Confused about dragonhide plate

[Corsair]

Anyone can wear armor they are not proficient with if they feel like it.

"is made of dragonhide, rather than metal, so druids can wear it."

It specifically references the lack of metal. How can this be read in any other way than to simply point out the fact that it doesn't break the druid prohibition?

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Not saying I'm correct, but don't misuse Occam's razor in this.

I'm not using it technically, but I'm using it correctly. What the Wikipedia quote you presented leaves out in its refutation of the "common misinterpretation" is the idea of "all else being equal."

As in the simple statement here.

All else being equal between your guess and his, you are "multiplying entities" by making more assumptions.

I think that they wanted a druid to have armor they could wear without violating their oath, so they chose a suit of full plate and made it dragonhide as an example of armor intended for druids, forgetting that that druids aren't proficient in full plate to begin with.

They didn't forget. (Seriously, you think that the designers of the game remembered the religious prohibition for druids, but forgot their proficiencies?)

They simply didn't need to specify that proficiency was necessary, because there are two separate rules governing the wearing of plate armor for druids: religious oaths and proficiency. Religious oaths have to do with metal, so they're simply saying that the religious oaths won't be a problem. Proficiency is separate and there's no reason to call out that the rules continues to apply, any more than it's necessary to call out that ACP continue to apply.

I mean, seriously, if I wrote, "Your rogue can wear full plate if he really wants to," do I really need to say, "Of course, it's probably not a good idea, even if they're proficient in it"? And if I don't say that, would you really assume that I forgot about proficiencies and ACP?

 

[Dandu]

They didn't forget. (Seriously, you think that the designers of the game remembered the religious prohibition for druids, but forgot their proficiencies?)

Hold on. They forgot that Mage Armor is not an Abjuration spell when writing the Abjurant Champion and intending for it to be used with Mage Armor. They forgot that Sorcerers do not get Knowledge: Planes when writing the Fiend Blooded class for sorcerers. Would it really surprise you if they remembered the religious prohibition for druids but forgot the proficiencies?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Personally, I have always read this as being a notation that the Dragonhide Plate does not violate the Druidic prohibition against wearing metal armors. It is, IOW, a very heavy armor made entirely of beast-hide.

However, to avoid non-proficiency penalties while wearing it, the Druid must also take the appropriate feat.

 

[Corsair]

Hold on. They forgot that Mage Armor is not an Abjuration spell when writing the Abjurant Champion and intending for it to be used with Mage Armor. They forgot that Sorcerers do not get Knowledge: Planes when writing the Fiend Blooded class for sorcerers. Would it really surprise you if they remembered the religious prohibition for druids but forgot the proficiencies?

So now you are not only suggesting a reading of the rules that infers something not specifically stated, but admitting that were you to infer that, it would have been a mistake on the part of the person writing it?

So you agree with everyone who says it only refers to metal!

 

[Dandu]

So now you are not only suggesting a reading of the rules that infers something not specifically stated

Hold on. I do believe that you putting words in my mouth. You do realize that I recommend a RAW reading of the item? I simply believe the designers meant it to do something that it shouldn't.

So you agree with everyone who says it only refers to metal!

I beat you to the punch by saying so myself several posts ago. Sorry.

 

[Corsair]

Apologies, I misread what you were saying. I think we've had a couple similar conflicts in other threads, so I just assumed we would disagree again.

 

[Dandu]

Apologies, I misread what you were saying. I think we've had a couple similar conflicts in other threads, so I just assumed we would disagree again.

Incorrect.

 

[pawsplay]

Personally, I have always read this as being a notation that the Dragonhide Plate does not violate the Druidic prohibition against wearing metal armors. It is, IOW, a very heavy armor made entirely of beast-hide.

However, to avoid non-proficiency penalties while wearing it, the Druid must also take the appropriate feat.

I always figured that they first mused dragonhide could be armor, then realized druids could logically wear it, and then said, "Hey, this would be a nice bone to throw out there for fighter/druids."