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

[carkl3000]

The whole armor list is pretty dumb TBH. Padded armor was quite effective and widely used, there was no such thing as "studded" leather*, leather armor was boiled leather and not particularly flexible (probably more akin to "scale" armor).

But D&D is not a historical simulation. Oh, and druids refuse to wear leather armor just like I refuse to eat lutefisk. I mean, I could eat lutefisk but I won't.

*There was brigandine which had metal plates riveted between layers of leather.

... but if eating lutefisk improved your likelihood of survival from one day to the next, would you hold your nose and choke it down?

 

[Oofta]

... but if eating lutefisk improved your likelihood of survival from one day to the next, would you hold your nose and choke it down?

Fish jello? It would have to literally be life and death. The minor AC bonus I could get when I'm either going to avoid direct melee combat or be wildshaped is not life and death.

There have been, and continue to be, many religious restrictions that people adhere to that are riskier.

As always, do what makes sense to you. I personally have no problem with the restriction.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

a druid with scale mail or half plate can make a pretty good melee tank. I think that option should be available.

I'd argue that any wildshaped druid subclass makes a better melee tank/meatshield than one who remains un-wildshaped but has maybe 1 or 2 points higher AC b/c of expensive metal armor. But, in the end, it's prolly 6 one way, half a dozen the other.

I like the idea of alternative materials.

Agreed - alternative material armor, if the druid player really wants that higher medium armor AC and also wants to adhere to the no-metal fluff, makes for a good compromise and an interesting side quest as @Radaceus said upthread.

 

[carkl3000]

Fish jello? It would have to literally be life and death.

My grandparents tried hard to convince my dad that this was the case when he was growing up. By the time I came around, the tradition was to have a nice piece of broiled cod with our Christmas Eve dinner instead.

Maybe there's an analogy there? I don't know...

The minor AC bonus I could get when I'm either going to avoid direct melee combat or be wildshaped is not life and death.

There have been, and continue to be, many religious restrictions that people adhere to that are riskier.

As always, do what makes sense to you. I personally have no problem with the restriction.

For a druid who wants high wisdom and con to tank in melee range, it's not a minor AC difference.

I don't mind the restriction either as long as a nonmetal breast plate or half plate alternative is available and if there's a compelling story element that justifies it.

 

[carkl3000]

I'd argue that any wildshaped druid subclass makes a better melee tank/meatshield than one who remains un-wildshaped but has maybe 1 or 2 points higher AC b/c of expensive metal armor. But, in the end, it's prolly 6 one way, half a dozen the other.

Totally, unless you don't want to be a bear or a dinosaur.

Agreed - alternative material armor, if the druid player really wants that higher medium armor AC and also wants to adhere to the no-metal fluff, makes for a good compromise and an interesting side quest as @Radaceus said upthread.

 

[Charlaquin]

Amusingly, the entry for 'banded mail' in Wikipedia specifically states "It has become entrenched in the popular consciousness as a result of its inclusion in the armor list for Dungeons & Dragons."

That’s probably also true of ringmail and studded leather, though Wikipedia doesn’t say it. And while leather armor was a thing, it wasn’t at all like the leather armor you see in fantasy fiction and games.

 

[Vaalingrade]

While we're at it, why don't we get rid of a few other nonsense rules:

• Monks only using thier martial arts benefits with "monk weapons"
• Rogues needing a finesse weapon to sneak attack.
• Barbarians only getting thier damage bonus to Strength-based attacks.
• Monks and barbarians can always choose the benefit of their unarmored defense, even when wearing armor (the benefits don't stack, but a their is no reason a barbarian should put on leather armor and his AC get worse.)

Basically, if you are proficinct in a weapon or armor, there is no reason your class abilities should be hindered by your gear. Ever.

I mean... yes! A thousand times yes!

Also, there were druid sects that only used non-metal armor. But the nature goddess was like 'So you don't think metal is part of nature because it's processed? Then take off those fiber clothes right the heck now', and so now all druids use metal.

 

[ECMO3]

I definitely agree that the rule is terribly worded. I think it would be clear and balanced if druids just had light armour proficiency.

Now personally I wouldn't want druids to wear metal armour flavour-wise, and if they could, they would be strongly encouraged to. It basically would become the default that they do wear breast plate or half plate and this just doesn't really fit how I see the druids. Furthermore, druids are already one of the most powerful classes, so they don't really need an AC buff.

As for padded and ring mail etc, the whole armour table is terrible. It has useless trap choice armours that have no mechanical purpose as well as weird historical misconception armours. There is mechanical need for just five different armours:

Light Armour
Leather/Padded	12+ Dex mod
Medium Armour
Chainmail	14+ dex mod (max2)
Scale/Brigandine	15+ dex mod (max2)		Disadvantage
Heavy Armour
Half Plate	17	Str 13	Disadvantage
Full Plate	18	Str 15	Disadvantage

Chainmail is heavy armor and should remain so. Halfplate is far easier to wear (and likely weighs less) so I would disagree with swapping those as you have here. Otherwise this makes a lot of sense.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Chainmail is heavy armor and should remain so. Halfplate is far easier to wear (and likely weighs less) so I would disagree with swapping those as you have here. Otherwise this makes a lot of sense.

I was thinking more of chain shirt or hauberk rather than a full suit. But yeah, the exact names of the armours really don't matter, they can be refluffed to suit the tech level being emulated.

 

[Oofta]

Totally, unless you don't want to be a bear or a dinosaur.

Why would you play a druid for any reason other than to play a dinosaur?