[3.5] Why use Hide armor over Breastplate on Barbarian?

[bendking]

Titles says it all, I don't see why Hide would be the better choice.

[Demidos]

What makes you think you need to use Hide? Hide, I believe, was planned for Druid use.

[bendking]

What makes you think you need to use Hide? Hide, I believe, was planned for Druid use.

I saw a handbook saying Hide was the "Hands down best choice" for barbarians.

[sleepyphoenixx]

The only reason to ever wear hide armor is if you can't afford the 10gp more for studded leather.

[Flickerdart]

I saw a handbook saying Hide was the "Hands down best choice" for barbarians.
Handbooks aren't always right. It's important to have a thinking head on your shoulders.

Essentially, there are only 4 armours that should ever be used. Leather (most AC you can get without ACP), Chain Shirt (most AC as a light armour), Breastplate (most AC as a medium armour), and Full Plate (most AC as a heavy armour without getting into Mountain/Stone Plate nonsense). The application of special materials like mithral or dragonhide, as well as things like thistledown and feycraft, should always be considered when choosing armours - if you can make a Mithral Full Plate for a couple thousand extra GP, it's not always wise to bother with Breastplate.

[Gildedragon]

one reason for hide is: Rhino Hide Armor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicArmor.htm#rhinoHide)
an extra 2d6 damage isn't bad for an armor, esp if the user is charging a lot

[Thiyr]

I saw a handbook saying Hide was the "Hands down best choice" for barbarians.

Curious, what handbook was that?

[icefractal]

It wasn't a 4E Handbook by any chance, was it? IIRC, 4E Barbarians can get their Con to AC when wearing Hide armor.

In 3E though - no, Hide armor isn't the best for anybody. Not even Druids.

[bendking]

Curious, what handbook was that?

For some reason I can't find it right now.

[Darrin]

Some alternatives to hide armor:

Dhenuka Hide (Oriental Adventures p. 75)
Price: 30 GP
Rhino hide armor, with a better armor bonus than normal hide armor (comparable to scale mail), but Max Dex and ACP are much worse. At only 30 GP, though, a great bargain for a 1st level druid with Dex under 14 looking for something better than normal hide.

Leather Scale (A&EG p. 16)
Price: 35 GP
If you're looking for something cheap with the same armor bonus as studded leather, but can't quite afford leafweave studded leather yet, this is a pretty good deal for the price. For 1st level druids, dhenuka hide (Oriental Adventures p. 76) costs 5 GP less and has a better armor bonus (equivalent to a chain shirt), but if you have a Dex bonus higher than +1, leather scale is a better choice.

Thunderhide (Serpent Kingdoms p. 148)
Price: 25 GP
Love the name, dinosaur hide is awesomesauce, but functionally not as good as leather scale or sharkskin armor. Still, not bad for the price and a great 1st-level pick for a druid with a Dex bonus in the +2 to +5 range.

[deuxhero]

Leather (most AC you can get without ACP)

You mean masterwork studded leather.

But yeah, pretty much everything else exists for use at level 1 or as a drawback to "specific" magic armor.

[Flickerdart]

You mean masterwork studded leather.
And mithral full plate is better than breastplate. You can stack modifiers on anything to make a better option, but without that, leather is where you want to be for an ACP-free lifestyle.

[Ratatoskir]

Hide lets you, for the low low cost of a few skill points and some lower ac, wear you're enemies hides into battle. I imagine anything foe with a decent sized NA bonus could be turned into trophy armor.

[Angelalex242]

Well, a Mithril Breastplate counts as light armor for speed purposes, so if your Barbarian wants to be able to USE all of his 40 movement, he needs the breastplate.

Also, you can't use Mithril Full Plate unless you're proficient with heavy armor. It might feel like medium armor, but in reality, it's still heavy armor and requires the heavy armor proficiency...that is, fighter/cleric/paladin.

On the Full Plate end of things, though, I tend to like Adamant Full Plate better, because DR 3/- is usually better then then trying to buff my 12 dexterity to 16 to try to take advantage of a higher Max Dex.

[Sir Chuckles]

Well, a Mithril Breastplate counts as light armor for speed purposes, so if your Barbarian wants to be able to USE all of his 40 movement, he needs the breastplate.

Also, you can't use Mithril Full Plate unless you're proficient with heavy armor. It might feel like medium armor, but in reality, it's still heavy armor and requires the heavy armor proficiency...that is, fighter/cleric/paladin.

On the Full Plate end of things, though, I tend to like Adamant Full Plate better, because DR 3/- is usually better then then trying to buff my 12 dexterity to 16 to try to take advantage of a higher Max Dex.

False, in 3.5.


Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light.

If I'm not mistaken, the rule you stated only appears in Pathfinder.

[Angelalex242]

For purposes of movement and other limitations.

Doesn't say a thing about 'for purposes of proficiencies'.

But yes, I was citing Pathfinder, which is more explicit about it.

[Rubik]

For purposes of movement and other limitations.

Doesn't say a thing about 'for purposes of proficiencies'.

But yes, I was citing Pathfinder, which is more explicit about it."Other limitations" includes proficiencies, since you're limited via your proficiencies to what you can wear effectively.

[Angelalex242]

Fair enough. You don't see too many bards wearing Mithril Breastplates, though. Usually, it's Mithril Chain Shirts.

[Rubik]

Fair enough. You don't see too many bards wearing Mithril Breastplates, though. Usually, it's Mithril Chain Shirts.Bards are sneaky, and mithril chain shirts have 0 ACF.

[bekeleven]

Bards are sneaky, and mithril chain shirts have 0 ACF.

If you want to get super-RAW, so does a mithral breastplate. Mithral's +3 ACP is never stated or implied to stack with the MWK bonus, as it lacks the phrasing included in Adamantine.

[VariSami]

Hide lets you, for the low low cost of a few skill points and some lower ac, wear you're enemies hides into battle. I imagine anything foe with a decent sized NA bonus could be turned into trophy armor.

Well, MIC does have zombie hide armor... and more importantly, vampire hide armor. Let that sink in for a moment.