[Not 3.5, but I wish] No one should start with the Heavy Armor proficiency.

[3d6]

But... heavy armor sucks. No one uses heavy armor. If you do that, you'll never see heavy armor ever again. Everyone will be running around with mithral breastplates and celestial mail, to the exclusion of all else.

 

[Destil]

I'd ba happy just to see clerics loose it. I have no problem with fighters getting it for free.

 

[Liquid Snake]

Heavy Armor and Aristocrats

Aristocrats should lose it too, I can't believe the duke's daughter and every lady in the court were trained to use full plate.

 

[Carnifex]

If you do that no-one will bother with heavy armour at all, instead going for the light armour and high dex combo...

 

[Zhure]

I'd ba happy just to see clerics loose it. I have no problem with fighters getting it for free.

Seconded. I'd like it if only Paladins, Fighters and Warriors got it for free. That'd help cut back the power of the Cleric-as-a-Fighter; he'd either have to spend a precious feat or multiclass and lose caster levels.

Greg

 

[Kobold Avenger]

With the campaign I'm creating which takes place in a world where all soldiers are armed with rifles with bayonets, and guns are pretty common having reached the stage where they are percussion cap weapons, no classes have start with the Heavy Armor Profeciency because it isn't practical in this world and bullets can penetrate armor. And another thing was I didn't want everyone going around in platemail because it was clearly the best choice. But if someone wants to get Heavy Armor Profeciency, they now have access to mechanical armors as an added bonus. But really I only saw this issue as a campaign choice rather than a balance issue for my part.

 

[Ranger REG]

Personally, I agree that the combat-oriented classes and clerics should not have an automatic starting proficiency in heavy armor at 1st class level. Why? We couldn't afford such an armor with our starting money (even though you could have rich "noble" father to give you one). Also, no king in his right mind is going to equip rookie warriors in his army with heavy armor at the start without equipping the veteran warriors first, and that could put a dent in his royal treasury.

 

[Chun-tzu]

I like the idea of heavy armor being pulled from the Cleric and Aristocrat. War clerics could get heavy armor proficiency instead of weapon focus, as their War domain power.

The Fighter and Paladin shouldn't have to pay for it, but it's not a bad idea to give them proficiency at 2nd or 3rd level instead of 1st. Warriors might get it automatically at 4th or 5th level.

 

[the Jester]

Hmm, I think fighters, paladins and warriors should keep it. Clerics- I could see taking it away from them as an interesting choice and a reasonable balancing mechanism. Aristocrats- humm, well, I like the fact that they get it (since they can afford it, after all), but I could go either way.

Maybe in 4e... or 4.5.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I like the idea of heavy armor being pulled from the Cleric and Aristocrat. War clerics could get heavy armor proficiency instead of weapon focus, as their War domain power.

The Fighter and Paladin shouldn't have to pay for it, but it's not a bad idea to give them proficiency at 2nd or 3rd level instead of 1st. Warriors might get it automatically at 4th or 5th level.

I had already figured on taking it away from clerics, but thanks for the idea to make it the Protection power.

In the games I play in, I'm the only one that uses heavy armor besides one other player in one game, so I doubt it'll really matter too much.

Fighter's and Paladins should have it though, and adding it at higher levels doesn't seem worth it. ("we only give you the feat once you can afford it." doesn't seem to work for me.