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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 2252860" data-attributes="member: 4937">In my opinion, the drawbacks of platemail out wiegh its advantages to adventurers.1) You are slow.  You can't run away from danger, and you have a hard time running to it, if ambushed by foes using ranged weapons.2) You are awkward.  You can't jump.  You can't climb.  You can't swim.  You fall over (balance) anytime you have to hustle through broken or steeply sloped terrain (cave interiors for example).3) You are unstealthy.  Enemies always hear you approaching.   You rarely if ever generate surprise, while are continually at risk of surprise yourself.4) You are heavy.   You break through rotting wooden scaffolding and old suspension bridges.  You risk drowning any time water is nearby.  Between not being able to swim or climb, bullrushing foes can take you right out of the combat with ease. 5) You can't sleep in your armor.  You are extremely vulnerable to night ambushes because it takes forever to get heavy armor on.6) You have severe problems with adverse temperature environments.   Wearing platemail in a desert can be suicidal.You can negate problems #1 and #2 with a good mount, but a mount is itself a problem in a typical dungeon environment.   A generous DM will provide feats to mitigate some of the above problems, but those feats could have been spent on feats to improve your protection anyway.Now, for a mounted horseman fighting on open ground in predictable times and places, or a castle defender waiting out a seige, platemail is a really good deal.   For an adventurer in hostile wilderness environments, lighter armor is the way to go.</blockquote>

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