Super Simple Armor

[The Crimson Binome]

[MENTION=60210]jaelis[/MENTION] this gives back to the rogue (because I don't truly harbor Dex any ill will), captures everything a boil down needs to capture for me, takes most everything offered for consideration in the thread into account, and gets buy-in from [MENTION=6775031]Saelorn[/MENTION], so, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

It meets all of the basic criteria. At low levels, medium armor and heavy armor are better than light armor, because the person wearing light armor doesn't have maximum Dexterity yet. The distinction between medium and heavy is that medium armor requires decent Dexterity to use effectively, while heavy armor allows you to ignore Dexterity (which is a benefit, and thus gives value to heavy armor proficiency).

At high levels, cheap light armor catches up to cheap medium armor and cheap heavy armor, as soon as your Dexterity tops out. By then, though, everyone should have moved on to masterwork armor, at which point light and medium are equally effective and heavy armor regains the lead.

Most burning question: Should things be listed as "light masterwork armor" or "masterwork light armor" ?

In the table, it's probably better to go with "light armor, masterwork". Personally, I would go with "light armor (superior)" in order to indicate that its superiority could be a result of materials or design, rather than it necessarily being well-made.

 

[mrpopstar]

It meets all of the basic criteria. At low levels, medium armor and heavy armor are better than light armor, because the person wearing light armor doesn't have maximum Dexterity yet. The distinction between medium and heavy is that medium armor requires decent Dexterity to use effectively, while heavy armor allows you to ignore Dexterity (which is a benefit, and thus gives value to heavy armor proficiency).

At high levels, cheap light armor catches up to cheap medium armor and cheap heavy armor, as soon as your Dexterity tops out. By then, though, everyone should have moved on to masterwork armor, at which point light and medium are equally effective and heavy armor regains the lead.

Once I saw that AC 16 was represented at all levels, I could see I was missing something crucial. I think it looks great now. — Go team!

In the table, it's probably better to go with "light armor, masterwork". Personally, I would go with "light armor (superior)" in order to indicate that its superiority could be a result of materials or design, rather than it necessarily being well-made.

I'm inclined to use masterwork because it's such a resonant D&D term, but I see your point.

I almost labeled light masterwork armor "elven armor" and heavy masterwork armor "dwarven armor" because those are the masters! Heh

 

[Yaarel]

When looking into the traditions referring to ‘elven chain’, I ended up deciding.

Elven chain isnt a magic item. Rather.

Elven chain is the high elf race trait to cast the Mage Armor spell as a choice of cantrip.

This elven-chain-equals-spell, solved so many problems. It synergizes well with high Dexterity and wizard/fighter flavor.

 

[Yaarel]

A Dex max is an interesting consideration for the shield. My only hesitation is the Dex modifier toggling that takes place as you doff and don the shield in the midst of combat. Is it fiddly?

Characters who use a shield need to toggle AC anyway, depending on whether they need both hands for something or not. So, a shield incurring max Dex 2 helps verisimilitude and is simple enough.



BUCKLER

By the way, there is such a thing as a ‘light shield’, meaning a ‘buckler’, which one holds in ones hand fist-like, to punch weapons out of the way. This kind of shield relies on Dexterity, granting +1 AC. It makes sense for the buckler to be the shield of choice for Dex 3 and higher. In addition to defense, the buckler is also designed to function as an offhand weapon. It would deal about 1d4 bludgeoning damage, same amount as a dagger. With it also adding +1 AC, it is an appealing choice for a rogue (or monk).

(In the picture, notice the light armor: ‘full fabric armor’, a long-sleeve padded gambeson plus padded leggings.)

 

[mrpopstar]

When looking into the traditions referring to ‘elven chain’, I ended up deciding.

Elven chain isnt a magic item. Rather.

Elven chain is the high elf race trait to cast the Mage Armor spell as a choice of cantrip.

This elven-chain-equals-spell, solved so many problems. It synergizes well with high Dexterity and wizard/fighter flavor.

Nice!

Characters who use a shield need to toggle AC anyway, depending on whether they need both hands for something or not. So, a shield incurring max Dex 2 helps verisimilitude and is simple enough.

BUCKLER

By the way, there is such a thing as a ‘light shield’, meaning a ‘buckler’, which one holds in ones hand fist-like, to punch weapons out of the way. This kind of shield relies on Dexterity, granting +1 AC. It makes sense for the buckler to be the shield of choice for Dex 3 and higher. In addition to defense, the buckler is also designed to function as an offhand weapon. It would deal about 1d4 bludgeoning damage, same amount as a dagger. With it also adding +1 AC, it is an appealing choice for a rogue (or monk).

(In the picture, notice the light armor: ‘full fabric armor’, a long-sleeve padded gambeson plus padded leggings.)

I'm down with the idea of a buckler, the game just doesn't scream to me that it needs one.

 

[Smarmot]

The armours are now more balanced against each other but now unarmored lizard men, dragon sorcerers, wizards, barbarians, and monks are the kings of AC. The guy with the bare chest shouldn't be the default tank in my opinion.

 

[Satyrn]

The armours are now more balanced against each other but now unarmored lizard men, dragon sorcerers . . . The guy with the bare chest shouldn't be the default tank in my opinion.

But lizard men and dragon sorcerers have scaled chests!


(I'm pretending you had a typo)

 

[TwoSix]

The armours are now more balanced against each other but now unarmored lizard men, dragon sorcerers, wizards, barbarians, and monks are the kings of AC. The guy with the bare chest shouldn't be the default tank in my opinion.

That was already the case, though. This system doesn't change the max AC allowable for anyone except light armor wearers.

 

[mrpopstar]

The armours are now more balanced against each other but now unarmored lizard men, dragon sorcerers, wizards, barbarians, and monks are the kings of AC. The guy with the bare chest shouldn't be the default tank in my opinion.

My proposal changes nothing about the way Armor Class works in the standard game.

That was already the case, though. This system doesn't change the max AC allowable for anyone except light armor wearers.

After pulling the Dex modifier maximum on light armor, the max AC allowable is now unchanged for all.

 

[Yaarel]

It occurs to me. The super simple armor organizes by ‘light’, ‘medium’, and ‘heavy’ armors. It makes sense to divide super simple weapons similarly.

Weapons
• Light d6 finesse, light, versatile, simple, throw 30 feet
• Medium d8 versatile, martial
• Heavy d10 heavy, two-handed, reach, martial

Ammunitions
• Light d6, light, shoot 30 feet
• Medium d8, two-hand, shoot 300 feet
• Heavy d10, heavy, two-hand, loading, shoot 300 feet



Alternatively, refer to armors as ‘simple armor’, ‘martial armor’, ‘great armor’.

Armors
• Simple AC 11 + full Dex
• Martial AC 14 + max Dex 2
• Great AC 16 + no Dex