What's the point of going unarmored?

[765]

AC from con still can't compete with the best medium armor, so in what kind of scenario would I want to go unarmored?

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Dexbarian.

Don't bother with Unarmored Defense unless you are willing to max out your Dex over Str.

There's a human build where you start with 16/16/16 in Str, Dex and Con that also works, let's you use any weapon equally, whether it's Dex based or Str based (so you may as well use a Str based weapon for the bonus damage from Rage), and you still get initiative bonus from high Dex and also bonus AC from Unarmored Defense that equals the best medium armor you could wear (I think it's maybe 1 lower AC).

If you're not going to go for a high Dex, then just wear medium armor, it will give you a higher AC.

[Cyroy]

Though Barbarians get unarmored defense, unless they use a Dex/Con Build, within the point but system, people still prefer to use medium armour, simply because it offers better defenses. If Larian would ever decide to add stat-rolling, unarmored defense will become a lot more attractive.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

It's also great if you multiclass with another class that gets a stat bonus to AC from another stat, like Bladesinger (let's you add Int).

A Bladesinger/Barb (or Bladesinger/Monk) gets to add the bonus from three different stats to their AC (Dex/Con/Int for Barb/Singer, or Dex/Int/Wis for Monk/Singer). Assuming you could get all three up to 20, that's a +15 to AC naturally with no armor.

[Mosey]

The advantage everything gets from using your barbarian attacks makes AC largely unattractive so it doesn't make much difference. HP matters more, since your rage gives you some resistance.

[Ghost]

'Cos high base AC can tie or even beat the best heavy armour, doesn't slow you down, frees up carry weight, doesn't penalise you, and nets you a bit more cash from selling the armour.

Base AC for most is 10 + Dexterity mod (15 max w/o buffs).
Barbarians can add Constitution, Monks can add Wisdom.

Pair that with a buff such as mage armour and you're tied with the best heavy without the strength and proficiency requirements, the weight issues or stealth, rage, spellcasting or potential encumbrance penalties.

Unarmored barbarians get 10 + Dexterity + Constitution (20 max w/o buffs or 24 at level 20)
The best non-magical medium armour, half-plate is 17 max AC, weighs a lot and has stealth penalties. The best magical currently in the game, Breastplate +2, is 18 max. The same as best heavy.

[TheBlueFox]

Originally posted by Ghost:

Pair that with a buff such as mage armour and you're tied with the best heavy without the strength and proficiency requirements, the weight issues or stealth, rage, spellcasting or potential encumbrance penalties.

That depends on how larian decides to program Mage armor.

Mage armor and Unarmored Defenses don't stack. Same with Barkskin and Tortle's Racial armor.

None of these are supposed to be "Bonuses" they're "The Targets Base AC becomes..." Effects, and you take the best one of these you have.


What DOES stack, is using a Shield, or casting the "Shield of Faith" spell. Since these are "+2 to AC" effects. In fact, Shield of faith AND a physical Carried shield DO stack. So you can be a Wizard-Barian with 16 Dex 16 Con for 16 Starting AC. Then Get a shield for 18, Then Have someone cast Shield of Faith for 20 AC. And STILL use your concentration for something like Blur (Enemies all have disadvantage attacking you)

Or just use a blur scroll cuz you'd have Medium Armor Proficiency anyway and...

Look it's an option, okay

[branmakmuffin]

As has been said already, Unarmored Defense mostly sucks.

[Ghost]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

Mage armor and Unarmored Defenses don't stack. Same with Barkskin and Tortle's Racial armor.

That depends on how larian decides to program Mage armor.

Mage armor and Unarmored Defenses don't stack. Same with Barkskin and Tortle's Racial armor.

None of these are supposed to be "Bonuses" they're "The Targets Base AC becomes..." Effects, and you take the best one of these you have.


What DOES stack, is using a Shield, or casting the "Shield of Faith" spell. Since these are "+2 to AC" effects. In fact, Shield of faith AND a physical Carried shield DO stack. So you can be a Wizard-Barian with 16 Dex 16 Con for 16 Starting AC. Then Get a shield for 18, Then Have someone cast Shield of Faith for 20 AC. And STILL use your concentration for something like Blur (Enemies all have disadvantage attacking you)

Or just use a blur scroll cuz you'd have Medium Armor Proficiency anyway and...

Look it's an option, okay

Could probably have been clearer there, was fairly general.
Base doesn't include shields etc. which can be added to whatever the final base result is.
*anything that changes how AC is calculated doesn't stack*

As it is at the moment, Mage Armor works as the 'ac becomes 13 + dex' which doesn't stack with the barbarians Unarmored Defense.
However, a rogue for example with 20 Dex and Mage Armor would have 18 base AC, which ties with the heavy. Basically anyone can push their base AC to 18 with little to no sacrifice.

As far as barbs are concerned any combination of the dex and con mods adding up to +7 (e.g. Dex12/Con22, Dex14/Con20, Dex16/Con18) will be tied to the armour.
Depending on your preferences, you could just pump Con and dump Dex for points and wear armour and most barbs would probably want to do this.
Others might want the skills or versatility or any of the other reasons previously mentioned.

It's not great by any means, but it can compete and it gives people options.

[branmakmuffin]

Originally posted by Ghost:

It's not great by any means, but it can compete and it gives people options.

In PnP 5e (not that I play a lot of 5e), based on my admittedly limited exposure it seems to be more of an RP-oriented thing. If a player knows his barbarian character's AC is going to be better with armor, most players are gonna put armor on their character. As you noted your character needs some fairly beefy stats just to make Unarmored Defense equal (let alone exceed) wearing armor. It certainly has some niche value (e.g., everyone's character had to strip to their skivvies to swim across a river and they get ambushed by a group of bandits when they climb up the bank on the other side, or they've been captured, stripped of their gear and imprisoned).

[Zabu]

The movement speed at lvl 5 is really nothing to shirk at - and it requires you not to wear armor.
It all depends on what kind of barb you are building and what kind of magic armor is going to be available in the game. Most barbs are probably going to do a strength build with 12 dex and 16 con making having armor the best choice almost right off the bat.

[branmakmuffin]

Unless they have changed something post-PHB, the Fast Movement ability at level 5 requires non-heavy armor, not no armor at all.

[guard65]

The only time unarmored has worked for me is when using no armor but using Bracers of Defense, plus a shield. All keyed to the appearance of the female barb of course.

[branmakmuffin]

Calista Flockhart has the iconic female Human barbarian physique (f you're particularly young, you'll have to google that).

[Zabu]

Originally posted by branmakmuffin:

Unless they have changed something post-PHB, the Fast Movement ability at level 5 requires non-heavy armor, not no armor at all.

Nope - you are right. I misread.

[branmakmuffin]

Originally posted by Zabu:

Originally posted by branmakmuffin:

Unless they have changed something post-PHB, the Fast Movement ability at level 5 requires non-heavy armor, not no armor at all.

Nope - you are right. I misread.

I was looking forward to an argument.