Handbooker Helper: Armor 101
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Master-at-arms Bryan Forrest joins us on the latest episode of Handbooker Helper to explain the basics of armor and armor class in 5th Edition D&D.
Featuring doodles by our friend Wendy: / wendydoodles
Subtitles provided by Critical Role Translate: bit.ly/2Ib8aBk
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I have no idea who this Bryan person is but they're really really good at doing this without making it feel forced or "advertisey"
I only know him for playing Ashley Barnstormer in Video Game High School.
@@EightThreeEight cant believe i ever watched that show when it came out now lol
He just rolled really high for charisma
VGHS on TH-cam. You’re welcome
I told you Bryan's a Bard. He just used modify memory on us
"Be polite, be proficient, and have a plan to loot every dungeon you meet."
Mum n’ dad never really cared for the job.
Mum n’ dad never really cared for the basement
I-I’m not a murder hobo dad I’m a adventure well the difference is ones insanity the others a job
"I think the goblin saw me."
"Yes, yes he did"
"Feelin's? You know who's got a lot of feelins, Rogues who bludgeon Merchants to death with a great-club, Ranger's have standards."
Thank you for reminding people of the existence of padded armor. Textile armor was, and still is, the single most important form of armor in human history and prehistory; worldwide. It's a shame that 5th edition D&D gives it a penalty to stealth, since quilted layered fabric makes less noise than leather while also being more flexible.
And Gambesons look cool Af
Do you add dex mod to heavy armor if you are proficient in them or is it only specific armor types like light and some medium armor?
Let's compare them using a Dex 20 character. Hopefully, the examples and little explanations I give can help you get a feel for the pattern.
In Studded Leather, a 20 Dex character's AC would be 12 + 5. Studded Leather provides the 12, and Dexterity provides the 5. You simply add the two to get: 17 AC. This is the same way all Light-type armour behaves. You can slip on a shield if you like for 19.
In Scale armour, a 20 Dex character's AC would be 14 + 2. Scale armour provides the 14, and Dexterity provides the 2. This is because of Medium-type armour in general capping your Dexterity mod's contribution at +2 regardless of how much higher than +2 it actually is. As before, you add these together and wind up with: 16 AC. A shield would make this 18. (If you have the Medium Armor Master Feat, you can instead add up to +3 to your Medium armour calculation rather than just up to +2, which could allow you to keep up with Studded Leather over there.)
Now, in Plate armour, a 20 Dex character's AC would be 18. No, not 18 + anything-just: 18 AC. This is because Heavy-type armours don't factor in your Dexterity modifier at all; they just have a very high base AC, allowing Strength-based characters to wear them and have a decent AC without relying on Dexterity. Adding a shield would bring your AC to 20.
Note: you gain NO benefit from wearing any armour *with which you are not proficient*. If your character is not proficient with a type of armour, it is better for them to not wear the armour, as doing so under those circumstances only carries downsides, like disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity rolls as well as the inability to cast spells they may know. You only gain any benefit from armour of a certain type if you are proficient with that armour's type. Check what armour proficiencies your character has from their class and other such sources to determine if they will gain the benefits of a certain armour, based on the type they're proficient with.
So, Heavy outright ignores Dex, Medium restricts Dex's contributions to your AC and Light is practically in bed with Dex. You need to be proficient with an armour to get anything out of using it at all, but once you are, that will be how they work for you. I hope this has helped, incredibly long as it is!
@@CharlesChaldea wait does it state in the rules about the dex cap to armor thing? I didn't know about that.
@@zabers5818 yes, "medium" armors and "heavy" armors have a cap to their dex AC bonus, Heavy effectively having a cap of +0 AC because it just does not allow any bonus from it. This is stated in the Armor table of the Player's Handbook.
"Hey did you get your master's degree?"
"Yeah I did"
"What did you study?"
"Arms"
@Zion .M yeah I also study feet a lot
Seems like they added a graphic emphasizing that to hit you need to roll equal or higher, rather than just higher, and then took out the part about homebrewing what happens when you match it. Which is the right decision and cuts out confusion for people just trying to learn the game.
this explains things...
Yup, even though I play with homebrew roles and for my games a tie doesn't hit. I mostly play with newcommers and thought that this would be a small help for them in the beginning. Thats why I also dont stress about the spell memorization mechanic either.
@@David_Blake91 spell memorization mechanic?
@@Thrnwood Oh, okay. I've heard of that as "Prepared Spells" vs "Spells Known". It's such a confusing concept.
Equalling the AC has meant a hit in every edition, not sure where the misconception came from.
lol the travis shopping animation 😂
Right?? XD
It's canon.😅
All I can think of while watching this is “Roll with disadvantage because you’re in plate armour”
"Clang clang, cl-cl-clang clang clang!"
