How should I calculate the steed's AC with barding?
I would expect to calculate it as normal, that being Armor + Dex (with restriction). But this doesn't work because the mount's DEX is 12 regardless of what mount I actually summon, and the AC is 10 + Spell Level.
Should it be Armor + Spell Level? Example @ base level AC: Leather 13, Scale Mail 16, Plate 20.
Barding is armor designed for a mount. Any type of armor on the Armor table in this chapter can be purchased as barding. The cost is four times the normal cost, and it weighs twice as much.
As the 2024 Paladin Find Steed spell is the one that distates it uses the Otherworldly Steed (OS) stat block then I assume 2024 rules, these don't preclude an OS from wearing barding, they merely have to qualify as a mount. Which I would say they do so Armour AC with DEX 12 as applicable seems legit to me.
My bad, misread that. However, here is the rule of changing equipment on creatures:
You may equip monsters with additional gear however you like, using the items in “Equipment” for inspiration. You decide how much of a monster’s equipment is recoverable after the creature is slain and whether any of that equipment is still usable.
Here "You" is referring to the one reading the book (monster manual). In other words, the DM is the only one allowed to change the gear of monsters RAW. Aside from that, if the mount can wear barding the AC would not include the spell level. It would be a distinct AC calculation, and we have this SA:
Does Unarmored Defense work with a spell like Mage Armor?
Unarmored Defense doesn’t work with Mage Armor. You might be asking yourself, “Why don’t they work together? Mage Armor specifies that it works on a creature who isn’t wearing armor.” It’s true that the target of Mage Armor must be unarmored, but Mage Armor gives you a new way to calculate your AC and is therefore incompatible with Unarmored Defense or any other feature that provides an AC calculation.
How should I calculate the steed's AC with barding?
I would expect to calculate it as normal, that being Armor + Dex (with restriction). But this doesn't work because the mount's DEX is 12 regardless of what mount I actually summon, and the AC is 10 + Spell Level.
Should it be Armor + Spell Level? Example @ base level AC: Leather 13, Scale Mail 16, Plate 20.
This is not how AC formula work in D&D, you can only have one active formula for AC at any given time, Barding matches that of the armour piece which is one formular and Otherworldly Steed comes with another formula which is AC is 10 + Spell level. You can not mix and match your favourite bits of two different AC formula.
As such, Leather would be 12 (11+1 DEX), Scale Mail would be 15 (14+1DEX) and Plate would be 18 (18+0).
How should I calculate the steed's AC with barding?
I would expect to calculate it as normal, that being Armor + Dex (with restriction). But this doesn't work because the mount's DEX is 12 regardless of what mount I actually summon, and the AC is 10 + Spell Level.
Should it be Armor + Spell Level? Example @ base level AC: Leather 13, Scale Mail 16, Plate 20.
This is not how AC formula work in D&D, you can only have one active formula for AC at any given time, Barding matches that of the armour piece which is one formular and Otherworldly Steed comes with another formula which is AC is 10 + Spell level. You can not mix and match your favourite bits of two different AC formula.
As such, Leather would be 12 (11+1 DEX), Scale Mail would be 15 (14+1DEX) and Plate would be 18 (18+0).
This makes sense, thank you! I didn't think of the base AC as an alternate calculation, but you're right, that's how it should work.
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How should I calculate the steed's AC with barding?
I would expect to calculate it as normal, that being Armor + Dex (with restriction). But this doesn't work because the mount's DEX is 12 regardless of what mount I actually summon, and the AC is 10 + Spell Level.
Should it be Armor + Spell Level? Example @ base level AC: Leather 13, Scale Mail 16, Plate 20.
The otherworldly steed is not a horse and is not eligible for barding.
(2024) Barding
Barding is armor designed for a mount. Any type of armor on the Armor table in this chapter can be purchased as barding. The cost is four times the normal cost, and it weighs twice as much.
As the 2024 Paladin Find Steed spell is the one that distates it uses the Otherworldly Steed (OS) stat block then I assume 2024 rules, these don't preclude an OS from wearing barding, they merely have to qualify as a mount. Which I would say they do so Armour AC with DEX 12 as applicable seems legit to me.
Life's hard - get a helmet!
My bad, misread that. However, here is the rule of changing equipment on creatures:
Here "You" is referring to the one reading the book (monster manual). In other words, the DM is the only one allowed to change the gear of monsters RAW. Aside from that, if the mount can wear barding the AC would not include the spell level. It would be a distinct AC calculation, and we have this SA:
This is not how AC formula work in D&D, you can only have one active formula for AC at any given time, Barding matches that of the armour piece which is one formular and Otherworldly Steed comes with another formula which is AC is 10 + Spell level. You can not mix and match your favourite bits of two different AC formula.
As such, Leather would be 12 (11+1 DEX), Scale Mail would be 15 (14+1DEX) and Plate would be 18 (18+0).
This makes sense, thank you! I didn't think of the base AC as an alternate calculation, but you're right, that's how it should work.