Armour Focus and Specialization

[Terath Ninir]

This idea just popped up in my head today when I was flipping through my PHB. I haven't seen many feats or class abilities to improve armour, and I haven't liked the ones I've seen.

I'm aware that these feats, as presented, might be a little on the powerful side. In their defense, however, I'd say it's kind of necessary. D&D is such an offense-centered game that any defensive abilities are going to have to be pretty darn spiffy to get chosen. These are going to have to compete with improved critical and cleave; a small bonus to armour just flat out isn't going to get chosen, I think.

Armour Focus [General]
Choose one category of armour (light, medium, or heavy). You are especially good at using that type of armour.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected type of armour, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: The maximum Dexterity bonus for your armour is increased by 2. The ability check penalty is decreased by 2, to a minimum of 0. The arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 10%, to a minimum of 0%. You can also don your armour more quickly, allowing you to gain the full benefit of the armour if you don it hastily.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different category of armour.
A fighter may select Armour Focus as one of his bonus feats.

Armour Specialization [General]
Choose one category of armour (light, medium, or heavy). You gain extra protection from that type of armour.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected type of armour, Armour Focus with selected armour, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the rating of your armour. This is considered an armour bonus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different category of armour.
A fighter may select Armour Specialization as one of his bonus feats.

Greater Armour Focus [General]
Choose one category of armour (light, medium, or heavy). You are especially good at using that type of armour.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected type of armour, Armour Focus with selected armour, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit, Medium or Heavy Armour: The maximum Dexterity bonus for your armour is increased by 2. The ability check penalty is decreased by 2, to a minimum of 0. The arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 10%, to a minimum of 0%. Your armour is also treated as if it were one category lighter for all purposes, including movement. These bonuses stack with the bonuses from Armour Focus.
Benefit, Light Armour: Your armour no longer has a maximum Dexterity bonus; you gain your full Dexterity bonus to AC, no matter how high your Dexterity is. The ability check penalty is decreased by 2, to a minimum of 0. The arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 10%, to a minimum of 0%. These bonuses stack with the bonuses from Armour Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different category of armour.
A fighter may select Greater Armour Focus as one of his bonus feats.

Greater Armour Specialization [General]
Choose one category of armour (light, medium, or heavy). You gain extra protection from that type of armour.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected type of armour, Armour Focus with selected armour, Armour Specialization with selected armour, base attack bonus +12.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the rating of your armour. This is considered an armour bonus. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Armour Specialization.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a different category of armour.
A fighter may select Greater Armour Specialization as one of his bonus feats.

 

[Arkhandus]

I'm thinking the Armor Focus and Greater Armor Focus feats should only increase the Max Dex Bonus by 1 point each, and reduce the armor check penalty by 1 point each. Too strong I think compared to Weapon Focus/GWF. It also renders Mithral armor less valuable (and less worth the cost), effectively, with the current adjustments your feats give. I'd be inclined to have Greater Armor Specialization have Greater Armor Focus amongst its prerequisites. Also of note, you didn't restrict any of these to Fighters only. Not sure if that's good or bad.

 

[Kerrick]

I agree with Arkhandus - drop the ACP to +1. I'd also drop the spell failure to 5% (or maybe even move it to Greater Armor Focus) and move the don hastily thing to armor spec, because AF has too many good things. Not sure about the +2 armor bonus... I

Our group has a similar set of feats, but instead of being able to take an entire weight class (light/medium/heavy) you take AF Light, Medium, or Heavy and choose a specific armor in that group. I think doing the weight class for focus works better, and then take a specific type of armor in that class for specialization.

Also, Armor Spec and everything after it should be fighter-only - anyone could take basic Armor Focus, but only fighters should be special enough to get the extra benefits.

As a side note, there's an Armor Spec feat in PHBII - requires proficiency with the armor and BAB +12; you choose a medium or heavy armor, and if you wear MW (or magical) armor of that type, you get DR 2/-. Pretty useless, IMO - I could get myself some adamantine armor, which is automatically MW, and have the same benefits without blowing the feat.

 

[Terath Ninir]

I'm thinking the Armor Focus and Greater Armor Focus feats should only increase the Max Dex Bonus by 1 point each, and reduce the armor check penalty by 1 point each. Too strong I think compared to Weapon Focus/GWF.

