This is so funny and sad at the same time, in real life I don't know that much people who have the same interests as me but then I go online and there's people like you everywhere!
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I am the Master of Kobolds, tiny dragonsensei!I am the inventor!I am thetrickster!I am the kobold nerd! I also like haikus!
This comes up so many times it annoys me. The answer is yes. Unless you're in adventurers league, most DMs will let you wear metal armour without any problems. The PHB says that druids normally don't wear metal armour. It doesn't say they can't wear it. Studded leather armour is mostly leather, and the studs can be textured as not metal if you want. Remember that the character is yours, so make them in your vision.
I remember AD&D Druids. They were trying to make some sort of exotic nature magepriest to juxtapose against the cleric and they named it Druid. These druids didn't have much to do with anything I knew about historic Druids. And the shape changing wasn't the salient feature/power of the druid in the beginning. I think it hit at like 7th level. The other thing about druids is that, like monks, they were limited to how many there were in the upper levels. After a certain level, if the player wanted to level his character, he had to defeat the current sitting druid. Anyway, the point is that there were a lot restrictions put on the class as a sort of early attempt at balancing the classes. Cleric could armor up but couldn't use the coveted swords. They were stuck with seemingly lame maces. The Druid was to be a less tanky but more wilderness adventure versatile support character that could heal like a cleric but wasn't heavily armored and also couldn't use the coveted swords. They got scimitars - whichcome from a completely different geographic location and time in history from the actual historic druids. From this esthetic came the ban on metal for druids. It was a cluge to fix "class balance."
In the current edition, druids simply don't get access to heavy armor skill. Right there the game mechanic that is desired and the metal ban becomes pure flavor and has no game balance purpose. So, the metal ban is fluff now and free to be redacted without undue concern. And this has been done in the lore. Druids of Meiliki, for example, are free to use metal.
My take on it is that Wild Shape doesn't play so well with metal, especially ferrous metals (oddly, noble metals, gold, silver, etc. play better with WS). The consequence is that large amounts of metalic iron cannot be incorporated into Wild Shape forms. Any large metallic items carried or worn by the druid would not transform and if the Druid is wearing metal armor when they transform they will damage the armor and themselves in the attempt. This discourages the druid that wants to shape change from wearing a lot of metal armor if they want to be shapeshifting into big tanky critters.
For me this preserves the essence of the metal ban and gives a satisfying answer to why and what happens when Druids try to Wild Shape in metal armor. And thus, why you see so few of them wearing chainmail.
And now we see the final? Answer in 1D&D - Druids only get light armor so no metal armor available without multiclassing. Of course their wildshaping is nerfed under the guise of enhancement as well so they become the primal full caster and not much else.
So, to continue the debate, here is an excerpt from the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting for 3rd edition, authored in part by Ed Greenwood (the original author of this campaign setting. Which happens to be the primary campaign setting for 5th edition), published by none other than Wizards of the Coast. On page 23, is the following paragraph:
“Mielikki, who is famous for the number of druid/rangers who worship her, has more lenient spiritual oaths than most deities that druids worship in the Realms. Druids of Mielikki can use any of the standard armor or weapons that rangers normally use (all simple and martial weapons, all light and medium armor, and all shields) without violating their spiritual oaths.”
Granted this was not republished in 5th edition D&D, it is still a fully viable, plausible, and canon means to justify a Druid wearing metal armor. Thus, DM permitting, a druid can wear metal armors.
I would also like to point out that the Druid prohibition against the use of metals in armor didn’t prevent the use of metals in their weapons. In every edition of D&D, Druids have been able to use scimitars, sickles, and daggers. So the use of metal has always been an oddly sanctioned and nuanced bit of lore that seems a bit … hypocritical. They can kill with metal, but not defend themselves with metal?
I do like Solinoure’s use of too much metal interfering in the channeling of natures energy, though.
It's worth noting that the Player's Handbook states:
druids will not wear armor or use shields made of metal
It doesn't say that they "normally don't wear metal armour" which is very much changing the meaning of the text.
It doesn't say they explode or anything, and the wording states that it's definitely a choice, but it's a choice that is integral to being a druid.
There are plenty of options though for wearing heavier armor, including various non-metal substances (chitin, dragon scale etc).
Actually, it depends on the edition. If you're talking about older editions like 3e... well it says "usually" because some druids were allowed to wear metal by their gods, while all others were not. Specifically, Mielikki allowed her Druids to wear metal armor - but only that which rangers could wear. She did this because she had rangers and druids worshipping her, and more specifically, she had a whole Order that had both working together, and likely some of them multi-classed together.
Newer editions carry forth the tradition, but got rid of the ruling.
