AC Overhaul (5e Variant Rule)

Synopsis

This is an overhaul of AC made for D&D 5e. It focuses on improving accessibility of armor, diminishing the use of Dexterity when calculating AC, and reworking shields to provide more variety. Instead of armor setting your Base AC, it now adds to it. Shields have been given two properties with two options to allow more versatility. The economy of these new armors and shields are left up to the DM to fill in.

Warning

This variant rule is extremely unfinished. Maybe take this as inspiration for your own rebalance, but as it stands this is a very incompatible proof of concept for 5e.

Base AC

All creatures, unless stated otherwise, have a Base AC of 10 (NO Dexterity modifier). When players encounter multiple calculations of Base AC, they may ONLY benefit from their species' armor, or otherwise ONE of their choice. These alternative Base ACs include:

Natural Armor

10 + Constitution modifier, armor and shields are allowed.

This includes, but is not limited to: dragonborn, kobolds, locathahs, lizardfolk, thri-kreen, troglodytes, and simic hybrids (carapace).

In addition, the Unarmored Defense from the barbarian class and the Draconian Bloodline sorcerer subclass act identically.

This reflects how your healthy body—be it scales, a carapace, or sheer willpower—is able to prevent attacks from harming you.

Unarmored Defense

As stated before, barbarians and Draconic Bloodline sorcerers get 10 + Constitution Modifiers AND shields. Monks get 10 + Wisdom Modifier and NO shields. Keep in mind that this rebalance means that barbarians, monks, and Draconic Bloodline sorcerers can STILL wear armor THAT THEY ARE PROFICIENT IN and receive these benefits.

Fixed Armor

17, armor NOT allowed, shields allowed, -5 ft. of speed.

This includes, but is not limited to: autognomes, glitchlings, tortles, and warforged.

Warforged have the ability to "shed" part of their Integrated Protection, dropping their base AC to 15 and receiving no speed penalty.

This reflects the physical coating of hardened material that is physically a part of you and does not improve with health.

Note that, if desired, custom armor built for the wearer can always be used. But conventional armors made for 'normal' Humanoids are largely incompatible with these species.

Beasthide Shifter

The same as Natural Armor, but the shifter must be shifting to receive the benefit.

Loxodons?

I think elephant skin is a bit different than scales or carapaces, so I elect instead to give the loxodons something akin to the hill dwarf's Dwarven Toughness; giving them more HP instead of more AC.

Armor

If you wear armor you are NOT proficient in, you are subject to -10 ft of speed and you must roll a Constitution saving throw every hour while wearing the armor. On a fail, you suffer 1 point of Exhaustion. You also cannot benefit from any nonmagical flying, climbing, swimming, or burrowing speed.

Types

Light Armor

Requires no proficiency to wear, due to their uncumbersome nature.

Padded armor has the "Layerable" property, meaning it can be worn in addition to any other armor EXCEPT another Padded armor.

Any mention of "unarmored" or "while you aren't wearing armor," including the monk's Martial Arts and Unarmored Movement, now includes Light Armor. To clarify, monks can wear Padded Armor and/or any other Light Armor and still benefit from the previously mentioned class features.

Medium Armor

Requires proficiency, has Dexterity (Stealth) disadvantage

• Classes that gain Medium Armor Proficiency: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger
• Subclasses that gain Medium Armor Proficiency: Bard (Swords and Valor), Monk (Kensei), Warlock (Hexblade), and Wizard (Invention (UA) and War)

Heavy Armor

Requires proficiency, -5 ft. speed, has disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws, has a Constitution requirement

• Classes that gain Heavy Armor Proficiency: Fighter and Paladin
• Subclasses that gain Heavy Armor Proficiency: Cleric (Forge, Order, Peace, Protection (UA), Solidarity (PSA), Strength (PSA), War, and Zeal (PSA))

Heavy Armor has a Constitution requirement. While it can be worn without the Constitution, you are subject to an ADDITIONAL -5 ft. of speed AND must also roll a Constitution save every hour as though they were not proficient in the armor.

