ArmoredSaint
First Post
So with the confirmation in a recent Rule-of-Three article that humans will receive some pretty hefty bonuses to starting ability scores, I have become convinced that low-level Rogues, etc. with an 18 Dexterity will be fairly common.
This means that even low-level Dex-based characters will be able to achieve the same Armor Class as a Fighter in plate armour (i.e. 17) by spending only a measly 25gp to purchase studded leather.
Since the Fighter will almost certainly not have plate available to him in the beginning, this means that that Rogue's AC will very easily be much greater than that of a low-level Fighter. Even a Dex 14 Rogue will have an AC equal to that of the starting Fighter in chainmail.
This is unsatisfactory.
The Legends & Lore Fighter Design Goals article led me to believe that the Fighter would have a "high AC" (which is promised in the same paragraph in which it is noted that the Fighter would have access to the heaviest armour, leading me to believe that heavy armour would afford the best AC). I don't consider the mail-clad beginning Fighter's AC to be very high, especially when this is easily eclipsed by the Rogue for minimal effort.
Many--heck, maybe most--players have issues that will "make-or-break" this new edition of the game for them; well, this is mine. I want to see heavy armour represented as being effective. I feel that it got shortchanged in the past two editions; it was all too easy and disgustingly common for characters in little to no armour to have ACs that surpassed those of the heavy armour-wearers.
If heavy armour doesn't work as I feel that it should, I will not feel that my favorite fantasy archetype of the Knight in Shining Armour is adequately supported. I don't want to be forced to play a lightly-armoured Swashbuckler-type in order to be effective and have a high expectation of survival.
Please, WotC, do something about the armour. I don't even care what it is--I'll shut up and be happy with a +1 AC boost to all heavy armour, or with it granting a modest amount of DR, or even a well-developed feat tree/chain to do both or either of those things that is open only to classes that use heavy armour.
This means that even low-level Dex-based characters will be able to achieve the same Armor Class as a Fighter in plate armour (i.e. 17) by spending only a measly 25gp to purchase studded leather.
Since the Fighter will almost certainly not have plate available to him in the beginning, this means that that Rogue's AC will very easily be much greater than that of a low-level Fighter. Even a Dex 14 Rogue will have an AC equal to that of the starting Fighter in chainmail.
This is unsatisfactory.
The Legends & Lore Fighter Design Goals article led me to believe that the Fighter would have a "high AC" (which is promised in the same paragraph in which it is noted that the Fighter would have access to the heaviest armour, leading me to believe that heavy armour would afford the best AC). I don't consider the mail-clad beginning Fighter's AC to be very high, especially when this is easily eclipsed by the Rogue for minimal effort.
Many--heck, maybe most--players have issues that will "make-or-break" this new edition of the game for them; well, this is mine. I want to see heavy armour represented as being effective. I feel that it got shortchanged in the past two editions; it was all too easy and disgustingly common for characters in little to no armour to have ACs that surpassed those of the heavy armour-wearers.
If heavy armour doesn't work as I feel that it should, I will not feel that my favorite fantasy archetype of the Knight in Shining Armour is adequately supported. I don't want to be forced to play a lightly-armoured Swashbuckler-type in order to be effective and have a high expectation of survival.
Please, WotC, do something about the armour. I don't even care what it is--I'll shut up and be happy with a +1 AC boost to all heavy armour, or with it granting a modest amount of DR, or even a well-developed feat tree/chain to do both or either of those things that is open only to classes that use heavy armour.
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