Jump check penalties in heavy armour

[caden_varn]

You get a -6 penalty for jump checks per 10 feet less than 30 your speed is, and also an armour check penalty.

So I guess RAW, a human in medium or heavy armour (speed reduced to 20 feet) takes a penalty of 6 +ACP (so between 9 and 13 depending on the armour), which seems a bit harsh (if realistic, but this is a game where you can swim in plate mail...). At low levels, a fighter is going to be lucky to get jump of 0 even if he puts max ranks into jump.

So - is this correct? And is this something you would houserule to make it a bit easier on the poor melee types? If so, what do people think is sensible?

[KillianHawkeye]

That's correct. The penalties are seperate.

[Drglenn]

(if realistic, but this is a game where you can swim in plate mail...).
Also with great difficulty (2x Armour Check penalty) meaning, again you'd be lucky to get 0 at level 1 and maybe a few levels after

[Gurgeh]

It's pretty harsh, yes, but it's also a lot easier to overcome than ACP. Anything that boosts your base land speed back up to 30+ (spells like Haste, Expeditious Retreat, or Longstrider; class features like those of the Monk or Dervish) will get rid of the problem.

[Big Fau]

(class features like those of the Monk or Dervish) will get rid of the problem.

The Monk's speed bonus, like the rest of it's class features, specifies Unarmored only. The Dervish's bonus applies only in Light or No Armor, thus rendering the whole Jump problem a moot point anyway.


Really, the only class feature that provides a speed bonus in Medium or better is the Barbarian, and that's only up to Medium.

[Gurgeh]

That's only if the speed reduction is due to heavy armour; if you're moving at 20ft because you're small or a dwarf, those boosts will be very handy if you need to jump for any reason.

[Cog]

Really, the only class feature that provides a speed bonus in Medium or better is the Barbarian, and that's only up to Medium.
It's worth noting that Knight provides an effective speed bonus in first medium armor and later in heavy, by instead removing the speed penalty.

[Seharvepernfan]

I think that, balance-wise, its fine as is. Melee types shine in the first few levels due to high ac and the ability to drop most enemies in one hit. Light, unarmored types typically cant stomach more than one hit before dropping, if that, so I think the ability to get and keep away from melee types is something the lighter types deserve.

Also, I see it as very realistic.

[Tenebris]

Also, I see it as very realistic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm11yAXeegg&feature=related
:smallsigh:

[CheshireCatAW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm11yAXeegg&feature=related
:smallsigh:

That's right. So with plenty of preparation, someone can do a single cartwheel at a time and push ups. Not demonstrated is jumping and swimming, as have been mentioned, however. The real evidence of D&D realism would be comparing how well he can jump and swim in and out of the armor and then seeing if the penalty is accurate.

Personally, I think it is.

(This is not meant to diminish what the guy in the video has done. That's still pretty awesome)

[Tenebris]

Personally, I think it is.

Very little, actually. It's practically impossible to swim in anything heavier-than-water. And yet padded armor cripples your in-combat mobility as much as full plate, if not more (though 0 penalty in D&D). On the other hand it's surely much easier to move silently in it :smallwink:

It's mostly about the weight that makes it hard to jump in the full plate. Tumble on the other hand is OK, since your movement would not be crippled as much as most people think.

It's just much easier to create some kind of fictional armor check penalty than analyze dozen of parameters of armor each time it matters. It's hell no realistic at all, but otherwise fine for me. It's just a game after all...

[Big Fau]

For the record, even heavy armor isn't going to hinder a 10th level character, let alone a 20th level one. It's easily possible to make checks that break the laws of physics (or even the rules of the game, as the Jumplomancer build proves). Armor check penalties are unnecessary as a result, since you can either work around it or purchase something to remove the armor with a swift action.

[ericgrau]

It's a level 1-3 fighter in full plate. Averaging 10 feet on a jump is more than reasonable; it's excessive perhaps. Later it's crazy easy to get a ridiculously high jump modifier regardless of armor.