The Barkskin spell might need a rewrite to help its mechanics and narrative cohere with each other.
In 4e, only mechanics mattered, and ‘fluff’ was officially suggestive and alterable, even alterable by the players using the mechanic.
But in 5e, both the mechanics and the narrative matter. The game expects the DM to adjudicate outcomes based on the implications that result from the narrative description.
So, DMs who adjudicate the Barkskin spell by favoring its narrative description over its mechanical description, are, in fact, playing D&D 5e right.
In this particular case, the problem is with the language of the spell itself, its conflictive stats and narrative.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. The description talks about your skin becoming hardened (like armor), and the second part of the rule specifically mentions setting your AC regardless of the armor you are wearing. So that's two parts of the spell that talk in armor terms, and thus imply
Barkskin is an armor replacement. Which would therefore also imply that things that work in addition to armor (like cover and shields) would also work and stack with
Barkskin.
Then you throw in the additional facet that Druids are given Medium Armor proficiency. So they theoretically
should and could be wearing Chain Mail {CORRECTION: Scale Mail} at 1st level just like the other classes that gain Medium Armor proficiency (see Cleric) except they are given that fluffy "no metal" rule so they can't. But without that fluffy rule, their maximum AC could normally be 16 (14 for Chainmail {Correction: Scale Mail} armor + 2 for DEX.) Now since they CAN'T use metal armor and are stuck with Hide, you'd think they would have some other method to get that AC 16 just like every other Medium Armor proficiency class can have (you know... for balance reasons)... and hey, look!
Barkskin could be that way to get it! That spell gives you an AC of 16!
But of course... that Cleric wearing {Scale} Mail also gets to hold a shield for another +2 to AC and can get behind cover for another +2 or +5 to AC. But heaven forbid the Druid actually get to do that though! Naw... we can't have that! If the druid does wear a shield and get behind cover... those only would apply as a bonus to the druid so long as he was already
wearing a different set of armor plus his DEX mod to approach that AC of 16 already. Of course... why a Circle of the Land Druid who is already wearing Studded Leather + high DEX or Hide + 2 points of DEX would then ALSO then put
Barkskin on himself is beyond me.
Basically, the spell is clearly meant to be used just by Circle of the Moon druids just prior to wildshaping (as has been said), because no other druid would bother. And it's exactly why I have no intention to use that particular ruling of Sage Advice because I think it's stupid.
Now that being said... I also don't have any problem whatsoever that Jeremy MADE that ruling in Sage Advice, or that he makes ANY rulings in Sage Advice for that matter. The books are written in a much more casual manner such that various people with various grammatical skill or comprehension will take away different things on occasion. And if enough of those people harangue Jeremy to the point that he feels the need to clarify how he and they team
intended those things to work, then he can go right ahead and satisfy the desires of that group of people who wanted it.
The one thing I *don't* get though are the players who then get upset that he DID make those Sage Advices. Because not a single one of us HAS to read those columns. If someone doesn't want those "clarifications", then don't read them. Pretend they don't exist! No one is forcing you to read them or use them. And don't then give me that "Well, I play Ruled As Written, so I'm now forced to use these bad rulings that I don't agree with" because that's complete and utter BS. Get over your compulsive self. That's just plain stupid. And you have no right to dictate what Jeremy does and doesn't produce for
those players who want them just because you don't have the self-control to not read the articles when they come out or just IGNORE them when they do. That's all on you.