Mithral plate or bust.
I have such beef with leather armor in Dnd and any other fantasy settings where tanned cow hide is apparently more protective than padded gambison.
Unless the cows in that setting have hides capable of resisting arrowheads of course.
@@alex_ho leather is pretty strong
@@mikehunt4830 Not when it's facing off swords and arrows.
I agree. Soft leather is for sure not better protection but if you boil leather in wax and oil and then shape it it becomes VERY tough and hardened. You can use the same technique to make fabric tough and waterproof like sailors used to wear. I think people writing the rules confuse the types of leather armor a lot. The light soft leather that would be "stealthy" would never live up to gambison but hardened leather would never be flexible or quiet (if built in overlappping layers like is most protective).
@@phillipstai7204 Not to mention, that there is padded armour. But it is light and offers the same AC as normal leather armour, but imposes a disadvantage on stealth.
There's a reason why no-one really buys padded armour in game.
The intro reminded me of the moment when a player looked at her character sheet after a campaign and said "Clothing! I knew I forgot something!"
This vid would have saved me so much time trying 5E for the first time. The stupid player handbook introduces AC as a concept early but doesn't explain how it works until page 101 or some nonsense. I kept scrolling to find the answer and burned so many minutes because Wizards doesn't know how to organize crap.
Did anyone else travel in time again?
GREAT SCOTT!
What happened ?
Clarifications. Not sure which ones though.
It was the "what happens if they match your AC with an attack roll" thing, where they suggested it was up to the DM. But that's not true. Page 7 of the PHB, if you meet the AC, you beat the AC.
@@Watsabeholder i just realized it before i saw your comment. So true.
Oooh, I'm early...but late at the same time...?
You can't keep Sam Riegel's guide to playing bard away from us, Critical Role.
Gambison is a padded armor resembling a thick breathable coat with higher friction linen inside. It’s worn underneath plates and chain shirts.
So can someone tell me why padded armor has disadvantage on stealth but padded armor with a loud chain mail shirt or a breast plate over it does not.
Yeah, seems that it is a padding.
Pun intended.
Maybe they wanted to make it like under armor (like undonning or plate armor being destroyed), but maybe abandoned at some point.
Part of me just lump in with leather armor and just ignore the disadvantage.
One very important rule I feel you should have gone over, is Natural Armor and Unarmored Defense. Many new people get these easily confused, but AC calculations don't stack.
You choose either your Natural Armor or your Equipped Armor calculation. Same goes with Unarmored Defense.
3:05
Aaaaand he rolled low on his dex saving throw. Whoops.
"Regardles of the type of shield it increases your ac +2"
Me has seen Shadiversity: I think not cuz kite shields are awesome!
x3
Shad is the best. Gotta love that English archer.
Since I'm time traveling I'll use this extra time to say that Bryan Forrest seems like a super fun guy!
“My dungeon master gets mad at me a lot.”
Wow is context important for that sentence.
Padded armour actually gives you disadvantage on stealth for some reason
I guess the idea is that padded armor is armour that is not only as thick as say gambeson, but also has extra padded areas that impose on your mobility enough to give you disadvantage (though otherwise leave your stats and mods alone).
If they meet the AC they hit, not just higher!
That is why they reuploaded it.
They had to remove a section they had in the last video, because they said that if you match AC, it's up to the DM. They probably couldn't refilm to correct that fully, but removing the misinformation is a step in the right direction.
they still haven't changed it
Scott Bailey It was recorded a while ago and they likely didn't have the time to reshoot it. They added a textual graphic for clarification, instead.
"Anyone can cash a shield in one hand." *laughs in monk monastery*
Not every character has proficiency with shields, the wizard doesn't, but the cleric does, for example.
It's so awesome to see Ashley Barnstormer explain D&D to me
I... would... respectfully take that man to coffee and ask about his radical political thoughts, hopes and dreams.
wat
yes
And no mention of the strength requirements on most heavy armors? I know this is supposed to lightly educate new players, but that seems like important information for them to have
They did at 2:56. It's not a STR "requirement" per se; you simply lose 10ft speed if you don't meet it. That why he said some people are slowed down if they're not strong enough.
It seems like they cut out the part about dm variation when you match ac (rather than surpase or fail to reach it).
I was kinda confused by that, since I've never once seen a variant rule like that mentioned on any D&D-related show or on any forum.
My friends and i play with the variant that benefits defense, but i guess they felt it should be removed to avoid confusion
yea this show is about the handbook, the handbook says if you meet the AC you get it
I'd never heard that variant rule before so that surprised me when he said it. Handbook doesn't mention it so I guess that's why they cut it.
it's more than likely some sort of house rule that people have so that it favor the defender and not the attacker
Skall, Shad, Lindybeige and gang beg to differ, sir
Well, it's not encumberingly heavy for most people, but it's still dozens of pounds that must be carried as you run and fight, which requires at least some endurance. The frail wizard with 6 strength isn't going to find a use for it while trying to dodge fireballs except as a distraction when on another party member.
