D&D 5E Armored Mages

[Dannyalcatraz]

I don't really care for the idea of armored wizards. I like the tactical depth added by a glass cannon. Yes your wiz can flambe the big-bad, but only if you can keep the enemy melee off him.

Glass Cannons ARE fun...but so are JoATMoNs (Jacks of All Trades, Masters of None).


...hmmm...Joatmon sounds vaguely namish...

 

[Melkor]

I can't remember, but other than the Dwarf mentioned, was there any way for a Wizard to actually acquire Armor Proficiency in the playtest?

I seem to recall that there was a Heavy Armor Proficiency feat, but it required the Medium Armor Proficiency prerequisite.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I don't really care for the idea of armored wizards. I like the tactical depth added by a glass cannon. Yes your wiz can flambe the big-bad, but only if you can keep the enemy melee off him.

If you think AC is what stops you being a glass cannon in D&D, I feel like you haven't played it enough!

I've seen Mages with bonkers ACs since early 2E (stacking various magic items, it's quite possible to get an AC into 2H Fighter territory or even beyond).

They were still "glass cannons". Why? HP. If you have an AC of 28, but only 36HP, say, you are still awfully likely to get downed in 1-3 hits, and not everything that does HP damage rolls to hit...

Likewise in 5E - you can get a good AC, but a couple of high-damage hits (which may ignore AC and go off saves!), and yer out!

 

[Uller]

In a 3e game we had a mage end up with such a high AC that the fiendish cloud giant she was fighting opted to grab her and sit on her rather than attack...she died before the rest of the party could free her.

 

[MoonSong]

I can't remember, but other than the Dwarf mentioned, was there any way for a Wizard to actually acquire Armor Proficiency in the playtest?

I seem to recall that there was a Heavy Armor Proficiency feat, but it required the Medium Armor Proficiency prerequisite.

Multiclass bard, you don't lose slots that way, and while you are a level slower in gaining new spells, you gain a few proficiencies out of the deal plus the ability to cast healing spells. Remember,nbards are full casters now.

 

[Schmoe]

If you think AC is what stops you being a glass cannon in D&D, I feel like you haven't played it enough!

I've seen Mages with bonkers ACs since early 2E (stacking various magic items, it's quite possible to get an AC into 2H Fighter territory or even beyond).

They were still "glass cannons". Why? HP. If you have an AC of 28, but only 36HP, say, you are still awfully likely to get downed in 1-3 hits, and not everything that does HP damage rolls to hit...

Likewise in 5E - you can get a good AC, but a couple of high-damage hits (which may ignore AC and go off saves!), and yer out!

Agreed, sort of. Aside from low-ish HP, mages are hardly glass cannons. Between Mage Armor, Shield, Blur, Levitate, Mirror Image, Fly, Improved Invisibility, etc., they often have better defenses than anyone else.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Agreed, sort of. Aside from low-ish HP, mages are hardly glass cannons. Between Mage Armor, Shield, Blur, Levitate, Mirror Image, Fly, Improved Invisibility, etc., they often have better defenses than anyone else.

That's true, but they're classic "glass cannon" defenses. Despite the name, historically, "glass cannons" have often been more like "glass ninjas", dodging away merrily or using exotic defenses to avoid being hit.

Until they are. Then SPLAT. HP matter a great deal in D&D, and Mages usually have less than half as many as tougher characters (and less ability to recover them in 4E and 5E, too).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's true, but they're classic "glass cannon" defenses. Despite the name, historically, "glass cannons" have often been more like "glass ninjas", dodging away merrily or using exotic defenses to avoid being hit.

Until they are. Then SPLAT. HP matter a great deal in D&D, and Mages usually have less than half as many as tougher characters (and less ability to recover them in 4E and 5E, too).

Years ago, I ran a martial arts-centric HERO campaign. In a Bloodsport-like contest, we had our most entertaining matchup of the game: a stereotypical blind grey-haired master vs a huge, inhumanly strong bruiser...who cheated.

The fight was pretty much as you described. The master darted and dodged, landing blow after blow, never getting tagged. The bruiser was whittled down by the master as he spouted aphorisms about how the flowing river carves mountains slowly to molehills.

But before the master could land the final blow, the cheater did. One shot. Damn near killed the master.

Best of all, both players had fun.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Glass Cannons ARE fun...but so are JoATMoNs (Jacks of All Trades, Masters of None).


...hmmm...Joatmon sounds vaguely namish...

I ran a halfling named Joat in a short-lived campaign. I'm guessing Joatmon would be his Caribbean cousin?

Edit: Clarity.

 

[Uller]

Not to mention mages can choose to ise up resources that can be used for defense on offense or even non combat purposes...do you really want to cast another fireball or do you want to save that for blink? Thatis what makes the class interesting to play. A multiclassed mage has given up a lot of his spell resources so I dont see any reason to deny him better armor any more than denying him the better weapons of his chosen class.