Campaign without heaviest armors

[Breashios]

Started new campaign in early mid Viking like era. Have eliminated plate, splint and half plate armor options. My question is: What classes and monster groups is this going to impact most? And should anything be done to compensate? My players are happy with the whole idea. They are playing a Moon Druid, Barbarian and Ranger. Well there is a fourth player, a four year old, but she plays a big cat, so is happy she doesn't have to knock over any giant metal cans I guess.

[Laserlight]

Started new campaign in early mid Viking like era. Have eliminated plate, splint and half plate armor options. My question is: What classes and monster groups is this going to impact most?

Strength builds that use heavy armor, which off the top of my head is Fighter, Paladin, and some Clerics.

Not a lot of monsters, I wouldn't think. Amusingly, even Animated Armor's AC18 isn't "plate" but "natural armor".

I would consider making Dwarf-wrought, riveted, or double chain available, to give the heavy fighters access to the expected ACs. Or don't--in that period, most guys would want a shield and wouldn't have halberds, so a DEX build would be appropriate.

[stoutstien]

heavy armor could still exist it would just be stuff like king's mail (look that stuff up it is crazy protective for chain mail but heavy as sin).

[nickl_2000]

A Moon Druid, Ranger, Barbarian, and cat won't be wearing heavy armor. So, the only thing you need to worry about is half-plate. You can easily compensate for that by either allowing them to buy some armor with half-plate AC fluffed to fit the campaign or allow them to buy a custom magic item that costs the same as half-plate o even out the armor.

As for NPCs, there isn't a lot you need to worry about. You can describe the armor they are wearing however you like and give them whatever AC you like. It's not like the players are going to see your stat blocks. Just let them keep their normal AC and describe it differently.

[sophontteks]

This really hurts non-barb strength builds. Instead, maybe just re-flavor the armor to be more appropriate of the age. Heavy armor is not well-represented in the game's mechanics anyway.

[Arkhios]

Meh. Chainmail is only 2 points lower in AC than a plate armor. Chainmail is Heavy armor. You want higher AC, use a shield. Better yet, use spells to increase it.

But, if the DM wants to bring it up a notch, consider making magic armor more readily available. In a viking era (or viking-esque setting) you could flavor these magic armors as heirlooms from heroes of the past - or even the demigods, which seem to have been fairly common in viking mythology (namely Ragnar Lodbrok who was said to have been descendant of Odin; which actually raises an interesting thought: what if the gods of old actually did walk among their servants once, but as their bloodline diluted more and more, they became the subject of legend and became godlike in the eyes of even their more mortal descendants being able to accomplish a wide array of mythical things, unlike mortal men).

[stoutstien]

Could also add a few different kinds of shields to make up the Lost ground.

[Breashios]

As for NPCs, there isn't a lot you need to worry about. You can describe the armor they are wearing however you like and give them whatever AC you like. It's not like the players are going to see your stat blocks. Just let them keep their normal AC and describe it differently.

Good point. I was just worried the enemy captains being easier to hit might make for less differentiation in encounters, but that won't be a problem then. Thanks.

So there might be charms that could be granted that would give higher AC for one battle even the characters could acquire at times. Single use runic baubles...

[Max_Killjoy]

This really hurts non-barb strength builds. Instead, maybe just re-flavor the armor to be more appropriate of the age. Heavy armor is not well-represented in the game's mechanics anyway.

Armor isn't well-represented in the game's mechanics... :smallbiggrin:

[sophontteks]

Armor isn't well-represented in the game's mechanics... :smallbiggrin:
Yeah, that's the real truth.

Here's the thing with the OP. Armor wasn't well-represented when someone could rival the AC of heavy armor with dex alone. With this change, players wearing heavy armor will be pretty significantly less protected then someone in light armor.

[BloodOgre]

Splint doesn't necessarily mean metal. The splint could be carved bone or hardwood. Tortoise shell might also be available.

I agree that 5e's treatment of armor is overly simplified and does not stand up to reality.

[Malbrack]

Studded Leather with +5 DEX bonus = 17 AC
Chain Mail (The "best" if you remove Half Plate, Splint, and Plate) = 16 AC

That seems silly to me.

I would cap DEX bonus to AC (for no armor and for light armor) at +3. That way Studded Leather with high DEX would only be 15 AC. To help balance it out, you could make it where shields are 3 AC instead of 2.

[Maan]

As others said, just flavor heavy armor as being a full chain maille with added protections on top of it.

A lamellar or scale cuirass plus splint vambraces and greaves could be the equivalent of plate armor, maybe worn on top of double chain maille (thicker and heavier chain).
For slightly lighter heavy armors you could use hardened leather lamellar or shaped boiled leather vambraces and greaves instead of iron; bronze lamellar and scale cuirasses worn over chain are also something attested in that period.

Better doing a bit of research about this and come up with something reasonably plausible than having to rework the whole game balance.

[JackPhoenix]

Studded Leather with +5 DEX bonus = 17 AC
Chain Mail (The "best" if you remove Half Plate, Splint, and Plate) = 16 AC

That seems silly to me.

I would cap DEX bonus to AC (for no armor and for light armor) at +3. That way Studded Leather with high DEX would only be 15 AC. To help balance it out, you could make it where shields are 3 AC instead of 2.

Well, why do you think vikings in movies wear biker jackets with few metal studs here and there?

[sophontteks]

Vikings had access to armor from across the globe thanks to their extensive trade and work as foreign mercenaries. You can re-flavor plate as lamellar, or even scale. Viking mercenaries working for the Byzantine Empire could be returning home with the heaviest armor of the time.

[Angelalex242]

Alternatively, at the times when Paladins/Fighters/Clerics should be getting full plate, the 'smiths of the Gods' grant them armor that looks like chain but has the AC of plate, and as they do worthy deeds, it gets plusses. "Whosoever wears this armor, if he be worthy, shall be as tough as Thor!"

[Dankus Memakus]

I would like to say, you could change splint to lamellar armor. It was super rare in Western Europe at that time but people did occasionally get their hands on it. Would lessen the problem a bit