Time to add new Armors to the table.

[Minigiant]

Personally, I think One D&D presents an opportunity to add more decision treasure in treasure accumulation and ways to spend gold.

Time to Add more armors to the top end of the table of the armor types?

Light Armor	Armor Class	Strength	Stealth
Padded	11 + Dex modifier	-	Disadvantage
Leather	11 + Dex modifier	-	-
Studded Leather	12 + Dex modifier	-	-
Piecemeal	13 + Dex modifier	STR 15	-
Gambeson	13 + Dex modifier	STR 13	Disadvantage

This gives light armor users 3 options to upgrade to and allows DMs more variety of armors to reward as treasure. Piecemeal armor would be plate armor covering the chest and shoulder only. Gambeson is thicker but less flexible cloth.

Medium Armor	AC	Strength	Stealth
Hide	12 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Chain Shirt	13 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Scale Mail	14 + Dex modifier (max 2)		Disadvantage
Breastplate	14 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Half Plate	15 + Dex modifier (max 2)		Disadvantage
Brigandine	15 + Dex modifier (max 2)	STR 15	-

Again 3 choices in top armor. Medium armor was already fine.

Heavy Armor	AC	Strength	Stealth
Ring mail	14	-	Disadvantage
Chain Mail	16	STR 13	Disadvantage
Heavy Hide	16	STR 13	-
Splint	17	STR 15	Disadvantage
Banded	17	STR 15
Plate	18	STR 15	Disadvantage

Good old stupid banded armor allows for another option for heavy armor users. Heavy plate allows the rich STR user to remain on top as the high AC. Heavy armor is the toughest as you want to keep Plate as top. Add in banded for heavy armor users who want to be stealthy

Highest AC in armor before feats	Light	Medium	Heavy
16	Leather, Padded	Breastplate	Chainmail, Heavy Hide
17	Studded Leather	Brigandine, Half Plate	Banded, Splint
18	Gambeson, Piecemeal		Plate

As for the second part. what if armor of resistance dragon scale mail were craftable and your could switch the damage type buy collecting dragon scales and having a master smith work on the armor. 5000gp for the scales and 2000gp for the smith's work.

Resistance is something that your can add to armor without breaking bounded accuracy much. Possibly adding additional resistances to armors would be okay as well. An adventure with dragons or demons could yield adding fire or cold resistance to all the armor users on the downtime and see gold well spent. All while not warping the main combat flow.

What do you think?

 

[Yaarel]

I view:

Padded = Gambeson
Scale = Brigandine

 

[Fifth Element]

Padded and leather are mechanically identical. And a gambeson is padded armour already.

 

[Fifth Element]

I view:

Padded = Gambeson
Scale = Brigandine

Gambeson is padded armour, but scale armour and brigandine are both historical and distinct, if that's what you're referring to. It's things like studded leather and ring mail that are ahistorical.

 

[Minigiant]

I view:

Padded = Gambeson
Scale = Brigandine

Padded and leather are mechanically identical. And a gambeson is padded armour already.

D&D Armor would be better it cloth armor was split in 2. Plus Gambeson is better that just +1 AC. Gambeson would be thicker tightly packed padded armor.

 

[Yaarel]

Gambeson is padded armour, but scale armour and brigandine are both historical and distinct, if that's what you're referring to. It's things like studded leather and ring mail that are ahistorical.

"Scale" includes any small metal pieces (platelets, strips, etcetera) that are secured together by chain links, rivets, cords, or sewn:

• Brigandine
• Fish scale squamata
• Banded segmentata
• Tiled lamellar

For arm guards and leg guards, also scale includes:

• Banded manica (Roman armor for one arm)
• Splint (long metal strips secured along limbs)

 

[Yaarel]

D&D Armor would be better it cloth armor was split in 2. Plus Gambeson is better that just +1 AC. Gambeson would be thicker tightly packed padded armor.

Bounded accuracy in 5e prevents the resolution to nuance between armor values.

Padded armor (of any fabric whether wool, fur, hair, or leather) +1 AC
Leather armor (specifically hardened leather scale or breastplate) +1 AC
Full plate armor suit +8 AC

There is not much space in between.

Even chain torso armor is only +3 AC, and a full chain suit is only +6 AC.

 

[tetrasodium]

Personally, I think One D&D presents an opportunity to add more decision treasure in treasure accumulation and ways to spend gold.

Time to Add more armors to the top end of the table of the armor types?

