How powerful is a Druid in Half Plate?

[suplee215]

Hello, this is yet another question about the druid and their unique restriction to wearing metal armor. But this is not about whether or not a druid can wear metal armor and what penalty is there for it. I personally am under the impression the restriction is for flavor whether than balance and was wondering how powerful a druid will be if they were allowed to gain armor equal to half plate. As it stands a druid (not counting magic items or multi classing options) can get an AC of 12+dex modifier (both Hide and Studded leather armor has that, with Studded Leather lacking a cap). So with half plate (15+dex to a max of 17 AC) armor be too powerful for a full caster? This is not taking into consideration a magic item such as Dragon Scale Mail that can be used. Again, my question is more about the mechanical level and not about how a DM or player could find a way to bend this rule (it'll be super easy to say a druid used magic to make a suit out of stone and not metal or something).

[8wGremlin]

Hello, this is yet another question about the druid and their unique restriction to wearing metal armor. But this is not about whether or not a druid can wear metal armor and what penalty is there for it. I personally am under the impression the restriction is for flavor whether than balance and was wondering how powerful a druid will be if they were allowed to gain armor equal to half plate. As it stands a druid (not counting magic items or multi classing options) can get an AC of 12+dex modifier (both Hide and Studded leather armor has that, with Studded Leather lacking a cap). So with half plate (15+dex to a max of 17 AC) armor be too powerful for a full caster? This is not taking into consideration a magic item such as Dragon Scale Mail that can be used. Again, my question is more about the mechanical level and not about how a DM or player could find a way to bend this rule (it'll be super easy to say a druid used magic to make a suit out of stone and not metal or something).

I play a Tortle druid in Adventures League (AL) with a shield I'm AC=19, no one has mentioned that it is Over Powered (OP)
There are many races that have some kind of AC built in. Plus Clerics and some warlocks can wear heavy armour, so no armour wearing full casters are fine.

tl/dr: I don't think letting your druids run around in half plate is really anything to worry about.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Not any more powerful than a Valor Bard or a Cleric 1 / Wizard X in plate. I don't see it being much of an issue.

[JNAProductions]

Considering a Druid has a lot of power wrapped up in Wildshape, which supersedes your normal AC...

I don't see much of an issue.

[No brains]

I think the can of worms really gets opened when the druid buys a set of barding for their favorite wildshape form.

Rather than considering the logistics of a quetzalcouatlus in half-plate shooting people with the cannon/ballista it can lift in its talons, the devs just decided: "Druids don't like metal. The world is more sane this way."

[JNAProductions]

I think the can of worms really gets opened when the druid buys a set of barding for their favorite wildshape form.

Rather than considering the logistics of a quetzalcouatlus in half-plate shooting people with the cannon/ballista it can lift in its talons, the devs just decided: "Druids don't like metal. The world is more sane this way."

They'd have to spend ten minutes (and probably get help) getting dressed, though. Which means that, before Natural Spell comes online, they get no spells.

Moreover, they can already get Studded Leather Barding.

[darknite]

The answer to this question is, "Usually harder to hit than a Druid not wearing Half Plate."

[airless_wing]

The answer to this question is, "Usually harder to hit than a Druid not wearing Half Plate."

Yeah, basically. My druid just acquired some magic (non metal) armor and has 19 AC with their wooden shield. Considering how many Concentration spells in the Druid's kit, the extra bit of AC has been huge in avoiding those con saving throws. I never wild shape for combat though, so I don't know if it would make a difference for a moon druid.

[No brains]

They'd have to spend ten minutes (and probably get help) getting dressed, though. Which means that, before Natural Spell comes online, they get no spells.

Moreover, they can already get Studded Leather Barding.

Depending on the strats, an aurochs in armor might be as valuable as a mouse calling lightning. Also metal armors on animals would be like casting Barkskin without the chance of losing concentration.

Also does studded leather armor not count as metal? I would have though metal was enough of a component to make a difference.

[Man_Over_Game]

To be fair, Druids have more synergy with armor than most casters do. They're reliant on Concentration spells for most of their effects, and they're often limited in range (they have very few spells that extend past 60 feet, most shorter than that). They also have lots of passive abilities that'd work well on a front-liner.

That being said, I don't see why it'd be any stronger than a Cleric wearing metal armor, and Clerics have access to Heavy Armor.

Basically, it's good, but not "Tempest Cleric" good.

[Willie the Duck]

So with half plate (15+dex to a max of 17 AC) armor be too powerful for a full caster? This

'Too powerful' is probably the wrong metric to bring to bear. 'What does this free up?' is probably a better question. If you've ever had a player say, "Hmmm. Lore bard/Fae Warlock looks tempting, but I don't want to quick-build to a 20 Dex, and I don't want to feel that vulnerable. I'm going to pick valor bard/hexblade, even though I don't really think I'll be doing much weapon-attacking," then this is the design-space you are looking at with this change. This version of a druid, simply put, doesn't have to go through whatever hoops they were going to have to jump through to get a moderately survivable druid (be that dragonscale, being a tortle, playing a moon druid even though you didn't intend to do the 'melee damage sponge' routine, or simply be really good at staying in the back line). That might open up some player decisions, and given that (especially non-moon-) druids aren't all that popular, possibly a good thing. However, it is a pretty straightforward boost, so you should think long and hard about what it incentivizes. My main concern is that it would probably not peel off those people already playing 'traditional optimal' things like sorcadins or wizards or GWM/PAM/Sentinel melee guys or stuff like that, but simply shift potential glamour bards and knowledge clerics and other 'support' types over to shepherd or land druids (which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing, just possibly not the expected outcome).

[GlenSmash!]

If my math is right, half as powerful as a druid in full plate. :smallwink:

[Dessunri]

Depending on the strats, an aurochs in armor might be as valuable as a mouse calling lightning. Also metal armors on animals would be like casting Barkskin without the chance of losing concentration.

Also does studded leather armor not count as metal? I would have though metal was enough of a component to make a difference.

I've allowed druids at my table to use studed leather armor. we just flavor it as the studs are oak or ebony wood instead of metal.

[Willie the Duck]

Also does studded leather armor not count as metal? I would have though metal was enough of a component to make a difference.

The 5e description of Studded Leather is: "Made from tough but flexible leather, studded leather is reinforced with close-set rivets or spikes." Given that 'spikes' do not have to be made out of metal (I guess rivets either, but that's pretty out there) is apparently enough wiggle room to make it unclear. No previous edition of the game considered Studded Leather as nonmetallic, but that's not really binding anyways.

As I'm sure someone else will mention, studded leather isn't really a historical form of armor. Or, more specifically, it is a misrepresentation of the external/artistic representation of other types of armor such as brigandine -- which absolutely was metal armor, but also was worn over aketon and maile, was medium-to-heavy armor, and was quite a bit different from how we think of studded leather or light armor overall.

[Man_Over_Game]

As I'm sure someone else will mention, studded leather isn't really a historical form of armor. Or, more specifically, it is a misrepresentation of the external/artistic representation of other types of armor such as brigandine -- which absolutely was metal armor, but also was worn over aketon and maile, was medium-to-heavy armor, and was quite a bit different from how we think of studded leather or light armor overall.

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[Sigreid]

Game balance isn't the reason for them being restricted. If your table wants to allow some form of half plate for druids, either metal or other, it'll be fine.