D&D (2024) Druid metal armor restriction gone?

[TaranTheWanderer]

This is not a restriction on the PC though, it's a restriction on the GM. "metal armor" is not defined but even under the loosest interpretation it's pretty much padded leather & hide. That's fine if we are talking about a class that can call dex it's primary or even secondary attribute, but we are not. At best dex is going to be tertiary behind wis & con.

+1 AC for "not wearing metal armor" is a class feature worth between 15 & 40gp depending on if the player settles on leather or hide armor. That right there is a class feature with no purpose other than to troll the player & as a result puts pressure on the GM when the player justifiably angles for "nonmetal" breastplate half plate or even plate for a base unmodified 18-19+shield AC. Problems don't stop there though because 5e does not have the mechanical hooks to differentiate that +1 from a +1 on the armor a +1 on the shield a +1 on a spell a +1 on an item like a ring/cloak of protection... etc.

The whole metal armor thing is a leftover victim of 5e's quest to simplify at any cost getting rid of bonus types that made it important due to barkskin giving a natural armor bonus as opposed to the armor shield enhancement & luck or deflection bonus granted by those other things. The very significant natural armor bonus stacked with all of those even if the other elements conflicted in nonstacking ways & as a result the nonmetal limitation was not simply trolling the player like this would be.

You just repeated everything I said

 

[Neonchameleon]

In 1e AD&D, the scimitar stats also represented sickle-swords like the falcata (used by Iberian tribes, maybe introduced by the Celts), falx, and sica (both used by the Dacians).

And yet the guisarme was different to the glaive-guisarme was different to the voluge-guisarme.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Ehh... it added nothing significant to the game and druids could normally justify e.g. scale armour anyway. And 5e armours are IMO bad because they homogenise the non-dex characters (other than fighters, paladins, and some clerics) on Dex 14 making them that much more cookie cutter.

 

[Divine2021]

Good thing vanilla is my favorite ice cream flavor, otherwise I’d think this new edition is a wee bit bland.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Good thing vanilla is my favorite ice cream flavor, otherwise I’d think this new edition is a wee bit bland.

Druids not having a really stupid restriction was the line in the sand for the edition with bounded accuracy to make sure you can fight normal wolves for 20 levels?

 

[Li Shenron]

It doesn't seem to be in the playtest.

Wait until they release the books. It also wasn't in the original 5e playtest from 2012 to 2014, they added it in without ever asking feedback publicly.

 

[Horwath]

Wait until they release the books. It also wasn't in the original 5e playtest from 2012 to 2014, they added it in without ever asking feedback publicly.

one of then dumbest "flavor" mechanics.

source in 3.5e of hordes of druids of Mielikki(she allows her druids to wear metal armor).
or just hunt for dragon hide, duskwood breastplate, living armor or similar workarounds.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't want the metal restriction removed--I want more (and better) non-metal options for armor.

I don't mind the metal restriction for druids. It has been a part of that character class for decades, and I feel it really contributes to the lore and overall vibe of the class. Without it, the druid loses a bit of its distinction between cleric and ranger (and let's be honest: there's not a whole lot of distinction to begin with). But I can understand where players might be coming from: the druid class suffers the most in regard to armor options. The restriction isn't explained well, the penalties are undefined, and the class is written such that it does need armor but all options for it are uninspiring (at best). Hide armor + shield is pretty much the upper-limit for druids, and that's...kinda mediocre, isn't it?

It's never actually been a true restriction. For multiple editions it just stopped their magical abilities and for 5e it was just a taboo choice they made. At this point it looks like they're getting rid of even that little bit.

For my game the taboo will remain, as will the loss of magical abilities if a druid chooses to wear metal armor.

 

[mellored]

It's never actually been a true restriction. For multiple editions it just stopped their magical abilities and for 5e it was just a taboo choice they made. At this point it looks like they're getting rid of even that little bit.

And for multiple editions "ironwood is as strong, heavy, and resistant to fire as steel" or some other equivalent.

So besides a few niche spells like Heat Metal, it was functional the same as any other armor.

 

[Maxperson]

And for multiple editions "ironwood is as strong, heavy, and resistant to fire as steel" or some other equivalent.

So besides a few niche spells like Heat Metal, it was functional the same as any other armor.

Yeah.