Edit: Annnd I see I'm a few days too late. To add something meaningful to the discussion... it is also possible the reason for the banning back in 3e was the way most mining operations are detrimental to the environment. So while metal is a natural thing and a part of nature, the means by which it is acquired likely offended the nature gods that druids tend to swear to.
A good compromise would be to make druids get "metal that was mined in an environmentally safe way, or was obtained from falled meteors rather than mining" sort of like how religions IRL have people eat "hallal meat". Special care taken in getting the ingredients.
I have a problem with what you are saying because if I am a Druid and follow the ways of my class for so long but then realize that my party members seem to be better protected against people with there weird metal armor than why would my character not want to wear the same my character doesn’t have to like wearing it but they should be smart enough to see that they can be better protected if they do wear it so just because it is a class thing doesn’t mean it can’t change as the character progresses through the campaign
Easy fix. Multiclass. Because then you're not just a druid. You're also a [insert class here] so you can just make your philosophical armor based decisions based on that part of your class identity. Because sure, maybe a druid won't wear metal armor. But a fighter absolutely would.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The rationale for the metal armor prohibition for druids doesn't make sense. Metal is natural--as natural as leather. Regardless, typically metal armor is for people who are engaging in melee combat. I don't think druids are designed to be melee combatants, they're primarily spellcasters. For example, druids are limited to certain weapons (e.g., they can't use swords, etc.,) that don't deal a lot of damage. IMO wearing metal armor is a DM decision. IMO one circumstance in which I'd allow a druid to wear metal armor as a DM is if a druid is joining a party going in a medium+ sized dungeon. Even then, I'm not sure I'd allow the druid to wear full (body) metal armor, but I'd need to think more about creating balance between the campaign and the party/PCs.
The rationale for the metal armor prohibition for druids doesn't make sense. Metal is natural--as natural as leather. Regardless, typically metal armor is for people who are engaging in melee combat. I don't think druids are designed to be melee combatants, they're primarily spellcasters. For example, druids are limited to certain weapons (e.g., they can't use swords, etc.,) that don't deal a lot of damage. IMO wearing metal armor is a DM decision. IMO one circumstance in which I'd allow a druid to wear metal armor as a DM is if a druid is joining a party going in a medium+ sized dungeon. Even then, I'm not sure I'd allow the druid to wear full (body) metal armor, but I'd need to think more about creating balance between the campaign and the party/PCs.
I must respectfully disagree.
While ore can be as natural as any stone, the process by which iron is refined into steel, or the existence of alloys, isn't natural. It's industry; which is anathema to druidism. As a relic of earlier editions, and a nod to folklore, iron armor interfered with a druid's spellcasting. Druids in D&D have long had an association with faeries, and–like bards–we get them from the Celts. And the sheer amount of literature on the Celts and the fair folk is staggering. Iron horseshoes, when hung above a door, were believed to repel faeries. I'm not saying everything about their inspirations make a ton of sense. The whole reason druids can wield a scimitar (a type of sword) is because they're large, curved blades–like a big sickle. It's more than a little ignorant by the early designers, and a vestige I think people nowadays take for granted, but it's the truth.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
Mostly agree except on who makes the choice. The player makes the choices for what their character chooses to do, thus this is a player choice.
The default assumption is that druids choose not to. But, your character, play em how you want. Make some counterintuitive choices, play against tropes, whatever floats your boat.
Eg. I had a stars druid who refused to wear anything other than chromed out polished steel to beter reflect the light. Not all druids are hippies.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
Mostly agree except on who makes the choice. The player makes the choices for what their character chooses to do, thus this is a player choice.
The default assumption is that druids choose not to. But, your character, play em how you want. Make some counterintuitive choices, play against tropes, whatever floats your boat.
Eg. I had a stars druid who refused to wear anything other than chromed out polished steel to beter reflect the light. Not all druids are hippies.
And this has been addressed ad nauseam.
The player makes an informed choice to abide by the druid's self-imposed restriction. If they want to deviate, then they should take it up with the DM. It isn't their decision to make unilaterally.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
Mostly agree except on who makes the choice. The player makes the choices for what their character chooses to do, thus this is a player choice.
The default assumption is that druids choose not to. But, your character, play em how you want. Make some counterintuitive choices, play against tropes, whatever floats your boat.
Eg. I had a stars druid who refused to wear anything other than chromed out polished steel to beter reflect the light. Not all druids are hippies.
And this has been addressed ad nauseam.
The player makes an informed choice to abide by the druid's self-imposed restriction. If they want to deviate, then they should take it up with the DM. It isn't their decision to make unilaterally.
