Armor simplicity

[Thanee]

Most armor types are pointless in D&D, there are a select few, which are good, the rest is inferior.

Why not just reduce the armor choices to four:

Unimpeding* (stats as leather armor)
Light (stats as chain shirt)
Medium (stats as breastplate, but +1 AC)
Heavy (stats as full plate)

* needs no armor proficiency to wear

Then, you can just say your armor is a studded leather armor, hide armor, splint mail, banded mail, or whatever, and it uses the category most appropriate for its type.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bront]

The mechanical differences in the medium an heavy armors is mostly cost (Splint is 100, Breast Plate is 250 I believe for example, same difference for Banded over Full Plate), though that's not an issue after 3rd level for most characters.

My only realy complaint about that system would be that you're missing Leather, which is important for it's lack of an ACP, and Hide, which is inferior but natural medium armor for druids.

Interesting thought though.

 

[Croesus]

I like it. As for ACP, is it worth the additional complexity of having several specific armors just to add/subtract an extra 5% of ACP? One standard value for each class of armor would work nicely, IMO.

Now if someone would just do the same thing with weapons - why we need dozens of weapons, which differ in minor ways, is beyond me. Try this for melee weapons:

Size: Light, Medium, Heavy (Heavy is always 2H)
Type: Slashing, Piercing, Bludgeoning
Damage: Light = 1d4, Medium = 1d8, Heavy = 1d12
Crit: Light = 18-20/x2, Medium = 19-20/x2, Heavy = 20/x3

In this system, a long sword, broad sword, cutlass, scimitar, etc. are all medium slashing weapons. A whole lot simpler all the way around.

 

[Bront]

What about trip, disarm, finessable, and reach weapons?

Nah, weapons need to be a little unique, and I feel they're more balanced against each other. A battleaxe and longsword are mechanicly different, but neither is realy inferior. Same with a few other weapons.

 

[Nifft]

IMHO, Light should contain two: Leather and Chain Shirt.

The other categories are perfect, and are implicitly what I do for my campaign, without really thinking about it. Making it explicit is a great idea.

Thanks, -- N

 

[wolfpunk]

Perhaps two more categories would help.

Unarmored (which would be for casters, rogues, and monks, perhaps a +1 AC no ASF or ACP).

Natural (any sort of hide, bone, or pelt armor)

Light
Medium
Heavy

 

[Thanee]

Yeah, I guess light should get another one without any ACP.

Ironically, I think this would greatly increase armor diversity as opposed to the standard system.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

My only realy complaint about that system would be that you're missing Leather, which is important for it's lack of an ACP, and Hide, which is inferior but natural medium armor for druids.

Added 'leather armor'. Hide armor would be covered by either the Light or the Medium category. Yes, this means you get better stats on your Hide armor. Not that this really hurts.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Funeris]

So, what's the price for each of these types of armor?

~Fune

 

[Thanee]

Same as the specific armor mentioned for each type.

Bye
Thanee