D&D 5E 5E, Acrobatics, and Parkour

Wrathamon · Jun 28, 2019

Yaarel said:
For Parkour, in D&D 5e, you must have extremely high Strength.

There is no other way.

As is, Rogues suck at Parkour.

Acrobatics is pointless.

Parkour = Athletics. Run, jump, climb.

Fighters do it better.

except for thief and monk

Garthanos · Jun 29, 2019

Xeviat said:
Medium and heavy armor should apply disadvantage to athletics just like stealth.

I have watched a video of a guy in plate armor outrunning a soldier in modern gear over an obstacle course. Plate armor was also easier to move in than chain. Easier to ride in than leather because the horse could carry all the weight and generally speaking a technological jump.

DND_Reborn · Jun 29, 2019

Xeviat said:
Medium and heavy armor should apply disadvantage to athletics just like stealth.

We had this rule for a while, and also to acrobatics for disadvantage.

Garthanos said:
I have watched a video of a guy in plate armor outrunning a soldier in modern gear over an obstacle course. Plate armor was also easier to move in than chain. Easier to ride in than leather because the horse could carry all the weight and generally speaking a technological jump.

However, after seeing how actual armor was made, worn, and works, we removed the disadvantage to acrobatics and athletics. Stealth makes more sense in two ways: 1) the metal armor is more difficult to move in quietly and 2) it is reflective to any light sources.

Now, with medium armors you could easily make the same arguments and some have disadvantage, but I would think more before applying disadvantage to athletics or anything else.

Garthanos · Jun 29, 2019

dnd4vr said:
However, after seeing how actual armor was made, worn, and works, we removed the disadvantage to acrobatics and athletics.

William Le Marshal was described as climbing castle walls in his 50s or 60s in plate armor... admittedly the primordial Warlord was a bit of real life superhero and that might have been slightly exaggerated.

dnd4vr said:
Now, with medium armors you could easily make the same arguments and some have disadvantage, but I would think more before applying disadvantage to athletics or anything else.

A part of me wants to encourage even what might realistically be inferior armor... so that heros have their own style. The naked chested beefcake getting a strength bonus to his light amor might be part of a berserk feat.

DND_Reborn · Jun 29, 2019

Garthanos said:
William Le Marshal was described as climbing castle walls in his 50s or 60s in plate armor... admittedly the primordial Warlord was a bit of real life superhero and that might have been slightly exaggerated.

A part of me wants to encourage even what might realistically be inferior armor... so that heros have their own style. The naked chested beefcake getting a strength bonus to his light amor might be part of a berserk feat.

I should note that if a character fails the Strength requirement for wearing an armor, the disadvantage to acrobatics and athletics applies.