Light Armor	Armor Class	Strength	Stealth
Padded	11 + Dex modifier	-	Disadvantage
Leather	11 + Dex modifier	-	-
Studded Leather	12 + Dex modifier	-	-
Piecemeal	13 + Dex modifier	STR 15	-
Gambeson	13 + Dex modifier	STR 13	Disadvantage

This gives light armor users 3 options to upgrade to and allows DMs more variety of armors to reward as treasure. Piecemeal armor would be plate armor covering the chest and shoulder only. Gambeson is thicker but less flexible cloth.

Medium Armor	AC	Strength	Stealth
Hide	12 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Chain Shirt	13 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Scale Mail	14 + Dex modifier (max 2)		Disadvantage
Breastplate	14 + Dex modifier (max 2)
Half Plate	15 + Dex modifier (max 2)		Disadvantage
Brigandine	15 + Dex modifier (max 2)	STR 15	-

Again 3 choices in top armor. Medium armor was already fine.

Heavy Armor	AC	Strength	Stealth
Ring mail	14	-	Disadvantage
Chain Mail	16	STR 13	Disadvantage
Heavy Hide	16	STR 13	-
Splint	17	STR 15	Disadvantage
Banded	17	STR 15
Plate	18	STR 15	Disadvantage

Good old stupid banded armor allows for another option for heavy armor users. Heavy plate allows the rich STR user to remain on top as the high AC. Heavy armor is the toughest as you want to keep Plate as top. Add in banded for heavy armor users who want to be stealthy

Highest AC in armor before feats	Light	Medium	Heavy
16	Leather, Padded	Breastplate	Chainmail, Heavy Hide
17	Studded Leather	Brigandine, Half Plate	Banded, Splint
18	Gambeson, Piecemeal		Plate

As for the second part. what if armor of resistance dragon scale mail were craftable and your could switch the damage type buy collecting dragon scales and having a master smith work on the armor. 5000gp for the scales and 2000gp for the smith's work.

Resistance is something that your can add to armor without breaking bounded accuracy much. Possibly adding additional resistances to armors would be okay as well. An adventure with dragons or demons could yield adding fire or cold resistance to all the armor users on the downtime and see gold well spent. All while not warping the main combat flow.

What do you think?

The max dex should vary from armor to armor where max dex applies. Otherwise you just wind up with the same situation where some armors are used while others are only used by new PCs till they can replace them

 

[Yaarel]

The max dex should vary from armor to armor where max dex applies. Otherwise you just wind up with the same situation where some armors are used while others are only used by new PCs till they can replace them

I would like to see chain allow for more Dex than scale does.

 

[Clint_L]

As almost always, I want to less complexity in the rules, not more (aside from optional rules).

So while I think that your ideas for adding resistance to armour types (which already exists through enchantments, though) might be a cool optional rule, all I think we need for armour types is a list of the ACs, attributes, and cost, along with a list of some options that might typically fall into the AC, and then let players and DMs use their imaginations. Is your AC 16 coming from chainmail or from some weird combination of scavenged chitin plates and rubber bands? Who cares?!

I think the same for weapons - do we really need separate entries for things like "long sword" and "battle-axe"? Just have an entry for "1 handed slashing weapon" and let players fill in the rest.

 

[Clint_L]

I would like to see chain allow for more Dex than scale does.

This is the kind of debate that my suggestion would get rid of. If you want to have chain that allows for more dex than scale, just purchase AC 12 and call it chain. Maybe it's a lighter version of chain, or partial chain, or damaged chain, or whatever your imagination wants it to be.

 

[Yora]

If any changes are made to the armor tables, the first thing is to finally get rid of the travesty that is studded leather.

There is no such thing as studded leather armor, never has been, and never could be. The idea does not offer any meaningful protection.

 

[Yaarel]

As almost always, I want to less complexity in the rules, not more (aside from optional rules).

So while I think that your ideas for adding resistance to armour types (which already exists through enchantments, though) might be a cool optional rule, all I think we need for armour types is a list of the ACs, attributes, and cost, along with a list of some options that might typically fall into the AC, and then let players and DMs use their imaginations. Is your AC 16 coming from chainmail or from some weird combination of scavenged chitin plates and rubber bands? Who cares?!

I think the same for weapons - do we really need separate entries for things like "long sword" and "battle-axe"? Just have an entry for "1 handed slashing weapon" and let players fill in the rest.

The armors can simplify.

