Do your characters wear their armor all day long?

[jasper]

yes you can sleep in armour. Just like napping after a long march in the army.
Also borrowing some else armour to prove you can't is just like dressing up in your daddy's suit. It not going to fit and only your parents think you look cute.
Just don't do jumping jacks in chain maile. Or a least wear a cup.
Now I will enforce the sleeping rules in armour.

Bathing in plate.

 

[lord irial]

Most of my players' characters wear armor only when "in the field" and then only during the day or when on watch at night. The exception being the leather-wearers, who wear armor in town as well, but still not at night, unless they're looking for trouble.

I've seen, in the SCA, armored fighters doze in armor, walk around all day in it, and even do fairly sprightly dances in it. It is hot, and uncomfortable, and armor-bites are one of the most common minor injuries in the SCA, but it is possible to do. Even the ones who do this don't do it as a regular thing, though, with few exceptions.

 

[VorpalBunny]

There's a rule under armor in the PHB (I hope I remember it correctly): You can sleep in light and medium armor without penalty. If you doze off in heavy armor, you suffer a -2 penalty (I think...) to attacks, AC, and checks the next day.

I personally think it's too lenient. I would impose a -1 penalty to medium armor and keep light as no penalty.

 

[reapersaurus]

My problem with people weaing armor all the time with no penalty is not that it's unbalancing or anything rules-wise.

I just think it's unrealistic as all hell to be going shopping and such in a town with armor on.

Unfortunately, basic, simplistic D&D almost requires the players to ignore the need for wearing armor at unrealistic times.

Random encounters and the entire adventurers lifestyle dictates that if you want to survive, you'd better have your armor on (if you wear any).

Doing mundane, city-based tasks with armor on (much less sleeping, bathing, or having sex) just destroys any sense of believability to me.

 

[sigfried]

Doing mundane, city-based tasks with armor on (much less sleeping, bathing, or having sex) just destroys any sense of believability to me.

I think it just depends on how dangerous it is to go shopping. If its a safe town with guards and people rarely get killed shopping then it makes sense to go without armor because its uncomfortable. But if thieves, cuthroats and such are common, wearing armor into the market makes all kinds of sense. We in the West live in one of the safest worlds imaginable. The D&D world is not a very safe place, being on guard is wise.

Tell the characters that its safe to go without armor, and don't make them think otherwise by getting attacked in town. Make the townsfolk not like poeple in armor and presto, characters will wear it less. Just don't penalize them for it by having them get ambushed at the market and all will be well.

I've worn SCA plate armor at a haloween dance on a few occasions. Asside from the helmet its not too much of a problem. The worst are bruises and abrasions from the straps, but that's not realy a problem compared to getting stuck with a sword.

 

[Nifft]

My players (and in other campaigns my characters) tend to go for lighter armor, so it's less of an issue. If they were to try walking around in heavy armor, it'd be an issue, but so far all heavily armored people spend most of the day riding.

Surprise fights at night are fought unarmored, except for whoever's on guard duty. She is sitting around in armor (but not wearing her helmet).

-- Nifft

 

[mmadsen]

1. Realistically, what kind of armor could you really wear for how long? Going about your business in a city? Standing at a guard post? Travelling on a road? Through wilderness?

Roman legionaries were expected to wear their armor (chain shirt, breastplate, or equivalent) all day, even while performing heavy manual labor, like setting up their fortified camp each night. They obviously wore it while on the march too -- wearing the helmet and carrying a large shield.

On the other hand, the soldiers only wore their armor under pain of death; that was the penalty for being caught out of your armor while on duty.

 

[Werewolf_26]

One party gets rid of armor when it goes to sleep/retires from adventuring for the day. They are 17th level and are not worried if something comes to eat them at night

The other groups tend to pack heavy and bring 2 sets of armor. A heavy armor to walk around in during the day and a light armor to go to sleep in, just in case they get attacked at night.


Werewolf_26
"Red Wizard needs food, badly."

 

[Hand of Evil]

My players have tavelling armor and then adventuring armor. This was a carry over from someone elses game.

I think that a professional fighter (with well made armor) would wear it all day, it would be part of their training and life, second nature for them to put it on and keep it own.

 

[Geoff Watson]

In my campaign the PCs wear armour nearly all the time (those that wear armour).
Since the heaviest armour is a mithril chain shirt, I don't see it as a problem. The wizard even has mithril pyjamas (chain shirt) that he only wears while resting in a dangerous place, and his hour/level defensive spells aren't up.

Geoff.