And that is why he said “heavy armor proficiency”.
Like cleric (war and life), fighter, and Paladin who already know how to move relatively nimble (except in stealth roll) as part of their class feature.
@@TlalocTemporal also, flat out, plate legs do put bluntly put strain on your legs and tire you out faster, while it is distributed well, its still 60lb of weight on every limb, compare that to a 9lb shirt of iron rings with excellent ventillation that could be worn between 2 tunics to muffle the noice
citizengiants *the metatron will remember that*
@@elgostine Yes, you have to get used to and learn to move and fight in armour. Yes, you will be tired faster. (The biggest problem is mostly the heat though.) But the total weight is not even close to 60 lb or 27 kg´s per limb! My 14th century armour; bascinet helmet with aventail, plate arms, gauntlets, breastplate and plate legs, weigh around 66lb or 30 kg in total. And fun fact: the legs are actually the most easy and comfertable to wear. Most of the weight of those you carry in your waist. I can easily walk around all day in those. :)
Way to make your WIS saving throw CR, this reupload fixes most of the issues! The only one I could see is that shields require proficiency, so not everyone can wield one. And wielding a shield or wearing armor without proficiency also means you can't cast spells.
Yeah, I do wish they'd covered the issue of being unable to cast spells when wearing armor you're not proficient in, and been more explicit about shields requiring proficiency to avoid the same penalties that non-proficient armor imposes.
Well, they can still gain the AC benefit of the shield, they just can't cast, suffer disad, etc. Which he does mention the suffering disad in the section where he talks about proficiency. I didn't hear him say anything about spells, though.
They also corrected that to hit you need to meet or exceed AC rather what they said previously of homebrewing what happens when AC is met.
These are supposed to be tidbits, not a exact reread from the book. They're a generalized explanation of the very most basics. Now, later they might do videos going into deeper depth, but these are not those.
@@RikkuTakanashi everything the op mentioned was basics of the game.
Well I assumed the reupload was to fix their mistake about shields. That is you need proficiency in order to avoid the armor penalties.
Equal to or higher than your AC...*
65 pounds? That's some pretty trash LARP armor. As a general rule, unless it's made for an exceptionally large guy, authentic armor should be under 50 pounds at the most.
Is there... Like a tank class in D&D? Someone really durable who specializes in not taking damage/intercepting damage from your allies, sort of thing?
1:38 Worth noting: On top of everything else he lists, wearing armor without having proficiency in it also makes you completely incapable of casting spells.
Way more entertaining than it needed to be - great job, Bryan. :)
3:30 makes it sound like you do not need proficiency with shields.
I just re-read the PHB and the errata and it mentions 'armor' and 'shields' separately every time. Which kinda gives the impression that, yeah you don't need shield proficiency. Which would be silly. But RAW it does kinda say that :P
Yeah, they got this wrong unfortunately. Every character can not carry a shield without penalty unless they have shield proficiency from a class or feat. On page 14 of the PHB, in the Armor Class section, the third paragraph covers this.
"You character needs to be proficient with armor and shields to wear and use them effectively, and your armor and shield proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor or carrying a shield if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in chapter 5."
Chapter 5, leaves out the proficiency mention for shield in the Shield entry on page 144, but the Armor Proficiency section also on 144, mentions being proficient with armor and I think WoC left off shield again in this section. This ends up ambiguitious and is likely is what is causing the problem.
Page 14 clearly mentions shield as a proficiency above and the class descriptions like Artificer, Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger specifically mention shields along with armor as proficiencies. The Multiclassing Proficiencies table on page 164 of the PHB, also mentions shields as proficiencies for multiclass Barbarians, Clerics, Druids, Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers.
DnD Beyond's step for Choosing Equipment has the same section above from page 14 of the PHB. So looks like WotC messed up chapter 5 in the PHB with some ambiguities making it look like you don't need shield proficiency when you actually do to wield a shield without penalty.
www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/step-by-step-characters#5ChooseEquipment
@@steveaustin4382 Actually, shield proficiency is included at the medium armor proficiency level. See the feat "Moderately Armored".
Still need proficiency in shields to not get disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks, etc.
aswell as to cast spells if i read it correctly.
Should have included that everyone has a base AC of 10 WITHOUT armor. Also something I'm still curious about. Is if you're dexterity is bad, and has a negative modifier. Do you subtract that from your AC?
