Bracers of Defense

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Lawolf

Aug 08, 2014 12:19:18

These seem good. "while you wear these bracers you gain a +3 bonus to your AC while you wear no armor and use no shield"

 

So, Arcane trickster rogue with 20 Dex and Dual Wielder feat would have

13+5+3+1 = 22 AC. Not bad.

 

Eldritch Knight fighters, valor bards, monks, blade pact warlocks, wizards, and sorcerers all get a lot out of this item. Seems quite nice.

#2

seti

Aug 08, 2014 12:27:36

I like it. I like how it stacks with DEX bonus, but not with armor.

 

I'd hope there'd also be a magic item somewhere that helps you with spell saves/DEX saves as well...Actually, saves in general. +X to AC isn't much help when you're dealing with monsters with spell like abilities, spells, and AoEs. I'm sure there will be, and such defensive magic items would not be hard to just make up.

#3

Eerongal

Aug 08, 2014 12:33:33

I think there needs to be a +1-3 versions of it, since it essentially replaces the "magic armor bonus" for non-armor wearers. That's obviously easy to make/house rule, though, just simply hand out "+1 bracers armor" that only give +1 instead of +3.

#4

Lawolf

Aug 08, 2014 12:36:26

Eerongal wrote:
#5

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 12:36:45

Monks come to mind.

 

10+5 Dex + 5 Wis + 3 bracers = 23.

#6

Xeviat-DM

Aug 08, 2014 12:41:43 		Arcane Tricksters and Eldritch Knights can wear armor just fine.
#7

ChrisCarlson

Aug 08, 2014 12:46:39

It's kinda like permanent mage armor for anyone...

#8

h347h50

Aug 08, 2014 12:59:35

Lawolf wrote:
#9

Lokiron

Aug 08, 2014 12:57:51 		Barbarians too, right?
#10

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 12:59:59

ChrisCarlson wrote:
#11

h347h50

Aug 08, 2014 13:03:38

Lokiron wrote:
#12

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 13:06:16

h347h50 wrote:
#13

h347h50

Aug 08, 2014 13:07:56

mellored wrote:
#14

ChrisCarlson

Aug 08, 2014 13:08:36

mellored wrote:
#15

Lawolf

Aug 08, 2014 13:12:18

mellored wrote:
#16

Kalani

Aug 08, 2014 13:10:25

As stated in the rules (paraphrasing): if you have multiple ways of determining AC - choose one.... As read, I would assume this makes bracers incompatible with unarmored defense, Mage armor, etc (however as I have yet to finish reading my phb I could be wrong)

#17

Dracones

Aug 08, 2014 13:13:52

They burn an attunement slot, so for armor wearers you might just be better off with normal rare +1 armor.

#18

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 13:16:12

ChrisCarlson wrote:
#19

Lawolf

Aug 08, 2014 13:15:10

Kalani wrote:
#20

ChrisCarlson

Aug 08, 2014 13:15:46

mellored wrote:
#21

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 13:16:51

Just noticed the disclaimer.

 

Work in Progress!
This information from the Dungeon Master’s Guide represents 
in-progress versions of the rules in that book. Updated 
information will appear in future versions of the D&D basic 
rules.

 

 

Hopefully, they will switch it back to 13+Dex.

#22

h347h50

Aug 08, 2014 13:21:45

Kalani wrote:
#23

mellored

Aug 08, 2014 13:24:23

h347h50 wrote:
#24

vacthok

Aug 08, 2014 13:27:05

With a DEX-based EK, these only give an effective AC boost of +1, since you (likely) be comparing them to an EK with a shield.  

 

Mage Armor + Max DEX + Shield = 13 + 5 + 2 = 20

Mage Armor + Max DEX + Bracers = 13 + 5 + 3 = 21

 

You do free up a hand from losing the shield, but I'm not sure TWF is worth it considering the competition for the bonus action (IIRC one of the EK features is to cast a cantrip then use a weapon attack as a bonus action... I don't have a copy of a PHB so I may be wrong about that).  And at least in the Basic rules, there are no finesse versatile or 2h weapons, so a 2h DEX War Caster EK wouldn't be possible (I'm assuming War Caster allows somatic components for casting with a 2h, but again, I don't have the PHB so I could very well be wrong)

 

Of course, a STR based EK in plate with a shield is equivalent to a DEX based EK with Mage armor (ignoring stealth).  Theoretically, you could go for a high STR, high DEX War Caster EK with the bracers and a 2h/Versatile weapon (Again, assuming War Caster allows 2h casting), but that is running into some serious MAD at that point.

#25

Leugren

Aug 08, 2014 13:32:48

Since you mentioned sorcerers:

 

Sorcerers with the Draconic Bloodline get a feature called Draconic Resilience which, among other things, grants them an AC equal to 13 + Dex bonus when they aren't wearing armor.  This saves them from having to learn Mage Armor, and also obviates the need for Bracers of Defense.  Wild Magic sorcerers, on the other hand, would benefit from these.

