I have an issue with one of my PCs: A regular barbarian cannot wear heavy armor but an urban barbarian cannot wear medium armor and Ultimate Campaign (as far as I can tell) doesn't say anything about an urban warrior not being allowed to wear heavy armor -- so my PC, a dwarf (racially proficient with heavy armor) argues that as an urban barbarian she should be allowed to wear heavy armor, or at least wear medium simply because of her race. Is an urban barbarian limited to only light armor?
Yes! No heavy armor, shame on shame troll! Archetypes only modify the base class in ways that are explicitly listed, e.g. if it's not listed as being different, it's the same.
EDIT: Oh and where does is list Dwarves as proficient with Heavy Armor?
not gaining proficiency in medium/heavy armor and not being able/allowed to wear heavy armor are 2 totally different things!
urban barbarian doesn't grant a PC proficiency in medium armor, but she can absolutely wear it if she gains proficiency in some other way (or is willing to take the non-proficiency penalty). some abilities don't work when wearing certain armors and that doesn't change from an archetype unless the archetype specifically says it does. so, for example, fast movement (which is a poor example here, since urban barb gives it up, lol) cannot be used in heavy armor but can in light or medium armor- gaining proficiency in heavy armor doesn't change that ability, neither does losing medium armor proficiency.
yea, dwarves arent automatically proficient in heavy armor, just as a heads up
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Mithral medium armor is treated as light armor. The Armor Check Penalty for this armor is -1. If the character is not proficient with medium armor, there is, therefore, a -1 penalty to attack rolls. If you take either of the Armor Expert or Sargavan Guard traits, the penalty is reduced by 1 to zero.
The alternative is to take one level of a class proficient in medium armor.
EDIT: And proficient in heavy armor too.
Remember, mithral armor still requires the same proficiency requirements, it just has less penalties.
Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. A character wearing mithral full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor's check penalty to all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving.
Mithral medium armor is treated as light armor. The Armor Check Penalty for this armor is -1. If the character is not proficient with medium armor, there is, therefore, a -1 penalty to attack rolls. If you take either of the Armor Expert or Sargavan Guard traits, the penalty is reduced by 1 to zero.
Yes, through this trick, no one save for sorcerers, wizards, witches, and flurry bound monks are restricted from running around in medium armor. Since a mithral breast plate counts as light for everything other than proficiency, even arcane classes with limited armor such as bards and summoners can also enjoy it.
For a bit more information: There are usually two penalties associated with armor that are important for martial classes- the speed reduction and Armor Check Penalty.
Your player thinks they can use any armor they want since they never experience the speed reduction, but the armor check penalty is the more relevant one here. The penalty for using an armor you are not proficient in is applying the ACP to your attack rolls too. So that is a minimum of -5 to attack
(or -1 if you used the trick above...which actually sounds doable, but they are already in play and already have all their traits, no? The only way to get armor expert then would be to use a feat....and why wouldn't they just take medium armor proficiency instead?)
I have an issue with one of my PCs: A regular barbarian cannot wear heavy armor but an urban barbarian cannot wear medium armor and Ultimate Campaign (as far as I can tell) doesn't say anything about an urban warrior not being allowed to wear heavy armor -- so my PC, a dwarf (racially proficient with heavy armor) argues that as an urban barbarian she should be allowed to wear heavy armor, or at least wear medium simply because of her race. Is an urban barbarian limited to only light armor?
Dwarf aren't proficent with hevy armor as far as I know, they only got slow and steady.
You could however spend two feats to get your armor proficencies or dip a level of Figther.
Oh and where does is list Dwarves as proficient with Heavy Armor?
My mistake!
It's a lot to take in for me (first time RPG and first time GM). Thanks so much for the help. I think this solved our problem.
And thank you too, I'm the dwarf urban barbarian...
Yes and no. They are limited in base proficiency, but not in capability of proficiency.
Even so, with lacking proficiency, there are armors that have a significantly reduced amount of ACP; for example, having Darkleaf Cloth Hide Armor would essentially provide you a Medium Armor with no ACP (and thusly no proficiency penalties).
Outside that, if you take a couple traits and/or feats, and you'll make that problem go away through that method, and you'll legitly count as having proficiency.
Of course, you can always talk to your GM and see if he's willing to handwave the "light armor only" proficiency, if it's a home game, though for PFS you're SOL.