Sage Advice 3/21/16 Exploding druids and antimagic field vs zombies and cure wounds

The answer to the druid and metal armor is excellent. Not so much the ruling itself, but the clear way it explains that classes have both story and game elements, and some classes have more story elements than others.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Thats the problem. So many vegetarians are closet meat eaters.

No, the problem of which you speak is not that many vegetarians are closet meat eaters - it's that a number of meat eaters lie and say they are vegetarians. The distinction is very important.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Wtf is "closet meat"?

 

[cheezitmojo]

Thats the problem. So many vegetarians are closet meat eaters.

Now I'm imaging a druid, behind closed doors and away from prying eyes, equipping a metal shield and giggling about it.

 

[TwoSix]

Wtf is "closet meat"?

Forum rules prevent me from giving you the answer to that.

 

[Psikerlord#]

I find the bit about "story" vs "game" elements in the Druid and Paladin class interesting.

Highlights for me that that is a very bad way to balance classes. If you want a restriction on kinds of armour for druids, spell it out rules wise! Don't rely on nebulous "story" aspects when balancing.

Part of the paladin OPness problem is that their code is "story", not "game" rules. Making for a very poor balance mechanism that is easily ignored.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Highlights for me that that is a very bad way to balance classes. If you want a restriction on kinds of armour for druids, spell it out rules wise! Don't rely on nebulous "story" aspects when balancing.

It is a rule, though. It's a rule which exists for story (world-building) reasons, rather than balance reasons, but it's still a rule.

"Druids don't wear metal armor" is exactly as much of a rule as "Strength 17 gives a +3 bonus to hit with a longsword"; feel free to ignore either, at your discretion.


Edit Update: I'm bad at math on Mondays.

 

[TwoSix]

It is a rule, though. It's a rule which exists for story (world-building) reasons, rather than balance reasons, but it's still a rule.

"Druids don't wear metal armor" is exactly as much of a rule as "Strength 17 gives a +4 bonus to hit with a longsword"; feel free to ignore either, at your discretion.

Strength 17 gives a+4 to hit with a longsword isn't actually a rule at all.

 

[devincutler]

I like the comparison of druids wearing metal armor to vegetarians eating meat. Makes it easy to understand and easy to when considering if one wants to change (either as player or as DM not caring about that part of world-building).

I agree. Clearly, if a vegan east meat he loses his Vegan powers. So a druid should lose his druid abilities.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I find the bit about "story" vs "game" elements in the Druid and Paladin class interesting.

Highlights for me that that is a very bad way to balance classes. If you want a restriction on kinds of armour for druids, spell it out rules wise! Don't rely on nebulous "story" aspects when balancing.

Part of the paladin OPness problem is that their code is "story", not "game" rules. Making for a very poor balance mechanism that is easily ignored.

One of the takeaways I got was that the story elements aren't used as balancing elements:

As long as you abide by your character’s proficiencies, you’re not going to break anything in the game system, but you might undermine the story and the world being created in your campaign.

A druid wearing scale mail is still "balanced," it's just not as flavorful as a druid NOT wearing scale mail. It's a story concern, NOT a balance concern.

 

[Psikerlord#]

One of the takeaways I got was that the story elements aren't used as balancing elements:



A druid wearing scale mail is still "balanced," it's just not as flavorful as a druid NOT wearing scale mail. It's a story concern, NOT a balance concern.

Crawford is wrong on that point. If the paladin code is not meant to be a genuine limiting of choices, ie a balancing factor, then there is no reason to play a fighter, which breaks the system in my view. Druids wearing armour yeah not so much.

edit: even the metal armour druid is still a balance concern, just not enough of a concern to break the system.