I’m wondering why you think it’s overpowered? Think of 2 commoners fighting - neither is really proficient with their weapons (daggers) or defending themselves so they both miss half the time (AC 10 out of a 1-20 attack roll). Now put one in platemail - they aren’t proficient so they get disadvantage on attacks but are they 40% (5%*8 steps) less likely to take significant damage? I would think so, add a shield and it should be almos impossible to injure them if you have no real skill either. Why do PCs hit thru it? Welcome to proficiency with their weapons.
Fighter - "Good luck hitting me with a Spell Attack! Not only do I have a Shield, but I'm also in Plate Mail!!"
Enemy Spellcasting NPC - "How's your Intelligence Save?"
Fighter - "Well hell....can we pick this up when I'm 9th Level?"
That is one very specific example but Plate Mail, whilst awesome, very much protects you from one kind of method of attack
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I just wanted to elaborate on why I believe plate mail is OP is because it has an Ac of 18 and if you just use a sheild thats is an Ac of 20 which is really high and makes it very difficult to be hit by enemies
I just wanted to elaborate on why I believe plate mail is OP is because it has an Ac of 18 and if you just use a sheild thats is an Ac of 20 which is really high and makes it very difficult to be hit by enemies
It also has a high cost and is the means that classes able to wear it (fighters, paladins, and heavy armor proficient clerics) are able to control the frontline so the squishier members of the party can survive in the mid- and back lines. Nothing OP about that. Front liners should have the defense necessary to survive. At higher levels of play, the attack bonus can still make it easy enough to pass through AC
I just wanted to elaborate on why I believe plate mail is OP is because it has an Ac of 18 and if you just use a sheild thats is an Ac of 20 which is really high and makes it very difficult to be hit by enemies
That's sort of the point of the armor.... It's also why it's not advisable starting armor. This is one of those feature not bugs things.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Against a Goblin with their +4 to hit, giving them a 35% chance to hit you? Sure, it's a tad overpowered.
Against a Tarrasque with its +19 to hit, giving them a virtually guaranteed hit? Even a +3 plate armour won't be feeling like a lot of good to you.
Now it makes sense why it costs 1,500gp - too much to buy for when a Goblin might be a threat and it would be OP, while being pocket change when you're challenging yourself against a Tarrasque and it's useless.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I just wanted to elaborate on why I believe plate mail is OP is because it has an Ac of 18 and if you just use a sheild thats is an Ac of 20 which is really high and makes it very difficult to be hit by enemies
+1 to AC is only a 5% reduction in being hit. That makes a statistically significant difference, but not an overpowered one - especially when you take into account you have to jump through a number of hoops to unlock it—you need to hit a strength requirement, invest a feat or be a class which can use it, be willing to put up with stealth disadvantage, pay the cost to obtain it, and carry its rather weighty self.
Further, monster attack bonuses scale very aggressively. At mid to high levels, you’ll still get hit with a degree of regularity.
All told, on a level 1 character, perhaps - but at the levels you are more likely to see Plate, it is pretty reasonable.
Plate armor isn't overpowered as long as it's worn by a fighter or some other front-line melee-type. What's overpowered is all they ways that you can stack plate armor + shield + blur spell + shield spell, etc. The armor itself isn't the issue, the real issue is that it's too easy to stack multiple AC boosting armor, abilities, and spells.
They really need to go back to the days of defensive spells not working while wearing any armor.
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Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
I don’t believe Plate Mail is OP at all but I’m a native to D&D since AD&D 2nd Ed. The only way I can see it being interpreted as OP is under the idea that you should have X Defense (Armor Class, Hit Points, Saves, etc.) at any particular level. But D&D really doesn’t operate under that thinking for the players.
Plate armor isn't overpowered as long as it's worn by a fighter or some other front-line melee-type. What's overpowered is all they ways that you can stack plate armor + shield + blur spell + shield spell, etc. The armor itself isn't the issue, the real issue is that it's too easy to stack multiple AC boosting armor, abilities, and spells.
They really need to go back to the days of defensive spells not working while wearing any armor.
I mean, Blur ties up your concentration and the only class that has the potential to natively access that combo is Eldritch Knight, which has very few spell slots. Plus as you get farther into the game you get more enemies with double digit attack roll mods or save attacks, so it's hardly a magic win button.
I’m playing a plate+shield fighter right now; he still gets hit regularly. Plus I have to walk around afraid of heat metal and rust monsters. While all these other people in their leather just skip along, completely oblivious.
I don't understand the problem this game has with the idea that armour actually works and prevents you from getting injured.
I'd like to see all ACs from mundane armour increased by at least +4 across the board, or else all monster attacks decreased by their (presumed) proficiency bonus--i.e. that goblin swinging a +4 to hit (excessive!) now only has a +2, and thus only a 25% chance to injure our boy in full plate. Even that 25% is still too often, IMO.
Frankly, the supposedly best mundane armour in the game is woefully underpowered.
Well, in medieval times a knight in full plate armour was the equivalent of a main battlefield tank today, a trained fighter able to lay waste to lightly armoured enemies with impunity. I kinda agree that against low-level enemies its even underpowered as it stands. There is also an argument that it should enable you to withstand significantly more damage, if you look at how hit points are usually interpreted…
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Netherlands, GMT +1 // “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” — Bruce Lee
Small thing but does anyone else wish the polls would show how many votes in total had been cast?
