D&D 5E Sage Advice August 17th

[Yaarel]

... far too difficult a time attacking heavy armor users. I'm going to have to figure out how to handle the problem within the 5E system.

Plate armor too powerful?

Make sure there is alot of swimming.



I guess, that doesnt work. 5e lets an adventurer swim in full plate.



It sounds like, the Paladin worked hard to get the AC up high. It is probably important to him.

I would talk to the group, and let them understand the problem. They can choose whether to voluntarily lower the AC of the Paladin, or else increase the risk of TPK of the other adventurers.

 

[Celtavian]

Plate armor too powerful?

Make sure there is alot of swimming.



Wait. I guess, that doesnt work. 5e lets an adventurer swim in full plate.



It sounds like, the Paladin worked hard to get the AC up high. It is probably important to him.

I would talk to the group, and let them understand the problem. They can choose whether to voluntarily lower the AC of the Paladin, or else increase the risk of TPK of the other adventurers.

That's just it. He didn't work very hard to get that AC. I handed out +1 plate armor. The warlock bought plate armor with his gold (nothing else to really buy). Took defensive fighting style which is the most attractive of the paladin fighting styles. And bought a shield. Cast a 1st level shield of faith spell. Now I feel if I give him any more magic armor, I'll exacerbate the problem.

Heavy armor users don't have to work very hard to get a high AC. Whereas other classes do have to work fairly hard to do the same, especially casters. Yet casters lack the same level of defensive spells they used to have. The main option for a caster is to avoid getting hit. The problem as a DM I have is that why would an enemy not take out a soft target caster first given that eliminates a lot of power from the group and is an easy target. A monster that can hit a heavy armor user can hit a caster very easily and kill them very quickly due to low hit points. I have to take this into account in 5E and I didn't have to do so in 3E/Pathfinder because a caster had defensive abilities they could keep active that equaled heavy armor use. They don't have the same defensive abilities in this game.

 

[Yaarel]

Consider banning full plate, since it is modern technology, renaissance and non-medieval.

The breastplate tho is still appropriate. Thus 14 armor base +2 Dexterity +2 shield. It is already at 18 AC, so Im unsure how much banning would help.

 

[Azurewraith]

That's just it. He didn't work very hard to get that AC. I handed out +1 plate armor. He bought plate armor with his gold (nothing else to really buy). Took defensive fighting style which is the most attractive of the paladin fighting styles. And bought a shield. Cast a 1st level shield of faith spell. Now I feel if I give him any more magic armor, I'll exacerbate the problem.

Heavy armor users don't have to work very hard to get a high AC. Whereas other classes do have to work fairly hard to do the same, especially casters. Yet casters lack the same level of defensive spells they used to have. The main option for a caster is to avoid getting hit. The problem as a DM I have is that why would an enemy not take out a soft target caster first given that eliminates a lot of power from the group and is an easy target. A monster that can hit a heavy armor user can hit a caster very easily and kill them very quickly due to low hit points. I have to take this into account in 5E and I didn't have to do so in 3E/Pathfinder because a caster had defensive abilities they could keep active that equaled heavy armor use. They don't have the same defensive abilities in this game.

This is oh so true and compounded with the lack of 4es mark and punishment system.

I am not trained for combat in anyway shape or form except i have had a few swordplay lessons and done some minor 1/2staffing(got a friend whos into his recreational battles so played around a lil) and even with that basic knowledge even without tbh i would know to ignore the guy stood there in full plate armor with a sheild that can only kill me and my buddies one at a time to go and wail on the guy in a dress throwing fireballs

 

[Azurewraith]

Consider banning full plate, since it is modern technology, renaissance and non-medieval.

The breastplate tho is still appropriate. Thus 14 armor base +2 Dexterity +2 shield. It is already at 18 AC, so Im unsure how much banning would help.

But then at least they need to put some minor investment in dex and if they lose their sheild or are unable to use that arm for what ever reason is something i guess.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, maybe it is time to introduce gunpowder.

 

[Azurewraith]

Heh, maybe it is time to introduce gunpowder.

Or give heavy crossbows penetration could be a less extreme option than sparking a industrial revolution ^^

 

[Yaarel]

Or give heavy crossbows penetration could be a less extreme option than sparking a industrial revolution ^^

It seems heavy crossbows really were armor piercing. How does this translate into D&D 5e mechanics?

 

[Azurewraith]

I guess it would ignore x ammount of ac maybe say ignore 2ac for each 5ft closer you are to target?. Just be aware that any AC ignore will waste squishes with auto hits.

 

[mflayermonk]

If you are a 6th level cleric with (Brian) Blessed Healer, does people eating your goodberries heal you?
Can you have familiars and the like eating goodberries with their actions?