Adamantine Armor + Periapt of Wound Closure

[Necrosnoop110]

This combo seems at least decent for a frontliner? Thoughts?

Adamantine Armor = "While you're wearing it, any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit"
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/adamantine-armor

Periapt of Wound Closure = "you stabilize whenever you are dying at the start of your turn"
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/periapt-of-wound-closure

The adamantine armor would revert (auto)crits from attacks within 5' to normal damage. So if you are not killed in a round, you'd re-stabilize.

[Grey Watcher]

Assuming whatever's trying to kill you can't muster three attacks in a single round, yes, it can't kill you. But multiattack isn't that uncommon and if you're being attacked by three or more things, they can still kill you no matter how crummy their attack routine.

It's handy to not die, don't get me wrong, but it's hardly amazing since you're still on the ground being useless to everybody the whole time. If combat is still happening, you're liable to be ignored outright anyway.

Basically, it's a nice little synergy, but not especially powerful in the grand scheme of things.

[ProsecutorGodot]

For the sake of completion, I'm going to add the other two relevant rules for this combination:

Damage at 0 hit points. If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw failure. If the damage is from a critical hit, you suffer two failures instead. If the damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you suffer instant death.

Unconscious. Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.

Conclusion: My Paladin needs a set of Adamantine Armor. I already lean heavily on a Periapt of Wound Closure for my short rest healing, in the rather unlikely event that I do fall down this is a fantastic option to up my chances of staying alive.


Assuming whatever's trying to kill you can't muster three attacks in a single round, yes, it can't kill you. But multiattack isn't that uncommon and if you're being attacked by three or more things, they can still kill you no matter how crummy their attack routine.

It's handy to not die, don't get me wrong, but it's hardly amazing since you're still on the ground being useless to everybody the whole time. If combat is still happening, you're liable to be ignored outright anyway.

Basically, it's a nice little synergy, but not especially powerful in the grand scheme of things.
Worst case scenario you're eating a few extra attacks for them to kill you outright. In the ideal situation, you take those extra hits without dying and are picked up later with a low cost healing spell or feature rather than a higher level resurrection spell with costly components. The biggest issue with the combo is that it limits your choice of armor, which could turn out to be a problem if you lean on it heavily.

I could see this combination seeing some use, although you're not wrong in saying that it's mighty situational.

[Necrosnoop110]

Assuming whatever's trying to kill you can't muster three attacks in a single round, yes, it can't kill you. But multiattack isn't that uncommon and if you're being attacked by three or more things, they can still kill you no matter how crummy their attack routine.

It's handy to not die, don't get me wrong, but it's hardly amazing since you're still on the ground being useless to everybody the whole time. If combat is still happening, you're liable to be ignored outright anyway.

Basically, it's a nice little synergy, but not especially powerful in the grand scheme of things.
Agreed. Is there a third piece that could be added to the Adamantine Armor + Periapt of Wound Closure combo to make it even stronger? Is there anything you are aware of that could be preped or set up for "automatic" healing of even 1hp once you drop?

Added: If it helps my particular case Paladin 7/Sorcerer 1

[ProsecutorGodot]

Agreed. Is there a third piece that could be added to the Adamantine Armor + Periapt of Wound Closure combo to make it even stronger? Is there anything you are aware of that could be preped or set up for "automatic" healing of even 1hp once you drop?

Not really something that would be available to the typical heavy armor frontliners. The two features that come to mind that offer in combat regeneration, Survivor from Champion Fighter and Protective Spirit from Redemption Paladin, require you to have over 0 hit points and not be incapacitated respectively. Neither work while unconscious making death saves or even stabilized at 0 hit points.

The only magic item that offers over time healing is Ring of Regeneration, which also requires you to have at least 1 hit point.

The only sure method is Regenerate, a 7th level spell, that guarantees that you gain 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns for an hour.

[SociopathFriend]

This combo seems at least decent for a frontliner? Thoughts?

Adamantine Armor = "While you're wearing it, any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit"
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/adamantine-armor

Periapt of Wound Closure = "you stabilize whenever you are dying at the start of your turn"
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/periapt-of-wound-closure

The adamantine armor would revert (auto)crits from attacks within 5' to normal damage. So if you are not killed in a round, you'd re-stabilize.

