Level Up (A5E) Removing medium armor and adding strength to all armors as minimum ratings.

[Horwath]

This is simple mechanical suggestion that removes medium armor(it is just an unwanted b'stard child of light and heavy armor) and adds strength for ALL armors.

Armor name and flavor does not matter. You can name it and design it as you want.

Light armor:
AC = 10 + min STR mod + DEX mod
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.

Heavy armor:
AC = 14 + min STR mod.
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.


now you can have 5 light armors. from +1 to +5 bonus(12-20 min STR) and 7 heavy armors from +3 to +9 bonus(8-20 min STR).

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The concept that armor name and flavor are irrelevant runs contrary to the idea of an advanced rulebook that has more detailed content. If anything, I expect this book to present multiple medium armors with (AC = 16+ Dex mod, max 18) in various flavors of cost, weight, and stealth penalty.

 

[Horwath]

The concept that armor name and flavor are irrelevant runs contrary to the idea of an advanced rulebook that has more detailed content. If anything, I expect this book to present multiple medium armors with (AC = 16+ Dex mod, max 18) in various flavors of cost, weight, and stealth penalty.

it's irrelevant for math and balance.
You can flavor it as you like.

I.E.

heavy plate, min str 20, AC 19, stealth penalty
padded armor, min str 12, AC 11+dex

 

[Micah Sweet]

it's irrelevant for math and balance.
You can flavor it as you like.

I.E.

heavy plate, min str 20, AC 19, stealth penalty
padded armor, min str 12, AC 11+dex

What place would a system like this have in an advanced version of 5e with more crunch?

 

[Horwath]

What place would a system like this have in an advanced version of 5e with more crunch?

more focus and utility in strength score

 

[Micah Sweet]

more focus and utility in strength score

That sounds like a different game to me. There are ways to increase the value of Strength without ripping out options that people like to choose from. Many people don't want generic choices they can reflavor. It's one of the issues I had with 4th ed. You could devalue DeX based AC by added to DR to heavy armor, or simply increase AC for heavy armor across the board by +1.

 

[tetrasodium]

This is simple mechanical suggestion that removes medium armor(it is just an unwanted b'stard child of light and heavy armor) and adds strength for ALL armors.

Armor name and flavor does not matter. You can name it and design it as you want.

Light armor:
AC = 10 + min STR mod + DEX mod
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.

Heavy armor:
AC = 14 + min STR mod.
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.


now you can have 5 light armors. from +1 to +5 bonus(12-20 min STR) and 7 heavy armors from +3 to +9 bonus(8-20 min STR).

This might be good change. I know that one of the goals is to make gear more "mechanically distinctive" as @Micah Sweet & others note, but medium armor really makes a mess of things by being a bastard redhead that's not really either. Heavy armor can't be too different from light armor on mechanical levels because medium armor needs to be a little of both. Take starfinder's armor as an example where they only have light & heavy armor. Armor has level, price, EAC*, KAC**, Max dex, ACP, speed adjustment, upgrade slot(s)+, & bulk(weight)

*energy AC, think AC for spells & certain weapons that generally all deal elemental damage, this or something similar should be in place. We get it that touch ac had problems, but it added meaningful flavor & allowed a rock paper scissors trio of defense rather than AC & saves alone.

**Kinetic AC: Basically AC vrs physical attacks

Yes it's themed for a strange mix of magic & science fiction side by side but it's not like there couldn't be something like it skinned to fit eberron's wide magic, faerun/sigil's high magic, & dark sun's lost/forgotten/restricted magic.

I've never seen players plot scheme & discuss armor choices or wow at another's choice when it comes up during play in d&d like I frequently saw in starfinder. Technically there is also powered armor, but that's a whole different ball of wax & probably not really relevant.

 

[ThatGuySteve]

This is simple mechanical suggestion that removes medium armor(it is just an unwanted b'stard child of light and heavy armor) and adds strength for ALL armors.

Armor name and flavor does not matter. You can name it and design it as you want.

Light armor:
AC = 10 + min STR mod + DEX mod
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.

Heavy armor:
AC = 14 + min STR mod.
-10 ft speed and disadvantage on dex based attacks if not enough STR for armor.


now you can have 5 light armors. from +1 to +5 bonus(12-20 min STR) and 7 heavy armors from +3 to +9 bonus(8-20 min STR).

It feels weird that an average strengthed person couldn't wear the most basic light armour without penalty. I don't think wearing a leather coat should drop your speed by a third.

Do you need a light armour that's only for characters with 20 strength? What does that even look like? Is it like, if you have 20 STR you treat a breastplate as light, otherwise it is heavy?

Medium armour has a place for characters who are not heavily invested in either STR or Dex, and is a useful distinction for handing out proficiencies.

 

[Minigiant]

Nah. Simpler is not always better.
If anything we should add more medium armors.
Furs, Banded, "gladiator armor"

The survey stats people want more not less.

 

[Horwath]

It feels weird that an average strengthed person couldn't wear the most basic light armour without penalty. I don't think wearing a leather coat should drop your speed by a third.

Do you need a light armour that's only for characters with 20 strength? What does that even look like? Is it like, if you have 20 STR you treat a breastplate as light, otherwise it is heavy?

Medium armour has a place for characters who are not heavily invested in either STR or Dex, and is a useful distinction for handing out proficiencies.

Ok, maybe light armor could start with 10 str and go to 18 max.
But, the point was to reward investment into strength.

and 20 STR light armor could be thick plate armor, just not on any joints. Cannot be penetrated but still leaves gaps in it.
Connecting plates and mail is what gives stealth penalty and limit on mobility.