D&D 5E Medium armor master: Too weak?

[Illithidbix]

I like mellored's solution.

I vaguely feel the problem is with Medium Armour in general. I kinda wonder why they bothered putting it in and didn't just stick with "light armour" vs "heavy armour"

As only a handful of classes, or really subclasses seem inclined to use it. I suppose it has relevance for classes with *some DEX* but not a focus on it.

Valor Bards, Clerics without heavy armour proficiency. Druids when they're not a bear.
Barbarians without sufficient DEX and CON to prefer Unarmored?

The Rangers I've played/played with has tended to be happier with Studded Leather for the stealth.
I suppose if you're a starting variant human Ranger/DEX focused Fighter with DEX 16 then AC: 17 Scale Mail with no stealth disadvantage is better than AC: 15 Studded Leather or AC:16 chainmail.
... Actually add the Defense fighting style (+1 AC whilst wearing armour) and a shield, and this might be THE way of getting AC:20 with the standard array and starting equipment via a Human Varient DEX focused Fighter...
I would probably still prefer Heavy Armour Mastery, Fighting style, shield + chainmail myself though.

 

[Zardnaar]

Medium armor is a bit useless and the classes that may want to use it generally suffer from MAD as they need 14 dex, a spell casting stat and a decent con if they want to wade into melee

 

[CapnZapp]

The easiest solution:

Let the feat remain weak. Nobody's forced to take it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I also think it is rather on the weak side. I would prefer +1 AC and max and dexterity +1 or str. This way your medium armor will exactly be as efficient as light or medium armor without str or dex requirement. And with +1 to your main stat it may be a real option for more protection.

 

[Horwath]

The easiest solution:

Let the feat remain weak. Nobody's forced to take it.

Problem is not going to solve itself by ignoring it.

If the feat is weak, it should be improved somehow. If it too strong reduce it a little, or improve all other.

 

[Ath'kethin]

Problem is not going to solve itself by ignoring it.

This statement is true. However, the question it seems to me is "is there actually a problem to begin with?" And it also seems that for quite a few of us the answer is "no."

If the feat isn't useful to you, don't take it. I personally couldn't ever see taking, for example, the Tavern Brawler feat - no character I can imagine ever playing would benefit from it because other feats would do more to develop them the way I want to. I don't need what the feat does, so I don't take it.

The only way this is a problem is if there is only one way to play the game and only one type of character that can be made. I hope we can all agree that this isn't the case.

 

[CapnZapp]

Problem is not going to solve itself by ignoring it.

If the feat is weak, it should be improved somehow. If it too strong reduce it a little, or improve all other.

Well, I proposed a solution. So it's not like "the problem needs to solve itself"

(That you might not like my proposed solution is another thing entirely.)

 

[CapnZapp]

This statement is true. However, the question it seems to me is "is there actually a problem to begin with?" And it also seems that for quite a few of is the answer is "no."

If the feat isn't useful to you, don't take it. I personally couldn't ever see taking, for example, the Tavern Brawler feat - no character I can imagine ever playing would benefit from it because other feats would do more to develop them the way I want to. I don't need what the feat does, so I don't take it.

The only way this is a problem is if there is only one way to play the game and only one type of character that can be made. I hope we can all agree that this isn't the case.

This.

 

[Horwath]

Well, I proposed a solution. So it's not like "the problem needs to solve itself"

(That you might not like my proposed solution is another thing entirely.)

You proposed a solution by non action. In a way that is a solution

How about,

+1 AC while wearing light and medium armor. No stealth penalty while wearing light or medium armor.

this gives same AC for light and medium armor as heavy, but do not cost any extra dex for medium armor. So you can use feat 100% with only 14 dex. And as many feat crossover their main target to other areas I included light armor in the mix, but it requires 20 dex for light armor to catch up to medium and heavy. And many users of half-plate would wear leather armor in towns and some social events so this boosts even that aspect.

 

[mellored]

Problem is not going to solve itself by ignoring it.

If the feat is weak, it should be improved somehow. If it too strong reduce it a little, or improve all other.

Yes, and no.

Yes it would be better if it was more balanced.

But you also need to consider the cost of the fix. If it's going to take 40 hours to fix a feat that's only ever so slightly off, and force everyone to change their books, and force everyone going to AL to have another rule to memorize, it's not worth while.