Yes, it is AC 10 + Dex mod when unarmored without some other feature. If you are wearing armor or have some other feature giving you an Armor Class that adds your Dex mod, if your Dex is negative, it affects your armor. Note, heavy armor does not benefit from Dex, so a negative Dex modifier doesn't hurt you. Heavy armor is so cumbersome, that you don't benefit from Dex and heavy armor is built to ward off blows. Light and medium armor ward off blows somewhat as well, but not as much as heavy. So medium armor can give you up to +2 on your Dex for AC, but as low as -5. So you really only want to dump your dex, if you have access to wear heavy armor from a class feature or feat. Note, if you multiclass into Fighter or Paladin, you do not get heavy armor proficiency unless you start with it. If you multiclass into a Life Domain Cleric, you can get heavy armor proficiency as it is a domain feature.
In real life, Full plate does not hinder your movement at all. The only reason not EVERYONE was wearing a full suit of plate it's because it was fucking expensive lol but mail was decently affordable. Also, there's no such thing as leather armor, but curiously enough padded armor was very real.
Actually leather armor was a real thing just not the way it's portrayed in movies/tv shows. Obviously jacket leather isn't armor but that's not what they used. If you look at the mongols they used exclusively leather armor for the first invasion and they were basically the most successful conquerors in history
This guy is excellent and is extremely charistmatic and entertaining
Keep in mind that some classes benefit from not wearing any armor. Your ac then comes from your skills. Things like dex and wisdom. This means (for the monk and rouge) that you are going to get a bonus to your speed. This bonus increases as your levels do. So wearing no armor at all is ideal for some classes, depending on the build
I feel educated and entertained 😊
Months later and I still come back for that "COME AT ME, OOOOOZE!!'
Can you make a video or talk somewhere about what happened when a character uses a weapon they aren't proficient in?
You just don't add your proficiency modifier to the attack roll.
It'd be a 30-second video. If you aren't proficient, you don't add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll. That's all :)
They'll probably make a weapons 101 video. Then they'll deal with a proficiencies, weapon types, finesse, etc.. An example would be a Rogue can Sneak Attack with a whip because it's a finesse weapon, but (s)he can't use his/her proficiency bonus to the attack, just his/her dexterity bonus.
People always misconceive that plate armor is heavy. There's a video of guys doing acrobatics and working out in it.
Since the Beginning of the Game it was always that simple: Check your Ability Scores. Check your Skills. Check if Armor would crush some of them/cap off their Use. With Dex of 18 it makes no sense to change the AC+2 DexMod: max 4 against the AC+5 DexMod:0 Armor. Evcen a Studded Leather+1 (often less Expensive than more Heavy Armor) Grants a better Protection when not all Ability Points were dropped in Strengh rather than having at least a +2 from Dex. Also, Magical Armor has some more Benefits (mind the Oozes Acid). Often, Magical Weapons are not that important compared to magical Armor.
Also, mind Saving Throws when distribute your Abilitys.
Always Check for Magic Enchantment to spare Money.
Then, which Armor is yours is simple to find out: The one you can benefi from the most you can afford.
For Example: A Chain Shirt+1 costs (depending on your GM) about 150 to 350 GP and gives the same AC as a Breastplate (400g) does - plus its Magic. Or, compared to a Ring Mail, it grants you up to a +2 from Dex (which goes for Reflex Savings, Acrobatics and much more). With Dex:14 and a Chainmail+1 plus a Shield your Cleric - or Fighter - goes with a AC of 17(19).
If you now think about the Price of a Full Plate (AC:18 1500gp) you even can have some other Magic Gear - iirc a Shield+1 should add up as well, so 18(20) for about 500 to 750gp.
So, if a GM allows the Fighter to have a full Plate at the Beginning, I think it is a bit "out of Balance" when he arguments "it's not magical, so why not?" but blocking the Rogue and the Cleric as well as the Wizzard from any Magical Items of similar Costs (happens more often than you think). Also, not be the GM who gives out Gold as Fuck. Keep it low.
Huh. Didnt I watch this yesterday? OH GOD HAVE I GONE BACK IN TIME?! I CAN FINALLY NOT EAT THAT CALZONE!
RanwulfMaxwell no my friend, you get to eat it again.
MORE THIS GUY!!!
It's so weird to me who knows a little bit about armour, that good armourers make maneuverable heavy armour. There's plenty of examples throughout the years of heavy plate armour that if fitted properly and crafted well, you can move without much issue and be very well protected in full plate body armour. Watch Adam Savage's Tested in King Arthurs' prop armour to see what I mean. Although most here probably already know this.
Does playing as a Dragonborne add +2 to your AC or is it to Constitution. And if it to AC does it stack with armor points or is it separate. The rules for Dragonborne are kind of confusing especially if he's using Polymorph. Do they even get that bonus if they're under Polymorph?
