D&D 5E Lets Talk about Medium Armor

[Yaarel]

Hmm, yeah when the helmet isn't imposing any kind of penalty then it's really just a free +2 AC, which is odd (IMO, and at first glance) but at least balanced since it applies to all armor types evenly. Maybe a cap on mods to perception like current MA does to Dex? Not a huge penalty but it seem appropriate.

I like the stack there generally though. The numbers make sense, and my degrees in Medieval history like the gambeson under other armors a lot. If you wanted to play with granularity you could add a half or open helm that grants +1AC without the perception penalty, and a buckler sized shield that adds +1 AC without the suggested Dex modifiers (which I agree with for a full-sized shield).

I would also probably take a look at using arming time with a system this nuanced. You aren't throwing on a gambeson and plate as an action. But, you could probably go gambeson helm and shield pretty quickly which still gives some protection and also passes the laugh test for realism.

Heh, unfortunate nomenclature.

Light helmet +1 AC
Medium helmet +2 AC (maximum +2 Wisdom)
Heavy helmet +3 AC (no Wisdom)

 

[Fenris-77]

I might call it +1 no mod/+2 max +2 Dex/+3 no dex, at least if you're also planning on using the helmet rules. That does take a little off the top for current Dex Med armor users, so IDK if that wouldn't ruffle too many feathers. Probably not if those same dex users also have access to helmets.

*edit* the above concerns shields, on the helmet front...

I think +2 tops is fine for helmets in the stack you propose. +3 seems like a lot.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I appreciate the effort of the post, but your solution doesn't logically follow. I mean, it's probably good enough for practical purposes, but it's still in violation of rule 5. If requiring a Dexterity of 14 is considered a burden, then requiring either Dexterity or Constitution of 14 must logically be the same category of burden (albeit to a lesser extent).

An easier way to meet your design criteria would be to remove Dexterity contributions from medium armor altogether. Just calculate everything as though you had Dex 14, without actually requiring it. A chain shirt has AC 15, and half-plate has AC 17, regardless of your Dex. That meets all of your requirements.

That works too. I had considered that option, but I prefer to feel like stats matter a little bit with Medium armor. I wouldn't object if the DM wanted to run it that way though.

The reason I don't feel like it violates rule 5 (though that is a valid observation--it is close), is based on personal experience that pretty much every PC has a Con of at least 14 (and usually exactly 14) just for the survivability. They are already investing in Con, regardless of their class, armor, or any other choices. It's everyone's third favorite ability score (or second for single-attribute focused characters). And the number of PCs who have both Dex and Con below 14 is going to be extremely small. I suppose that might come into play with some ranged cantrip clerics, who might have an issue here. But since they only need Wisdom anyway, it seems like it would be odd not to take one of those stats to 14.

 

[Looted]

I see the core of the issue.
Rolling stats over point arrays.

Builds and guides should use the point array or point buy option forcing hard choices; With rolling stats the build choices become flat or not a difficult choice.

I say this as mpst will roll 4d6, and many will never keep a roll of 3 let alone less tgen average. I liked reading the opinions here and they were very informative to my decision to average my character out a bit, allowing a better ac at lower levels lets me focus on the design of my build.

Now you want crazy AC, try Lizardfolk drop a 15 in dex (max point buy) grab a shield 17 ac lvl 1. Next (assume fighter) first asi split into dex and either con, wis or cha depending on sub-class (i like wis/cha for skills) 18 ac. Decent for level 4. Level 6 asi grabs full dex, now at 19 - which is low for a str fighter but great for a dex fighter. If you chose defensive fighter at level 1 you also get an ac bonus of 1 while wearing armor. (I choose basic leather and never need to change it)

These are all personal choices, using the lizardfolks base ac to its advantage.

A tortle can start with ac 19 using a shield thats insane.

DnD should foremost be about the journey your characters make in the world they live, not about how min/max you can be. Sure it's great tp be the best at 1 thing, but failing at many others is really sub-optimal. You don't need to be the smartest person in a room, but being a below average int char, nobody (unless they are kind) will talk to you for more then a minute; you just can't hold a conversation. It should matter if your character chose to dump a stat. Dex is really the hardest to dump where most prefer to put it at 10 rather then see an 8.

Negative stats should really be used against characters more, not saying other DM's ignore this and I do like the rule of cool. But DO YOUR JOB DM. The rules are simple, they are a guide, it's the dm that chooses not to follow them, ignore them or outright follows them to the letter. Neither choice is good, you now don't get a real game with challenges based on your character design, or you get hammered with too much at once.

The biggest take away is have fun, enjoy the wins, be sad with the losses. They are there to make a game meaningful and full of depth.

My challenge, try building a character starting with your backstory (this also means pick race first) and see where it goes.

GL to all.

 

[Don Durito]

Sometimes I think the standard array would be better if it was higher at the low end.

I often feel that party stealth ceases to become an option because key members of the party are always clanking around in full plate because they feel they can't do their job otherwise.

Sometimes I consider ruling that heavy armour is simply not adventuring gear at all but something you put on only for special occassions such as pitched battles or sieges, not for going down dungeons or travelling through the wilderness. (I'm not sure how I'd handle this - as the current rules would make fighters and paladins and potentially clerics even more MAD.)

It would give the opportunity to offset rarely gettting to use Heavy Armour by making it even more special - probably resistance all Piercing and slashing damage at the least.

 

[Zardnaar]

Down side if the default array us you tend to end up with cookie cutter characters or players trying concepts that don't work out to well.

I let the players use whatever method they like, stat rolls get done in front of me.

 

[Esker]

Down side if the default array us you tend to end up with cookie cutter characters or players trying concepts that don't work out to well.

I let the players use whatever method they like, stat rolls get done in front of me.

I don't see any reason to force the standard array rather than point buy, but for me rolling stats is just too high stakes and uneven for any party that's going to be together for more than a handful of sessions. There are ways to even things out some by generating pools of arrays and that sort of thing, but I don't want the luck a player happens to have during a set of rolls made in session zero to have such a big impact on how much their character gets to shine over the course of a year or more of play, whether they feel they can afford to take feats, etc.

As for cookie cutter characters, I think this is a problem that stems from fixed racial ability score bonuses more than anything else. I'm a proponent of house rules that let you move your bonuses around, at least to some extent.