Why Does Armor Cause Penalties to Skill Checks?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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Yeah, there is a lot that can be done with armours. Make some have a higher ac versus certain attack types. If you want to get into that fun sort of minutiae and add strengths and weaknesses to armours.


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Lemmy wrote:

Okay, so, here is my thinking.

Armors were made to be mobile and resistant. They were crafted in a way to better distribute its weight around your body.

Despite what Hollywood tell us, I don't think armor got too much in the way of a warrior's mobility. At least, not anymore than any other heavy load.

So why does armor cause extra penalties if carrying an equally heavy (or even heavier) backpack does not? The heavy backpack would put off your gravity center, however, it doesn't hurt your Acrobatics skill checks at all, while even a masterwork armor does.

Except for Stealth, I see no reason for armor to cause any penalty other than that caused by encumbrance.

I think your issue is more with the relatively minor penalties associated with encumbrance than with the skill check penalties associated with armor. Why not have a talk with your GM about instituting harsher penalties for encumbrance?

As for the posters arguing that there shouldn't be armor check penalties I'd encourage you to post links of you climbing walls and swimming laps in chain mail. I'll also accept gymnastics (acrobatics), wrestling (escape artist) and/or flying (if you can do it, maybe some sort of jet pack is in order). For convenience sake please use the Benny Hill theme for the soundtrack.


Spar a bit, do some long and high jump would also be a good test.

I've watched some re-enactors over time in their armour. They slow right down because they burn energy too quickly. Compare this to a tired unarmoured swordsman/staff-user which can still be quick when a bit tired. The tiredness of armour is great for sticking in a shield-wall (no one wants to go jump out and expose themselves while tired) but not fantastic for then doing more physical effort.

D&D doesn't get everything right. Damn.

Shadow Lodge

For a given definition of 'right'.

Shadow Lodge

Lemmy wrote:
I don't have a problem with armor being penalized. I have a problem with it being penalized twice for the same thing.

I'm getting the impression that you're stacking the penalties from carrying capacity and armor. You're only supposed t take the worse of the two. If I've misunderstood then never mind.

Silver Crusade

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Donovan Lynch wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
do you see people running hurdles in combat boots, or are they in the lightest possible shoes science can make? a few ounces in all the wrong places makes all the difference

The question is, what is "all the difference"? Because it's probably not the difference between success and failure at getting over the hurdle.

Pro runners wear super-light shoes because shaving a single second off their time (or even a fraction of one) can mean changing where they finish. But there is no question they're going to get to the end of the race, no matter what they're wearing.

As a SCA fighter who has worn chain mail, plate, and lorica segmentata in battle I can assure you that running and jumping hurdles with 90 pounds of armor on would be difficult if not near impossible for most athletes and that is before you factor in the loss of agility and range of motion that the armor itself imposes.

As a prof. firefighter I have climbed ladders and jumped in and out of windows in bunker gear and scba and if anyone here is argueing that it is just as easy to do so as it would be without the added wieght and movement restriction I have to say that they are wrong.

What D&D has not dirrectly factored in is that armor is hot and saps the endurance of a person much faster than lighter clothing and this is true even for people who train to wear it.

ACPs stay. they make sense and reflect reality.

Liberty's Edge

Re: Agincourt: There is always a relevent XKCD.


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