D&D 5E Shield Saltiness

[Ace]

Yeah SCA noob armor tends to be very light hard plastic, but man a good steel breastplate feels good to wear by comparison, even with the added weight. Not having everything shift around or pinch or whatever when you move too much makes a huge difference.

IME and in the XP of reenactors who are also veterans that I know, the Kevlar and plate body armor in question is only really comparable in weight and total thickness (including gambeson) to any medieval armor, but “comparable” is a term with a ton of variation based on the POV of the speaker.

The most modern US body armor, the improved tactical vest weighs 3.5 pounds (1500 grams) but this is the under armor , basically an arming jack. With the plate carrier and the rest its 35 pounds near 16 kilos

By comparison back and breast plate and an arming jacket is probably 25% lighter and as such is much easier to wear.

Fitting also counts. A custom breastplate (what 3.5 called masterwork) would fit better than an off the rack one and as best as I know, none of the modern body armor plates or the like are custom fitted. Technically soft body armor can be bought like this but you won't see it on a battle field , it may not meet mil-spec and it wears out.

Kevlar body armor cared for properly lasts 5 years, 7 for some brands and needs to be replaced. No way is the military going to do that on a very regular basis and so while it works, you get what you get.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The most modern US body armor, the improved tactical vest weighs 3.5 pounds (1500 grams) but this is the under armor , basically an arming jack. With the plate carrier and the rest its 35 pounds near 16 kilos

By comparison back and breast plate and an arming jacket is probably 25% more lighter and as such is much easier to wear.

Fitting also counts. A custom breastplate (what 3.5 called masterwork) would fit better than an off the rack one and as best as I know, none of the modern body armor plates or the like are custom fitted. Technically soft body armor can be bought like this but you won't see it on a battle field , it my not meet mil-spec and it wears out.

Kevlar body armor cared for properly lasts 5 years, 7 for some brands and needs to be replaced. No way i the military going to do that on a very regular basis and so while it works, you get what you get.

Fit is huge, and somewhat anachronistically, is assumed in D&D nowadays as the standard.

For plate, that isn’t anachronistic, though. Only for “cheaper” armors. Plate is commissioned, not ever bought off the rack.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Fit is huge, and somewhat anachronistically, is assumed in D&D nowadays as the standard.

For plate, that isn’t anachronistic, though. Only for “cheaper” armors. Plate is commissioned, not ever bought off the rack.

I wonder if the realism people refuse to let PCs use found armor, without penalties. It would be horribly unrealistic.

 

[Ace]

I wonder if the realism people refuse to let PCs use found armor, without penalties. It would be horribly unrealistic.

I tried it but its not needed at the D&D level of realism. Even than I assumed magic armor which is what most people loot adjusts for the user even when its not explicitly stated to do so and thus it was moot.

 

[FrogReaver]

How often is he getting attacked in town exactly?

Dont know about you, but in a civilised town, my PCs dont wander around in armor, let alone holding a shield.

Would you? Armor isn't comfortable. Like; when you're in town you're getting around in normal clothes, not geared for war.

And how much damage is the Paladin doing with Smites? Average damage with a GWM Greataxe barbarian is more like 23 or so, and he's only hitting at +2 or 3 (but likely with advantage from reckless). A Smiting Paladin should comfortably be able to out-damage that Barbarian (but is resource dependent to do so).

Where you going to store that armor that’s actually more comfortable than wearing it?

 

[Ace]

Fit is huge, and somewhat anachronistically, is assumed in D&D nowadays as the standard.

For plate, that isn’t anachronistic, though. Only for “cheaper” armors. Plate is commissioned, not ever bought off the rack.

Full body protection could be had at munitions grade but it would have more weak spots and certainly wouldn't be as protective or agile as Milanese White Harness or Gothic Plate.

It would probably count as Splint in 5e which is about as much as the system would allow for differentiation.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Full body protection could be had at munitions grade but it would have more weak spots and certainly wouldn't be as protective or agile as Milanese White Harness or Gothic Plate.

It would probably count as Splint in 5e which is about as much as the system would allow for differentiation.

To verify or challenge that, we would have to get into the weeds on century and region, but I think we are mostly on the same page anyway.

 

[Ace]

To verify or challenge that, we would have to get into the weeds on century and region, but I think we are mostly on the same page anyway.

I think so too.

 

[GSHamster]

I vaguely remember one of the earlier editions (maybe 2E?) explicitly saying that magical armor was comfortable to wear full-time.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I vaguely remember one of the earlier editions (maybe 2E?) explicitly saying that magical armor was comfortable to wear full-time.

Pg. 164 of the DMG 1E:

I don't have my 2E DMG book handy, so I don't know if they repeated it (like this did with much of 1E) or expanded on this notion or just ignored it.