Improving the armor proficiency feats

jaelis

Oh this is where the title goes?
Those feats are rarely taken IMHO. They are there mostly just so that the option of adding proficiencies exists at all in the game, even if multiclassing is not allowed. In that case, they are weak (or rather they are "expensive") partly because of a sort of niche protection: having the best (martial) weapons is a feature of Fighter/Barbarian/Paladin/Ranger, having heavy armor is only for Fighter/Paladin and half of the Clerics. And partly because of the traditional idea that arcane casters should not cast spells in armor. Of course as soon as you allow multiclassing, niche protection is out of the window...
I agree they are and should be fairly rare, but I do like to have them.

Just keep in mind who would ever want to actually gain these proficiencies in the first place:

- an occasional Ranger or Cleric is the only character that may want to gain the missing heavy armor prof
- Rogues and Bards may want to gain medium armor and shield, but at least many typical Rogues won't probably upgrade to heavy armor even if it's free (because of Stealth disadvantage)
- Druids, Barbarians and Monks already have all the armor proficiency they ever need (everything more messes up with their other features)
- Fighters and Paladins are set since the start with full proficiencies
I agree, the heavy one should mainly for clerics, and the rare ranger. Focusing on clerics, I'm pretty comfortable giving them all martial weapons and heavy armor as a half feat. We know that doesn't break the cleric class since plenty of subclasses get it.

So actually the main beneficiaries of armor profs are Wizards, Sorcerers and Warlocks, because they are missing all the armor profs (except Light Armor for Warlocks) and they have only to gain from additional proficiencies. This means that your house rules will largely benefit the arcane casters, is this what you want? :)
I agree the arcane casters are the biggest consideration. I don't think light armor prof is worth much to them, since mage armor is available and simply better. I do think that medium armor prof is worth something though. I'm not worried too about niche protection, I don't think 5e niches are defined much by armor. Flavor protection is another thing, but that's why it goes in a feat and not the base class :) Besides, mountain dwarves already exist.
 

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Hriston

Dungeon Master of Middle-earth
Found the feat I was thinking of.

Trained (replaces Heavily Armored, Lightly Armored, Linguist, Moderately Armored, Skilled, and Weapon Master)
You may take this feat more than once.

You gain any combination of the following benefits, adding up to 10 points:

- 5 points: Increase one ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 4 points: Learn a cantrip(1), or gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor(2) and shields, or heavy armor(3).
- 3 points: Gain proficiency in shields or a class of weapons (simple, martial(4), melee, ranged, firearms).
- 2 points: Gain proficiency in a skill.
- 1 point: Gain proficiency in a tool(5) or language.

(1) If you learn a cantrip, you may choose Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma as the spellcasting ability modifier for that cantrip.
(2) You must be proficient in simple weapons before gaining proficiency in martial weapons.
(3) You must be proficient in light armor before gaining proficiency in medium armor.
(4) You must be proficient in medium armor before gaining proficiency in heavy armor.
(5) Your DM may require an extra point for certain particularly useful tools.
* Your DM may allow you to gain expertise or advantage on checks with a skill or tool with which you are already proficient.

I'd revise these costs as follows:

You gain any combination of the following benefits, adding up to 24 points:

- 12 points: Increase one ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 12 points: Gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor(3) and shields, or heavy armor(4).
- 8 points: Gain proficiency in a skill.
- 6 points: Learn a cantrip(1)
- 3 points: Gain proficiency in a single weapon, tool(5), or language.
 



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