The DM isn't playing their character, they are. They make the choices for them. That's how this game works on the most basic fundamental level. Players control their character. DM controls literally everything else.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
Mostly agree except on who makes the choice. The player makes the choices for what their character chooses to do, thus this is a player choice.
The default assumption is that druids choose not to. But, your character, play em how you want. Make some counterintuitive choices, play against tropes, whatever floats your boat.
Eg. I had a stars druid who refused to wear anything other than chromed out polished steel to beter reflect the light. Not all druids are hippies.
And this has been addressed ad nauseam.
The player makes an informed choice to abide by the druid's self-imposed restriction. If they want to deviate, then they should take it up with the DM. It isn't their decision to make unilaterally.
The DM isn't playing their character, they are. They make the choices for them. That's how this game works on the most basic fundamental level. Players control their character. DM controls literally everything else.
A player who chooses to play as a druid chooses to play by that restriction. They agree to it.
If they don't want to, they can play something else or talk with the DM about it. As you said, the DM controls everything else. Including what it means to be a druid. [REDACTED]
FINALLY! A fellow Pointy Hat fan.
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This is so funny and sad at the same time, in real life I don't know that much people who have the same interests as me but then I go online and there's people like you everywhere!
I am the Master of Kobolds, tiny dragon sensei! I am the inventor! I am the trickster! I am the kobold nerd! I also like haikus!
I am the maker of The Cult of Mythology Nerds!
Extended Signature! secret link!, extra secret link!
Druids Yay
I rather expect One D&D to resolve the whole druids and metal armor issue one way or another.
I remember AD&D Druids. They were trying to make some sort of exotic nature magepriest to juxtapose against the cleric and they named it Druid. These druids didn't have much to do with anything I knew about historic Druids. And the shape changing wasn't the salient feature/power of the druid in the beginning. I think it hit at like 7th level. The other thing about druids is that, like monks, they were limited to how many there were in the upper levels. After a certain level, if the player wanted to level his character, he had to defeat the current sitting druid. Anyway, the point is that there were a lot restrictions put on the class as a sort of early attempt at balancing the classes. Cleric could armor up but couldn't use the coveted swords. They were stuck with seemingly lame maces. The Druid was to be a less tanky but more wilderness adventure versatile support character that could heal like a cleric but wasn't heavily armored and also couldn't use the coveted swords. They got scimitars - whichcome from a completely different geographic location and time in history from the actual historic druids. From this esthetic came the ban on metal for druids. It was a cluge to fix "class balance."
In the current edition, druids simply don't get access to heavy armor skill. Right there the game mechanic that is desired and the metal ban becomes pure flavor and has no game balance purpose. So, the metal ban is fluff now and free to be redacted without undue concern. And this has been done in the lore. Druids of Meiliki, for example, are free to use metal.
My take on it is that Wild Shape doesn't play so well with metal, especially ferrous metals (oddly, noble metals, gold, silver, etc. play better with WS). The consequence is that large amounts of metalic iron cannot be incorporated into Wild Shape forms. Any large metallic items carried or worn by the druid would not transform and if the Druid is wearing metal armor when they transform they will damage the armor and themselves in the attempt. This discourages the druid that wants to shape change from wearing a lot of metal armor if they want to be shapeshifting into big tanky critters.
For me this preserves the essence of the metal ban and gives a satisfying answer to why and what happens when Druids try to Wild Shape in metal armor. And thus, why you see so few of them wearing chainmail.
And now we see the final? Answer in 1D&D - Druids only get light armor so no metal armor available without multiclassing. Of course their wildshaping is nerfed under the guise of enhancement as well so they become the primal full caster and not much else.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
So, to continue the debate, here is an excerpt from the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting for 3rd edition, authored in part by Ed Greenwood (the original author of this campaign setting. Which happens to be the primary campaign setting for 5th edition), published by none other than Wizards of the Coast. On page 23, is the following paragraph:
“Mielikki, who is famous for the number of druid/rangers who worship her, has more lenient spiritual oaths than most deities that druids worship in the Realms. Druids of Mielikki can use any of the standard armor or weapons that rangers normally use (all simple and martial weapons, all light and medium armor, and all shields) without violating their spiritual oaths.”
Granted this was not republished in 5th edition D&D, it is still a fully viable, plausible, and canon means to justify a Druid wearing metal armor. Thus, DM permitting, a druid can wear metal armors.
I would also like to point out that the Druid prohibition against the use of metals in armor didn’t prevent the use of metals in their weapons. In every edition of D&D, Druids have been able to use scimitars, sickles, and daggers. So the use of metal has always been an oddly sanctioned and nuanced bit of lore that seems a bit … hypocritical. They can kill with metal, but not defend themselves with metal?
I do like Solinoure’s use of too much metal interfering in the channeling of natures energy, though.