It is thanks to this video that I have realized that since my dex mod is +5 and studded armor is 12 + your dex mod that with a shield I could have an Ac of 19
This is the best one so far. His charisma and presentation is awesome.
The scale of this video being family-friendly is somehow terrifying... Still nice content tho
HELP! I'M GROUNDHOG DAYING!
something I wonder about though is what happens to your armour when you're travelling?? because people don't put on full plate armour when they go somewhere. However you can't really carry it around either
It's fantasy, you always have it on in case of an ambush
steel plate IRL isn't actaully very heavy so I say if you have at least 10 strength you can heavy armor
We need dungeon mastering helper
Matt and his friend Satine put out a series called GM Tips a while back. I think it's on the Geek and Sundry channel.
@@xySuperManxy yes I know this, however something updated would be amazing
@@1992leisha Pretty much all of it is still relevant. You can also watch Matt Colville's running the gam series if you aren't already.
Ah yes! WFRP 2nd edition had rules where mixing and matching different bits of armor was actually helpful! Fun times.
When I'm DM'ing for new players, If an enemy roll matches their AC I give them Attack but with disadvantage. This way it's not too easy and boring but still provides some learning.
If anyone can use a shield in their of hand why do you need proficiency in it?
Also, an important note for the squishy classes; donning armour which you aren't proficient in (and arming shields) stops you from casting spells. "You can't cast spells".
That was hilarious, I love how that all was explained! Even showing examples!
Hey it's the guy from video game high school!
Well well well... if it isn’t Ashley Barnstormer
oof re-upload?
Yan-Kang Qi A second helping?
They had to fix some stuff they said about matching AC.
I think this is the first episode of Handbooker Helper with costumes and I'm here for it.
I get the super casual, friendly approach to trying to explain the game, but if your target audience is actually people who need AC explained to them.... I'm really sorry to say you guys are being extremely unclear about how the rules of the game actually work.
You were incredibly vague about what happens if someone rolls below or above your Ac, if the enemy rolls below I get to laugh at my party, but if they roll above its going to hurt a lot, and I'll need a healer? I know how the game works, but the way its worded it kind of comes off like you take damage when something swings at you, but if they beat your AC you take MORE damage. A single hit isn't going to need a healer, and most of the time won't really hurt all that much unless they beat your AC multiple times, or you're fighting an incredibly strong monster.
Also, you really didn't explain how Dex interacts with the AC at all outside of being part of a list of many other variables which effect AC, and referenced it simply as movement when talking about all three types of armor. This is super unclear, and since dex is something which always applies to AC right from the stat of the game, I feel like its more important than making reference to something like Parry, or a ring of protection, which can be discovered once the groundwork is understood.
Without context to either of the points above, to a new player that only has experience in RPGs along the lines of Skyrim, it would be fair for them to assume just like those games Armor = Damage reduction, more armor the less % of a hits damage is applied to me, and the heavier the armor, the slower I move, but the more protection it offers.
Also making the statement that any character can slap on a shield for an additional +2 AC is really a bad suggestion to new players. Not every class is proficient in shields, so making that little note at the end of the video is kind of misleading, and contradicts what you said earlier about proficiency.
Really not trying to be a dick :( Just think that trying to be a bit more clear with how the game works with a video series designed to teach people how to play would be a really wise choice.
Zoltri ty got excited while making a mage. Nope gotta get a shield proficiency first.
So, correction for the Shields bit. According to the PHB you can't benefit from shields unless Proficient, and only a few classes are Proficient in shields. :/
Well, you still "benefit" from shields even if you're not proficient, just as you can with armor you're not proficient in, but you have the same disadvantages using a shield if you're not proficient with them: "If you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can't cast spells."
Barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, paladin, ranger are all proficient in shields. 6 out of 12 classes isn't so bad.
