Swimming in plate armor??

[leifthelucky]

Hey, one thing that's been bothering me is the tiny armor check penalties. I know it frees up options and thus makes the game more enjoyable for warriors, but a -2 to swimming checks for plate? That seems pretty hard to take, since even with the additional penalty for a shield most warriors will be strong enough to ignore the penalty altogether. In 3rd, swimming was a special case, -1 per 5lbs of armor. I suppose I could houserule that, make water a hazard again for people wearing 50lbs of metal. I dunno, what do you guys think (or have I just missed something?).

 

[frankthedm]

I'd rule the wearer of plate armor is pulled down 2 squares per round while in water.

 

[Ahglock]

I'd assign different penalties based on what tier the player is in. I have no problem what so ever with a paragon level fighter swimming in plate mail, heck I would not mind a epic level fighter running on water, in fact I'd like it.

Or if you want it more gradated give plate a -10 armor check penalty that your level bonus will nullify. So its a -5 penalty at level 10 and no penalty at level 20.

 

[Obryn]

Why worry about just plate mail?

Try swimming in chain, scale, or anything that's substantially denser than water. Leather wouldn't be very comfortable, either.

-O

 

[Ahglock]

Its the high end example, not the only worry.

For ease sake I'd probably make it -2 per armor category, though I really don't know how these pan out in 4e.

 

[themilkman]

I don't mind the tiny armor check penalties so much. I feel like it gives me more freedom to say "Okay, fight your way across this river!" or "Climb this cliff while people are shooting arrows!" without also having to say, "Fighter? Paladin? You guys can either strip or sit this one out."

It goes along with the whole 4e philosophy of not getting in the way of the characters being heroic. Is it realistic? Not really.

 

[Ahglock]

I don't mind the tiny armor check penalties so much. I feel like it gives me more freedom to say "Okay, fight your way across this river!" or "Climb this cliff while people are shooting arrows!" without also having to say, "Fighter? Paladin? You guys can either strip or sit this one out."

It goes along with the whole 4e philosophy of not getting in the way of the characters being heroic. Is it realistic? Not really.

Where as I think at the heroic tier the fighter ditching his armor so he can continue the adventure by climbing the hill is a totally awesome move, while at the paragon tier hills don't challenge him anymore. There should be situations where characters are less effective due to the environment, if I'm swimming in Atlantis I don't expect Pyro the fire mage to shine.

 

[Wolfspider]

Beowulf swam in plate armor while fighting sea monsters and making love to Angelina Jolie.

What's the problem?

 

[Ahglock]

Beowulf not only has bad taste in women but he is at least paragon tier so from my perspective no problem.

 

[Anax]

Where as I think at the heroic tier the fighter ditching his armor so he can continue the adventure by climbing the hill is a totally awesome move, while at the paragon tier hills don't challenge him anymore. There should be situations where characters are less effective due to the environment, if I'm swimming in Atlantis I don't expect Pyro the fire mage to shine.

So in that case, how realistic are you going to be with how long it takes him to take off his plate armor? That stuff doesn't exactly come with a quick-release feature.