Hide Armor Expertise + Warden

[renau1g]

Question regarding HAE that a player asked me about since the update yesterday.

If a warden was to take this feat would they get the +2 bonus to AC from it?

The new HAE says you get +2 bonus to AC instead of using your Int or Dex mod

Earthstrength says you use your Con to determine AC instead of Int or Dex mod.

Just curious others thoughts on it as I am leaning heavily towards it not interacting with Warden, otherwise their AC would get crazy!

 

[Flipguarder]

I would say use an analogy

You ask someone

"Hey do you want an apple instead of an orange?"

Someone else says

"hey do you want a banana instead of an orange?"

Its worded as assuming you are trading one for another. Obviously you don't have two things to trade.

I would say its pretty clearly one or the other.

 

[BobTheNob]

I think they may have printed before the wording was ready. I would think the intention of the feat is that Hide armor can mechanically work like "light chain" for hide wearers with no stat bonus. i.e. Gives you a flat +5 without speed penalty

The thing they havent thought out with this feat is what happens with masterwork? Heavy masterwork armor scales alot harder than light to compensate for no stat scaling...so what happens to hide in this situation?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Barbarian agility takes ca of it for a barbarian. And second skin closes the gap at epic. For other characters this is a subpar choice compared to chain. I would have rather have con bonus to AC and it counts as a heavy armor if you do so. This would have fixed the issues.

 

[Sanzuo]

I just tried making an earthstrength warden with this feat in the character builder and... no go.

Sometimes they make rules calls needlessly wordy, and these end up making things more vague like in this case. Why couldn't they say "You get +2 to AC when wearing Hide but do not gain any bonus to AC from your ability score modifiers."?

 

[lukelightning]

I just tried making an earthstrength warden with this feat in the character builder and... no go.

There is a bug with HAE; my druid now gets NO bonus from it (13 dex, hide armor, AC 14).

 

[Sanzuo]

There is a bug with HAE; my druid now gets NO bonus from it (13 dex, hide armor, AC 14).

Hey, you're right. How am I supposed to make my warden even more invincible?

 

[Salamandyr]

Barbarian agility takes ca of it for a barbarian. And second skin closes the gap at epic. For other characters this is a subpar choice compared to chain. I would have rather have con bonus to AC and it counts as a heavy armor if you do so. This would have fixed the issues.

There is also Hide Armor Specialization at Paragon (everybody always forgets this one).

I like the new HAE, basically, it's better for you to have a 14 Dex, but if you just can't swing it, you can buy it with a feat and pretend.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think they may have printed before the wording was ready. I would think the intention of the feat is that Hide armor can mechanically work like "light chain" for hide wearers with no stat bonus. i.e. Gives you a flat +5 without speed penalty

The thing they havent thought out with this feat is what happens with masterwork? Heavy masterwork armor scales alot harder than light to compensate for no stat scaling...so what happens to hide in this situation?

Wait for it.

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April Errata!

 

[Nebten]

Wait for it.

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April Errata!

Nah, I don't think so.

Since the next errata is in May