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

[cbwjm]

Let's be honest, no one has ever used Padded armor in the history of D&D 5e. No one.

It might as well be a blank space in the PHB. Thinking back on it, it might actually be. Maybe it's just a strange mixture of the Mandela Effect and Aurora Borealis.

Wow, I didn't even know padded armour was a thing in 5e.

 

[tetrasodium]

Let's be honest, no one has ever used Padded armor in the history of D&D 5e. No one.

It might as well be a blank space in the PHB. Thinking back on it, it might actually be. Maybe it's just a strange mixture of the Mandela Effect and Aurora Borealis.

back in 3.5 when armor dex caps were a thing there could be situations where a pc with extremely high dex was better in padded

Jump from +8 ac to +9 at 26 dex, not impossible or even all that hard for a dex build after enough levels given proper magic items.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Wow, I didn't even know padded armour was a thing in 5e.

That's because it isn't

 

[Charlaquin]

Wow, I didn't even know padded armour was a thing in 5e.

That's because it isn't

It is. It’s the same as leather armor, but gives disadvantage on stealth and costs 5 gp instead of 10.

 

[Undrave]

Yep, and that’s an intentional choice, according to Sage Advice. In D&D lore, druids use leather or hide armor, or armor made with special materials like darkwood or dragon scales. But, if a PC druid dons metal armor they’re proficient with, there’s no mechanical consequence for doing so, and nothing will break as a result. Some DMs might want to impose some sort of story or social consequences - maybe the Druid’s order will banish them if they find out or something. But mechanically? Nothing prevents it, and there’s no exploit the restriction is meant to circumvent.

It's badly explained is what it is.

They can wave 'Rulings not rules!" around as much as they want, but if you can't tell what text is even RULES in the first place that's just bad design.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It is. It’s the same as leather armor, but gives disadvantage on stealth and costs 5 gp instead of 10.

I know. I was joking, in case the wink emoji didn't make that clear.

It practically doesn't exist because it's strictly worse than Leather Armor in every way except for price, and no class's starting equipment actually gives it. They all just give Leather Armor. It might as well not exist.

 

[Charlaquin]

It's badly explained is what it is.

They can wave 'Rulings not rules!" around as much as they want, but if you can't tell what text is even RULES in the first place that's just bad design.

I don’t disagree. But with the clarification in Sage Advice I’m perfectly comfortable not putting any druid NPCs in anything higher than hide while ruling that nothing prevents a druid PC from doing so, save potential social consequences.

 

[cbwjm]

I know. I was joking, in case the wink emoji didn't make that clear.

It practically doesn't exist because it's strictly worse than Leather Armor in every way except for price, and no class's starting equipment actually gives it. They all just give Leather Armor. It might as well not exist.

I think that's why I had to look it up to see if it's real, classes start with leather which made me think that was the worst armour, but no, padded is there for everyone who wants worse armour than leather.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I don't run 5e, but the druid in my game wasn't wearing metal armor, more out of style than out of need. The druids in my game are much more politically/socially engaged than how druids are usually characterized. Urban communities aren't necessarily a bad thing--bees build hives, termites build nests, "constructing" things by taking stuff from your environment is quite natural. Overreach and causing damage that takes ages to repair, that's what makes "Cities" a problem, but kudzu is (or, rather, would be, if it existed in this world) just as bad if not worse, despite being "more natural" than blacksmithing and cities and such.

If he ever did want to wear metal armor, I'd probably make it a story as to how he got it, and how he balanced the innate "city spirit" nature of forged metal with the innate "wild spirit" nature of his powers. Could end up being pretty cool.

 

[J.Quondam]

I did actually make a character who used it once. Partly because I think gambesons are actually really cool and under-appreciated armor. But mostly because no one ever uses it and I wanted to be contrarian.

Oh! Now I want to introduce a nefarious Quilters' Guild as a major faction in my next campaign.