I can see your point. I'm not sure it is too powerful, but you do have a good argument.

It also renders Mithral armor less valuable (and less worth the cost), effectively, with the current adjustments your feats give.

That really, really doesn't bother me. I'd be happy to see a character in one of my games wearing something other than a mithril shirt.

I'd be inclined to have Greater Armor Specialization have Greater Armor Focus amongst its prerequisites.

Ah. Cut-n-paste error there. Thanks.

Also of note, you didn't restrict any of these to Fighters only. Not sure if that's good or bad.

Frankly, I'm not sure that, even as powerful as they are, I could persuade a fighter to take them. Without the restriction, they seem like they might have a little better chance of actually being used. Of course, not a lot of other characters are going to have the spare feats to take these, anyway...

 

[Terath Ninir]

Not sure about the +2 armor bonus...

Frankly, it's no where *near* as good as +2 damage bonus, but I didn't want to knock it up to +3. I might move the don hastily to Specialization, as you suggest, to help improve it a bit. I'm still not sure that it's good enough to get anyone to take it, though. If I had the choice between +2 damage or +2 armour, I'd take +2 damage every time. But I don't want to crank it up too much, or it becomes a too-good feat...

As a side note, there's an Armor Spec feat in PHBII - requires proficiency with the armor and BAB +12; you choose a medium or heavy armor, and if you wear MW (or magical) armor of that type, you get DR 2/-. Pretty useless, IMO - I could get myself some adamantine armor, which is automatically MW, and have the same benefits without blowing the feat.

Yeah, that's not really worth a feat, especially for a 12th+ level character.

 

[Dastari]

Also, Armor Spec and everything after it should be fighter-only - anyone could take basic Armor Focus, but only fighters should be special enough to get the extra benefits.

You know, I've never understood why this is and in my campaigns I replace the Fighter level prereq for Weapon Specialization with a comparable BA pre-req. After all, even a wizard should be able to get Weapon Specialization with a weapon if he spends the time training with that weapon. The BA pre-req still means that a Fighter or other martial character will be able to get it long before a rogue or wizard but they can still get it and have the time to take it in more than one weapon if they feel so inclined.

Even official WotC seems to be coming around to my way of thinking as the Favored Soul class gains Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat with their specific deity's favored weapon.

 

[Terath Ninir]

It is an unsuccessful attempt to try to get characters to stay in the Fighter class, instead of multiclassing away. Since there are now numberous ways to get weapon specialization in other ways, I'd dump it, too. That's part of why I have BAB instead of fighter levels for prereqs on these feats.

That, and the rules for constructing feats specifically say you are *not* supposed to require specific class levels, anyway.

 

[Kerrick]

Frankly, it's no where *near* as good as +2 damage bonus, but I didn't want to knock it up to +3. I might move the don hastily to Specialization, as you suggest, to help improve it a bit. I'm still not sure that it's good enough to get anyone to take it, though.

As written, Armor Focus is *way* too good - you get +2 max Dex, -2 ACP, -10% spell failure (this is a big one for casters) AND the ability to don it hastily, all for the cost of one feat - armor proficiency - and a +1 BAB, which anyone will have by 3rd level at the absolute latest. If I were a mage, I'd seriously consider taking this feat and wearing leather armor until I could get my hands on a mithril shirt or enchant the leather, especially if I were going to multiclass into rogue or even Dex-based fighter.

BTW - do the bonuses from this feat stack with masterwork armor?

Frankly, it's no where *near* as good as +2 damage bonus, but I didn't want to knock it up to +3.

I misread this at first and wrote out a reply as to why damage bonus was better, then realized what I was doing... but I ended up agreeing with you that the +2 bonus is pretty good.

Even official WotC seems to be coming around to my way of thinking as the Favored Soul class gains Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat with their specific deity's favored weapon.

Meh. If that were the case, they wouldn't have gone all out with fighter-only feats for PHBII. It's like Cyberzombie said - it's an attempt to keep players from multiclassing out of a boring base class.

That, and the rules for constructing feats specifically say you are *not* supposed to require specific class levels, anyway.

Which, the ones Monte Cook wrote? I don't recall seeing that, but I'm not surprised. I know it's the rule for PrCs.

 

[trav_laney]

This idea just popped up in my head today when I was flipping through my PHB. I haven't seen many feats or class abilities to improve armour, and I haven't liked the ones I've seen.

