Fewer Weapons/Armors - PEACH As You Please

[JBPuffin]

Gamma World 7E has possibly my favorite weapon/armor system due to its abject simplicity; armor is light, heavy, and shields, while weapons are simply described as "light heavy one/two handed melee/ranged (guns separate)". I wanted something like this for 5e, and decided to put something together. I included the proficiency changes to the WotC classes (Core+Artificer and Mystic) for your convenience.

Spoiler: Armor:

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-Light: AC 11+Dex mod
-Medium: AC 14+½ Dex mod
-Heavy: AC 18, no Stealth bonus
-Shield: AC +2, can’t wield Heavy weapons

Spoiler: Weapons:

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When the character obtains the weapon, its damage type is determined by the DM (one and ONLY one of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing)
-Simple Light Melee: 1d4, Finesse, Thrown 20/60
-Simple OH Melee: 1d6
-Simple TH Melee: 1d8, Heavy
-Simple Polearm: 1d6, Reach
-Simple OH Ranged: 1d4, Range 30/120
-Simple TH Ranged: 1d6, Range 80/320, Heavy
-Martial Light Melee: 1d6, Finesse, Thrown 30/120
-Martial OH Melee: 1d10
-Martial Dueling Melee: 1d8, Finesse
-Martial TH Melee: 2d6, Heavy
-Martial Polearm: 1d8, Reach
-Martial OH Ranged: 1d6, Range 40/160
-Martial TH Ranged: 1d10, Range 100/400, Heavy

Spoiler: Revised Proficiencies:

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-Artificer: No changes (light and medium armor, simple weapons)
-Barbarian: No Changes (light and medium armor, shields, all weapons)
-Bard: Light armor, simple weapons, martial light melee, martial dueling melee
-Cleric: No changes (light and medium armor, shields, all simple weapons)
-Druid: Light and medium armor, shields, simple weapons
-Fighter: No changes (all armor, shields, all weapons)
-Monk: Simple weapons, Martial Light Melee, Martial Dueling Melee, Martial OH Ranged
-Mystic: No changes (light armor, simple weapons)
-Paladin: No changes (all armor, shields, all weapons)
-Ranger: No changes (light and medium armor, shields, all weapons)
-Rogue: Light and medium armor, all weapons except Martial TH Melee and Polearm
-Sorcerer: Simple weapons
-Warlock: No changes (light armor, simple weapons)
-Wizard: Simple weapons

Let me know what you think; I'm curious to see if it makes medium armor usable, which is certainly a secret bonus design goal. Right now, assuming 20 Dex, Light and Medium are both 16; with 16 Dex (common Level 1 number), Light is 14 while Medium is 15.

Spoiler: Personal Adjustments

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Revised Cleric: d6 hit die, light armor, simple weapons, shields (Life/Nature grants medium armor, Tempest and War grant martial weapons) - I don't love the combat-master cleric. They get shields because the whole "holy symbol on shield" thing is still nifty and it makes some sense. This is enough to assuage my perpetual issue with clerics...well, that and the following changes.
Revised Bard and Warlock: Light armor, simple weapons, shields - Show their next-steppedness as combatants. I'd consider bringing bard to d6 hit die, but that'd take some playtesting. Basically, full casters should be closer to the same page.
Revised Sorcerer and Wizard: Light armor and simple weapons - This shrinks the combat differential between full+ casters and full casters. Sorcs and Wizards can attack for 1d8 in melee if they wanted to, same as the other casters.

[clash]

I like the concept but I think it eliminates any reason to have distinct medium and light armor. Both will require a heavy dex investment to become competitive and both end up at 16 and both can be used with stealth. You have a minor tradeoff of only needing dex 18 to max medium as opposed to dex 20 to max light but I dont think it is enough of a distinction. Medium armor was designed to be a middle of the road option between heavy and light. I just have trouble seeing the role it fills in this system.

[JBPuffin]

I like the concept but I think it eliminates any reason to have distinct medium and light armor. Both will require a heavy dex investment to become competitive and both end up at 16 and both can be used with stealth. You have a minor tradeoff of only needing dex 18 to max medium as opposed to dex 20 to max light but I dont think it is enough of a distinction. Medium armor was designed to be a middle of the road option between heavy and light. I just have trouble seeing the role it fills in this system.

I do too; it's mostly there as a relic and to make translating classes easier. One thing I know through play, however, is that most games don't get to 20 and could care less about what goes on there, so that early boost to AC from Medium actually has an impact on your choice of armor...Honestly, though, I'd scrap medium too.

[GalacticAxekick]

As things are, medium armour is only useful for an individual who is neither strong nor deft. 13 or less Strength gives you severe penalties in heavy armour, but none in medium. 13 or less Dex gives you up to 13 AC in light armour, but at least 14 in entry-level medium armour.

Professional infiltrators, skirmishers, bodyguards and warriors should be wearing light and heavy armour respectively, but medium armour fills a niche for everyone else. If you have a caravan on NPCs concerned about bandit attacks, a doorman facing the reasonable risk of handling violent scoundrels and drunks, a wealthy individual ready to fight off muggers and dueling rivals, stick them in medium armour.

At the same time, though, it's silly for medium armour to serve NPCs exclusively. The solution, in my homebrew, is to give light and heavy armour access to special feats (or features, if you are a Fighter!). Medium armour has access to both lists meaning that for a player or similarly powerful character, it offers a unique combination of defense and agility.