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

[Maxperson]

Note, a wooden shield is mechanically identical to a metal shield. Note, a metal staff is mechanically identical to a wooden staff. A stone maul is mechanically identical to a steel maul. So, why would half-plate made out of bone or shell be different than half-plate made out of metal? You say it doesn't exist though, and that creating it is an unfair buff for druids, but again, the designers specifically left that door opened and highlighted, and they aren't stupid enough to have not seen that.

It isn't a buff for the class at all. 19=19.

 

[carkl3000]

That certainly would have been a good idea!

Or they intentionally didn't.

 

[Chaosmancer]

My position has always been that they do not exist under RAW except as magical items. And sure GM might add them. Or not. The game definitely needs to be designed based on the actual rules though, not on someone's houserules.


Perhaps it did. And that's why druid limitation is written as prohibiting certain things rather than listing things that is allowed. (Like you suggested it should have.) Then it is easier to add things later. But they never did. In any case, they must have been aware that under the rules they wrote, druid will generally will end up with a lower AC than, say clerics. And they must have taken (or at least should have taken) that into account while designing the rest of the class. Now it is another matter whether D&D is so tightly balanced game to begin with , that such minute difference is meaningful. Arguably not.

Nevertheless, the game was written with a limit on druid armours, you're not entitled to have half-plate on your druid. Having that would be a nice optional extra, and if you don't get it you have not unfairly been deprived of anything.

So, because they never wrote "Bone Half-plate has the same stats as half-plate" even though the material an item is made out of never changes its stats... you don't think that druids were meant to wear half-plate.

I'm honestly shocked. I never thought your position could get more untenable, but here we are. This is utter nonsense. Giving Druids medium armor is not a buff, it is exactly what they are allowed to have. Do I wish WoTC had used some ink to specifically say that alternative armors were a thing? Sure, obviously since I guess people needed to be given explicit permission for it to be a thing, but I do not believe that the designers were so blind to 40 years of history that they just decided people wouldn't do what they have always done.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

So, because they never wrote "Bone Half-plate has the same stats as half-plate" even though the material an item is made out of never changes its stats... you don't think that druids were meant to wear half-plate.

Yes, of course I think that! I actually think the rules are meant to do what they say that they do and not something completely different!

I'm honestly shocked. I never thought your position could get more untenable, but here we are. This is utter nonsense. Giving Druids medium armor is not a buff, it is exactly what they are allowed to have. Do I wish WoTC had used some ink to specifically say that alternative armors were a thing? Sure, obviously since I guess people needed to be given explicit permission for it to be a thing, but I do not believe that the designers were so blind to 40 years of history that they just decided people wouldn't do what they have always done.

Yes, my 'untenable' position is that the designers of the game actually intentionally put the material restriction there, intentionally listed materials for the armours in the game and understood what it meant.

Now you can of course change any of this, but what they intended to be in the game is in the print, you can read it with your own eyes.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes, of course I think that! I actually think the rules are meant to do what they say that they do and not something completely different!

And despite 19=19, you think that 19(light armor) is somehow worse than 19(half plate)?

Yes, my 'untenable' position is that the designers of the game actually intentionally put the material restriction there, intentionally listed materials for the armours in the game and understood what it meant.

No. Your untenable position is that you are arguing that 19 =/= 19.

The absolute fact is that math is true and 19 does in fact equal 19, so druids are in fact balanced for half plate, even with the taboo in place.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

And despite 19=19, you think that 19(light armor) is somehow worse than 19(half plate)?

It it is due the way you got there. You put 20 in dex as a druid. That makes significantly worse at something else. Probably at casting, which would be a huge deal, or at least at constitution, which still is relevant.

Or if you don't think that having access to medium armour isn't any better than having access to light armour, why you think it costs a feat to gain medium armour proficiency?

 

[Maxperson]

It it is due the way you got there. You put 20 in dex as a druid. That makes significantly worse at something else. Probably at casting, which would be a huge deal, or at least at constitution, which still is relevant.

The default is to roll stats. Chances are very good that you will have two good stats to place. Since dex is THE god stat, it makes you better if you have a high dex and high wisdom as a druid. You're gaining, not losing.

If you CHOOSE to use alternative stat generation methods, then the downside is one you created for your personal table and is not applicable in a discussion about the class in general, like the one we are participating in.

Or if you don't think that having access to medium armour isn't any better than having access to light armour, why you think it costs a feat to gain medium armour proficiency?

The same reason it requires a feat to get light armor proficiency. It simply a feat to learn an armor category that you are not proficient with.

There are a number of reasons you might want to learn medium armor if you already have light armor proficiency, including 1) you found cool magic armor, 2) it's a family heirloom, 3) your dex isn't high, 4) it fits your character concept, 5+) lots of other reasons.

It doesn't cost a feat because it's somehow inherently better than light armor proficiency.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Yes, of course I think that! I actually think the rules are meant to do what they say that they do and not something completely different!

And you think that the rules that say you can mean half-plate mean that you can't wear half-plate?

Yes, my 'untenable' position is that the designers of the game actually intentionally put the material restriction there, intentionally listed materials for the armours in the game and understood what it meant.

Now you can of course change any of this, but what they intended to be in the game is in the print, you can read it with your own eyes.

Right, no armor made of metal. That's what it means. If they meant no half-plate, they would have said no half-plate. Maybe by restricting them to light armor and hide. Since they didn't do that, obviously they expected Druids to be able to wear Half plate.

Maul made of stone = Maul made of metal
Dagger made of volcanic glass = Dagger made of metal
Shield made of wood = Shield made of Metal
staff made of wood = staff made of metal

The stats for items don't change based on what material they are made of.

 

[Tonybro001]

I believe that would be an improvised weapon or a weapon made of privative /fragile materials.

Improvised weapons I see more like the chair leg or the bottle. I’ve seen some pretty robust looking primitive weapons in museums that I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

And you think that the rules that say you can mean half-plate mean that you can't wear half-plate?

Rules don't say that. Half plate is metal armour and rules say druids don't wear that.

Right, no armor made of metal. That's what it means. If they meant no half-plate, they would have said no half-plate. Maybe by restricting them to light armor and hide. Since they didn't do that, obviously they expected Druids to be able to wear Half plate.

And if they didn't mean half plate to be metal armour, they wouldn't have written it is metal.

Seriously, just stop. You think they just put rules that the don't intend to do anything in the game, I don't.