We use feats very similar to these in my campaign, except they are geared towards fighters only, instead of any character with armor proficiency. So far, they have been working rather well for my gaming group, even with the "fighters only" vibe.

This is how we handle it:

Armor Focus: has same prerequisites as Weapon Focus. Choose one type of armor (such as full plate). The armor check penalty for this armor is reduced by 1, to a minimum of zero. May be taken multiple times, effects do not stack, may be selected as a Fighter Bonus Feat.

Armor Specialization: has same prerequisites as Weapon Specialization (including Fighter Level 4.) Choose one type of armor (such as full plate), of which you have taken Armor Focus for. The armor bonus for this particular armor is increased by 1. May be taken multiple times, effects do not stack, may be selected as a Fighter Bonus Feat.

Greater Armor Focus: has same prerequisites as Greater Weapon Focus (including Fighter Level 8.) Reduces the armor check penalty by 1, stacks with armor focus. May be taken multiple times, effects do not stack, may be selected as a fighter bonus feat.

Greater Armor Specialization: has same prerequisites as Greater Weapon Specialization (including Fighter Level 12.) Increases the armor bonus by 1, stacks with armor specialization. May be taken multiple times, effects do not stack, may be selected as a Fighter Bonus Feat.

Shield Focus/Greater Shield Focus: as Armor Focus, but applies to one specific shield (such as a buckler).

Shield Specialization/Greater Shield Specialization: as Armor Specialization, but applies to one specific shield (such as a buckler).

My two cents.

 

[Spatzimaus]

These feats are just way, way too strong. Part of the reason seems to be that you undervalue AC. Sure, D&D is very offense-oriented, but if you've ever played a fighter-type who stacked magical AC items to reach the 40s, you'd see a different problem. While D&D doesn't make it easy, if you CAN get your AC that high, you can become practically invulnerable to weapons.

Armor Focus: You simply won't take the Feat unless you can make use of the MaxDex boost. Therefore, it's effectively a +2AC, even before considering the ACP/ASF reductions. Alternately, a spellcaster could take this Feat in lieu of the Armored Caster-like Feats to cast in light armor, and get the ACP and Max DEX boosts for free.
Even if you cut it in half, to +1/+1/-5%, I'd worry that too many people would take it.
Armor Specialization: Even though it's arguably weaker than your Armor Focus, +2 AC is still an awful lot for a single Feat.

2 AC is worth way more than 2 damage, especially at high levels. Against a Fighter who deals ~20 per hit, they're roughly equivalent, but what about when you run into a Rogue with a 10d6 Sneak Attack? Or that spellcaster trying to land a harm (or any ray) on you? Even if the 2 AC forces the PowerAttacking fighter to drop 2 fewer points from his attack roll, that'd cancel at least 2 damage (4 if he's using a 2-handed weapon, and then there's dual-wielding...). In our Armor-as-semi-DR system, we basically equate 1 AC to 2 DR, and even there we've had to scale it up as levels increase (to 1:3 or 1:4).

Look at what happens to Plate Armor; instead of 8 AC and 1 Max DEX, you'd increase it to 12 AC and 5 MaxDEX, with only a -2 ACP and a 15% ASF. At the cost of 4 Feats, of course, but the point is that you've just turned solid plate into something as agile as Studded Leather, but with 10 higher AC.

Also, there's one fundamental difference. Weapon Specialization applies to a single weapon type, but most characters will have several weapons. (A ranged weapon and a melee weapon, at the very least, and dual-wielders either use a medium with a small, or they take two smalls and accept a 1-point drop in mainhand damage.) The end result is that there are many situations where WS won't kick in. And if you spend the round doing something other than attacking (such as casting spells, turning undead, disarming a trap, etc.) then it's wasted; maybe that's why only Fighters had access to it, but even for them it's a problem.
But how many characters do you know who keep several different armor types on hand? So these bonuses will ALWAYS apply, except in those rare cases when you catch the person naked. And AC's benefit is far more universal; you can't choose not to be attacked, after all, so you never know when it's going to be needed, and the fighter-types can be expected to need the AC in every round.

At the very least, you should change these to benefit specific armors (studded leather, chain shirt, etc.) instead of weight categories (light, medium, heavy). But I'd still cut the benefits in half.