D&D 5E Can your Druids wear metal armor?

[Maxperson]

As sage advice states: "If you want to depart from your class’s story, your DM has the final say on how far you can go and still be considered a member of the class."

An exception fails to depart from it. The class story is metal armor is taboo. An exception retains the taboo as the class story. To depart from it you have to get rid of the taboo, which I agree with the Sage Advice on. At that point you need to talk to the DM.

 

[Oofta]

An exception fails to depart from it. The class story is metal armor is taboo. An exception retains the taboo as the class story. To depart from it you have to get rid of the taboo, which I agree with the Sage Advice on. At that point you need to talk to the DM.

Which I'm perfectly okay with. In my game I like the imagery of druids never wearing metal armor and I've never had a player with a druid question it so it's never come up. If they ever wanted something better than hide I'd work with them and we'd figure out what makes sense for the story. It may well be as simple as asking around for alternatives that could be purchased for a nominal additional fee. Nonmetallic armor has always been a thing, it doesn't need to be made of monster body parts.

D&D is not granular enough to worry about the advantages of metal armors over nonmetallic armors other than metal is probably a little easier to craft and therefore slightly cheaper IMHO. Besides, in the real world we don't have magic like mending that could make repairs that would be impossible with alternative armors.

 

[Maxperson]

Which I'm perfectly okay with. In my game I like the imagery of druids never wearing metal armor and I've never had a player with a druid question it so it's never come up. If they ever wanted something better than hide I'd work with them and we'd figure out what makes sense for the story. It may well be as simple as asking around for alternatives that could be purchased for a nominal additional fee. Nonmetallic armor has always been a thing, it doesn't need to be made of monster body parts.

D&D is not granular enough to worry about the advantages of metal armors over nonmetallic armors other than metal is probably a little easier to craft and therefore slightly cheaper IMHO. Besides, in the real world we don't have magic like mending that could make repairs that would be impossible with alternative armors.

Nothing about what I have been saying has anything to do with advantages or disadvantages of metal/non-metal armor. Nor about wanting something better than hide. Your response is a Strawman.

I'm talking about an exceptional circumstance, not wearing metal armor on a regular basis. An EXCEPTION does not alter the class story in the slightest, so it does not need the DM's permission. Nor does it, per the Sage Advice, stop the druid from being a druid. It acts like a vegetarian making a necessary exception to the no meat taboo.

 

[Oofta]

Nothing about what I have been saying has anything to do with advantages or disadvantages of metal/non-metal armor. Nor about wanting something better than hide. Your response is a Strawman.

I'm talking about an exceptional circumstance, not wearing metal armor on a regular basis. An EXCEPTION does not alter the class story in the slightest, so does not need the DM's permission. Nor does it, per the Sage Advice, stop the druid from being a druid. It acts like a vegetarian making a necessary exception to the no meat taboo.

It's up to the DM to make the call. A PC can do whatever they want, it's up to the DM to determine how to resolve the consequences.

 

[Maxperson]

It's up to the DM to make the call. A PC can do whatever they want, it's up to the DM to determine how to resolve the consequences.

Yes, but going that far above and beyond makes it look like a draconian DM power trip. If a DM ever told me that a single exception would remove my druid from being a druid, I'd thank him for his time and refuse to play in that game. It's a huge red flag that the DM is full of himself and his authoritay. Not saying you are personally, but it's a huge indicator of the possibility and I wouldn't waste my time.

 

[Oofta]

Yes, but going that far above and beyond makes it look like a draconian DM power trip. If a DM ever told me that a single exception would remove my druid from being a druid, I'd thank him for his time and refuse to play in that game. It's a huge red flag that the DM is full of himself and his authoritay. Not saying you are personally, but it's a huge indicator of the possibility and I wouldn't waste my time.

No one can be the right DM for everyone and vice versa. It's never come up and I can't imagine a scenario that I would set up that would be so dire that a druid would don metal armor.

On the other hand I do have a pretty strong no-evil policy. I have told players that what they are thinking of doing is evil and their PC would become an NPC. If that's a red flag for you that would cause you to leave the game then it is.

 

[Maxperson]

No one can be the right DM for everyone and vice versa. It's never come up and I can't imagine a scenario that I would set up that would be so dire that a druid would don metal armor.

On the other hand I do have a pretty strong no-evil policy. I have told players that what they are thinking of doing is evil and their PC would become an NPC. If that's a red flag for you that would cause you to leave the game then it is.

A no evil policy is very different. Players who don't play evil correctly are at best a disruption and ar worst destroy the campaign. I allow evil, but require the players to have their PCs to along and not betray one another. Simply banning it is understandable.

It's also understandable to have consequences for breaking the druid taboo. It's stripping away the class for single violation that is the red flag.

 

[Faolyn]

This is true but it is not an issue.

I don't see how it's not. It'd be one thing it it were a nonmagic suit of armor that you could potentially buy anywhere. But to say "oh, druids can wear this armor, they're fine!" and the armor being rare, magical, and requiring attunement?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I don't see how it's not. It'd be one thing it it were a nonmagic suit of armor that you could potentially buy anywhere. But to say "oh, druids can wear this armor, they're fine!" and the armor being rare, magical, and requiring attunement?

I mean a lot of classes in the game cannot wear it at all! (Unless they burn feats to gain medium armour proficiency.)

If you don't start with the assumption that druids are entitled to all medium armour (because they aren't') then it is just an optional extra you could potentially gain.

 

[Maxperson]

I mean a lot of classes in the game cannot wear it at all! (Unless they burn feats to gain medium armour proficiency.)

That's a bit deceptive. Most of those classes have unarmored defense and the rest have access mage armor.

If you don't start with the assumption that druids are entitled to all medium armour (because they aren't') then it is just an optional extra you could potentially gain.

It's not an assumption. The PHB gives them unrestricted medium armor proficiency. They are proficient in all medium armor by RAW.