D&D 5E D&D needs more armors

[Drazen]

Well, dwarves and such creatures are forgers right?
It would seem to me that dwarves would strive constantly to create and experiment with new materials. Since they are forgers.
So as we continue throughout histroy in d&d worlds, creatures are bound to do more experiment and create new things. As well discover some things too
Things i would imagine being made:

• Titanium Armor
• Creating Diamond Armor (NOT minecraft)
• Crystal Armor
• Chromium Armor
• Tungsten Armor

And so one.....

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I wouldn't mind some new and interesting materials to make armor out of besides mithral and adamantine, but I like the simple list of armors in 5e. Considering the way armor is written up, there's only so much utility you can get out of adding more armors. How many more ways can you write up the cost, armor bonus, disadvantage, cost, strength requirements, and dex limits without either making something redundant, too good, or worthless?

 

[aco175]

I would still try to keep it simple. Have new materials add +1 to existing AC for that material. For example- super leather (rhino, dragon, whatever) makes AC11 leather AC12. Maybe even just keep the base AC and grant something else like elven chain or mithral.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I second the assertion that the complexity of the ruleset doesn't warrant the inclusion of additional armor types. If you try to add something new, it will most likely end up being better than or worse than or redundant to something that already exists, and thus not actually add any meaningful choices. If you want to add meaningful choices, you would need additional parameters, such as performance against different damage types.

Food for thought:

A while back, it occurred to me that D&D already basically works this way, and it would be extremely simple to adapt the Final Fantasy model of armor progression into a campaign. After all, what really is Silver armor, but Iron armor +1?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I agree with the OP. Paper armor, anyone?

 

[Stormonu]

It would be fun to see more armor materials and types show up in the game, but the current version doesn't reward it and would likely turn it into unnecessary bookkeeping and cross-referencing. I do think we actually got lucky that the designers didn't get their wish of just creating Light armor, Medium armor and Heavy armor and what it looked like was RP fluff.

If it could be done without getting obscene, I'd like to see types or tags added to armor. Like weapons have the slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, finesse & versatile tags, I'd like to see tags adopted that grant some sort of bonus (+1 AC? Damage reduction?) vs. specific types or situations. Like above, perhaps a silk-lined armor (Silk tag?) grants some protection vs. piercing, whereas Plate or Chain may actually become tags that have their own effects.

Other tags might (and should) affect the other pillars - the Noisy tag would indicate disadvantage on Stealth. A Quiet tag might grant advantage on Stealth. A Distributed tag might allow the armor to be slept in or not inflict disadvantage on Athletic checks. A Bulky tag might inflict disadvantage on Acrobatics. Roomy might give advantage on Sleight of Hand when hiding something in it. Tight the opposite. The Winter tag could give advantage on Survival checks or saves against cold damage or traveling in arctic conditions (good for Rime of the Frost Maiden, for example). It doesn't have to be supernatural, though it certainly opens up design space for supernatural tags or abilities.

 

[Blue]

D&D needs less armors. Once affordable, usage will always be contained to the best in class. I'd rather have something like 13th Age where there's just the category (and it's by class - heavy armor is better AC for a paladin than a cleric), and then the player reskins it.

Anything special can be dealt with as an item. No need to have a matrix of THIS armor type time THAT material multipled again by SOME type of magic. Just a category and then if it's special for whatever reason.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Two reasons PCs don't demand more armor:
1) armor never breaks, or loses its protective qualities.

I like the idea of ablative armor (in theory). But who really wants to track the reduction of armor value?

Also, armor isn't that expensive. So you get some at 1st, around 3-4th you have enough to upgrade; and then you are done unless you find magic armor...

But maybe some sort of ablative armor, like armor made from Cloud giant cloud or something?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

D&D needs less armors. Once affordable, usage will always be contained to the best in class.

Though that is true in 5e, that does not need to be true. Yes, in 5e once you get Studded Leather as a Rogue, there is no longer any reason to have Leather Armor, and the same thing applies to Chain Mail with Plate Armor, and Scale Mail with Half-Plate.

However, that is only due to the fact that 5e's armor system is dumbed down and simplified to the point where any choice besides the obviously optimal one is a wrong choice. If the system were to be changed to there being a type of light armor that was more expensive than Studded Leather, possibly 100 gp, which would give you an AC of 13 + your Dexterity modifier, with a maximum bonus of +4, then in certain circumstances it would be better to take Studded Leather than this hypothetical armor.

And, that's just one example they could do similar things for a variety of new light and medium armors (possibly a heavy armor that is 17 + Dex mod., maximum of +1), and other similar ways of keeping armor simple while also having the choice matter.

 

[Zardnaar]

Though that is true in 5e, that does not need to be true. Yes, in 5e once you get Studded Leather as a Rogue, there is no longer any reason to have Leather Armor, and the same thing applies to Chain Mail with Plate Armor, and Scale Mail with Half-Plate.

However, that is only due to the fact that 5e's armor system is dumbed down and simplified to the point where any choice besides the obviously optimal one is a wrong choice. If the system were to be changed to there being a type of light armor that was more expensive than Studded Leather, possibly 100 gp, which would give you an AC of 13 + your Dexterity modifier, with a maximum bonus of +4, then in certain circumstances it would be better to take Studded Leather than this hypothetical armor.

And, that's just one example they could do similar things for a variety of new light and medium armors (possibly a heavy armor that is 17 + Dex mod., maximum of +1), and other similar ways of keeping armor simple while also having the choice matter.

They just need something like 3E. A bit more variety in the armor. Heavy armor with +1 or 2 dex allowed sure why not?

Medium armor +3 dex allowed same thing.

Light armor AC 11-13, Medium 14-16, 17-19 heavy.

Modified by dex. 5E armor basically crap. I suppose you could put in +3 chainmail instead of +1 full plate but that's a high level thing because of the +3 part.