Druids and armor selection

[Happycrow]

Can druids wear studded leather?
Just realized that Brier's still wearing his "woodsman's outfit," which technically has metal studs. And he was offered a gift of a HELLA UGLY (but spiffy) Silvanus studded leather, which ooc'ly don't know if he can even use...do I need to get rid of that woodsman's outfit?

The other options would be nothing, quilted, leather, or hide. But hide is discriminated against and is pretty much the worst armor of all time, its -4 armor check penalty being a complete show-stopper for any druid who wants to actually get some use out of his or her camoflage spell.

If the studded leathers aren't legit... perhaps we could beg for another option of some sort? Or some reasonably-spiffy leather armors that are more plain and functional-looking like the woodsman's stuff, without causing problems?

[Veilan]

I think you're a little too worried there. As there's no real difference between a 3/4 hide and 3/4 studded, there's no reason to disallow the use of studded armour to druids. You can always find a reasonable IC explanation for the armour (unless it really shows a lot of metal, gargantuan steel shoulderguards, brazen greaves, silver vambraces...).

Of course, your local DM might disagree, or you might want to take a few metal pieces IC instead of handwaving them away, and roleplay your druid as ultra-strict, but that's a choice rather than mandated.

Cheers,

[NickD]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm

Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description) Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

Dunno if it's different for Forgotten Realms/ALFA.

[t-ice]

Hunting for unusually tough hides and scales for better armors is always a nice quest for druidies, see dragonscale:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialMaterials.htm

While a druid-useable full plate should take a full dragon, lesser armors should be nicely discretionary.

[hollyfant]

Part of the problem is that nobody has any idea what "studded leather" is, anyway. The description is simple enough: supple leather with studs through it. But anyone in their right mind would realise simply hitting nails through leather will just weaken it. The going theory is that Gygax or Arneson saw brigandine armour, and simply didn't realise those "studs" were the rivets that keep metal plates in place.

As Nick pointed out, druids are prohibited from wearing metal armour. "Studded leather" is leather, with studs. "Brigandine" is metal lined... but the main thing is still the leather jacket. So I'd say either qualifies as "not actually metal armour".
Although I could see some druids considering it a thing that goes against the spirit of their oaths.

[Brokenbone]

Ah druids... "I won't wear something with twelve ounces of metal in it, but let me skin that giant endangered crocodile and wear it!" Guess be glad the bias against metal doesn't extend to rings, knives, belt buckles, buttons and the other thousand things that are metallic. Just armor and shields.

[Happycrow]

Yeah, Gygax was under the influence of some of the early Victorian guys (ring mail is another one like this), and clearly didn't recognize either brigandines or coats-of-plate. While the difference in armor check penalty is bigger than that (-1 vs. -4), this seems pretty cut and dried. I'll go get a quilted or leather.

[Nuran]

Being that no one seems to know exactly what the studs in studded leather are or do, isn't it reasonable to think that some druid out there studded his leather with bone?

[Happycrow]

Nah, it's cool, man. Leif's gift is thoroughly awesome, but like I said last night, the guys most likely to be wearing that Sylvanus studded of theirs are rangers who don't care about such things. Just solidifies Brier's position as "fellow who does not want to be in melee."

[Mick]

Just solidifies Brier's position as "fellow who does not want to be in melee."

Don't be silly. Brier totally could have given that mountain lion the business.

I mean, presuming his armor got lodged in the cat's colon.

[Mirabai]

Ah druids... "I won't wear something with twelve ounces of metal in it, but let me skin that giant endangered crocodile and wear it!" Guess be glad the bias against metal doesn't extend to rings, knives, belt buckles, buttons and the other thousand things that are metallic. Just armor and shields.

Yep. The abundance of contradictions in the DnD Druid class is one of those aspects of DnD that I mostly just try not to think about, as you really can't begin to address one without addressing them all.

[rorax]

Playing a druid, I can say the following:

1. Studded leather make sense IC(at least IMHO), the base of the armor is leather.

2. If i'm not mistaken, FR Mielikki druids are allowed to use metal armor.

3. Do not put more restrictions on druids, they were nerfed enough both from OC and from 3.5 edition. Studded leather is a fine choice that also make in game sense, no need to restrict them to hide armor or worse.

[CloudDancing]

Silvanus Studded Leather is hand crafted by Master Druids of the Great Oak. It's studding is of Curboli, thick plates of leater boiled in beeswax till they reach a metal-like toughness. Then it is attached to a deerskin base that has been quilted with humanely gathered eiderdown and cattail fluff. The leather itself comes from horses and deer that have died of old age or mishap. Finally is all assembled by the Master Rangers and blessed by Oakshadow, all who happen to rather be studs themselves.

[Rion of Erb]

I just traded mine in for the Ceremonial Druid Robes of Silvanus, as the Silvanus Studded Leather had the "Iron" material type in the description...

[Veilan]

I relish in the fact that once again, Standards is more lenient than ALFAns desire.