D&D 5E Can your Druids wear metal armor?

[Ancalagon]

even in the real world there was scale mail made not of metal:

Pangolin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I would allow a "light" version of this that wouldn't give stealth penalties but only AC 13, akin to the breastplate vs half-plate difference.

 

[Ancalagon]

Which is wild because a cloth gambeson is good armor...

the inaccurate depiction of gambesons in D&D is one of my pet peeves. A thick shirt you wear under your armor and can sleep in? Sure, that's AC 11. The version where it's full armor and not just under-armor? that's waaay better than AC 11...

 

[J.Quondam]

even in the real world there was scale mail made not of metal:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin#/media/File:prince_of_Wales_Pangolin_Armour.jpg

I would allow a "light" version of this that wouldn't give stealth penalties but only AC 13, akin to the breastplate vs half-plate difference.

And of course for vegans:

Spoiler: optional druid armor

Tips for breaking through an artichoke's armor

 

[Greg K]

When I run D&D, druids cannot wear metal armor. Not only that, the class does not grant any armor proficiency.

 

[carkl3000]

You could say the exact same thing about a Wizard. A Wizard with full plate would be more difficult to hit.

Just because it is stronger for the class doesn't mean it should be part of the class.

If you want to compare with wizard then druid should get a non-concentration armor buff and shield spell...

 

[Vaalingrade]

Not wearing metal armor is part of their covenant with the primal nature force.

Much like any restriction placed by any god or power-that-be, it doesn't have to make any logical sense. That's almost the point.

All the more reason to beat some sense into them at level 20.

 

[abirdcall]

If you want to compare with wizard then druid should get a non-concentration armor buff and shield spell...

I don't.

My point is that it is silly to say that they should get better armour because it is stronger for them to do so.

That can be applied to everything. We could also give them a d12 hit die, that'll make them tougher. We shouldn't, but we could.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Only the Circle of the Forged utilize metal in their weapons, armors and other implements in my world. However, this is less because they see nothing wrong with mining for metal and more because on one of the continents in my homebrew world, there are living constructs that look and behave, and even reproduce like the natural fauna and flora they coexist with. These Druids treat these living constructs as part of the natural world because they basically are, and as such will harvest the metal and other minerals from their bodies to use just like how normal druids harvest animal and plant material to use.

 

[carkl3000]

I don't.

... but you did...

My point is that it is silly to say that they should get better armour because it is stronger for them to do so.

That can be applied to everything. We could also give them a d12 hit die, that'll make them tougher. We shouldn't, but we could.

My point is that a wizard can use mage armor and a shield with +2 dex and have a better AC than a druid with the same stats. Then they can use a slot and a reaction to spike AC to 22.

Or they could be a bladesinger and have a 19 AC anytime they want to venture into melee range... and have the shield spell.

There is no reason from the standpoint of game balance not to give druids an option for better AC. I actually like the style of a druid not wearing metal armor, but all it is is "style" in 5e. It doesn't even rise to the level of "flavor" because it's just not explained or justified well enough in the book to become a story element.

EVEN THEN I think it's completely in bounds to give a druid character half plate made from something other than steel if they want to play a melee druid and they don't want to wear metal armor. Do you disagree with that?

 

[Remathilis]

All the more reason to beat some sense into them at level 20.

What's Mother Nature's AC?