this is what a nat 20 on charisma check looks like
Sam's intro makes me giggle every time lol
Thank you it helped me defeat a foe with mythril armor
Having studied and made, as well as worn and fought in armor for over 20 years I can tell you real armor is not that heavy or encumbering, as long as it fits and especially if it is custom made for the wearer. It is rather difficult and tiring at first, but the longer you wear it the more your body gets use to it until it becomes like a second skin, which of course varies with what type of armor you're wearing. There was one knight whose chronicler wrote about him doing various daily exercises in his armor, including running, doing forward rolls, running and jumping onto his horse, even climbing the underside of a ladder. Also, chainmail is very easy to move around in, it is basically like metal cloth (I know because I make it) and again is not really that heavy once you get use to it (the typical mail shirt weighed as much as 20-25lbs, and if worn with a belt, that takes much of the weight off the shoulders, with the shoulders supporting the upper half and the belt supporting the lower half at the waist), though it would definitely give you a penalty on Stealth as it does jingle, especially when you have hanging parts like a skirt, thigh flaps, or loose sleeves. Plate armor would definitely need to be custom fitted to the wearer so the joints are in the right spot and give maximum flexibility/mobility, though even if it is not perfectly fitted it still has flexing, rotating, shifting parts to maximize mobility, and it doesn't need to be super thick, I believe the thickest (including overlapping plates) was 1/4in. A thin sheet can be shaped to be far more rigid, like shaping it into a dome it could hold the weight of a grown man, and then armorers began putting fluting, that is, hammering ridges along the surface, often making elegant designs on the armor, that provided extra rigidity without the plate being any thicker (look up German Gothic armor). As for weight, depending on how much plate armor you wear, a full suit (including mail to cover the gaps like the armpits, inside of the elbows, pelvis area, and back of the knees) would weight anywhere from 40-65lbs, but that was the typical war armor that needed to be lighter so the wearer could move and fight better as it was life-or-death, but tournament armor could be as heavy as 100lbs, but all that weight would be distributed across the body, which, as I said, can be difficult to move around in at first, but soon your body would become strong enough to easily bare the weight.
Can I just point out that the breastplate he's wearing as medium armor is like two sizes too big for him?
this guy almost destroyed VGHS I don't know if I can trust him... he needs a persuasion check
How does drinking Napalm affect my AC?
Was looking for this comment
Wait so if they surpass your armor level does it deal all the damage or only the damage that passed for example let’s say that your armor has 20 hit points then the person does 23 hit points. So do the deal 23 damage or 3! I’m confused!
he said different armours affect your dexterity bonus. i would have liked him to move around and show why.
Suits of armor do not weight 65 pounds. Thx for attending my Ted Talk
Huh... My original comment got lost along with the first upload, so here we go again:
How to be obnoxious with your AC 101 or "How to hit 50 AC":
The what:
- Be a Bard.
- Be a College of Swords Bard.
- Hope you'll reach 14th level (optional).
- Be a Warforged.
- Now either use "Darkwood Core" for your armor and max your dex or leave dex at 14 and use "Composite Plating".
- Use a shield.
- Use a ring of protection and/or cloak of protection.
- For your first magical secrets grab Shield and either Shield of Faith or Haste (or both if you feel like spending another "slot" of your higher magical secrets).
- If available, make sure your magical shield is also an Animated Shield.
- Get a Dual Wielder Feat, and use 2 weapons.
- Get a Lucky Feat.
- Be a god if you convince your DM to allow you to coat your warforged in Adamantine, so your natural armor behaves like Adamantine armor.
The why:
- College of Swords gives you an awesome ability called "blade flourish" that you can use every time you attack to choose one of three options. One of them is a Defensive Flourish, which lets you roll your bardic inspiration die, and deal that much more damage AND add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn. It can mean a bonus to AC anywhere between 1 and 12 (at 15th level).
- At 14th level of bard of swords, you get your pinnacle feature: instead of using your bardic inspiration die, you can roll a d6. For free. Forever. Using no resource. So you can have at least +1 to +6 AC every turn, saving your inspiration for when it matters.
- Warforged have a built-in armor that's basically overpowered. Darkwood Core is an armor of 11 + dexterity + proficiency, while Composite Plating is 13 + dexterity (max 2) + proficiency. The key is proficiency - at highest levels you get as much as +6 to your AC, which is better than any magical armor.
- Shield is self explanatory: base +2 to AC with possible upgrade to +5 with a magical shield.
- Ring and cloak, if worn together (some DMs rule against that, so you might only be able to wear one) is another +2 AC.
- Shield gives you reactive +5 AC for a round.
- Haste gives you +2 AC, along with other boons (movement, another attack).
- Shield of Faith gives you +2 AC. You can't use it with Haste (both require concentration) BUT Haste uses 3rd lvl spell slots and above, while Shield of Faith uses 1st and above. Generally, Haste is still a better choice, since you can then use the spell slots of 1st and 2nd level for Shield.
- Animated Shield frees your hand while still giving you the AC of a shield. This is important for the next point:
- Dual Wielder gives you +1 AC when wielding 2 weapons.
- Luck lets you negate enemy critical hits on you, making them re-roll the attack.
- Adamantine armor negates critical hits on you, turning them into normal hits.
The result:
All values depicted will be maximum possible, just to paint a picture.
- You're a warforged of natural AC equal to 23 (11 + 6 dex [with the manual of quickness] + 6 proficiency) in Darkwood Core, or of 21-22 (13 + 2 dex (or 3 if your DM lets you incorporate "medium armor master" Feat) + 6 proficiency) in Composite Plating.
