Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General D&D Armor - How It Should Work

Medium Armor - typically covers the torso but may cover sections of the upper arms and thighs. Medium Armor does not cover the legs or feet, and it does not go beyond the elbow. It also does not cover the neck or head. Only 1 type of Medium Armor can be worn.

Cuirass (Breastplate and Backplate) - the front and back portion of plate armor covering the torso. Can be worn with any Light Armor for added protection. AC +4 (Dex Max +2). No Athletics or Stealth Disadvantage. Acrobatics Disadvantage. Basically, the breastplate/backplate doesn't really hinder jumping, climbing, shoving, etc., but it does hinder balance, flipping, etc. It also doesn't hinder stealth because it doesn't really clang against anything when a person is moving. The breastplate and backplate are fastened together via straps, so they don't really bang together. If a person wears Padded Armor and Cuirass, they get a +1 to AC for the Padded Armor and a +4 for Cuirass for a total of +5 to AC with a Dex Max of +2. The disadvantages also stack, however, so because they are wearing Padded Armor as well, their Athletics receives Disadvantage. So they would have no Stealth Disadvantage but again have Athletics and Acrobatics Disadvantage. If a person wears Leather Armor and Cuirass, it is similar, a +5 to AC (+6 to AC for Studded Leather) but with a Dex Max of +2 because the Cuirass is hindering their mobility. They also receive a Stealth Disadvantage and Acrobatics Disadvantage, but no Athletics Disadvantage.

Half Plate Armor - Half plate consists of shaped metal plates that cover most of the wearer's body. It does not include leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with leather straps. AC +5 (Dex Max +1). No Athletics Disadvantage. Acrobatics and Stealth Disadvantage. Can be worn with any Light Armor for added protection. Same rules apply as with Cuirass. Disadvantages and AC bonuses stack. So Leather and Half Plate Armor receives +6 AC (Dex Max +1) and Acrobatics and Stealth Disadvantage but no Athletics Disadvantage.

Chain Shirt - chainmail shirt reaching at least to the thighs and has half or partial sleeves. AC +3 (Dex Max +2). No Athletics or Acrobatics Disadvantage. Stealth Disadvantage. Can be worn with any Light Armor for added protection. Same rules apply as with Cuirass. Disadvantages and AC bonuses stack. So Leather and Chain Shirt receives +4 (Dex Max +2) and Stealth Disadvantage but no Athletics or Acrobatics Disadvantage. Chain Shirts provide mobility because they are more flexible. Thus, they make a great combination with leather.

Hide Armor - armor made from tough animal skins, furs, bones, feathers and other materials extracted from beasts. It covers the torso and may also cover the arms and thighs. AC +3 (No Dex Max). No Disadvantages. Hide Armor provides the most flexibility and is similar enough to clothing that it doesn't make a lot of noise. Can be worn with any Light Armor for added protection. Same rules apply as with Cuirass. Disadvantages and AC bonuses stack. Hide Armor is the only Medium Armor that a druid will wear without receiving penalties to social skills with other druids. Although druids can wear any kind of armor, it is taboo for a druid to wear any armor with metal in it. Therefore, a druid can wear Padded, Leather and some versions of Studded Leather (so they can only wear Studded Leather if it specifies that it can be worn by druids), but they can't wear Cuirass, Half Plate or Chain Shirts or any heavy armor (some versions of Ring Mail also are acceptable if they specify that they can be worn by druids) without committing an infringement on druidic beliefs. Any druid who is wearing armor with metal on it who attempts to interact with another druid who is not wearing armor with metal on it receives Disadvantage on all social skill checks. Basically, even if the other druid doesn't care, because it is taboo, it causes the druid to feel awkward around another druid who is not obviously breaching the taboo. Thus, Hide Armor is a common armor for druids because it provides more protection without infringing upon their taboo.

Scale Armor - Scale armour is an early form of armour consisting of many individual small armour scales of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. Scale armour offers better and more solid protection from piercing and blunt attacks than mail. It is also cheaper to produce, but it is not as flexible. AC +6 (Dex Max 0). Disadvantage to Athletics, Acrobatics and Stealth. Can be worn with any Light Armor for added protection. Same rules apply as with a Cuirass. Disadvantages and AC bonuses stack. So Leather and Scale receives AC +7 (Dex Max 0) with Disadvantages to Athletics, Acrobatics and Stealth. Scale Armor is thus very similar to Heavy Armor in that it provides a lot of protection but virtually no flexibility, mobility, and it is rather noisy. Like Studded Leather and Ring Mail, some versions of Scale Armor are made with creature scales, such as dragon scales. These are perfectly fine to be worn by druids without receiving penalty for breaching taboo. However, such armor specifically notes that they are able to be worn by druids. Otherwise, it is assumed that Scale Armor is made from metal.