Armor Specialization (Plate)

[Lord Pendragon]

Is there an identifiable reason why this is the only Armor Specialization without an additional bonus other than +1 to AC? Each of the others either lowers the armor check or speed penalty, along with the +1...?

 

[hong]

They probably figure that if you're in plate, you value AC more than anything else, so +1 to that should keep you happy.

 

[Solodan]

That's the price of being focused on AC.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Man, people who wear plate are never satisfied .

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Oi. Sometimes you get useful responses, sometimes not I guess.

Would folks consider it unbalancing to add the speed penalty reduction from scale to Armor Specialization (Plate)? They're both heavy armors, so this doesn't seem out of line...

 

[Larrin]

If you feel you must add something, reduce the check penalty by one. Plate Mail is supposed to be cumbersome even at its best, so making it faster than chain mail isn't really in-line with its purpose.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Yeah, reducing the ACP shouldn't break it.

Brad

 

[Garthanos]

If you feel you must add something, reduce the check penalty by one. Plate Mail is supposed to be cumbersome even at its best, so making it faster than chain mail isn't really in-line with its purpose.

Different interpretations of cumbersome... reducing agility or reducing speed...
Actual historic plate was easier to wear than chain... it just plain hung better its weight easier to handle...its was all around considered better, historic people were known to leap on the back of horses while wearing it so I would say do whatever suits your sense of game balance. The stuff is not currently "realistic" and what amounts to legends in real life of very mobile knights are quite definite.

 

[KarinsDad]

Would folks consider it unbalancing to add the speed penalty reduction from scale to Armor Specialization (Plate)? They're both heavy armors, so this doesn't seem out of line...

Yes.

It's called getting your cake and eating it too.

AS Scale does have more of a benefit, but it also has a greater prerequisite as well. 15 Dex for a PC that does not need Dex or Int is a serious ability score drain.

So, if one gives the speed penalty reduction to the Plate user, nobody would ever take Scale. Instead, they would take Plate and AS Plate, regardless of whether they need an extra feat to gain Plate.

There is a game balance as written there.


I also think that the super tank is supposed to be less mobile as part of the concept.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

AS Scale does have more of a benefit, but it also has a greater prerequisite as well. 15 Dex for a PC that does not need Dex or Int is a serious ability score drain.

I'm still far from rules mastery, so forgive me if there's an obvious rebuttal to my thinking here but...with the way hit points work, while Con may be better, Dex seems to be less onerous than you insist, considering that with Dex or Int you also increase your Reflex Save.

if one gives the speed penalty reduction to the Plate user, nobody would ever take Scale. Instead, they would take Plate and AS Plate, regardless of whether they need an extra feat to gain Plate.

Shouldn't an extra feat garner an extra benefit? I don't see the reason why spending an extra feat for plate garnering more benefit is a negative?

I also think that the super tank is supposed to be less mobile as part of the concept.

Interesting. You are suggesting that the feat is written to be clearly less powerful than all the other feats of its kind, because "tanks aren't supposed to move fast"?