Your issue of course is that a smart enemy might realize you're not quite dying and decide to part those amulets around your neck from you.
My personal workaround for that was to ask my DM if I could have an armorer crack bits free of my armor and put the amulets inside while Mending it around them.
Since they still go around the neck it theoretically still obeys the rules about wearing magic items if your DM cares about such.
If your DM finds it ludicrous that wearing a magic ring around your toe or through the nose doesn't count then you can have the amulet anywhere and be fine.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Your issue of course is that a smart enemy might realize you're not quite dying and decide to part those amulets around your neck from you.

What reason does the enemy have to suspect that it's the amulet (likely tucked underneath your adamant plate armor and not visible aside from the chain) that is making you difficult to kill? Why would they choose this particular amulet over, say, your spare holy symbol for when your shield emblazoned one isn't present? Heck, how do they even know this pendant is magic in the first place? All you have to do is wear the pendant "in the intended fashion" around your neck (this is specified in the DMG) but there are no rules that it has to be visible or that you have to parade it around for it to take effect.

The metagaming enemy is the one who finds your not outwardly visible magic item and steals it instead of not just killing you like the smart one would.

[SociopathFriend]

What reason does the enemy have to suspect that it's the amulet (likely tucked underneath your adamant plate armor and not visible aside from the chain) that is making you difficult to kill?

I'm not saying it would happen every time or the like but it's something that feasibly could happen.

I did specify smart enemy for a reason. Your random bandit on the road sure- he'd probably be dumb and unaware. But at the tier where you run around with multiple uncommon items your enemies should understand such things exist surely? And make the connection that something unusual could be traced to such?

Any conclusion a player can jump to should be just as viable for enemies. Particularly once you move up a tier where having magic items is expected.




Why would they choose this particular amulet over, say, your spare holy symbol for when your shield emblazoned one isn't present? Heck, how do they even know this pendant is magic in the first place? All you have to do is wear the pendant "in the intended fashion" around your neck (this is specified in the DMG) but there are no rules that it has to be visible or that you have to parade it around for it to take effect.

The metagaming enemy is the one who finds your not outwardly visible magic item and steals it instead of not just killing you like the smart one would.

There was no mention in the OP of hiding it either. And sure- grab the holy symbol too? The downed guy won't be doing anything for an hour and if you're in a position to be doing anything at all to him instead of fighting someone else immediately- you've time to loot. If they don't have the time then this scenario doesn't start to begin with.

However if hiding it is possible then surely the first move of an enemy that finds themselves unable to kill someone lying on the ground and helpless (because through meta game rules Coup De Grace isn't a thing) would be to search for what magic is responsible and it would be common knowledge that magic items don't have to be exposed. The obvious first things to look for would be amulets or rings.

[ProsecutorGodot]

However if hiding it is possible then surely the first move of an enemy that finds themselves unable to kill someone lying on the ground and helpless (because through meta game rules Coup De Grace isn't a thing) would be to search for what magic is responsible and it would be common knowledge that magic items don't have to be exposed. The obvious first things to look for would be amulets or rings.
This assumes that magical amulets and rings that have the very specific function of keeping you alive while worn are both common knowledge and recognizable. You'd be looked at as a maniac (or kleptomaniac) if your first solution to not stabbing them with enough holes to see the ground beneath them was to filch all of their jewelry.

It seems obvious to us, the players, because we know such items exist. In the game world, however, even common magic items are usually "rare" in most settings. Your smart enemy might quickly (not instantly) deduce that it's a magic item, rather than actual magic or just innate durability, but it sure as heck isn't the first item on their list and it's likely not even in the top 5 and they're more likely to kill you in the deduction phase than discover the item could be removed ahead of time.

Or to summarize: There isn't common knowledge of what magic items an adventurer could possibly be wearing in most settings and having that as an NPC's (or players for that matter) first assumption requires the tables knowledge of said items. I doubt even an Archmage (highly intelligent NPC) would make the incredible leap that "hmm, I definitely fireballed him and his friends but he's just not burning to a crisp like the rest of them, he must have specifically a periapt of wound closure that would prevent the lingering damage my fire causes for my enchanced spells from killing him outright since he stabilizes before taking lethal damage. I'll just take the amulet off of him and that will solve that."

Sad part is that the Archmage is totally wrong, what this Adventurer really had was a blessing from his god, Ilmater, that granted him the effects of a Periapt of Wound Closure and that stripping his body would accomplish nothing.