D&D (2024) Time to add new Armors to the table.

[Gorck]

(I remain undecided if the prereq should be Constitution or Strength. Normally, Strength relates to Encumbrance. However, there are reasons for Constitution. Even the heaviest armors are less than 70 pounds, and even a Strength 8 character can carry 120 pounds without Encumbrance. The difficulty comes from the Armor being fatiguing and constraining to wear. Hence, Constitution can make sense to overcome the difficulty of Armor, and Constitution is generally defensive making this Ability a convenient go-to for combat defense.)

The way I see it, Strength would be for lifting a heavy object while Constitution would be for continuing to lift a heavy object over a prolonged period of time.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

The way I see it, Strength would be for lifting a heavy object while Constitution would be for continuing to lift a heavy object over a prolonged period of time.

To me, both of those activities are directly tied to Strength.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm just saying these proposed armour modifications add more complexity than they do benefits. So I'm suggesting that, yes, there are other areas where this granularity could be added without forcing granularity onto armour which (IMO) takes away more than it adds.

I fail to see how adding +1 AC with a penalty or -1 AC with removal of a penalty has more flaws over benefits that scrapping the armor system and formally giving each type of character a single optimal option.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I fail to see how adding +1 AC with a penalty or -1 AC with removal of a penalty has more flaws over benefits that scrapping the armor system and formally giving each type of character a single optimal option.

It's not a bad system. It's just information overload. Finicky for the sake of being finicky. The granularity that system applies is best spent elsewhere IMO.

 

[Minigiant]

It's not a bad system. It's just information overload. Finicky for the sake of being finicky. The granularity that system applies is best spent elsewhere IMO.

No, it is bad. That's the issue.

The 5e armor system doesn't do what it is designed to: to allow be the Skelton to a equipment based reward system.

Simplifying it doesn't solve the problem that bounded accuracy caused.

5es armor system is designed for a game where the assumption is that to are rewarded with an ex on expected stream of every increased +X items. But 5e the game system doesn't assume that nor is built for that. So rather than vertical improvement, 5es armor has to be horizontal.

But by nature vertical is more exciting and easier to use than horizontal. So for One D&D armor to match the systems design goal, it more or less requires granularity in the base armor system or granularity in the magic armor system or both or assume horizontal increments of power.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

No, it is bad. That's the issue.

I was talking about your system!

5es armor system is designed for a game where the assumption is that to are rewarded with an ex on expected stream of every increased +X items. But 5e the game system doesn't assume that nor is built for that. So rather than vertical improvement, 5es armor has to be horizontal.

Because there isn't a built in mechanism to increase AC for armour users as opponent to hit modifiers increase? Maybe. But how does making a more granular system address that?

But by nature vertical is more exciting and easier to use than horizontal. So for One D&D armor to match the systems design goal, it more or less requires granularity in the base armor system or granularity in the magic armor system or both or assume horizontal increments of power.

Not seeing the correlation. What am I missing? The resistance according to material type idea is what you're referring to I guess? Yeah, I'll buy that. That's a great idea honestly.

Overall, I do like your idea. I would personally enjoy this level of detail! I just think it would be information overload to the player base at large.

 

[Minigiant]

Because there isn't a built in mechanism to increase AC for armour users as opponent to hit modifiers increase? Maybe. But how does making a more granular system address that?

Because you are missing the whole point of my suggestion and cause for the suggestion.

Not seeing the correlation. What am I missing? The resistance according to material type idea is what you're referring to I guess? Yeah, I'll buy that. That's a great idea honestly.

Overall, I do like your idea. I would personally enjoy this level of detail! I just think it would be information overload to the player base at large.

Because the player base isn't stupid.
And again,it is top end design.

There are 2 main criticism for 5e. One of them is that it is so attuned to making it easy to learn than once you do learn it you notice how little there is and how many holes there are. AKA it'sgo for noobs, meh for vets. Vets have to homebrew and houserule to hell out of it to keep fun.

Well if you are not supposed to start with plate and studded leather, well keep the start armor easy but make the end game armor a bit more complex so people who learn the game can have fun with it.

So Joe Newbie only has to worry about Ringmail at level 1.
John Veteran at level 6 has to ponder between Banded mail of Fire Resistance, Plate of Cold Resistance, or Splint of the Storm.

 

[mellored]

Well if you are not supposed to start with plate and studded leather, well keep the start armor easy but make the end game armor a bit more complex so people who learn the game can have fun with it.

I agree. Higher levels could use more options, at least for most of the classes.

 

[Yaarel]

This is a reformating of an earlier post.



You can choose one Armor Type for each Body Slot. If the total AC from all your Armor equals your Constitution or less, you can also add your Dexterity (Dodge) to your AC.

Torso Armor Types
+1 AC Padded (fabrics, such as wool sweater layers, gambeson, linen cuirass linothorax, leather jacket, or secured fur cloak)
+1 AC Leather (hard boiled leather forming a fish scale tunic or a solid breastplate cuirass)
+2 AC Wood (lamellar cuirass of tough tiles, such as of wood or bone)
+3 AC Chain (metal shortsleeve chain tunic)
+4 AC Scale (metal squamata tunic or cuirass of brigandine, jack-of-plate, banded segmentata, or tiled lamellar)
+4 AC Plate (metal solid cuirass, breastplate)

Limb Armor Types
+1 AC Padded (longsleeves of Padded robe down below knees)
+1 AC Leather (armguards and legguards of hard boiled leather)
+1 AC Wood (lamellar guards hanging from each shoulder to shield upper arms, and from waist to shield upper legs)
+1 AC Scale (metal banded manica protecting the offhand arm only)
+1 AC Plate (shin guard greeves extending upward above knees)
+2 AC Chain (longsleeves of Chain, and either a robe-like hauberk extending below knees, or adding pants-like chausses)
+2 AC Scale (metal long splints forming armguards and legguards)
+3 AC Plate (renaissance full plate cuirass and fully encasing limbs in metal and guarding joints)

Head Armor Type
+1 AC Helmet (metal helmet, possibly adding mask, cheek guards, visor, chain neckguard aventail or hood of chain shirt)



Each of these Armor Types can come with Armor Properties, such as Noisy or variant armors such as Elven Chain that lacks Noisy.

 

[mellored]

This is a reformating of an earlier post.



You can choose one Armor Type for each Body Slot. If the total AC from all your Armor equals your Constitution or less, you can also add your Dexterity (Dodge) to your AC.
...
Each of these Armor Types can come with Armor Properties, such as Noisy or variant armors such as Elven Chain that lacks Noisy.

Why would anyone pick anything but the highest number?