I feel there are meaningful differences between the bladelengths of swords.
Up to 1 foot: dagger
1 to 2 feet: shortsword (gladius, seax, wakizashi, machete, etc)
2 to 3 feet: sword (viking, knightly, katana, etc)
3 to 4 feet: longsword (claymore, bastard, etc)
4 feet and up: greatsword (zweihaander, fantasy giant buster swords, etc)

 

[Minigiant]

As almost always, I want to less complexity in the rules, not more (aside from optional rules).

So while I think that your ideas for adding resistance to armour types (which already exists through enchantments, though) might be a cool optional rule, all I think we need for armour types is a list of the ACs, attributes, and cost, along with a list of some options that might typically fall into the AC, and then let players and DMs use their imaginations. Is your AC 16 coming from chainmail or from some weird combination of scavenged chitin plates and rubber bands? Who cares?!

I think the same for weapons - do we really need separate entries for things like "long sword" and "battle-axe"? Just have an entry for "1 handed slashing weapon" and let players fill in the rest.

The flaw with Simplicity is that it offers too little to put in treasure.

The problem with D&D treasure is that a DM has few options of armor or weapons to entice players without busting bounded accuracy.


Once your fighter buys plate armor, nothing but plate armor +X or plater armor of X resistance would ever excite them.

But with plate armor of fire resistance, finding banded armor of cold resistance.offers a new option without hurting BA.

As a DM who had 2 PCs with 22AC, it can get rough.

 

[Yaarel]

Along the lines of armor simplification, something like:

EXAMPLE	TORSO ONLY	FULL SUIT
Padded / Leather	+1 (max +5 Dex)	+2 (max +4 Dex)
Chain	+3 (max +3 Dex)	+5 (max +1 Dex)
Scale / Plate	+4 (max +2 Dex)	+6 (no Dex)

 

[tetrasodium]

Along the lines of armor simplification, something like:

EXAMPLE	TORSO ONLY	FULL SUIT
Padded / Leather	+1 (max +5 Dex)	+2 (max +4 Dex)
Chain	+3 (max +3 Dex)	+5 (max +1 Dex)
Scale / Plate	+4 (max +2 Dex)	+6 (no Dex)

Some of those need a strength requirement

 

[Minigiant]

Along the lines of armor simplification, something like:

EXAMPLE	TORSO ONLY	FULL SUIT
Padded / Leather	+1 (max +5 Dex)	+2 (max +4 Dex)
Chain	+3 (max +3 Dex)	+5 (max +1 Dex)
Scale / Plate	+4 (max +2 Dex)	+6 (no Dex)

That doesn't solve the problem of PCs having too few options for armor rewards.

 

[Yaarel]

That doesn't solve the problem of PCs having too few options for armor rewards.

Flavorwise, there is an unlimited number of armor types.

Mechanically, magic armor diversifies rewards.

 

[Clint_L]

The flaw with Simplicity is that it offers too little to put in treasure.

The problem with D&D treasure is that a DM has few options of armor or weapons to entice players without busting bounded accuracy.


Once your fighter buys plate armor, nothing but plate armor +X or plater armor of X resistance would ever excite them.

But with plate armor of fire resistance, finding banded armor of cold resistance.offers a new option without hurting BA.

As a DM who had 2 PCs with 22AC, it can get rough.

So, with my suggestion the exact type of armour would be up the DM's imagination, so there would be boundless treasure options.

Say the DM is getting treasure out of the DM's Guide or D&D Beyond and they want there to be some interesting armour. They go with Armour of the Mariner, and decide on AC 16 as the base (so, heavy armour, etc.). Then they tell the player what it looks like - maybe Merfolk forged it from Dragon Turtle shell, for example.

My point is that all that matters about armour are its attributes (AC, type, str/dex limitations, cost). Specifying the exact type of the armour doesn't need to be in the rules and leaving it up to the players/DMs increases choice and options while getting rid of irrelevant debates, like whether chain is more limiting than scale and so on. Those are table-level discussions that don't need to be worked into the rules.

 

[tetrasodium]

So, with my suggestion the exact type of armour would be up the DM's imagination, so there would be boundless treasure options.

Say the DM is getting treasure out of the DM's Guide or D&D Beyond and they want there to be some interesting armour. They go with Armour of the Mariner, and decide on AC 16 as the base (so, heavy armour, etc.). Then they tell the player what it looks like - maybe Merfolk forged it from Dragon Turtle shell, for example.

Not really. Your suggestion tries to replicate 3.x's subjectivity in armor choice without expanding the designspace beyond a single point of "does the wearer use stealth: (yes/no)" to recover the mechanical reasons why 3.x had subjectivity in armor & weapons