D&D 5E Idea for priests in a temple: (un)holy armour

Quartz · Oct 21, 2018

I really don't grok the idea of priests running around in armour all day, so how about this for when PCs attack:

Lair Action
As a lair action, members of the clergy not wearing armour or carrying a shield gain a bonus to AC equal to their Proficiency bonus.

What do you think? Too powerful?

MarkB · Oct 21, 2018

Generally speaking, a lair action is an action that the owner of the lair has to take, usually in combat. So, is the high priest taking this action? And how often does he need to take it in order to maintain the effect?

Also, proficiency bonuses are generally something that only player characters have. NPCs and monsters don't use them.

For that matter, NPCs don't particularly need to follow the same rules for calculating armour class that PCs do. If you want to describe the priests in a particular temple as wearing holy robes, but assign them armour class as though they're wearing scale mail, there's no reason not to so long as you give them an appropriate challenge rating.

aco175 · Oct 21, 2018

Most priests would not wear armor in normal duties, but depending on where they live and what they expect, they would. If the PCs are storming the castle they would put it on, otherwise they have guards in armor. You could give them ceremonial something for a few points, or like the previous poster stated, you can just assign any AC you want.

You can have some sort of temple power where the armor around the temple room can either animate and attack or teleport upon the priest.

Draegn · Oct 21, 2018

They do not need armor, for, they have their faith in their deity to shield them from harm.

"May the Gods always stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."

Quartz · Oct 21, 2018

MarkB said:
If you want to describe the priests in a particular temple as wearing holy robes, but assign them armour class as though they're wearing scale mail, there's no reason not to so long as you give them an appropriate challenge rating.

But then you get players asking how they can achieve the same thing for their PCs. I would suggest that having it as a Lair Action that all priests (and possibly acolytes) can take neutralises that. Plus it lends the possibility of the PCs Dispelling it.

DEFCON 1 · Oct 21, 2018

PCs and monsters don't get the same thing. And players shouldn't complain about it. If they do... then just ask them if they want to see all manner of monsters start using Second Wind and Action Surge, because the game deliberately doesn't give those fighter abilities out to the monsters even though a good percentage of them probably should.

In terms of your own game though for this... what I assume is meant to be an encounter... if you are looking to have the priests get higher AC because the PCs are going to attack the temple and you want the fight to be a little more difficult then some other suggestions would be:

- Make half of them "monks" rather than "priests" and thus they get higher unarmored AC anyway. Or just make all of them "monk priests" so they all get higher unarmored AC and can cast cleric spells.
- Make the temple a "holy place" for the priests where anyone inside the temple and who is devoted to the god in question is perpetually under the effects of a Shield of Faith spell.
- Keep the priests' unarmored AC as it is, and either just greatly up the number of priests so that their lower AC is offset by larger amounts of enemies... or just slow down the PCs assault of the temple such that most of them can go back to their rooms and put their armor on. If these are priests who normally wear armor, there is no reason to think that they would suddenly decide to just run up to these miscreants in their temple halls in wave after wave of cannon fodder. They'd let the PCs wander the empty halls while they do get kitted up for a real fight.

the Jester · Oct 21, 2018

MarkB said:
Also, proficiency bonuses are generally something that only player characters have. NPCs and monsters don't use them.

The rest of your post aside- yes they do. Monsters and npcs absolutely get a proficiency bonus based on their CR. It's described extensively in the charts in both the MM and DMG (cf. Monster Manual, pg 8, "Proficiency Bonus by Challenge Rating", or DMG, pg. 274, "Monster Statistics by Challenge Rating").

Satyrn · Oct 21, 2018

Quartz said:
I really don't grok the idea of priests running around in armour all day, so how about this for when PCs attack:

Lair Action
As a lair action, members of the clergy not wearing armour or carrying a shield gain a bonus to AC equal to their Proficiency bonus.

What do you think? Too powerful?

I regularly give (un)holy NPCs a similar sort of blessing to boost their stats.

To accomplish what you're looking for, I'd simply give them their AC as though they were wearing armor but describe it as the unholy power protecting the faithful.

My other thought is this: There is no such thing as too powerful when it comes to this sort of thing. Whatever gives you the AC you want the NPC to have is perfect.

Satyrn · Oct 21, 2018

the Jester said:
The rest of your post aside- yes they do. Monsters and npcs absolutely get a proficiency bonus based on their CR. It's described extensively in the charts in both the MM and DMG (cf. Monster Manual, pg 8, "Proficiency Bonus by Challenge Rating", or DMG, pg. 274, "Monster Statistics by Challenge Rating").

It's a nuisance, though, when designing or modifying monsters if you follow the guidelines. I wish they didn't have a proficiency bonus.

Quickleaf · Oct 21, 2018

Quartz said:
I really don't grok the idea of priests running around in armour all day, so how about this for when PCs attack:

Lair Action
As a lair action, members of the clergy not wearing armour or carrying a shield gain a bonus to AC equal to their Proficiency bonus.

What do you think? Too powerful?

I use lair actions for groups of monsters every now and then, so I'm onboard with the basic premise.

What you're describing is essentially shield of faith...

...with a scaling bonus instead of flat +2.
...without concentration.
...and affecting multiple targets (if I'm understanding you correctly).

That's potent, probably worth a 5th or 6th level spell. Generally, hiking AC values makes for a longer fight with more missed attacks, so it's not my preferred solution unless it really models the fiction (e.g. an ogre crashing up through a kitchen, and "donning" the oven like an improvised breastplate).

Instead, I'd ask what fiction are you trying to model? Is this some kind of a protective rite enacted by smearing blood upon the sacred stones beneath the Statues of the Three Goddesses? Maybe temporary hit points would model that better?

And it would be cool if there were hints for the players about ways they could counter this particular lair action.