Mithril Bresatplate or mithril Half Plate - Help! I cant stop overthinking!

[Tangleweed]

I have the tiniest problem ever but I cant settle my mind. I feel a bit embarrassed asking, but I really cant stop thinking back and forth.

Long story short, I missed a session and my character went shopping as an excuse to be out of the story and to save some time and not need to do it during a session. She went looking for a mithral armor and to my surprise she found some. DM gave me the go ahead to choose a mithral armor. And I can´t decide if I prefer a Breast plate or Half plate, and I am also not entirely sure what my character would prefer. Oh, btw, she is a lvl6 Bardlock(5/1). Yeah yeah, i know. She just recently got the hexblade level, so any medium armor and shield will be a significant AC upgrade. And only rocking a dexmod of +1 with dex 13.

Anyway, I sort of lean towards the Breast plate as it can be hidden under other clothes. My character for sure likes to dress for different occasions and like to appear nonthreatening, so being able to bring a bit of amour in secret would be very appreciated. And an AC of 15/17 is alright when out adventuring and bringing a shield is nothing odd. She is not interested in getting into the thick of any combat anyway. But she would also like to wear armor visibly at times to be able to look more warrior like and be taken more serious by other adventurers or warriors at times. So she can just wear the breast plate on top. But then I she might as well use the half plate. And also get an additional point of AC. And paying premium gold for mithral and not get the anything for the "no disadvantage to stealth".-thing seems a bit like a waste. So the half plate would be nice like that. But the half plate is a fair bit heavier, even in mithril, and she would absolutely prefer something lighter as she is rather lazy and prefer the comfortable stuff. But with a half plate i will be less bothered by the dex 13. And so on and so forth. This is a mess, but this is how my overthinking trail of thought wanders.

Anyone wanna help me here? Have any insight or wisdom to share? I think the gist of it is that I would prefer the hideable breastplaste, as would my character, but the charactyer would not mind a half plate. But how much will the lack of 1 point of AC bugger me on the future?

Like I said, its the probably the smallest problem and decision, but I still cant get over it.

[Quietus]

I'd go for the half plate, personally. If you really wanted to go to a formal occasion, just make sure it's nicely polished and call it formal armor. Or accept that it's going to be eveningwear only. This really is a personal choice, and I like that extra +1 AC, myself. But it won't really break anything if you decide that the ability to wear your breastplate under eveningwear is more important to you.

[Silpharon]

Ha, I like this decision making conundrum! I'd recommend half plate for the point of AC and the no-stealth disadvantage. If you Google "half plate" and click on "images", I think you could have fun interpreting what it could look like for your character.

[da newt]

This is very simple: One of the parts of half plate is a breast plate. Buy the half plate. If you character ever wants to hide some armor under other clothes, they can stash the other bits somewhere.

[Martin Greywolf]

Anyway, I sort of lean towards the Breast plate as it can be hidden under other clothes.

No it can't, unless there is some bizarro ruling somewhere by someone who never had to wear a breastplate that says otherwise. Breastplate is a steel plate cuirass put on top of a padded jacket (or at a bare minimum a padded vest, although no one really did this in reality), which more or less gives you a skin that is ~5cm/2in thick. There are precious few garments that could easily hide that you suddenly have tiny arms, legs and head on a body built like a barrell.

I mean, I've seen some modern repro cuirasses that hug your form closely, but those are liable to give you a broken rib pretty much immediately when someone hits them.

https://mcishop.azureedge.net/mciassets/w_9_0056917_churburg-breastplate.png

https://armstreet.com/catalogue/full/medieval-western-knights-armor-kit-the-kings-guard.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/9b/d4/f09bd407a0174db46833793217d26ad8.jpg

So, uh, ask your DM is he's willing to politely ignore this particular reality first?

[Mr Adventurer]

No it can't, unless there is some bizarro ruling somewhere by someone who never had to wear a breastplate that says otherwise. Breastplate is a steel plate cuirass put on top of a padded jacket (or at a bare minimum a padded vest, although no one really did this in reality), which more or less gives you a skin that is ~5cm/2in thick. There are precious few garments that could easily hide that you suddenly have tiny arms, legs and head on a body built like a barrell.

I mean, I've seen some modern repro cuirasses that hug your form closely, but those are liable to give you a broken rib pretty much immediately when someone hits them.

https://mcishop.azureedge.net/mciassets/w_9_0056917_churburg-breastplate.png

https://armstreet.com/catalogue/full/medieval-western-knights-armor-kit-the-kings-guard.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/9b/d4/f09bd407a0174db46833793217d26ad8.jpg

So, uh, ask your DM is he's willing to politely ignore this particular reality first?

