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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Does Medium Armor Need a Buff?
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<blockquote data-quote="Xeviat" data-source="post: 6705286" data-attributes="member: 57494"><p>(This is in reference to 5E D&D; sorry for the confusion)</p><p></p><p>Hi everyone! Recent WotCommunity transplant, though I've had an account here for some time. I'm really liking it, and I hope enough of you like my constant fiddling with the rules. I like balance, I like fairness, and I love symmetry.</p><p></p><p>I recently finished a deep comb through of the PHB and listed out everything that I'd like to house rule. It's a 3 page document. As I get things together, it will probably be a blog or a series of threads here linked to a master thread. But a few stuck out at me as really simple, likely uncontroversial things to address.</p><p></p><p>My first topic is is Medium Armor. I'm not sure how to look at it. It doesn't grow like light armor or heavy armor. Let me show you what I mean.</p><p></p><p>It's safe to assume that most light armor wearers are starting with a Dex of 16 (some bards, some fighters, some rangers, all rogues; we're ignoring the dedicated spellcasters because they're in their own class). Starting with a Dex 16 starts you at AC 15 in studded leather, something that's easy enough to afford at first level. It's also safe to assume, especially since feats are "optional", that said light armor wearers will bump their Dex up at level 4 and 8 (maybe 6 for the fighter), getting them AC 16 at 4 and AC 17 at 8. Neat.</p><p></p><p>Heavy armor wearers (some clerics, most fighters, all paladins) don't have to worry about their Dex scores, and can funnel those points into another stat; possibly Constitution if they really want combat durability. This is an advantage of it's own. They will likely start with chain mail and start with an AC of 16 (barring shield use). At some point, they'll upgrade to splint for AC 17, and again to plate for AC 18.</p><p></p><p>Medium armor wearers (some barbarians, some bards, some clerics, possibly some fighters, some rangers) need to get a 14 Dex to maximize their AC; this is going to be tough for a few of them, easy for the others. Medium armor wearers have two paths of medium armor; stealth penalty or no stealth penalty. Chainshirt and a dex of 14 offers AC 15 to start; just like the light wearer. Scale mail and a dex of 14 offers AC 16 to start, just like the heavy wearer. At some point, they will upgrade to Breastplate (AC 16) or Half Plate (AC 17), and they'll stop there.</p><p></p><p>So, my issue is that medium armor, when optimized, starts at the same points as light and heavy armor, but then lacks a second upgrade. Sure, a medium armor wearer who started out at chainshirt could upgrade to breastplate and then to half plate, but that's accepting a stealth penalty and changing gears.</p><p></p><p>Looking at the classes that get medium armor, are they supposed to fall behind the other classes in AC? I don't think so, since they start out the same. What are your thoughts?</p><p></p><p>Also, I was thinking to allow characters that are proficient in Heavy Armor to switch their heavy armor proficiency for part of the medium armor mastery feat ... but then I noticed it's a double feat and not a stat-boosting half feat. Oh well.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Xeviat, post: 6705286, member: 57494"] (This is in reference to 5E D&D; sorry for the confusion) Hi everyone! Recent WotCommunity transplant, though I've had an account here for some time. I'm really liking it, and I hope enough of you like my constant fiddling with the rules. I like balance, I like fairness, and I love symmetry. I recently finished a deep comb through of the PHB and listed out everything that I'd like to house rule. It's a 3 page document. As I get things together, it will probably be a blog or a series of threads here linked to a master thread. But a few stuck out at me as really simple, likely uncontroversial things to address. My first topic is is Medium Armor. I'm not sure how to look at it. It doesn't grow like light armor or heavy armor. Let me show you what I mean. It's safe to assume that most light armor wearers are starting with a Dex of 16 (some bards, some fighters, some rangers, all rogues; we're ignoring the dedicated spellcasters because they're in their own class). Starting with a Dex 16 starts you at AC 15 in studded leather, something that's easy enough to afford at first level. It's also safe to assume, especially since feats are "optional", that said light armor wearers will bump their Dex up at level 4 and 8 (maybe 6 for the fighter), getting them AC 16 at 4 and AC 17 at 8. Neat. Heavy armor wearers (some clerics, most fighters, all paladins) don't have to worry about their Dex scores, and can funnel those points into another stat; possibly Constitution if they really want combat durability. This is an advantage of it's own. They will likely start with chain mail and start with an AC of 16 (barring shield use). At some point, they'll upgrade to splint for AC 17, and again to plate for AC 18. Medium armor wearers (some barbarians, some bards, some clerics, possibly some fighters, some rangers) need to get a 14 Dex to maximize their AC; this is going to be tough for a few of them, easy for the others. Medium armor wearers have two paths of medium armor; stealth penalty or no stealth penalty. Chainshirt and a dex of 14 offers AC 15 to start; just like the light wearer. Scale mail and a dex of 14 offers AC 16 to start, just like the heavy wearer. At some point, they will upgrade to Breastplate (AC 16) or Half Plate (AC 17), and they'll stop there. So, my issue is that medium armor, when optimized, starts at the same points as light and heavy armor, but then lacks a second upgrade. Sure, a medium armor wearer who started out at chainshirt could upgrade to breastplate and then to half plate, but that's accepting a stealth penalty and changing gears. Looking at the classes that get medium armor, are they supposed to fall behind the other classes in AC? I don't think so, since they start out the same. What are your thoughts? Also, I was thinking to allow characters that are proficient in Heavy Armor to switch their heavy armor proficiency for part of the medium armor mastery feat ... but then I noticed it's a double feat and not a stat-boosting half feat. Oh well. [/QUOTE]
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Does Medium Armor Need a Buff?
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