The following table replaces the armor table and rules for wearing armor while non-proficient in the PHB
Armor Type Armor Class Mobility
Disadvantage?Stealth
Disadvantage?Spellcasting? Cost Basic 11 + Dex - - - 10 gp Simple Mail 12 + Dex Yes - - 30 gp Martial Mail 14 + Dex (Max +2) Yes Yes No 60 gp Plate 15 + Dex (Max +2) Yes Yes No 200 gp Shield +2 - - - 10 gp
Basic ["Light"]
Congratulations, you're wearing something that's more protective than just the clothes on your back. This is the consolation prize of armors — you're probably going to want to get something better if you can.
Shield
Ah, a nice slab of wood or metal that you can put in between you and someone trying to disembowel you. If you aren't using a shield, you're either really confident or really poor.
Special: You can't cast the Shield spell while wearing a shield — you can come up with your own in-world explanation for why, but this is purely a balance consideration.
Simple ["Light"]
You've upgraded to proper armor. This is the bare minimum of what can be expected of someone who fights on the regular — and people will behave accordingly.
Penalties: If you don't have light armor proficiency, you have Disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks while wearing Simple armor.
Martial ["Medium"]
Now we're talking. This is what you're generally going to be wearing if you're a professional — soldiers and your better-equipped town guards are going to be wearing Martial armor.
Penalties: If you don't have medium armor proficiency, you have Disadvantage on Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), and Dexterity (Stealth) checks while wearing Martial armor.
Familiarity: If you have medium armor proficiency, the maximum Dexterity bonus for Martial armor increases to +3, and you can cast spells while wearing Martial armor. If you have heavy armor proficiency, you may use your Strength in place of your Dexterity when determining your AC while wearing Martial armor.
Plate ["Heavy"]
This is a sign that you're rich, my friend. You're basically a walking pre-modern tank. This is what the elite wear.
Special: As long as you are wearing Plate, you are immune to critical hits from non-magical weapons. If you're wearing magical Plate, you are entirely immune to critical hits, regardless of their source.
Penalties: If you don't have medium armor proficiency, you have Disadvantage on Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), and Dexterity (Stealth) checks while wearing Plate.
Familiarity: If you have medium armor proficiency, the maximum Dexterity bonus for Plate increases to +3, and you can cast spells while wearing Plate. If you have heavy armor proficiency, you may use your Strength in place of your Dexterity when determining your AC while wearing Plate.
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Some further suggestions:
- Dwarves never have Disadvantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks due to wearing armor. Go Dwarves.
- If you start with scale mail or better, you start with Martial armor. Otherwise, you get Basic armor. Druids start with non-metal Martial Armor.
- On that note, Druids can find non-metal versions of everything other than non-magical Plate armor.
- Armorer Artificers can use Intelligence for AC while wearing Martial or Plate arcane armor.
- Barbarians, Monks, and characters with the Natural Armor feature get to use their "unarmored" AC while wearing Basic armor — it that Basic armor has a magical bonus to AC, you get to stack that bonus on top.
- Similarly, Monks can use Martial Arts and their Unarmored Movement bonus while wearing Basic armor.
...
Thoughts?