Updated: Better Armor Ideas
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drowdude
First Post
Re: Better Armor Ideas
Pretty sure that was me
Actually I just raised medium & heavy by 2. So Full Plate would be +10 for example.
Although I do like the idea of making each armor type seperated by 2 points.
Those price bumps seem more than reasonable. That will keep lower level PCs from getting their hands on the heavier armors for a little longer.
The base price becomes inconsequental at higher levels anyway.
Wolf72 said:
Pretty sure that was me
Wolf72 said:
Actually I just raised medium & heavy by 2. So Full Plate would be +10 for example.
Although I do like the idea of making each armor type seperated by 2 points.
Wolf72 said:
Those price bumps seem more than reasonable. That will keep lower level PCs from getting their hands on the heavier armors for a little longer.
The base price becomes inconsequental at higher levels anyway.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
This will depend to a great extent on the availability of magic items and the orientation of your players (defensive or offensive).
If your campaign is considerably lower magic than the DMG standard world where most 6th level NPC fighters have magic fullplate, this will probably not effect the balance too much. On the other hand, if your campaign follows DMG standard treasure, you can probably expect to see characters like the following ones at 12th level:
Pal 1/Clr 11
Dex 10, +3 fullplate, +2 large shield, Amulet of Natural Armor +2, Persistent Shield of Faith: AC 34
Ftr 1/Wiz 7/Spellsword4
Dex 14 (18 cat's grace), +3 mithril breastplate, Persistent Shield Spell, Persistent protection from evil spell, amulet of natural armor +1, +2 animated large shield: AC 38
And that's before Expertise, Dodge feats, Haste spells, cloaks of displacement, etc.
Under core rules, it's pretty easy to use magical heavy and medium armors to create characters who are very hard to hit. Adding additional armor bonusses to the mix would encourage this further. Whether or not that's a good thing depends upon how defensively minded your players already are. . . .
If your campaign is considerably lower magic than the DMG standard world where most 6th level NPC fighters have magic fullplate, this will probably not effect the balance too much. On the other hand, if your campaign follows DMG standard treasure, you can probably expect to see characters like the following ones at 12th level:
Pal 1/Clr 11
Dex 10, +3 fullplate, +2 large shield, Amulet of Natural Armor +2, Persistent Shield of Faith: AC 34
Ftr 1/Wiz 7/Spellsword4
Dex 14 (18 cat's grace), +3 mithril breastplate, Persistent Shield Spell, Persistent protection from evil spell, amulet of natural armor +1, +2 animated large shield: AC 38
And that's before Expertise, Dodge feats, Haste spells, cloaks of displacement, etc.
Under core rules, it's pretty easy to use magical heavy and medium armors to create characters who are very hard to hit. Adding additional armor bonusses to the mix would encourage this further. Whether or not that's a good thing depends upon how defensively minded your players already are. . . .
Malin Genie
First Post
One of the problems I see with that approach is mithril armour, by which means you can get medium armour that doesn't affect mobility, or heavy armour that only mildly restricts it; thus cancelling out the balance struck between mobility and AC.
Wolf72
Explorer
Uses mighty DM smite ...
um yeah I tend to be a bit heavy handed when it comes to not allowing or giving out magic items and treasure ... if they do get lots of money there's usually not much to buy.
a suit of mithral or adamantine would be very hard to come by (if I used such a rule)
um yeah I tend to be a bit heavy handed when it comes to not allowing or giving out magic items and treasure ... if they do get lots of money there's usually not much to buy.
a suit of mithral or adamantine would be very hard to come by (if I used such a rule)
Spyritwind
First Post
I bumped Chainmail, Breastplate and all heavy armors up one AC. I then added Lamilar and Brigadine at AC 5 expanding the medium armor selection. I also added light hide, light scale and coribouli.
A different thing to add
Here's a different way to encourage wearing medium/heavy armor (that's really the point here, isn't it?):
Medium armor confers DR 1/-
Heavy armor confers DR 2/-
The idea is that while light armor gives certain advantages that heavier armors just don't give (mobility, mainly), the heavier armors should also give something that light ones just don't, something which will me valuable even at higher levels where various Dex-boosters make heavier armors obsolete. And, yes, even one point of DR is significant; I'd say it avoids something like 10%-20% of all damage without creating problems with 'un-hittable' opponents as I think the suggestion above would lead to at lower levels.
Comment on mithral: Eating your cake and having it too (or however it goes
) In many cases just too good to be true.
Here's a different way to encourage wearing medium/heavy armor (that's really the point here, isn't it?):
Medium armor confers DR 1/-
Heavy armor confers DR 2/-
The idea is that while light armor gives certain advantages that heavier armors just don't give (mobility, mainly), the heavier armors should also give something that light ones just don't, something which will me valuable even at higher levels where various Dex-boosters make heavier armors obsolete. And, yes, even one point of DR is significant; I'd say it avoids something like 10%-20% of all damage without creating problems with 'un-hittable' opponents as I think the suggestion above would lead to at lower levels.
Comment on mithral: Eating your cake and having it too (or however it goes
) In many cases just too good to be true.
Wolf72
Explorer
A small DR rating like that is a good idea: rules easy and easy to implement.
not sure if uppin the AC is that overpowering ... medium armor only jumps by 2 points (is there that much difference between 36 and 38?). Heavy armor (my mod) is significantly better, but ... is there a but? ... with a price increase only those of higher lvl will be able to afford it (at low levels anyway).
one of these days I'm gonna need to playtest this idea (the DR also)
not sure if uppin the AC is that overpowering ... medium armor only jumps by 2 points (is there that much difference between 36 and 38?). Heavy armor (my mod) is significantly better, but ... is there a but? ... with a price increase only those of higher lvl will be able to afford it (at low levels anyway).
one of these days I'm gonna need to playtest this idea
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