Hello— 

Just curious on people’s thoughts on being able to tear someone’s armor off with your hands. 

My thought is DC 25 and only on a single piece at a time, which depending on the armor worn, might not even really affect the AC at first. Also, reduce the DC by 5 if you are a size larger than your target.

This instance would have to include a table for how each armor style's AC is reduced when losing X amount of armor pieces, something that I don't have an idea for off the top of my head tonight.

Generally, I'd say no. My impression is that each piece is tough and is strapped on with the expectation that it would stay in place and provide protection even after being struck repeatedly. In order to "tear" it off, a creature would have to break the straps or whatever mechanism holds the armor in place. If it is leather armor they would have to literally tear the protective hardened leather and whatever is holding it in place.

Could you cut if off? I'd say yes, one piece at a time by cutting straps. For things like chain/scale/plate shirts you'd have to take them off over their heads or however they are supposed to be removed since tearing the structure of the armor should be almost impossible and could cause damage to the creature wearing the armor as you tried to tear it off.

Of course, that is just an opinion and I haven't worn medieval armor, just seen it in museums :)

I agree I would not think you could tear the armor off of a person.  Without trying to create a creepy/out of context image-- have you ever tried to rip someone's clothing off?  Now picture doing the same thing to someone in various D&D armor or trying to use a more finesse weapon like a rapier to disengage the straps.  In both examples think about what the opponent would be doing during this time they would not stand idly or not try to react to the action being taken against them.

 I'll steal Davids' disclaimer

Of course, that is just an opinion and I haven't worn medieval armor, just seen it in museums :)

For armor like plate I’d rule it possible with a high enough DC, but remember you’d have to rip 33-50% of it off to reduce the AC (functional half plate) and the lighter load would turn it to half plate (adding DEX mod up to +2)

for other types of armor like chain or splint I’d rule it functionally impossible unless you just took it off them (which is not going to be an action)

IMO, you'd have to either have a willing target or a restrained target, then you'd have to roll unarmed strikes to do damage based on the rules for attacking inanimate objects.  Alternatively you could just follow the rules for properly removing the armor, but that goes a bit longer than most combats.

I'd personally rule no, otherwise it leads to shenanigans and overuse, unless target is willing or incapacitated in which case I'd follow normal rules of doffing armour.

Good Luck.

(1) Armor is designed to take serious impacts.

Plate armor is usually strapped with thick, treated leather. Have you ever tried to pull apart a genuine leather belt with your bear hands? A good piece of untreated leather can withstand 556 Newtons of force. Purpose made pieces should be able to withstand significantly more.

(2) Unless you're using both hands and pulling in opposite directions, the target creature is going to be pulled over well before the armor gives way.

 If the armor you are attempting to pull apart is new, and decently well made, don't try pulling it apart.

If the armor is makeshift, or old and poorly maintained, then the strapping and rivets may have aged, rusted, and weakened over time. Go for it, if you've got some muscle.

 That said, D&D is a fantasy world, and characters who have a strength score of 16+ represent a very strong minority, so if you want to include it in your game, go for it. Just understand that being able to use an action to permanently lower an enemies AC is a VERY powerful ability that can easily disrupt game balance.

If we are talking RAW, I think not.

For some kind of balanced homebrew, maybe require a grapple and 2 empty hands to attempt, then a STR check of 10+Armor AC (I'd say include DEX if the armor allows). And each success removes or damages enough armor to reduce AC by 1.

If you're going to do anything (because RAW is just 'no'), might as well just model it after Rust Monster/Black Pudding. -1 AC per success, armor is destroyed if it's reduced to 10 AC.

Quote from Sigred >>

If you're going to do anything (because RAW is just 'no'), might as well just model it after Rust Monster/Black Pudding. -1 AC per success, armor is destroyed if it's reduced to 10 AC.

 I like this as a house rule...for success I would do either Strength (Athletics) check against the creatures AC, or against the Armor's Material AC (19 for steel, 15 for leather, 23 for adamantine, etc).  

In most cases would allow someone to remove a helmet and only a helmet, on a Sleight of Hands DC 25.

If they have nothing in a hand (no weapon, no shield, no wand of the war mage, no other wands, no spell focus), I could see removing a single glove at DC 25 as well.

But no other armor should be removable.  Not even a shield, without at least a feat or class ability. 

As a player, I say "NO -ING WAY"

Sunder rules suck.

Fighting puddings and slimes suck.

Item durability rules suck.

They might be realistic and/or immersive, but from a game-playing point of view, all they do is suck fun out of the game.