Therefore, if you wear Heavy Armor without the Constitution requirement AND you aren't proficient in it, you are subject to -20 ft. of speed, you must roll Constitution Exhaustion saves every half hour, and you cannot benefit from nonmagical flying, climbing, swimming, or burrowing speeds.

Styles

There are 4 styles of armor.

• Padded: textile-based armor where cushioning is the form of protection, not rigidity

E.g. Gambesons, Aketons, Arming Jackets, Arming Doublets, etc.

• Chainmail: interlocking metal (or other supernatural material) rings that are butted, welded, or riveted together to make a flexible, protective surface
• Composite: any form of armor that is not Padded, Chainmail, or Plate

E.g. Brigandine, Plated Mail, Splint, Coats of Plate, Jacks of Plate, Laminar/Banded/Segmented, Lamellar, Scale, etc.

• Plate: armor made out of large, rigid, protective pieces

However, for flavor purposes, lobstered and/or anima-style armor can still be classified as Plate

Materials

The idea of this style system is to disconnect armor from its material, with the exception of Chainmail. Armor's effectiveness is not dependent on its material, rather its coverage. Boiled leather, metals, and even lacquered wood can be used to construct Composite and Plate armors.

Chainmail, however, practically needs the pliable properties of metal to be constructed. You may, of course, use special materials found in your world, but chainmail is near impossible to make in real life without metal.

Armor Table

Light	Padded (+1, Layerable)	Chainmail Jazerant (+2)	Composite Cuirass (+3)	Plate Cuirass (+4)
Medium (Stealth Dis.)	Chainmail Hauberk (+5)	Half Composite (+6)	Half Plate (+7)
Heavy (Dex Dis., -5 ft.)	Full Chainmail (+8, CON 15)	Full Composite (+9, CON 18)	Full Plate (+10, CON 18)

Note: A Jazerant is a chainmail haubergeon (shirt) that was sewn or sandwiched between two textiles. It is similar to the current 5e's Chain Shirt in design.

Feats

Provided are 3 feats that are intended to replace the current armor-based feats of 5e (Lightly Armored, Moderately Armored, Heavily Armored, Medium Armor Master, Heavy Armor Master):

Svelte Savant

• When wearing Medium Armor you are proficient in, you no longer have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
• When wearing Heavy Armor you are proficient in, you no longer suffer from the base movement speed penalty, and no longer have disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saves with the exception of Dexterity (Stealth) checks, of which you still have disadvantage due to the unavoidable sound your armor makes.
• All Heavy Armor Constitution requirements are reduced by 3

Layerer

• You unlock a third layer of protection. In addition to your main armor and a Padded armor, you may wear any Light or Medium armor and benefit from its bonus halved, rounded down. You cannot combine two of the same style of armor. (For flavor purposes, the order of which you wear these layers of armor are up to player interpretation and do not affect AC calculation).

Impervious

Prerequisite: Level 8

• When wearing Heavy Armor you are proficient in, any nonmagical attack directed towards you has disadvantage on the attack roll.

Quick Ruling

It shall be ruled that even if you have Svelte Savant, if you wear two Medium Armors through Layerer, you will retain disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. However, if you wear a Padded Armor, another Light Armor, and a Medium Armor, and you have Svelte Savant, you will not have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Shields

Shields no longer need proficiency to wield, and have two properties: Size and (Attachment) Style. A shield must have one of these properties per category.

Size

• Small: +1 AC; if the wielder has a Strength or Dexterity score of 13, they can wield this shield AND use this hand for two-handed weapons or two-weapon fighting
• Large: +2 AC

Style

• Strapped: +1 AC
• Center-Grip: If the wielder has a Strength or Dexterity score of 13, they can spend their Reaction to add their Proficiency bonus to their AC when targeted by a melee attack

A shield's AC bonus cannot allow the wielder to exceed 20 AC, with the exception of the Center-Grips Reaction ability, which can go beyond 20.

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