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<blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 8682442" data-attributes="member: 6877472"><p>But really, AC is kind of static as well. A heavy armor user can get 2 more AC once they can afford plate, so call that ~level 5. A medium or light armor user has to wait til level 8 (assuming 16 starting attribute) to get their +2 AC.</p><p></p><p>There's not a lot of AC boosts beyond that- you might get a Fighting Style for +1 AC, or something equivalent. Then you basically have to hold out for the DM giving you the opportunity for magic items to increase defense- which are also subject to the "bounded accuracy" design.</p><p></p><p>There's a sidebar in Xanathar's that makes it pretty evident that the developers assume players will get magic weapons at some point, but not exactly when. Which I find amusing, given that magic items are optional content, and the DMG doesn't really give much guidance about when a player should/could expect a magic weapon. In some games, they might never get such!</p><p></p><p>I assume magic armor and other defensive items fall into this same philosophy, where they are assumed to appear, but aren't specifically designed for.</p><p></p><p>Let the DM beware, I suppose. "Oh what's that, you have an Eldritch Knight in your game with a Staff of Power, a +3 Shield, +3 Plate, a Cloak of Displacement, and the Defensive Fighting Style for AC 29 and all enemies have disadvantage to attack? Wow, good luck figuring that out, lol!"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="James Gasik, post: 8682442, member: 6877472"] But really, AC is kind of static as well. A heavy armor user can get 2 more AC once they can afford plate, so call that ~level 5. A medium or light armor user has to wait til level 8 (assuming 16 starting attribute) to get their +2 AC. There's not a lot of AC boosts beyond that- you might get a Fighting Style for +1 AC, or something equivalent. Then you basically have to hold out for the DM giving you the opportunity for magic items to increase defense- which are also subject to the "bounded accuracy" design. There's a sidebar in Xanathar's that makes it pretty evident that the developers assume players will get magic weapons at some point, but not exactly when. Which I find amusing, given that magic items are optional content, and the DMG doesn't really give much guidance about when a player should/could expect a magic weapon. In some games, they might never get such! I assume magic armor and other defensive items fall into this same philosophy, where they are assumed to appear, but aren't specifically designed for. Let the DM beware, I suppose. "Oh what's that, you have an Eldritch Knight in your game with a Staff of Power, a +3 Shield, +3 Plate, a Cloak of Displacement, and the Defensive Fighting Style for AC 29 and all enemies have disadvantage to attack? Wow, good luck figuring that out, lol!" [/QUOTE]
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