Should barbarians wear armor in D&D 5e?
In most cases, barbarians should consider wearing armor in D&D. However, they don’t have to. Although barbarians are designed to be super durable no matter what equipment is (or isn’t) equipped, they automatically get proficiency with both light and medium armor. So, it may be a good idea to put your barbarian in armor for added protection in combat. Barbarians have a class feature that boosts their armor class (AC) without armor equipped, but this feature doesn’t necessarily give barbarians a higher AC than they’d have with armor equipped. So, it’s important to check your barbarian’s AC both with and without armor equipped. The higher their AC, the better—so wear armor if it gives your barbarian a higher AC!
How does armor work with the barbarian class?
Barbarians have a class feature called Unarmored Defense. With Unarmored Defense, a barbarian’s armor class equals 10 + their Dexterity (DEX) modifier + their Constitution (CON) modifier when they aren’t wearing armor. This feature allows barbarians to forego armor and still have a decent AC—but having Unarmored Defense doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear armor. You can also equip a shield (which grants a +2 bonus to AC) and still benefit from Unarmored Defense. If a barbarian equips armor, they no longer get the benefits of Unarmored Defense (but you can always take off your barbarian’s armor if you want those perks back).
Barbarians have proficiency in light and medium armor. There are 3 main categories for armor in 5e: light, medium, and heavy. Generally, the heavier armor is, the more protection it offers (meaning it can give you a higher AC). Since barbarians are proficient with light and medium armor, they can use any type of light or medium armor freely—but shouldn’t use heavy armor. Light armors include leather, padded, and studded leather armor. Medium armors include hide, chain shirts, scale mail, breastplate, and half plate. Using armor you aren’t proficient with means you’ll have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity-based checks, saves, and attacks—which isn’t ideal.
How to Tell Whether to Wear Armor
Wear armor if its AC value is higher than Unarmored Defense. First, figure out what your barbarian’s AC is with Unarmored Defense. Then, compare that number to their AC with a certain type of armor equipped. If their AC is higher with the armor equipped, that means it’s better to wear armor and go without it. For example, say your barbarian’s unarmored AC is 14 (10 + 1 (DEX modifier) + 3 (CON modifier)). Meanwhile, half plate sets the wearer’s AC to 15 + their DEX modifier (maximum +2). So, your barbarian’s AC with half plate is 16 (15 + 1). That means it’s better for your barbarian to wear half plate rather than adventure without armor!
Avoid armor if your Unarmored Defense is superior to your armored AC. Conversely, a barbarian with high DEX and CON modifiers may be better off without armor. If you compare your barbarian’s unarmored AC with their armored AC and find that their unarmored AC is higher, that means adventuring without armor might be the better choice. For example, say your barbarian’s unarmored AC is 17 (10 + 2 (DEX modifier) + 5 (CON modifier)). If you have hide armor available—which can set the wearer’s AC to 12 + their DEX modifier (max +2)—it’ll raise your barbarian’s AC to 14 (12 + 2), which is lower than a 17 AC while unarmored. Whether or not you wear armor often depends not only on your barbarian’s ability scores, but also on the armor they have. If you have good medium armor, you’ll probably want to wear it—but if you only have light armor, you might prefer to use your unarmored bonus.
Best Armor for Barbarians
Medium armor offers the most protection for barbarians. There’s not usually much of a reason for barbarians to use light armor; their unarmored bonus is typically better than the AC bonus from light armor. The best type of medium armor is easily half plate, though you could also use a breastplate to avoid disadvantage on Stealth checks. Look for magical medium armor, such as: Armor +1, +2, or +3. This magical armor grants a +1, +2, or +3 bonus to your armor class, respectively. Mithral armor. Mithral armor doesn’t impose disadvantage on Stealth checks, even if the armor type (like half plate) normally would. Adamantine armor. This armor converts critical hits against the wearer into regular hits. Helmets don’t count as armor, so barbarians can wear them regardless of other equipment (although they also don’t offer much protection unless they’re magical). Although barbarians can also use shields, it’s better to wield a two-handed weapon—so you probably won’t want to bother with a shield’s AC bonus.
Best Magic Items for Barbarians
Magic items can buff barbarians without armor. If you’re determined to play your barbarian without armor (or their unarmored AC is better than armor), there are still magic items that can improve your barbarian’s AC even further. Keep an eye out for the following magic items as you play, adventure, and find more loot: Bracers of Defense. These bracers grant a +2 AC bonus as long as the wearer doesn’t have armor. Ring (or Cloak) of Protection. One of these cloaks or rings can grant a +1 bonus to both AC and saving throws. Amulet of Health. The Amulet of Health sets the wearer’s Constitution to 19. That means an unarmored barbarian can raise their CON modifier (and possibly AC).
Barbarians & Armor in Baldur’s Gate 3
Barbarians can also wear light and medium armor in Baldur’s Gate 3. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a popular video game set in the Forgotten Realms and built with D&D 5th edition mechanics. As such, barbarians in the game work much like barbarians in 5e. Whether or not you should wear armor in BG3 depends on your barbarian’s unarmored AC bonus is better than their AC bonus with armor on. The best barbarian clothing in BG3 includes: Bloodguzzler Garb. This piece of clothing allows the wearer to gain Wrath when damaged (meaning they’ll have a +1 bonus to melee damage). Adamantine Scale Mail. This armor reduces all incoming damage by 1 and prevents critical hits on the wearer. Enraging Heart Garb. This piece of clothing generates more Wrath and raises the wearer’s Constitutions score by +2. Bonespike Garb. This piece of clothing grants +15 temporary hit points when the wearer Rages and reduces incoming damage by 2.
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