D&D 5E helmets?

[Saeviomagy]

We are playing a game where armor doesn't penalize your ability to jump, swim or pick pockets. Why worry about helmets?

Personally if I had something like a trap that specifically hit a character in the head, and they pointed out that they were wearing a helmet, I might give them advantage on the save, or disadvantage to the attack roll. Outside of that, no, nothing.

 

[GMMichael]

Do you change the unarmed attack rule to account for a character wearing, or not wearing, heavy gauntlets? Tool proficiencies? If a character takes off their gauntlets to disarm a trap, what effect does that have on their AC when attacked? Does a shoulder pauldron give you some bonus when shoving someone? Do heavy boots affect climbing speed?

These are not necessarily bad rules, mind you. Just not rules that suit the relatively simple combat engine inside D&D.

Well said. It doesn't matter if someone's wearing a helmet in D&D; the rules don't support specific armor pieces.

That being said, if my player tells me that he's going into combat WITHOUT a helmet, his opponents would have an awful lucky streak of damage rolls...

 

[abe ray]

What sorts of magical helmets have you done fine people made anyway?


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[plisnithus8]

Since this thread started, we came up with the Golden Helmet of Bambino.
It's a great helm with a visor for plate armor (handed down to by the player's uncle Bambino).
It grants a +1 non-magical bonus but gives disadvantage to Perception checks of seeing/hearing (so take it off when not in combat) and a -1 to any attack rolls because the eye-slit is so small.

 

[RMcCall]

Here's a random idea: a character not wearing a helmet gets a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Performance checks, but can be dealt a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

 

[plisnithus8]

Here's a random idea: a character not wearing a helmet gets a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Performance checks, but can be dealt a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

What's a Diplomacy check?

 

[Hriston]

What's a Diplomacy check?

A CHA check to which skill in Persuasion applies.

 

[Kalshane]

Since this thread started, we came up with the Golden Helmet of Bambino.
It's a great helm with a visor for plate armor (handed down to by the player's uncle Bambino).
It grants a +1 non-magical bonus but gives disadvantage to Perception checks of seeing/hearing (so take it off when not in combat) and a -1 to any attack rolls because the eye-slit is so small.

With that name I was expecting something that granted a bonus while using clubs and the ability to "call shot" a critical once per long rest.

 

[plisnithus8]

With that name I was expecting something that granted a bonus while using clubs and the ability to "call shot" a critical once per long rest.

Oh, that would be the club Uncle Bambino gave to the his nephew whom he calls Snickers.

The helm was modeled after Don Quixote's Golden Helmet of Mambrino.

 

[RMcCall]

A CHA check to which skill in Persuasion applies.

Sorry, I'm still getting used to 5th edition parlance! I started with 4th edition.

So it would be Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Performance) checks.