D&D 5E Druid Armor Restrictions

[Kobold Stew]

As a payer, I find this rule rubs me the wrong way, and so I either take a level as Dragon sorcerer, or Magic Initiate and get Mage Armor, or be a Lizardfolk and have natural armor. I think it's a terrible rule, but I like playing RAW, and so I find workarounds.

As a DM, my houserule is that Druids can use Padded, Leather, Studded Leather, and Hide (I don't worry about the studs, since metal weapons are okay), but if you have proficiency from some other source (being a mountain dwarf, a level of Fighter), then you can use metal armor no problem.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

RAW, you don't have to use the rule.


But IMO, pretty much any religious character is made more fun if there are things they won't do because it is prohibited by their religion.

A druid in one of my games won't wear any armour.

 

[LordEntrails]

You say you want to control the balance and power of the druid but then say that charging more for the druid is a tax; do you feel the druid is designed to have lower AC than a medium-armor cleric?

Different paragraphs, that means they are separate thoughts.

I control exotic armors for druids because I like the fluff and think its important.

(separate thought below)

I feel that making exotic druid armors available and just charging more than standard armors is just making druids pay a tax for metal-like armors. i.e. 'you are a druid and can wear heavy armor like the cleric, but unlike the cleric I'm going to charge you more gold when you want to buy your armor.'

 

[ad_hoc]

What's the point of med armor proficiency if you can't eventually find some?

Hide armour is medium.

That's why Druids have medium armour proficiency.

 

[S'mon]

Plate armour in most of my games tends to be hard to get even in metal; non-metallic plate seems very unlikely. But I'd be very inclined to allow scale armour of boiled leather if the player wanted it & the PC had heavy armour proficiency. Seems unlikely, I don't see many druids caring overmuch about AC.

IMCs druids can't use spells or class abilities while wearing metal armour. I guess their shields can have bits of metal in them.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Barkskin and wildshape into animal form.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Barkskin and wildshape into animal form.

Hear hear.

Also, hope that the party might distribute any rings/cloaks/ioun stones of protection to the squishier party members.

Have had a handful of players choose Druid and, granted it's a small sample size, no one has complained about armor restrictions.

 

[Satyrn]

Barkskin and wildshape into animal form.

It's weird. I'm occasionally commenting during play how my druid's AC is terrible while I'm wildshaped, and I'm regularly saying here how I don't care about my druid spellcasting.

How have I not been using barksin?

 

[BookBarbarian]

It's weird. I'm occasionally commenting during play how my druid's AC is terrible while I'm wildshaped, and I'm regularly saying here how I don't care about my druid spellcasting.

How have I not been using barksin?

If you're like my wife it's because you want to shift and attack in the same turn. I try to remind her to cast before shifting but she often forgets.

Still while Barkskin+Shift is good. Conjure Woodland Beings+shift is typically better (but a headache for the DM).

 

[Satyrn]

If you're like my wife it's because you want to shift and attack in the same turn. I try to remind her to cast before shifting but she often forgets.

Still while Barkskin+Shift is good. Conjure Woodland Beings+shift is typically better (but a headache for the DM).

I just looked at the spell, and yeah, that's the reason. I think it's also because I just don't want to bother with rolling Concentration checks.

Oh, and I try to stay in beast mode as long as possible, so I'm not even starting most significant combats in halfling form.