Druid Armor

[Crow]

I often hear references of Druids wearing a suit of Dragonhide Full-Plate.

Wouldn't this require taking a level of some class that offers heavy armor proficiency? Or burning a feat on it?

Or am I mistaken?

[BRC]

I often hear references of Druids wearing a suit of Dragonhide Full-Plate.

Wouldn't this require taing a level of some class that offers heavy armor proficiency? Or burning a feat on it?

Or am I mistaken?

You are not mistaken.

[Townopolis]

1 level of fighter grants a bonus feat, the ability to wear full plate of various materials according to your preference, and the ability to use an animated tower shield.

[seedjar]

If I'm not mistaken, there's a dragonhide full plate in the Dracominicon that's medium armor; medium and heavy armor crafted from dragonhide counts as one class lighter than ordinary items of that fashion.
~Joe

[Jack_Simth]

I often hear references of Druids wearing a suit of Dragonhide Full-Plate.

Wouldn't this require taking a level of some class that offers heavy armor proficiency? Or burning a feat on it?

Or am I mistaken?

You're not mistaken. There might be a specific Dragonhide Fullplate out there somewhere that's treated as medium, but by default, the only game-mechanical benefit of Dragonhide over regular armor is that it's a non-metal that can be treated like a metal for most armors - which means Druids can use it to make the better forms of armors.

[Talic]

I prefer glassteel for mine. Nothing like flaunting what mother nature gave you.

[Crow]

Thanks all! I thought I may have missed something, but I'm glad I had it right. I appreciate the clarification.

[Chronos]

Anyone can wear any armor at all, with or without proficiency. You just take the armor check penalty to a bunch of rolls (more than normal) if you're wearing an armor you're not proficient with. But your armor melds into your form when you wildshape, so the armor check penalty goes away, so nonproficiency wouldn't actually have an effect. Meanwhile, if the armor has the Wild property, it does still grant you its armor bonus in wildshape, even though it doesn't impose its armor check penalty.

No, this is probably not what the designers intended, and yes, it would be a good idea to houserule otherwise. But by RAW, it works.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Yeah, why are you wearing Dragonhide Full Plate? Pick up Wilding Dragonhide Dwarven Mountain Plate. Then watch the DM cry.

[Eldariel]

Yeah, why are you wearing Dragonhide Full Plate? Pick up Wilding Dragonhide Dwarven Mountain Plate. Then watch the DM cry.

Why the hell would the DM cry when he can instead banhammer your ass by just houseruling you to take -10 to all rolls? I mean, that makes more sense and that's fully within his power to do.

[senrath]

Why the hell would the DM cry when he can instead banhammer your ass by just houseruling you to take -10 to all rolls? I mean, that makes more sense and that's fully within his power to do.

Orly? Read this part:

The wearer of a suit of armor or a shield with this ability preserves his armor bonus (and any enhancement bonus) while in a wild shape. Armor and shields with this ability usually appear to be made covered in leaf patterns. While the wearer is in a wild shape, the armor cannot be seen.

Since the armor disappears without the Wild property and grants neither bonus nor penalty, sticking it with the Wild property only grants the bonus, not the penalty, since you're not actually wearing the armor anymore.

[Person_Man]

Take one level of a PrC that grants heavy armor proficiency and spellcasting progression, like Dragonslayer. Or buy Chitin heavy armor, which counts as medium armor, which Druids have proficiency in.

[Chosen_of_Vecna]

Why the hell would the DM cry when he can instead banhammer your ass by just houseruling you to take -10 to all rolls? I mean, that makes more sense and that's fully within his power to do.

It's called the Oberani fallacy for a reason. The DM can also houserule that rocks fall everyone dies, but that doesn't matter for the purposes of real discussion.