Yes, mithral breastplates and chain shirts can explicitly be worn under clothes. Get your "reality" outta here.

OP: I would go for the Half-plate and learn the Invocation mask of many faces, for Disguise Self at will, for any appearance-related needs.

Edit: what you should actually talk to your DM about is whether he thinks mithril should reduce the weight of the armour - currently it doesn't do so. I suggest halving it.

[TigerT20]

No it can't, unless there is some bizarro ruling somewhere by someone who never had to wear a breastplate that says otherwise. Breastplate is a steel plate cuirass put on top of a padded jacket (or at a bare minimum a padded vest, although no one really did this in reality), which more or less gives you a skin that is ~5cm/2in thick. There are precious few garments that could easily hide that you suddenly have tiny arms, legs and head on a body built like a barrell.

I mean, I've seen some modern repro cuirasses that hug your form closely, but those are liable to give you a broken rib pretty much immediately when someone hits them.

https://mcishop.azureedge.net/mciassets/w_9_0056917_churburg-breastplate.png

https://armstreet.com/catalogue/full/medieval-western-knights-armor-kit-the-kings-guard.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/9b/d4/f09bd407a0174db46833793217d26ad8.jpg

So, uh, ask your DM is he's willing to politely ignore this particular reality first?

Except mithril is stronger than iron and gives more cushioning by itself

[solidork]

I faced the same decision and decided to go with a breastplate since I wanted to be able to fly under the radar and not weigh too much for my Broom of Flying, but my character concept is primarily "magical detective" so when he's not adventuring walking around in obvious armor is exactly the wrong kind of image to present. I don't really regret it, personally, but I've got a fighting style that increases my AC and eventually enchanted the armor with +1.(Though that only makes up for the fact that I choose not to use a shield because I don't like 1h quarterstaff fighting and I'm a Shillelagh user)


No it can't, unless there is some bizarro ruling somewhere by someone who never had to wear a breastplate that says otherwise.

:smallsigh: Yeah, and Frodo getting stabbed by the Cave Troll should have still absolutely greviously wounded him just from the blunt force but mithril is magic.

[Kane0]

Half plate, because you can take parts off to be just a breastplate if required.

[solidork]

Half plate, because you can take parts off to be just a breastplate if required.

That is the kind of thing you need to ask your DM about.

[Tangleweed]

Thank you all, thats some nice input.

I know a "regular" breast plate would never fit under clothes. But as the armor is magic, in a fantasy game, made from a magical metal and the rules explicitly states that it can be worn under regular clothes me and the DM figured that it would magically(TM) adjust to be slim and flexible enough to be worn under clothes. My experience is that once you try to take reality or historical accuracy into account much of DnD breaks apart. I think of this as a very magical plate that has very little in common with a historical breastplate, apart from offering the same level of protection. That is the level of protection in the game world, not historical one.

But still, it seems the collective opinion is to go with the half plate. I already figured it could be worn at formal occasions as it is a mithril plate and pretty effing beautiful. And like Silpharon suggested, I have already googled breastplates and have a little sketch coming along with character in a dress and half plate. And thinking of it, disguise self has been her thing for most of her adventuring career, so its not to far out there to just disguise it if absolute need be. I suspect that arriving at a court bale buffed by magic is frowned upon or viewed as highly suspicious. And one extra AC is something, as is getting something for paying to remove the stealth disadvantage. We just assumed mithril ment half weight. But less weight is still less.

Da newt: is this a thing in the rules? A breast plate is a half half plate? A quarter plate? I mean, it makes sense and all, but from a rules perspective. Would be awesome if it was in the rules, but otherwise Ill make a small attempt to convince my DM. That would be like having the cake and eating it if it worked.

So, I think its a strike in favor of Half Plate. Ill just have to convince my DM that I can have a not to bulky one.

[ProsecutorGodot]

That is the kind of thing you need to ask your DM about.

If this were typical enchanted armor, I might agree, but it would be unreasonable to rule that the magical properties of the metal don't work if you're not wearing the full set of it.

If the complaint is about whether armor is "reducible" I don't exactly buy that either. You'd be hard pressed to find any (Half)Plate Armor you can actually wear that doesn't have the breastplate portion segmented out, if it wasn't worn in several parts you'd never be able to get into it.

"breast"plate is the chest portion of plate armor.

[Lorka]

It is totally reasonable that you can wear only the breastplate part of a half plate, or even full plate.

[Kane0]

That is the kind of thing you need to ask your DM about.

But I am the DM.

