D&D 5E Bracers of Defense

[Cybit]

1. No, really, it's more powerful than studded leather because it stacks with monk or barbarian or sorcerer armor bonuses, as you already know.

2. This proves my point exactly. The fighter compromised his damage to get better AC by carrying a one-hander and a shield instead of a greatsword, and the barbarian negates his advantage with an unbalanced magic item.

Would like to point out a fighter who takes defensive style as one of his two styles would get a +1 AC on top of Plate, so they could be wielding a 2H weapon and rocking 19 AC. Shield would give them 21. The idea is that a maxed out w/ Bracers Barbarian / Monk is sitting at 23 AC (20 Dex + 20 Con/Wis + 3 BoD), while a fighter has the option of getting magic armor that also helps their AC and doesn't (currently) require attunement.

As for required; level 7 party going strong with no magical items having gone through ToD so far. So far, don't seem to need any magical items.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Would like to point out a fighter who takes defensive style as one of his two styles would get a +1 AC on top of Plate, so they could be wielding a 2H weapon and rocking 19 AC. Shield would give them 21. The idea is that a maxed out w/ Bracers Barbarian / Monk is sitting at 23 AC (20 Dex + 20 Con/Wis + 3 BoD), while a fighter has the option of getting magic armor that also helps their AC and doesn't (currently) require attunement.

As for required; level 7 party going strong with no magical items having gone through ToD so far. So far, don't seem to need any magical items.

The barbarian or monk isn't even as annoying as the dragon sorcerer, who can have 16+dex AC without worrying about secondary stats or feats or additional equipment.

 

[CapnZapp]

Since this was the first google result, let me just say (from the hindsight of 2016) that the Bracers ended up being +2, not +3.

And no, just because they're not especially overpowered for most characters does not mean they aren't overpowered (if indeed they are).

Each item needs to be evaluated for the character that can use them the best. You always balance for the extreme case. Anything else simply doesn't work.

The bracers are clearly optimal for classes that use neither shields nor armor. This means monks and "cloth casters".

Also barbarians with good scores (I'm not putting them quite on par with monks, even though their abilities are practically identical, because barbarians have much better options for armor).

If you can use armor at all, even only the lightest kinds, bracers of defense are generally useless (not as in "without use" but as in "with no minmaxing benefit") to you. Rogues and Druids gain little from them - yes they can use them, but all it gets them is being able to walk around with no armor or no shield. It doesn't grant them an actual AC bonus, and that's all that counts. It doesn't matter that they CAN'T use them (it lets them use their off-hand for more offensive purposes rather than wearing a shield), only that their actual AC doesn't rise, and so they're not the case we're balancing the item for.