D&D 5E Armor idea would like some feedback was inspired by Nerdarchy video on armor that was posted on YT recently. " D&D Equipment: Armor Sucks! Let's Fix I

[dave2008]

So based on this table and what you described that AP is like temp HP so on a hit the armor would take the blow first then HP except on crits ?
I posted on reddit and others have pointed out that perhaps AP would be to complicated in the vain of 5e design so perhaps just opting to

• While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from attacks is reduced by 4.
• While you are wearing medium armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from attacks is reduced by 3.

Magic armor like a +1 would bump heavy to a 5 and medium to a 4, a +2 would make heavy to a 6 and a medium to a 5 etc.....?
As for armor repair it could be more of a narrative aspect and if I remember to remind the players when they reach a town or city to have to get there armor repaired before the next outing?
Thank you for your very extensive idea though perhaps in the future.

I actually find your suggestion to be more complicated (from a certain point of view). In my suggestion armor works just like HP. In fact, you could just call them temporary hit points instead of armor points. The only additional complication is repairing. In your suggestion, every time damage is calculated I have to reduce that damage by the armor's DR value. That is a lot of extra calculations.

FYI, in our 5e game we actually do give armor a damage reduction value. An armors DR = AC-10. However, the DR is only calculated when your are "bloodied." You are bloodied when your HP = 0. So the extra calculation only comes into play when you reach 0 HP. This significantly reduces the calculation costs.

 

[Brotton Goodfellow]

Could you give me a break down for your armors and how helmets, gauntlets and such would add DR? I am very curious about that since in 5e those items essentially do nothing would be interesting to know what you did ?

So to start, I’ll make it clear that I’ve homebrewed some rules that make characters have less HP, so the DR’s will seem low if you’re using basic 5E.

Light Armour

• Clothing, AC 9 + Dex mod, common, advantage on stealth checks
• Hide/Leather, AC 10 + Dex mod, common, advantage on athletic checks
• Padded Gambeson, AC 10 + Dex mod, common, DR 1

Medium Armour
The following armour must be worn in conjunction with a padded gambeson and only covers the torso of the wearer. The DR of the padded gambeson is not added to the total of a piece of medium armour's DR.

• Chain Shirt, AC 12 + Dex mod (Max 2), DR 2, uncommon
• Brigandine, AC 13 + Dex mod (max 2), DR 2, uncommon
• Scale Mail, AC 14 + Dex mod (Max 2), DR 3, rare

Heavy Armour
These are complete suits of armour and include heavy helmets, gauntlets, and greaves, and padded gambesons.

• Chain Mail, AC 18, DR 5, Stealth and Perception Disadvantage, Strength 14, very rare
• Full plate, AC 20, DR 6, Stealth and Perception Disadvantage, Strength 16, extremely rare

Helmets, Gauntlets, Greaves, Shields, Other

Helmets

• Light: DR 1, common
• Heavy: DR 2, disadvantage on perception checks, uncommon

Gauntlets
* +1 DR, cannot cast spells requiring somatic components unless your class is proficient in heavy armour (Clerics and paladins), rare

Greaves
* +1 DR, stealth disadvantage, rare

Shields

• Round/Heater/Kite Shield: +1 AC, common
• Tower Shield: +2 AC, Strength 12, disadvantage on stealth checks, rare
• If you take a critical hit while wielding a shield, you can opt to take no damage, but the shield is destroyed in doing so.

Disposable Armour
* Boiled Leather Breastplate: Common, can only be added on top of Light Armour. Allows the wearer a one time damage reduction of 3 from a single attack before being rendered useless.

 

[Nightbeat84]

I actually find your suggestion to be more complicated (from a certain point of view). In my suggestion armor works just like HP. In fact, you could just call them temporary hit points instead of armor points. The only additional complication is repairing. In your suggestion, every time damage is calculated I have to reduce that damage by the armor's DR value. That is a lot of extra calculations.

FYI, in our 5e game we actually do give armor a damage reduction value. An armors DR = AC-10. However, the DR is only calculated when your are "bloodied." You are bloodied when your HP = 0. So the extra calculation only comes into play when you reach 0 HP. This significantly reduces the calculation costs.

I can see that re-calculating damage after every hit can possibly be complicated or to much booking in that point of view but I'm starting to think having durability might be to bothersome but just to be more of a flavor thing when the players reach a habitable area to get their stuff repaired might be good enough.

I can see having the armor be like Temp. HP could be better but then it just gives them bigger health pools which then every time I get through there AP/temp Hp there going to want to look somewhere to repair it and never really touching there Hp??

I will put my idea that I stated forward to my group if they reject it that is fine or we can try it and then reject it later on. This is my thoughts anyway I could definitely be wrong and overthinking something that could be minor.

I appreciate your comments it has given me much to think about and I enjoyed the discussion.