Join The Club
One of the most captivating parts of Gothic Remake is that you start off as a poor sod with no gear to your name, and everyone's trying to swindle you. Unlike basically every other RPG ever, you don't even start with a basic weapon, so even little critters will eat you for breakfast. Naturally, finding out how to get armour is your next milestone after grabbing a sword.
I also recommend completing The Price of Magic quest early on to unlock magic, which makes early combat (especially without armour) much more manageable.
How to get armour in Gothic Remake
Getting armour is primarily tied to your faction progression of the three main camps or sold by vendors—you generally don't find any from exploring, unlike weapons. At the start of the game, you won't have any armour, just the Nameless Hero's boring black outfit (which isn't even considered an item). New gear sets are very few and far between, but you can grab one for free relatively early on.
The first armour you'll be able to get is the Digger's Light Trousers by purchasing them from Fisk in the Old Camp marketplace for 313 ore. He's got short black hair and is wearing the recognisable red Warder attire. The Digger's Light Trousers provide ten edge and blunt protection, and five fire resistance, so it's a great upgrade from your bare black robes. I recommend hunting, stealing, and mining in the Old Mine to make a quick buck early on. However, there's an upgraded alternative in the Old Mine.
If you can hold out and save your money for a little bit longer, then I recommend going to the Old Mine in the northwest of The Colony, which is around the hill to your left when you leave the New Camp. Almost at the bottom of the mine, you'll find merchant Alberto speaking to Ian. Alberto sells the Digger's Trousers for 324 ore, which is a slightly upgraded version of the armour sold by Fisk.
You can also get the Digger's Dress for free, which has the same stats as the Light Trousers. All you need to do is go to the Free Mine, accessed by going through the New Camp in the hills on the west side of The Colony, and speak to Swiney, a digger near the entrance. In theory, you could run over here almost immediately if you're brave enough and able to dodge all the enemies on the way to the New Camp.
After this, your next armour set is most likely going to come from whatever faction you choose. Completing Casting Shadows to join the Old Camp rewards you with the Shadow's armour, which you can upgrade at merchants like Fisk as you get promoted, such as to a Warder. Likewise, joining the New Camp will give you the Bandit's Dress to start with, while the Swamp Camp offers up its culty Novice robes.
