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

OK. Revamped and consolidated:

A person doesn't have to be proficient in armor to take advantage of its AC bonuses. However, if you aren't proficient, you suffer Disadvantage on all checks, even Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom. Basically, you are distracted while wearing armor you are not proficient with.

Light Armor - covers the torso, arms and legs. It does not cover the neck or head. This type of armor is typically worn almost like clothing and can even replace clothing, though it doesn't have to. Only 1 type of Light Armor can be worn.

Leather Armor - Leather armor was made of several layers of leather. Material for leather armor was taken as hard and thick as possible. Then, it was boiled in oil to get additional hardness. AC +1 (Dex Max +6). Stealth Disadvantage. Weight 10 lbs. 10 gp.

Studded Leather Armor - same as leather but with studs or rings sewn into it for added protection. These could be made of metal, though some versions are made of bone or other natural materials. AC +2 (Dex Max +5). Stealth Disadvantage. Weight 13 lbs. 20 gp.

Padded Armor - a padded defensive jacket, worn as armor separately, or combined with mail or plate armor. Padded armor is usually constructed of linen or wool; the stuffing varied, and could be for example scrap cloth or horse hair. AC +3 (Dex Max +4). Acrobatics and Athletics Disadvantage (exception Shove. Shove action receives no Disadvantage). Weight 10 lbs. 30 gp.

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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. However, 1 Light Armor and 1 Medium Armor can be worn together to stack AC bonuses. This also causes Disadvantages to stack and you must take the lowest of the Dex Maximums. So, if a person wears Padded Armor and a Cuirass, they receive +7 AC but have a Dex Max of +3, Athletics and Acrobatics Disadvantages (except Shove. Shove action receives no Disadvantage).

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 +1 (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. 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. Weight 5 lbs. 5 gp.

Chain Shirt - chainmail shirt reaching at least to the thighs and has half or partial sleeves. AC +3 (Dex Max +4). Stealth Disadvantage. Weight 30 lbs. 50 gp.

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 +3). 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. Weight 40 lbs. 100 gp.

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 +2). Acrobatics and Stealth Disadvantage. Weight 50 lbs. 200 gp.

Scale Armor - Scale armor is an early form of armor consisting of many individual small armor scales of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. Scale armor 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 +1). Disadvantage to Athletics (except Shove), 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. Weight 15 lbs. 30 gp.