Can't wear Heavy Armor with Cleric/Druid

Is it okay that I cannot use heavy armor with my cleric/druid? Thanks!

 

I'm sure it's the Druid part giving you trouble. The only heavy armor they can wear would have to be made from dragon hide.

 

Elhoim, I moved your post to here as it really isn't an issue with the 5.0.x patches.

Get all armor proficiencies for free as one of their class features, so they can wear any armor type without penalty.

Druids are different. Originally druids only got light and medium armor proficiencies as part of their class, and couldn't take heavy armor proficiency. Co8 change that so they either get heavy armor proficiency as part of their class or could take heavy armor proficiency (I for get which one) so they could use the Dragonscale Plate without penalty. The big issue is that druids cannot wear metal armor. Since every heavy armor except Dragonscale Plate (a Co8 addition) is made of metal, they cannot wear any of it except the Dragonscale Plate.

A cleric/druid will be bound by the armor restrictions of the druid. That is why you can't wear heavy armor. Dragonscale Plate is available in the game, but not until you reach Nulb.

 

Can't druids wear troll bone armor?

 

Yes, they can.

 

what advantages (other than esthetics) does heavy armor have over purely magical protection?

Metal, bone or dragonhide all have limitations on dex bonus, spell penalties, etc. AND ARE HEAVY, while magical have none. Also, these armors do not allow some magical enhancememts to add while purely magical have no such limits.

Magic Tattoos can be enhanced to +3 and have no penalties. Add all the other magical enhancements and you can get a hellacious AC without penalties of any kind and virtually no weight - great for mages OR ANY class.

Are there some built in advantages of the heavy armor that I am not aware of?

 

Can mages wear armor and not suffer casting penalties if they are proficent in that armor class?

 

I recently had my protos boosted Meleny with blue elven chainmail and +3 eleven sheild and the % of spell failure is only 5%. I leveled her up as a wizard and never had spell failure, plus she is ac26. How is this?

 

This is a semi-spoiler for console cheats.

I made up a fighter with 18 Dex - ac14 base - Nekked - with no clothes on - as Benny Hill used to say.

Full Plate +3 gave him an AC of 22
Gloves of DEX +6 added nothing
Bracers of Armor +5 added nothing
Ring Pro +5 gave him an AC of 27 (OK this one was consoled)

Same character

Tattoos +3 Gave him an AC of 21
Gloves of DEX +6 Gave him AC 24
Bracers of Armor +5 Brought AC to 29
Ring Pro +5 made AC 34
No Dex penalties, armor check penalties etc.

These last figures apply to ANY class - naturally I start with the magic user types and work backward to the tank(s) as money and experience allow crafters to make stuff.
Monks robes make nice looking tunics without taking an armor space and still keep the troops clothed.

I can see no reason to use armor of any kind when I can replace it with this kind of equipment.

 

In my last game, I gave Smigmal Redhands blue elven to Meleny and it worked. She has light and medium armor prof. I just consoled up the blue and now it says can't use. I give the blue to my half-elf wizard, who has no armor prof, and she goes from ac13 to ac21. I am confused.

 

Even without using the tattoos, the AC is the same as with the +3 plate without any of the limitations. Without the tattoos that leaves a lot of gold for making crafted wonderous items.

Fighters can add AC with a good enhanced shield, but do you really want to sacrifice the added damage from using a weapon one handed?

Until you craft girdles +6 the load carrying capacity for a fighter in armor is drastically reduced - especially with a shield - making the chests VERY necessary.

 

Keep in mind that AC from Dex does not apply when being flanked or while flat-footed, while AC from armor does.