Low Level Armor Disparity

[HWalsh]

So... Here are the averages of each class, I took these from the data I collected over 12 level 1 playtests.

Alchemist - Light Armor - Dexterity 16 - 15/14 AC/TAC

Barbarian - Medium Armor - Dexterity 14 - 16/15 AC/TAC

Bard - Light Armor - Dexterity 16 - 14/13 AC/TAC

Cleric - Medium Armor - Dexterity 14 - 16/15 AC/TAC

Druid - Medium Armor - Dexterity 16 - 16/13 AC/TAC

Fighter - Heavy Armor - Dexterity 14 - 16/14 AC/TAC*

Monk - No Armor - Dexterity 18 - 15/15 AC/TAC

Paladin - Heavy Armor - Dexterity 12 - 15/13 AC/TAC*

Ranger - Medium Armor - Dexterity 16 - 17/15 AC/TAC

Rogue - Light Armor - Dexterity 18 - 16/15 AC/TAC

Sorcerer - No Armor (Mage Armor) - Dexterity 16 - 14/14 AC/TAC

Wizard - No Armor (Mage Armor) - Dexterity 16 - 14/14 AC/TAC

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I noted the Fighter and Paladin specifically - They both are Heavy Armor intended characters, but they can't possibly start with Heavy Armor. This means that the highest (general) AC at level 1 is... The Ranger? Really?

Maybe Paizo should increase the starting Silver for people who are built for Heavy Armor - It isn't like Heavy Armor is so much better that it would be game breaking, but it is odd that they are the only characters that can't start with the type of armor they are built to wear.

This is especially jarring for prospective Full Plate wearers who, of all the armor wearing classes tends to have the lowest AC in the game because they can't possibly Start with Full Plate.

[PossibleCabbage]

My Half-Orc fighter spent 125 of his starting sp on armor and 21sp on a big ass knife, so I had "will stab for cash- I cannot afford to eat" as a starting hook.

[The Once and Future Kai]

The new action economy does help with hit & run tactics...but I wish that the Monk had higher AC.

[Sebastian Hirsch]

I have to agree, in PF1 it might have made sense to restrict access to something like a full plate for a bit, but even right now (and I run a fair bit of PFS) players try to skip that first scenario and if they have to play it, they update their armor immediately after that.

Another factor I am not totally in love with is that most characters will not have a level 1 feat to spend on armor so that fey sorcerer can't cast mage armor and is not proficient with any armor.

Monk AC really does seem to be a bit low and I feel somewhat forced to go for higher dex even on a strength focused monk because of it, really not the best feeling in the world.

[Shisumo]

The Once and Future Kai wrote:

The new action economy does help with hit & run tactics...but I wish that the Monk had higher AC.

Well, with 18 Dex, a starting monk has 16 AC/TAC, which is technically a little higher than what HWalsh has listed... if that helps.

[HWalsh]

Shisumo wrote:

The Once and Future Kai wrote:

The new action economy does help with hit & run tactics...but I wish that the Monk had higher AC.

Well, with 18 Dex, a starting monk has 16 AC/TAC, which is technically a little higher than what HWalsh has listed... if that helps.

I listed the bases - I did not include level modifiers.

[Twilight_Arcanum]

You can start the game with Splint Mail,Longsword,Heavy Wooden Shield and 5sp left over for food,pouches,torches.

Further more basically any class that starts with better than Light armor can have maxed out AC for their level from level 1. This might require making sacrifices somewhere whether that be in equipment,race, or tertiary stats. Equipment might be the harshest of the penalties for a melee combatant since splint mail locks you out of having 3 weapons off the common table, any non-free ranged weapon, and a handful of the uncommon weapons.

[Voss]

But why would you want to?
As a melee character, heavy armor is crippling. You're the last to the fight, have no way to deal with mobile enemies, and in emergencies, probably have to burn multiple actions just to get vaguely near the problem, and have to deal with video game style kiting as a real tactical option against you.

And gods forbid you want to pass a non-mental skill check.

Medium armor is somewhat bad, but no one should wear heavy armor at all.