Heavy Armor & High Dexterity

[Greenwood_Cedar]

I haven't encountered this before and am not so sure how it works according to the rules. A character chooses to wear full plate while also having a high dexterity score. How is that character affected?

The character accepts that they do not gain more than +1 to AC from dex modifier.

Does the full plate create a universal limit to any bonus one gains from dexterity to a +1 everywhere? Such as reflex saves, ranged weapon attacks (they suggest that the full plate does not impede things like fine motor skills or aiming a ranged weapon).

The full plate imposes an armor check penalty of -6 to the following skills; Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim.

I would suggest to him that there is a limit of +1 Max Dex Bonus to ranged weapon attacks since there is also an armor check penalty to Sleight of Hand.

Sorry, this seems like a basic question and I just want to be sure. Thanks in advance.

[Meirril]

Armor imposes the penalties it says it does. You have a limit to your maximum Dex bonus for AC, and you have a skill penalty. Oh, and your movement speed is reduced by the class of the armor.

You dex still gives its full bonus to ranged attacks, reflex saves, and initiative. You also get your full dex bonus to skills, the armor already gives a skill penalty, you don't need to double the penalty. As I said in the first paragraph, the only penalties given are the ones explicitly stated.

[Greenwood_Cedar]

so the only thing the Max Dex Bonus applies to is just the AC.

Any skill which relies on Dex and has an armor check penalty, would get the unchanged DEX bonus and also the -6 armor check penalty for being full plate.

nothing else is affected? Reflex saves are still using the full Dex modifier. Still get full dex mod bonus to initiative. Ranged attacks get the full Dex Modifier bonus. Weapon Finesse still applies full dex modifier to melee attack rolls.

Thank you.

[MrCharisma]

Yup Reflex saves are unaffected, as is Initiative. Ranged attacks are fine too, as is Weapon Finesse.

This of course assumes they're proficient with the armour they're wearing.

[Greenwood_Cedar]

I wasn't expecting that, but you're right. Thanks

[Darrell Impey UK]

(FWIW, in Starfinder the Dex bonus is actually capped for all uses...)

[Volkard Abendroth]

Greenwood_Cedar wrote:

I haven't encountered this before and am not so sure how it works according to the rules. A character chooses to wear full plate while also having a high dexterity score. How is that character affected?

The character accepts that they do not gain more than +1 to AC from dex modifier.

Does the full plate create a universal limit to any bonus one gains from dexterity to a +1 everywhere? Such as reflex saves, ranged weapon attacks (they suggest that the full plate does not impede things like fine motor skills or aiming a ranged weapon).

The full plate imposes an armor check penalty of -6 to the following skills; Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim.

I would suggest to him that there is a limit of +1 Max Dex Bonus to ranged weapon attacks since there is also an armor check penalty to Sleight of Hand.

Sorry, this seems like a basic question and I just want to be sure. Thanks in advance.

Armor Training, Mithral, Nimble, etc.

A fighter can benefit from 8-9 points of DEX while wearing full plate.

[Nyerkh]

I actually had to remind myself of this not too long ago.
It's one of those rules you probably haven't re-read recently, because we all know how something that basic works, right?

Equipment Rules, from the CRB:

Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC that this type of armor allows. Dexterity bonuses in excess of this number are reduced to this number for the purposes of determining the wearer’s AC. Heavier armors limit mobility, reducing the wearer’s ability to dodge blows. This restriction doesn’t affect any other Dexterity-related abilities.

As an aside, there are also heavy armor options with up to a +3 max Dex bonus, if oriental gear like the Tatami-do or the Ô-yoroi are available in your game. They're otherwise equivalent to a full-plate, even.