- You have a +3 shield, giving you total of +5 AC, and thus bumping your overall AC to 28 (Darkwood) or 26-27 (Composite).
- You are wearing a ring and a cloak of protection for another +2 AC, standing at 30 (Darkwood) or 28-29 (Composite).
- You use your Defensive Flourish for free, getting +6 AC for 36 (Darkwood) or 34-35 (Composite).
OR
- You spend an inspiration die, getting +12 AC for 42 (Darkwood) or 40-41 (Composite).
- You are Hasted, giving you another +2 AC for 44 (Darkwood) or 42-43 (Composite).
- Your Dual Wielder Feat (can use along with Animated Shield) gives you another +1 AC for 45 (Darkwood) or 43-44 (Composite).
- If that's not enough (lol) you reactively cast Shield - +5 AC - for 50 (Darkwood) or 48-49 (Composite).
- You can negate 3 critical autohits per day with Lucky.
- If someone still crits you, your Adamantine armor reduces it to a normal hit (still hits, but no critical effects and no double damage).
Generally I'd advise getting Composite Plating over the Darkwood Core. At these numbers, a difference of 1 or 2 AC is basically nonexistent, and being able to keep your dex lower gives you more room for feats (like Dual Wielder and Medium Armor Master).
With College of Sword's Extra Attack, the Dual Wielder Feat and Haste, you can pull off up to 4 attacks (2 from extra attack, 1 from dualwield for a bonus action, and 1 from haste action).
And all that while still being a full-fledged caster the bard is, with an access to basically any spell in game (via those wonderful magical secrets and potentially Wish). And yes, it IS a terrible, filthy and unadultered min-maxing but my... isn't it glorious?
in my experience , the ones with the higher armor class tends to die first due to them jumping into the fight with no caution whatsoever except for the metal on their body
Please tell that to my Rouge (13AC) in a party of Druid (wild shape), Paladin (16AC, greataxe), Forge Cleric (19AC). He does not have the AC or the health of anyone else. He is the one with ranged attacks, but when he is hit he is hit.
@@Cloud_Seeker i started my statement with "in my experience" for a reason
Ok then, I shall re add as close as I can recall the ENTIRE ESSAY I wrote about real armor. YOU CAN'T STOP THE SIGNAL! >=I
If you are remotely interested in historical accuracy, then you should home brew your armor classes and ignore what nonsense came out of wizards of the coast. Real plate is 60 to 70 pounds distributed over the entire body. Yes it can be noisy but only if the edges of the plate aren't lined with felt or leather which dramatically lessens the noise. There are videos all over youtube of people in full plate standing, rolling, cartwheeling, getting on and off horses, and climbing ladders from the back side. You do not wear chain under full plate. It adds weight and doesn't increase protection substantially. When you see chain on a suit of armor historically it is typically sewn in patches to the Aketon they wear underneath to cover the arm pits, backs of your knees, anything that needs to flex. The aketon provides the padding required to receive any kind of blow while wearing plate. Without it the shock will transmit into your body breaking bones and rupturing skin and blood vessels. You do not wield a shield while wearing plate because it is redundant. You are wearing your shield. Often armored footmen would use pole arms or what we now designate as "long sword" or "hand and a half" swords if they were professional mercenaries. (back then it was simply designated "sword" with no type or configuration given.)
The proof: watch?v=qzTwBQniLSc and /watch?v=q-bnM5SuQkI and /watch?v=5hlIUrd7d1Q
Leather is not armor. It is fetish wear. It will not stop penetration or cutting forces of any kind without metal covering it which negates the point of medium armor by turning it into a brigandine. Medium armor in the middle ages consisted of an Aketon sans the plate. It is made of many layers of heavy canvas with quilt padding between the inner and outer layers. It will protect from arrows at range, except for bodkin points, and it will protect from blunt force trauma. A metal helm was still commonly worn, though usually issued by the land owner employing or drafting you and it was expected to be returned one way or another at the end of hostilities.
The proof: /watch?v=-uWDCDJD_4w
Another alternative for medium armor would be Linothorax, or Lorica Hamata, or Lorica Segmintata. Linothorax was composed of layers of high thread count linen glued together till they formed a thick stiff vest, sometimes with overlapping bronze scales sewn onto them for added protection. Living history tests of this form of armor found that it could stop arrows from the bows used at the time and the scales could stop a sword penetrating. It was the bronze/iron age equivalent of a kevlar vest. Any of these could add a degree of cultural flare to your campaign if you want more than simply a western European aesthetic to your characters, npc, nations or factions.
The proof: /watch?v=0ERSx1o8wwk Not a lot of accurate testing here, since the armor's construction is still in debate.
Lukos0036 fancy.