Just move your mouse's arrow over the % result and you will see the number of votes.
*Cries in mobile*
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I personally think plate mail is OP but I was wondering what other people though of this so give your answers in the poll.
Maybe elaborate on what exactly it is you think makes it OP?
I’m wondering why you think it’s overpowered? Think of 2 commoners fighting - neither is really proficient with their weapons (daggers) or defending themselves so they both miss half the time (AC 10 out of a 1-20 attack roll). Now put one in platemail - they aren’t proficient so they get disadvantage on attacks but are they 40% (5%*8 steps) less likely to take significant damage? I would think so, add a shield and it should be almos impossible to injure them if you have no real skill either. Why do PCs hit thru it? Welcome to proficiency with their weapons.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Fighter - "Good luck hitting me with a Spell Attack! Not only do I have a Shield, but I'm also in Plate Mail!!"
Enemy Spellcasting NPC - "How's your Intelligence Save?"
Fighter - "Well hell....can we pick this up when I'm 9th Level?"
That is one very specific example but Plate Mail, whilst awesome, very much protects you from one kind of method of attack
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
I just wanted to elaborate on why I believe plate mail is OP is because it has an Ac of 18 and if you just use a sheild thats is an Ac of 20 which is really high and makes it very difficult to be hit by enemies
It also has a high cost and is the means that classes able to wear it (fighters, paladins, and heavy armor proficient clerics) are able to control the frontline so the squishier members of the party can survive in the mid- and back lines. Nothing OP about that. Front liners should have the defense necessary to survive. At higher levels of play, the attack bonus can still make it easy enough to pass through AC
That's sort of the point of the armor.... It's also why it's not advisable starting armor. This is one of those feature not bugs things.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Against a Goblin with their +4 to hit, giving them a 35% chance to hit you? Sure, it's a tad overpowered.
Against a Tarrasque with its +19 to hit, giving them a virtually guaranteed hit? Even a +3 plate armour won't be feeling like a lot of good to you.
Now it makes sense why it costs 1,500gp - too much to buy for when a Goblin might be a threat and it would be OP, while being pocket change when you're challenging yourself against a Tarrasque and it's useless.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
+1 to AC is only a 5% reduction in being hit. That makes a statistically significant difference, but not an overpowered one - especially when you take into account you have to jump through a number of hoops to unlock it—you need to hit a strength requirement, invest a feat or be a class which can use it, be willing to put up with stealth disadvantage, pay the cost to obtain it, and carry its rather weighty self.
Further, monster attack bonuses scale very aggressively. At mid to high levels, you’ll still get hit with a degree of regularity.
All told, on a level 1 character, perhaps - but at the levels you are more likely to see Plate, it is pretty reasonable.
Plate armor isn't overpowered as long as it's worn by a fighter or some other front-line melee-type. What's overpowered is all they ways that you can stack plate armor + shield + blur spell + shield spell, etc. The armor itself isn't the issue, the real issue is that it's too easy to stack multiple AC boosting armor, abilities, and spells.
They really need to go back to the days of defensive spells not working while wearing any armor.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
I don’t believe Plate Mail is OP at all but I’m a native to D&D since AD&D 2nd Ed. The only way I can see it being interpreted as OP is under the idea that you should have X Defense (Armor Class, Hit Points, Saves, etc.) at any particular level. But D&D really doesn’t operate under that thinking for the players.
Edit: Armor Class 0 baby!
I mean, Blur ties up your concentration and the only class that has the potential to natively access that combo is Eldritch Knight, which has very few spell slots. Plus as you get farther into the game you get more enemies with double digit attack roll mods or save attacks, so it's hardly a magic win button.
I’m playing a plate+shield fighter right now; he still gets hit regularly.
Plus I have to walk around afraid of heat metal and rust monsters. While all these other people in their leather just skip along, completely oblivious.
Plate armor isn't overpowered, it's only +2 AC better than chainmail, and is not usable effectively by every character class.
Small thing but does anyone else wish the polls would show how many votes in total had been cast?
Wait, what!?
Overpowered? No way!
If anything, it's significantly *underpowered!*
I don't understand the problem this game has with the idea that armour actually works and prevents you from getting injured.
I'd like to see all ACs from mundane armour increased by at least +4 across the board, or else all monster attacks decreased by their (presumed) proficiency bonus--i.e. that goblin swinging a +4 to hit (excessive!) now only has a +2, and thus only a 25% chance to injure our boy in full plate. Even that 25% is still too often, IMO.
Frankly, the supposedly best mundane armour in the game is woefully underpowered.
Just move your mouse's arrow over the % result and you will see the number of votes.
Well, in medieval times a knight in full plate armour was the equivalent of a main battlefield tank today, a trained fighter able to lay waste to lightly armoured enemies with impunity. I kinda agree that against low-level enemies its even underpowered as it stands. There is also an argument that it should enable you to withstand significantly more damage, if you look at how hit points are usually interpreted…
Netherlands, GMT +1 // “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” — Bruce Lee
*Cries in mobile*
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Here's the votes as of today