D&D 5E The Missing Equipment

[epithet]

...
If there was a variant for different types of shields, how many types would you do (2? (light and heavy), 3?(buckler, light, and heavy), 4?, 5? 10?) and how would you balance them?
...

I would do a few types of shield, but I wouldn't change the AC bonus. Every shield would give you the same 2 points to your AC, but that bonus might become situational based on the type of shield.

For example, a buckler could give the same AC bonus as a regular shield, but apply to only one attack per turn (or 2 attacks if the wielder used a reaction.) The benefit would be that it was lighter, and would allow the user to hold an object in their shield hand or to use that hand to execute the somatic component of a spell or load a hand crossbow.

For the crossbowman's shield mentioned above, the shield could be a normal shield until it was set down, then it would give its bonus only against attacks from 10' or more away, and only from the front arc of the crossbowman. The crossbowman could pick it up and move with it, setting it again after the movement, but would be limited to half his movement. The advantage would be that both hands would be free to load the crossbow.

So I would balance the shields by keeping only one shield bonus to AC, and giving any variant shield benefits and limitations in other areas.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

> Would you add weapons to the simple and martial categories or create exotic weapons category?

No. I'd remove weapons and replace them with dice rolls. Instead of a battleaxe and a longsword being exactly the same, I'd just have "1d8 slashing weapon" and let the player describe it however they like.

>If there was a variant for different types of shields, how many types would you do?

I don't see an easy way to balance them. If there was a light shield that was +2 AC and a heavy shield that was +3 AC, why would anyone ever use the light shield? It made sense in games that tracked exhaustion during combat (RuneQuest, Harn) but not in this game.

> Which armor variants or additions would you like? Which armor variants or additions would you hate?

I'm happy with the armour list. I would expand it wy adding custom materials (like ankheg plate mail) not by adding new arour types.

> Would you like to see the return of the odd D&D weapons like double axes which can't just be refluffed from current ones?

I'd just give the character a glaive and call it a double-headed axe. If they want to attack with the other end then they can take the polearm mastery feat. My goal is to simplify the weapon chart, not complicate it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

a buckler could be +1 AC and either leave a hand free or my favourite, only takes an item interaction or maybe a bonus action to equip.

 

[Kobold Stew]

My preference is still for buckler to be able to be used without shield proficiency, but only give +1.

This has several advantages, for me.
1. Bucklers are more likely to be used by non-professional fighters (since fighters, rangers, etc, can use a shield).
2. Bucklers become a choice for (e.g.) a rouge, who can take the bonus AC at the expense of TWF. It's an interesting trade off (to me, at least).
3. Bucklers occupy a hand, which means that a Wizard or bard (or arcane tricksters) can get some AC bonus and still be ready to cast spells, without the silly (imo) sheathe-cast-draw antics.
4. What I'm calling a buckler can be skinned so many ways: to emulate all sorts of historical fighting styles (rapier and dagger, rapier and cloak, (rapier and lantern), etc.) -- I allow anything in the off-hand used defensively to offer +1AC untrained, because I want players to use daggers defensively, for example.

 

[Minigiant]

For Bucklers, I'd make them +1 AC, and still let you hold an item, dagger, or club.
For Heavy Shield, I'd do +3 AC, Str 15 requirement and Stealth disadvantage.
Normal shields are +2 and can be modified.

I'd like to see additional materials for weapons and armor like bronze and enchanted wood? Bronze is a bit hard. It was abandoned for steel because finding copper and tin in the same place was impossible so you needed money or an empire to support an army of bronze plated soldiers. But if an empire could have all the ingredients for bronze, how would it compare to fantasy steel outside of looking 10x more awesome?

 

[neobolts]

The only things I found really odd with 5e items are 1)that armor material (adamantium) and magic armor (+1) ate mutually exclusive and 2)wands aren't handled more like scrolls. I have not felt that the offering of basic weapons and armor are lacking. For me, the old racially themed weapons narrowed logical build choices at times while not adding much in flavor.

 

[epithet]

...that armor material (adamantium) and magic armor (+1) ate mutually exclusive ...

I think actually the opposite is true of 5e. Since adamantine armor doesn't give an armor bonus, but instead gives the property of crit immunity, it stacks very nicely with an enchantment. Just because there isn't +1 adamantine armor in the DMG doesn't mean you can't easily incorporate it into the game. I'd say you should just increase the rarity of the armor +1, +2, or +3 by one step (e.g. rare to very rare) when you add the adamantine property, and considering the awesomeness of that item it should really have some characteristics and a history.

 

[Minigiant]

I think actually the opposite is true of 5e. Since adamantine armor doesn't give an armor bonus, but instead gives the property of crit immunity, it stacks very nicely with an enchantment. Just because there isn't +1 adamantine armor in the DMG doesn't mean you can't easily incorporate it into the game. I'd say you should just increase the rarity of the armor +1, +2, or +3 by one step (e.g. rare to very rare) when you add the adamantine property, and considering the awesomeness of that item it should really have some characteristics and a history.

Yeah, I would just make +1 adamantine armor have the same rarity and creation costs as +2 armor.

Now I could understand being upset that adamantine is magic but I can deal. Adamantine isn't magic but magic is needed to make it into armor.. This is different from silver which uses a nonmagical alchemical process.

New materials would be cool. Imagine bronze armor with a nice rubbing of oil on it. So pretty.

 

[ki11erDM]

There is only one list that I use: Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue

http://www.dndclassics.com/product/16834/Auroras-Whole-Realms-Catalogue-2e?it=1

 

[neobolts]

I think actually the opposite is true of 5e. Since adamantine armor doesn't give an armor bonus, but instead gives the property of crit immunity, it stacks very nicely with an enchantment. Just because there isn't +1 adamantine armor in the DMG doesn't mean you can't easily incorporate it into the game. I'd say you should just increase the rarity of the armor +1, +2, or +3 by one step (e.g. rare to very rare) when you add the adamantine property, and considering the awesomeness of that item it should really have some characteristics and a history.

This makes perfect sense. I was speaking more about it being an odd design choice not to do this in the first place.