Actually, it depends on the edition. If you're talking about older editions like 3e... well it says "usually" because some druids were allowed to wear metal by their gods, while all others were not. Specifically, Mielikki allowed her Druids to wear metal armor - but only that which rangers could wear. She did this because she had rangers and druids worshipping her, and more specifically, she had a whole Order that had both working together, and likely some of them multi-classed together.
Newer editions carry forth the tradition, but got rid of the ruling.
Edit: Annnd I see I'm a few days too late. To add something meaningful to the discussion... it is also possible the reason for the banning back in 3e was the way most mining operations are detrimental to the environment. So while metal is a natural thing and a part of nature, the means by which it is acquired likely offended the nature gods that druids tend to swear to.
A good compromise would be to make druids get "metal that was mined in an environmentally safe way, or was obtained from falled meteors rather than mining" sort of like how religions IRL have people eat "hallal meat". Special care taken in getting the ingredients.
I have a problem with what you are saying because if I am a Druid and follow the ways of my class for so long but then realize that my party members seem to be better protected against people with there weird metal armor than why would my character not want to wear the same my character doesn’t have to like wearing it but they should be smart enough to see that they can be better protected if they do wear it so just because it is a class thing doesn’t mean it can’t change as the character progresses through the campaign
Easy fix. Multiclass. Because then you're not just a druid. You're also a [insert class here] so you can just make your philosophical armor based decisions based on that part of your class identity. Because sure, maybe a druid won't wear metal armor. But a fighter absolutely would.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
D&D 2024 has solved the problem by deleting the metal armor ruling and instead removing medium armor from the base druid.
yep they had to nerf us because they are jerks!
The version that isn't live may, or may not do a thing?
Tell me more.
(Don't actually, why would anyone care about an unreleased might-never-be-published ruling??)
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The rationale for the metal armor prohibition for druids doesn't make sense. Metal is natural--as natural as leather. Regardless, typically metal armor is for people who are engaging in melee combat. I don't think druids are designed to be melee combatants, they're primarily spellcasters. For example, druids are limited to certain weapons (e.g., they can't use swords, etc.,) that don't deal a lot of damage. IMO wearing metal armor is a DM decision. IMO one circumstance in which I'd allow a druid to wear metal armor as a DM is if a druid is joining a party going in a medium+ sized dungeon. Even then, I'm not sure I'd allow the druid to wear full (body) metal armor, but I'd need to think more about creating balance between the campaign and the party/PCs.
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in 2023
I must respectfully disagree.
While ore can be as natural as any stone, the process by which iron is refined into steel, or the existence of alloys, isn't natural. It's industry; which is anathema to druidism. As a relic of earlier editions, and a nod to folklore, iron armor interfered with a druid's spellcasting. Druids in D&D have long had an association with faeries, and–like bards–we get them from the Celts. And the sheer amount of literature on the Celts and the fair folk is staggering. Iron horseshoes, when hung above a door, were believed to repel faeries. I'm not saying everything about their inspirations make a ton of sense. The whole reason druids can wield a scimitar (a type of sword) is because they're large, curved blades–like a big sickle. It's more than a little ignorant by the early designers, and a vestige I think people nowadays take for granted, but it's the truth.
But this one actually does. The druids in the 2014 PH, whether out of tradition or honest belief, elect not to wear metal armor. The DM is always free to adjust that for their own games, but the core book shouldn't make those assumptions. It needs to take a stand on some issues, and this was one of them.
The answer is yes. You will have the same effects (higher AC), but you’ll have disadvantage on stealth and athletics checks.
DM: “Who’s your patron?”
Warlock: “Ummm”
DM: “Hurry Up”
Warlock: “yOu”
*All other players look at each other with utter fear*
__________________________________________________________________________________
Check out my homebrew: My Homebrew
Mostly agree except on who makes the choice. The player makes the choices for what their character chooses to do, thus this is a player choice.
The default assumption is that druids choose not to. But, your character, play em how you want. Make some counterintuitive choices, play against tropes, whatever floats your boat.
Eg. I had a stars druid who refused to wear anything other than chromed out polished steel to beter reflect the light. Not all druids are hippies.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
And this has been addressed ad nauseam.
The player makes an informed choice to abide by the druid's self-imposed restriction. If they want to deviate, then they should take it up with the DM. It isn't their decision to make unilaterally.
The DM isn't playing their character, they are. They make the choices for them. That's how this game works on the most basic fundamental level. Players control their character. DM controls literally everything else.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
A player who chooses to play as a druid chooses to play by that restriction. They agree to it.
If they don't want to, they can play something else or talk with the DM about it. As you said, the DM controls everything else. Including what it means to be a druid. [REDACTED]