#26

Lawolf

Aug 08, 2014 13:36:18

Leugren wrote:
#27

h347h50

Aug 08, 2014 13:37:01

mellored wrote:
#28

Saelorn

Aug 08, 2014 13:38:21

It sounds like they're just awesome, for any sort of wizard or monk, which fits in with their traditional usage. And even if you get some crazy monk with AC 25, there will still be tough monsters with +10 to hit or more, so you'll never get to the point of being truly untouchable.

 

Neat.

#29

Dracones

Aug 08, 2014 13:42:33

vacthok wrote:
#30

Proletheus

Aug 08, 2014 13:46:25

I don't even think they are exceptionally overpowered - the classes that benefit the most from it are armorless front line fighters: The barbarian and the monk.

 

The barbarian needs to invest in three stats for offense and defense, so these things are more than welcome to give him an acceptable AC.

 

The monk can actually really profit from them, but the bonus is not too out of whack compared to a fighter with +1 heavy armor and a +1 shield - who doesn't need to invest in any non-offensive stat in order to achieve this.

#31

Xeviat-DM

Aug 08, 2014 14:17:53

Ah, the joys of "bounded accuracy" and untyped bonuses.

(Reply to #26)

Leugren

Lawolf wrote:
#33

Sturmunddrang

Aug 08, 2014 14:39:09

As good as it would be to stack this with mage armor or whatever, you still have to think about if it would be better to just take that level of fighter, have heavy armor master for -3 damage and get the fighter's +1 AC bonus, and possibly use a shield too.  If the wording goes back to playtest so you can't stack it, then it isn't a very good option.

(Reply to #27)

The_White_Sorcerer

h347h50 wrote:
#35

Paraxis

Aug 08, 2014 15:39:05

There needs to be some form of magic armor for monks, wizards, and barbarians that go naked, this is it.  The only issue is the only example is a +3 flat bonus, as someone else said up thread it is those classes version of +3 magic armor so it should be just as rare and there should be +1 and +2 versions of it.

#36

Noon

Aug 08, 2014 17:22:48

Eerongal wrote:
#37

Psikerlord

Aug 08, 2014 20:44:30

ChrisCarlson wrote:
#38

Polaris

Aug 08, 2014 20:56:26

Psikerlord wrote:
#39

Zardnaar

Aug 08, 2014 21:10:10

 The funny thing is the bracers and +1 armor ar both rare. I am having a hard time thinking about why you would not just have a dex based character in this edition and either dual wiled as a fighter/rogue or go duelist with rapier and board. 

 

 The bracers just make dex even better. I thought +3 armor would balance it out but the bracers are equivilent to +1 armor and thats just not right. 

#40

demon_idol

Aug 09, 2014 7:57:32

For many characters, bracers of armor are as good as +1 studded leather, except that the bracers require attunement, and the armor does not.

 

Also, I would imagine that mage armor counts as armor (especially since both mage armor and the bracers only work for people not wearing armor, and since mage armor is called mage *armor* and not, say, mage deflector shield, or mage force field).

#41

Psikerlord

Aug 09, 2014 0:45:08

 

I guess if fighters etc can get +3 armour, then monks should be able to get a +3 via bracers? But I hope bracers are +1 to +3, and the +3 version is suitably rare...

#42

frothsof

Aug 09, 2014 7:24:17 		My monk wouldn't kick bracers of defense out of bed for eating crackers
#43

JRutterbush

Aug 09, 2014 9:35:49

demon_idol wrote:
#44

h347h50

Aug 09, 2014 10:03:03

Zardnaar wrote:
(Reply to #18)

gaminggirl

mellored wrote:
#46

Mephi1234

Aug 09, 2014 10:22:42

AC for armor wearers goes up when you buy better armor, find magical armor, or possibly increase your Dexterity.  

 

Arcane casters, on the other hand, tend to not raise their Dex, and can't get better armors.    Barbarians, likewise, want Strength, not a large Dexterity.   

 

The "Base AC" classes need some way to bump up in terms of defense.   It seems that these are the answer.

#47

h347h50

Aug 09, 2014 10:43:05

Mephi1234 wrote:
#48

Mephi1234

Aug 09, 2014 10:55:37

h347h50 wrote:
(Reply to #48)

Lokiron

Mephi1234 wrote:
#50

Kalani

Aug 09, 2014 12:03:49

Lokiron wrote:
#51

Lokiron

Aug 09, 2014 12:03:27 		Those are major changes from the playtest, right? Rage and Reckless only working with strength attacks..
#52

Kalani

Aug 09, 2014 12:19:05

Lokiron wrote:
#53

h347h50

Aug 09, 2014 12:29:31

Thats also assuming a point buy system. A half orc, human, or mountain dwarf barbarian that starts off with a 20 STR with a rolled up character is going to most likely pick up 2 or 3 feats for DPR and then get the other stats bumped up asap. Con first then dex.

#54

Lokiron

Aug 09, 2014 12:26:07 		Hmm.. That's kind of similar to the dex requirement on the rogue's sneak attack.
#55

Mephi1234

Aug 09, 2014 16:42:33

h347h50 wrote:
#56

h347h50

Aug 09, 2014 16:50:20

Mephi1234 wrote: