So, this is my first time being a DM, and I'm kind of annoyed by the fact that my druid has padded armor, AC 11, and no Dexterity modifier to help him out. I want to just give him better armor by leaving it in a dungeon, but he is not allowed to wear metal armor. Any magic items/cool equipments that could help him out?
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"Halt your wagging and wag your halters, for I am mastercryomancer!"
Druids can use up to studded leather armor and can use shields, although it complicates spell casting. Leather and studded leather can easily be ruled to be available without metal components. There's no reason the player should stick with padded (or start with it really).
If the player went with no dex bonus (assuming some choice in stat placement), maybe they mean to be more of a ranged combatant when not wild shaped. Between wild shapes, healing, and possible temporary hit points from one of several possible sources, your Druid will have hit points for days, so a low AC might be no problem to begin with.
Otherwise, magic armor goes up to +3, then there is a ring of protection, cloak of protection, homebrew anything you like... limitless possibilities.
Again, unless the player has really screwed up building the character compared to the other players, it's probably fine to just let them deal with a low AC, and have them upgrade to to studded leather.
I don't see why you can't have something like scale mail made of, well, actual scales. I'm running a game set in Chult, a land where metal is very rare and expensive. The armor shops in my game are filled with medium armor made of animal skins reinforced with shell, scales, and obsidian. I even homebrewed (more like re-skinned) suits of heavy armor made out of the toughest dinosaur hides and bones.
Dinosaurs are prevalent in my game, but really you could substitute any hardy beast or rare and flexible wood for your game.
Something that can be done would be to gift the player with a magic ring that when the key word is spoken causes roots to erupt from the ring covering its user in a protective covering of wood and bark. This could be tied the the characters backstory of being a druid and allows you to allow them to add some AC while in combat. A way that you could balance this to prevent it from possibly being overpowered would be to make the armor weak against fire and if hit by a fire attack will cause the roots to burn of their body and not allow the ring to be used again until wither their next turn or possibly until after a short rest. An easier method could be to allow the druid to find magic leather armor tat has a higher than normal AC. I hope that this helps and i wish you luck.
Barkskin is helpful, but it eats up a 2nd level slot, requires concentration, and only lasts an hour. As a player, I'd much prefer being able to wear some regular armor all the time.
Barkskin is helpful, but it eats up a 2nd level slot, requires concentration, and only lasts an hour. As a player, I'd much prefer being able to wear some regular armor all the time.
I'm thinking of giving him a couple Barkskin spell scrolls so that he can keep the spell slot, but that's a fair point about the concentration. It's definitely a problem.
How about a Cloak made of Leaves. Color depending on which season it was made from. Give it additional AC. With a few charges Blur Spell the druid can use to increase its defense. Pretty much a cloak of displacement, but with spell and limited use. A ring of protection with some charges of barkskin. A headband of concentration so the druid can cast 2 concentration spells instead of 1, wild shape and keep those 2 spells going.
Items are magical and adjust size so they can be used when wildshaped. Providing the wildshape with additional AC at least.
1) in 5e it doesn't specify why they can't wear it. I am quessing it taboo among druids but it not like the druid will die by wearing it it might have RP repurcution though.
2) idk if you ever played the *Monster Hunter* game but you can use bones/scales to make medium/heavy armor. It will have the property as the normal medium/heavy armor but fluff reason change it so it isnt metal anymore.
Druid metal restriction i find weird in mechanical point of view, it not like they become OP by wearing heavier armor. I am guessing the metal retriction just because of RP reason. (only played 5e)
Ring of protection gives +2 AC when not wearing armor, you could also give him magic leather armor or something of the like with a bonus.
Also worth noting that since stats change with wild shape, the druid might not really have to worry about AC as much if he plans on primarily being in a beast form for combat.
In earlier editions Druids could wear dragonhide, I’ve also thought of implementing some type of darkwood armor. So if you really felt creative and generous you could make him a set of half-plate out of dragonhide or darkwood. Looking to the early generations is often a great way to find cool things, and if you have a party that is new to the game they probably haven’t heard of any of it. You might also want to talk with you player to see what exactly they have in plan to overcome their AC issues. They may have a much easier solution for you.
So, this is my first time being a DM, and I'm kind of annoyed by the fact that my druid has padded armor, AC 11, and no Dexterity modifier to help him out. I want to just give him better armor by leaving it in a dungeon, but he is not allowed to wear metal armor. Any magic items/cool equipments that could help him out?
"Halt your wagging and wag your halters, for I am mastercryomancer!"
Check out my Expanded Signature
Druids can use up to studded leather armor and can use shields, although it complicates spell casting. Leather and studded leather can easily be ruled to be available without metal components. There's no reason the player should stick with padded (or start with it really).
If the player went with no dex bonus (assuming some choice in stat placement), maybe they mean to be more of a ranged combatant when not wild shaped. Between wild shapes, healing, and possible temporary hit points from one of several possible sources, your Druid will have hit points for days, so a low AC might be no problem to begin with.
Otherwise, magic armor goes up to +3, then there is a ring of protection, cloak of protection, homebrew anything you like... limitless possibilities.
Again, unless the player has really screwed up building the character compared to the other players, it's probably fine to just let them deal with a low AC, and have them upgrade to to studded leather.
you can create various non-metal versions of medium armour from, for example, the skins, scales, or carapaces of certain animals and fantastic beasts
I don't see why you can't have something like scale mail made of, well, actual scales. I'm running a game set in Chult, a land where metal is very rare and expensive. The armor shops in my game are filled with medium armor made of animal skins reinforced with shell, scales, and obsidian. I even homebrewed (more like re-skinned) suits of heavy armor made out of the toughest dinosaur hides and bones.
Dinosaurs are prevalent in my game, but really you could substitute any hardy beast or rare and flexible wood for your game.
Something that can be done would be to gift the player with a magic ring that when the key word is spoken causes roots to erupt from the ring covering its user in a protective covering of wood and bark. This could be tied the the characters backstory of being a druid and allows you to allow them to add some AC while in combat. A way that you could balance this to prevent it from possibly being overpowered would be to make the armor weak against fire and if hit by a fire attack will cause the roots to burn of their body and not allow the ring to be used again until wither their next turn or possibly until after a short rest. An easier method could be to allow the druid to find magic leather armor tat has a higher than normal AC. I hope that this helps and i wish you luck.
Thanks, all of you! This is very helpful and has given me some ideas for our next session.
"Halt your wagging and wag your halters, for I am mastercryomancer!"
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Druids can learn Barkskin at 2nd level.
Yeah, I'm pretty stupid for not remembering that
"Halt your wagging and wag your halters, for I am mastercryomancer!"
Check out my Expanded Signature
It’s hard to remember every class & combo and you got some cool ideas for alt armor types out of the other responses :)
Barkskin is helpful, but it eats up a 2nd level slot, requires concentration, and only lasts an hour. As a player, I'd much prefer being able to wear some regular armor all the time.
I'm thinking of giving him a couple Barkskin spell scrolls so that he can keep the spell slot, but that's a fair point about the concentration. It's definitely a problem.
"Halt your wagging and wag your halters, for I am mastercryomancer!"
Check out my Expanded Signature
How about a Cloak made of Leaves. Color depending on which season it was made from. Give it additional AC. With a few charges Blur Spell the druid can use to increase its defense. Pretty much a cloak of displacement, but with spell and limited use.
A ring of protection with some charges of barkskin.
A headband of concentration so the druid can cast 2 concentration spells instead of 1, wild shape and keep those 2 spells going.
Items are magical and adjust size so they can be used when wildshaped. Providing the wildshape with additional AC at least.
You could just undo the restriction.
1) in 5e it doesn't specify why they can't wear it. I am quessing it taboo among druids but it not like the druid will die by wearing it it might have RP repurcution though.
2) idk if you ever played the *Monster Hunter* game but you can use bones/scales to make medium/heavy armor. It will have the property as the normal medium/heavy armor but fluff reason change it so it isnt metal anymore.
Druid metal restriction i find weird in mechanical point of view, it not like they become OP by wearing heavier armor. I am guessing the metal retriction just because of RP reason. (only played 5e)
Nox - Adult Oblex - The Trials
Jartrin Ephok - Dragonborn - Zanoliv
Bunol - Grim Angel - The Floating Lands of Goriate
In my upcoming adventure one of my PCs is going to be playing a Warforged Druid. It’s a forest adventure.. so I’ll just call him tin man.
Tin man’s AC is crazy high, 18 at level 1 thanks to racial traits. There’s an “ironwood” option as well that your PC could use...
https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ironwood
Might be fun to have your Druid find the material components and have to craft themselves some armor as others suggested.
Be really really careful with that one.
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Ring of protection gives +2 AC when not wearing armor, you could also give him magic leather armor or something of the like with a bonus.
Also worth noting that since stats change with wild shape, the druid might not really have to worry about AC as much if he plans on primarily being in a beast form for combat.
In earlier editions Druids could wear dragonhide, I’ve also thought of implementing some type of darkwood armor. So if you really felt creative and generous you could make him a set of half-plate out of dragonhide or darkwood. Looking to the early generations is often a great way to find cool things, and if you have a party that is new to the game they probably haven’t heard of any of it. You might also want to talk with you player to see what exactly they have in plan to overcome their AC issues. They may have a much easier solution for you.