D&D 5E Plate Mail and hobgoblins

[Superking]

I am planning an encounter with hobgoblins and a hobgoblin warlord (Cr6). As of now the fighter and paladin of the group do not have plate mail. (They are level 5) I know that if they succeed in defeating this encounter, they will ask about the warlords plate mail and if they can use it.

Giving the paladin plate mail seems like too much of a reward, but the players come from a 3.5/PF background where they expect to strip the monsters and wear it as their own.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or advice?

 

[Tormyr]

Maybe try the "Yes, but..." approach. If the hobgoblin is roughly the same size as the paladin, then the armor is available, and it can be strapped on, but it is in poor repair and smells horrible. The paladin suffers a -2 charisma modifier while wearing it until it is repair for half the cost and a certain number of days at a blacksmith.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If the PC is the relative same size of the hobgoblin, there is no reason why they couldn't wear the plate mail, IMO

 

[SirAntoine]

The armor would probably be damaged, perhaps beyond the point of repair.

 

[Sunseeker]

Why is plate bad for the fighter? Honestly fighters are pretty squishy compared to other classes w/o plate.

 

[Dragongrief]

It depends how much you don't want them to have plate mail.

If you're okay with it, but don't want it to be free, you could:
*Count it against the adventures treasure.
*Make them pay to re-fit it. Maybe 10-20% and the corresponding amount of time (if you do this, make sure you're consistent with any fitted, non-magical gear).

If you don't want them to have access at all, you could:
*Make it visibly disturbing/ugly, and attempting to fix it would ruin the protective value.
*Rule that that the armor is destroyed in the fight (though this can lead to consistency issues).
*Give it minor magic that harms non-goblins that wear it.

Honestly though, it's not as big of a thing as it seems. Unless the character is focused on AC, it won't get insanely high. Even with a 20 AC, even beginning enemies will hit 14-25% of the time.

 

[Paraxis]

They are level 5, just let them have the plate mail.

If it adds to your enjoyment make them spend some coin at a smiths getting it sized and repaired, maybe have the smith offer to alter the look and customize it a bit. If you don't think this type of thing would add to the groups enjoyment, just let him slap it on and go, bash down a couple doors kills some things and take more stuff.

If it is a big issue have the hobgoblin wear less costly armor, half-plate gives him only 1 less AC, is medium armor so maybe more party members might be able to use it, and is valued at less than half the price of plate armor.

Have fun with the players and make it armor of vulnerability, this might make the encounter a bit easier as the hobgoblin takes extra damage.

 

[doctorhook]

I agree with [MENTION=13009]Paraxis[/MENTION]: just give them a suit of plate armor. By 5th level they should start getting their hands on some good equipment anyway, so instead of a magic sword, let them have high-end armor.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Are you worried about game balance or about verisimilitude?

1.) If you're worried about verisimilitude, then presumably you find it unaesthetic or unrealistic to have them stripping armor off dead enemies without having to re-size it first. Sounds like you want a house rule.

2.) If instead you are worried about game balance, then you could either adjust the hobgoblin warlord's stats (just give him chain mail like the other hobgoblins, or half-plate; if you want him to keep his AC 18 give him half-plate, DX 14, and the Defense fighting style so he keeps AC 18) or quit worrying and let the paladin have plate.

 

[Psikerlord#]

I am planning an encounter with hobgoblins and a hobgoblin warlord (Cr6). As of now the fighter and paladin of the group do not have plate mail. (They are level 5) I know that if they succeed in defeating this encounter, they will ask about the warlords plate mail and if they can use it.

Giving the paladin plate mail seems like too much of a reward, but the players come from a 3.5/PF background where they expect to strip the monsters and wear it as their own.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or advice?

In my game the fighter had plate by 3rd, so... I dont think its too early at all.