with my mark. I'm going to use everything else at my disposal--traps, misdirection, bait, pointy sticks, and my intimate knowledge of the critter's behavior to stack the deck so heavily in my favor, the killing stroke is more of an execution than a fight. I'm going to rely on my brains, not my brawn.
Think about it this way: does a deer hunter go out and wrestle a deer to the ground? No, they stalk it, lure it, and ambush it with the intent of dispatching it quickly and without fuss. Same goes for more dangerous animals. Boar are famous fighters, but if I let it get close enough to do harm to me, it means I screwed up.
Remember that, throughout our history, humans have successfully hunted even dangerous animals like bears and lions with nothing but a spear.
Armor, in that case, is superfluous. If I do my job right, I shouldn't even need it. If I do wear it, I'm going to want something lightweight, low maintenance, suitably durable, and comfortable enough for trekking long distances in the brush in. I'd say a quilted gambeson (or aketon or whatever you want to call it) and maybe some gauntlets. Or even just a sturdy leather vest or apron if I'm not worried about concussive blows. If the monster I'm fighting requires certain precautions (e.g. spits venom, hides under rocks and like to bite ankles, shoot eye-lasers), then I'll add those protections on an as-need basis.
Ultimately, my kit would consist of camping and expedition gear, my monster-dispatcher (e.g. a boar spear), a utilitarian blade like a messer or hatchet, and a variety of smaller knives and tools, as well as any pre-made traps, nets, or mechanisms I might need. And, depending, on the creature, maybe a
shield.