Video titles: "Can You Move in Armour?" by the Medievalists channel -- great demo
"Why padded armor (gambeson) is WAY better than leather armor" by Shadiversity channel - good discussion, although some of the TH-cam commentators and testing channels adjusted their view of leather when they tested properly crafted pieces from appropriate beasts
"The Linothorax: Recreated at UWGB" - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay channel
Another great demo was Theyn Thrand's recreation of a linen or leather laminated viking round shield. It was light, flexible, and used resonant dispersal of incoming force to stop surprisingly tough blows. Search "Theyn Thrand viking round shield" on TH-cam to find several testing videos. Anyone should be able to carry a shield for defense, if not necessarily for stealth melee attacks.
It wasn't just WoTC that got armor wrong. It's been done this way, or very similarly (but always poorly and inaccurately), since D&D began.
A lot of it is based on the industrial age misconceptions of the medieval weapons and armor that europeans and english had examples of. "Golly that's a big sword, it must weigh a ton!" when it actually weighs 5 pounds. Or "Gee that metal armor looks like you couldn't move in it at all!" while they never tried to test it out. It's a cultural phenomenon that has been discussed before by more eloquent people than I.
Well, ultimately, most people arent really interested in perfect historical accuracy. D&D, and most TTRPGs, are inspired by, never shackled to, actual medieval history. WotC runs by the (correct) assumption that they keep things like the armor and weapon vague in broadstroaks so that people can flavor it how they want; if you're a huge fan of padded armor for example, you can be using the mechanics of leather or even studded leather or hide, but describe it as padded. It's a framework, not a prison.
But hey, if you enjoy that sort of thing then great! I know there are a ton of homebrew out there that try a more realistic approach at AC, and other systems that are built around that as well.
This video, though, is purely just about the actual established rules of the world's most popular roleplaying game!
3:44 they say he has an armor class of 40
FYI new players: you always have an AC of 10 plus dexterity modifier, if you chose not to spend gold on even a light armor. E.g. your wizard's dexterity modifier is probably really low. It may not make sense to spend that coin for 1 extra AC. Get a shield though! That's +2 to your AC and it may look stylish even with a wand in your other hand!
I don’t know how to feel about Ashley Barnstormer from VGHS explaining the rules of D&d to me. And effectively, too.
I notice that when you need a healer, it's always Pike, good choice!
The weight that WoC gave plate armor is absolutely bonkers. On average, well made historical plate armor weighed closer to 45 pounds. An additional 20 pounds of weight is a lot. Funnily enough their listing for chain is pretty accurate and I think that their logic is "plate is better so it has to weigh more." Their game their rules i guess.
Did you see how he was able to move better in heavy armor than he would have been able to in a modern suit? YEA? See, It's realistic. Now can we stop writing our duelists in leather FoR mOvEmEnT?
For noobs:
If you do not understand armour, just pick the monk class. Also works if you do not want the hassle.
Why? Because the monk get a defence bonus when *not* wearing armour.
Me a Veteren Pafinder and 3.5 player: ... but... But what about Tower Shields?
Any character CAN use a shield, but a shield is still considered armour, and it requires proficiency to use, without imposing all the same disadvantages as wearing armour you’re not proficient with.
Everyone can pick up a shield ....? What about Shield proficiency?
Forgot about unarmed defense. Normally this is 10 plus your dexterity modifier but some classes like barbarian or monk and some races like lizardfolk can increase your armorclass without armor.
Love the show. But as a nerd i have duty's. plate and chainmail isn't so heavy or constricting. However they are heavyer than clothes so of course if you don't have enough strength or proper training. You could have dissadvantage using them instead of your lovely robes.
D&D High School. You know why I'm saying that.
It would have been nice if they would have made a small mention about armor class changes from spells nothing in depth because I'm sure they'll cover that in spellcasting but something about it would have been nice.
its funny how realistically you could wear all armor types at once and youd pretty much be as if in game you wore everything, lower layer of gambeson covered by chainmail and plate armor ontop plus a shield and a warhorse and a huge lance with duelist as your fighting style and mounted combatant as a feat....i love dnd
Not every character can use a shield... It's a proficiency just like armor proficiency and if you aren't proficient with it and use one you can't cast spells and all your strength or dex based attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks are made with disadvantage. Just like wearing armor you're not proficient with... I really thought that would be one of the things you fixed in the reupload instead of just taking out the random house-rule you included since stating "any character can use a shield" is going to definitely make new players have a harder time playing, rather than an easier time, which is the whole point of this show...
my wizard got mithral chainmail :) and hes a cocky wizard with life leach and counter attack spells
The video mentioned multiple things you can't do if you're not proficient with an armor, but you forgot to mention that you can't cast spells as well.