When do players typically get better armors?
When does this typically happen in adventure league?
*Note I'm mostly talking about non-magical armor upgrades. Magical armor upgrades can be brought up as well.
Not sure what you are asking. Usually by 2nd/3rd level you can have any armor you want besides Plate. In my group, folks pitched in to get me Plate a bit early... think I was just 4th, or end of 3rd.
Coredump00 wrote:
Anyone else have a differing opinion?
If you are in civilization where you can purchase mundane items, you should be able to purchase whatever armor you can afford.
Typically shopping is available at the beginning and end of an episode. Or during the game if you are in town and the DM says yes.
My AL table was pretty poor until 5th level and splint was the best thing our warriors could afford. Also partly due to high table count and many 1st level characters taking a split then never returning.
Other people chipping in to help buy stuff is expressly forbidden in AL. However your mileage may vary. RAW the only thing other characters can buy for you is spell casting services.
I'd say at level 3 is when I'd give the ability to upgrade armor substantly(except the last armor upgrade in their respective categories heavy/med/light), if it was just leather to studded leather, then level 2 if they had the funds I'd allow that also. Probably level 5 is when I'd let them try to afford platemail and half-plate, if they could afford it or find a way to get some RP wise. To me level 5 or 6 characters have been through a bit at that point and could be considered very important to my understanding, being deserving of some pretty nice armor(not magical yet though). I think it'd be level 6 is when the entire party has their best sets of armor, non-magical ofcourse.
All of the above is from no player presuasion. If they RP the **** out of finding and achieveing the armor pre level 5, some how mangeing to afford it or presuade someone to maybe give a single piece to the whole group as payment for something amazing(probably harder quest than orginaly), then they deserve it.
If the party makes it their mission at level 3 to find Jimmy a set of platemail and they do it right, then by god Jimmy is going to get some platemail(granted it's going to test their endurance and RP strengths).
All of this said, if they're meta-gaming to get this stuff, then it's a no go. They need some pretty legit reasons to get Jimmy his armor and why their characters are willing to risk theirseleves for Jimmy.
Level 3 is where I saw players getting their first upgrades. Upgrading to plate probably doesn't happen until much later, unless a player is saving up specifically for that, and able to sell magic items.
I allow players to upgrade depending on their creativity and bravery/fool hardiness.
The DMG says a 5th level character should have 500 + 1d10 x 25 GP. Even at max, that isn't enough for Plate.
This leads me to believe Plate should be available around 6th level.
Level 3 for Splint
Level 4 for Breastplate
Level 5 for Half plate
Level 6 for Plate
Any variation from this means you are a bad DM.
Conspire with your party's rogue or bard and just steal some. Won't really help my paladin..... could work for a fighter though 
When I was DM'ing the Hoard of the Dragon Queen module for my group, they ended up making a really favorable impression on the leader of the Gauntlet faction. One player also joined as a result. I gave them 2 plate armors as a reward on top of the module's "any mundane item". They had also recently had a brush with a TPK during the fight against Cyanwrath and his 2 berserkers, so I was also patching them up a bit. I didn't really notice much of a difference as a DM. I believe they were level 4 when I gave them the goods.
FunkySpunk wrote:
Nevvur wrote:
I was not being serious.
Nevvur wrote:
Given what little we know about WBL so far,
and who knows how much Magic Item sales
are needed or optional in any homegame :
(have reached level x = normal DMG gp treasure distribution)
2 = 140 gp
3 = 280 gp
4 = 420 gp
5 = 560 gp
... is what's been posted around here previously.
Magic Armor is very pricey early on.
500 or 1000 gp (or more) to craft
a +1 item, versus a Shield for 10 gp
or next step up Armor for ~30 gp.
That's before Tools or cooperative RP
or Formulas (if that's your DMs way).
I'm going to look at it from a game balance perspective, rather than a gp perspective.
First, leather armor is a throw away armor; most 1st level characters are going to be able to afford studded leather, so that's our baseline; +2 AC.
A Dexterity based character "will" boost their Dex at level 4 and again at level 8 (or maybe 6 if they're a fighter!). This means their AC goes up at 4 and at 8. This matches when attack bonuses increase for monsters pretty well.
A heavy armor wearer likely starts with chainmail (+6 AC); splint is a waist. They can upgrade to plate at one point for +1 and to full plate for another +1. Thus, I believe the armor upgrades should come around level 4 and level 8, for parity.
Medium armor wearers fall into a gray zone. Either they start with a Chain shirt (+3 AC) or Scale mail and a stealth penalty (+4 AC); with a +2 Dex, they're even AC with a light wearer and a 16 Dex with chain shirt or a heavy wearer with scale mail. They can upgrade to Breastplate or Half Plate for +1 more, preferably by level 4. To get another AC bonus, they need to fall back on Medium Armor Master (which gives the breastplate wearer +2 AC since they can switch to half plate with no stealth penalty) and up their Dex to 16.
So, I say 4 and 8 for heavy wearers, and I shake my head at the poor medium wearers.
Xeviat-DM wrote:
You misunderstood my quotes around "will". It was more like doing air quotes for sarcasm. But, taking a feat instead of boosting Dex for a dex-based attacker is a trade off between attack, damage, ac, dex defense, and dex skills and whatever the feat is going to give; that's a choice for the character.
I sure hope someone doesn't need to "waste" a stat boost on jiggering their stats so they can multiclass; 13s aren't hard to come by.
I can't believe I had not made the connection between when a dexterity armor wearer can increase his AC - levels 4 and 8, usually - and when it's appropriate for PCs to have access to enough spare money for better armor.
I think it's likely you'll have enough before levels 4 and 8, but it's at least a decent marker.