[Mr Adventurer]

I faced the same decision and decided to go with a breastplate

...

enchanted the armor with +1


AFAIK, technically you aren't allowed to make mithril armour +1 because it's already listed as a magic item and you can't combine magic items normally.

I imagine it's a common house rule otherwise but, again, something to check with the DM.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

AFAIK, technically you aren't allowed to make mithril armour +1 because it's already listed as a magic item and you can't combine magic items normally.

I imagine it's a common house rule otherwise but, again, something to check with the DM.

Acquisitions Incorporated have Mithral Half Plate, +1.
I think it is enough to show you can get a +x to Mithral.

[Mr Adventurer]

Acquisitions Incorporated have Mithral Half Plate, +1.
I think it is enough to show you can get a +x to Mithral.

AI is definitely a unique setting book - the most that it demonstrates is that you can get a +x to mithral in an Acquisitions Incorporated game. I mean, it's always POSSIBLE - just write "+1" next to it. But your game has its own context.

[Tangleweed]

More replies. Thank you all.

I haven't talked to DM about the possibility to "downsize" a potential half plate to a breastplate. The argument presented here makes sense. My own thought would be that an armour build with the intent to be used in combination with many barts would not function properly if only a part was used, wheras a similar part would work alone if it was intended to be used along. That, and I know my DM likes to play close by the rulebook for items and stuff. Ill ask DM, but will not be to upset if they say no.

We pretty early on decided that we would not use the AI-book. While it certainly contains interesting stuff, we felt that it was tooled for a specific kind of game. And that is was partially written as a bit of a joke.

hm... deamn it would be sweet to have a downsize-able half plate.

[da newt]

"Da newt: is this a thing in the rules? A breast plate is a half half plate? A quarter plate? I mean, it makes sense and all, but from a rules perspective. Would be awesome if it was in the rules, but otherwise Ill make a small attempt to convince my DM. That would be like having the cake and eating it if it worked."

This is not a thing that is specifically spelled out in the rules, however this is totally a thing realistically. The Breast Plate is a part of half plate and full plate armor. There is no logical reason for anyone to ever claim that it is not, or that you could not wear only a portion of half plate or full plate, but it is not spelled out as an option in the rules as far as I know. The armor descriptions on pg 144-145 of PHB describe them accurately.

[Kane0]

Although to be fair, studded leather armor is still there too...

[solidork]

AFAIK, technically you aren't allowed to make mithril armour +1 because it's already listed as a magic item and you can't combine magic items normally.

I imagine it's a common house rule otherwise but, again, something to check with the DM.

Yeah, totally. It's pretty rare that you'd get the opportunity even if your DM does allow it, my game is much higher magic than most games I've heard of and we found the sanctum of an archmage who specialized in making magic items.

I was more saying "These things unique about my game have contributed to why I'm fine with my choice, personally" rather than "you should do this".

[Greywander]

I haven't talked to DM about the possibility to "downsize" a potential half plate to a breastplate.
[...]
hm... deamn it would be sweet to have a downsize-able half plate.
It seems your DM may have already chimed in to this thread:

But I am the DM.
And here's what he had to say on the subject:

Half plate, because you can take parts off to be just a breastplate if required.
Now, if Kane0 isn't your DM then I suppose that means nothing. But he seemed to identify himself as such, so I have to assume it is so. So it sounds like you have your DM's blessing to get half-plate and downsize to just the breastplate when needed.

Also, someone mentioned it earlier in the thread, but I believe it is correct that the breastplate used in half or full plate is the same breastplate you'd use by itself. Sometimes if can be true that a piece of armor is meant to be worn with other pieces, and will be designed differently if it's not, for example, a gambeson designed to be worn under chain or plate will be thinner than one designed to be worn on its own. You could still wear the thick one under plate armor, but it might get a little hot in there, and the extra protection will probably be negligible. Likewise, a padded jack with bits of chain sewn into it is designed to be worn under plate, as the chain is strategically placed to cover the gaps in the plate armor, providing 99% of the benefits of wearing chain under your plate at a fraction of the cost/weight. But for a lot of armor, it works just as well by itself or combined with other pieces. If anything, taking pieces off is likely to work out better than trying to add pieces on.

[Tangleweed]

I was under the asumption that Kane0 was not my DM. I had never heard my DM mention this forum or use the handle Kane0. But one can never be sure enough so wrote to my DM and ask they are using the handle Kane0, and thye claims they are not. So for now, I assume that Kane0 is not the DM. Seems like a cool person though.

[Kane0]

Haha no, I’m not actually involved. I just felt the need to go one step further than ‘ask your DM’ because I am the primary DM for my group and typically answer questions like these are though I was being asked as DM.