Bard in Full Plate with 0% Spell Failure

[Christian]

And I translate that into: "It's pretty easy for me to imagine all dwarves in full plate, regardless of class."

Dwarves don't have heavy armor proficiency as a racial ability.

But they do have the racial ability that their move isn't reduced in medium or heavy armor, which eliminates one of the major negatives of those armor types & makes this defense option more attractive ...

 

[werk]

But they do have the racial ability that their move isn't reduced in medium or heavy armor, which eliminates one of the major negatives of those armor types & makes this defense option more attractive ...

Have you ever worn armor (football pads) and tried to play a musical instrument or dance or anything like that? Obviously, you can do what you like in your campaign, but I would DM all over that idea.

 

[IcyCool]

Have you ever worn armor

Yes.

(football pads)

No.

and tried to play a musical instrument

No.

or dance or anything like that?

Yes, and at worst, I just got tired a little bit earlier. Also, it was noisy.

Obviously, you can do what you like in your campaign, but I would DM all over that idea.

I find it funny that you use "DM" in roughly the same context as "defecate".

 

[Artoomis]

Have you ever worn armor (football pads) and tried to play a musical instrument or dance or anything like that? Obviously, you can do what you like in your campaign, but I would DM all over that idea.

Have you ever been a dwarf who can move at full speed in heavy armor? Have you ever worn mithral?

Such questions are foolish in a fantasy setting, are they not?

Besides, a bard can indeed be in full plate armor with the rules as written, though with arcane spell failure chance, of course.

I can certainly imagine someone in full plate inspiring others with a war chant or something.

The historical bard (from celtic tradition) was a non-combatant who warranted special treatment in society, for whatever that's worth.

 

[werk]

Right, right, I'm bashing a RAW-legal tactic with realism arguments. Bad werk!

Perform is not a skill limited by armor check penalties, so it doesn't affect it at all.

Plate mail for everyone!

 

[Merlion]

Right, right, I'm bashing a RAW-legal tactic with realism arguments. Bad werk!

Perform is not a skill limited by armor check penalties, so it doesn't affect it at all.

Plate mail for everyone!

I too like to keep things realistic and logical. But the big thing is the Mithril. Mithril doesnt exist in the real world, so we cant really judge.

Just like you can apply scientific logic to spells...but only to a certain degree

 

[Eluvan]

Also you're making a big assumption about what kind of character a bard apparently *has* to be. Just because the Bard picture in the PHB looks lightly built, agile, slightly foppish, and lightly armoured, doesn't mean that all Bards must conform to that. I don't see any problem with the bard class being used to represent a Skald-type character who wades into the thick of battle screaming war chants to inspire his comrades and glugs ale with the best of his fellow dwarves.

So no, I don't find it realistic for somebody in full plate armour (mithril or not) to be dancing around and playing musical instruments. But who says Bards have to do that? Aren't there other categories of the Perform skill than dance and stringed instruments?

 

[werk]

So no, I don't find it realistic for somebody in full plate armour (mithril or not) to be dancing around and playing musical instruments. But who says Bards have to do that? Aren't there other categories of the Perform skill than dance and stringed instruments?

"While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance."

I can easily see a paladin or cleric singing hymns or chanting prayers while smiting.

(For the record, my last post was not sarcastic. I do not generally like to enforce realism in my fantasy setting, and called myself out for it. It's about playing within the rules, not within history...bad werk!)

 

[tensen]

Except that's not what I said, nor what I meant. Bards are jacks-of-all-trades, and some choose to specialize in a certain area. It's very easy for me to imagine dwarven bards taking on a more martial bent.

Instrument of choice.. drums.
Weapon of choice... hammers.
Music of choice... heavy metal (clanging on the armor of the opponent all "knight" long)

 

[IndyPendant]

Note that, going strictly by RAW, if you went dwarf and took one level of fighter and the battlecaster feat, then with only minimal penalties you could have a tumbling, inspirational, mithril-full-plate-wearing, spellcasting, greataxe-swinging combat bard! ; )