When it comes to staying protected from monsters, choosing between light, heavy, and medium armor can seem like a tough choice. Sure, heavier armor gives you more protection, but it also impedes your ability to be stealthy and sneak past unwary guards. Luckily, your class will give some guidance through proficiencies (or lack thereof), but we’ll break all of your options down below.
Before we jump into the specifics of armor, there are a couple of things we want to mention. Sorcerers and Wizards don’t have proficiencies in any type of armor, so you won’t be able to take advantage of anything on this list without somehow gaining that proficiency. Similarly, Barbarians and Monks have the Unarmored Defense feature, so they don’t usually wear armor either, although Barbarians are proficient with medium armor.
Table of Contents
Light Armor
Anyone who might need to do some sneaking is best off using light armor. Warlocks and Bards are a cut above other spellcasters since they can wear light armor (without the Druid’s metal restrictions on medium armor), and Rogues and stealthy Rangers often spend their entire adventuring careers in light armor.
The following classes have proficiency with light armor: Bards, Rogues, and Warlocks.
- Leather
- The breastplate and shoulder protectors of this armor are made of leather that has been stiffened by being boiled in oil. The rest of the armor is made of softer and more flexible materials.
- AC: 11 + Dex Mod
- Weight: 10lbs
- Cost: 10gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Padded
- Padded armor consists of quilted layers of cloth and batting.
- AC: 11 + Dex Mod
- Weight: 8lbs
- Cost: 5gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Pride Silk Outfit:
- An outfit made of pride silk. If you aren’t wearing armor, your base Armor Class is 11 + your Dexterity modifier while wearing it.
- AC: 11 + Dex Mod
- Weight: 4lbs
- Cost: 500gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Studded Leather
- Made from tough but flexible leather, studded leather is reinforced with close-set rivets or spikes.
- AC: 12 + Dex Mod
- Weight: 13lbs.
- Cost: 45gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
Medium Armor
Medium armor is preferred by most players since you have a wide range of options that might or might not impose disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Druids can wear medium armor, but only if there isn’t any metal involved. There is also a magical item on this list that counts as medium armor that spellcasters without proficiency can wear.
The following classes have proficiency with medium armor: Artificers, College of Swords Bards, College of Valor Bards, Barbarians, Clerics, Druids (limited to non-metal armor only), Rangers, and Hexblade Warlocks.
- Breastplate
- This medium armor consists of a fitted metal chest piece worn with supple leather. Although it leaves the legs and arms relatively unprotected, this armor provides good protection for the wearer’s vital organs while leaving the wearer relatively unencumbered.
- AC: 14 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight: 20lbs
- Cost: 400gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Chain Shirt
- Made of interlocking metal rings, a chain shirt is worn between layers of clothing or leather. This medium armor offers modest protection to the wearer’s upper body and allows the sound of the rings rubbing against one another to be muffled by outer layers.
- AC: 13 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight: 20lbs
- Cost: 50gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Elven Chain
- Made of interlocking metal rings, a chain shirt is worn between layers of clothing or leather. This armor offers modest protection to the wearer’s upper body and allows the sound of the rings rubbing against one another to be muffled by outer layers. You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you wear this armor. You are considered proficient with this armor even if you lack proficiency with medium armor.
- AC: 15
- Weight: None
- Cost: N/A
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Half Plate
- Half plate consists of shaped metal plates that cover most of the wearer’s body. It does not include leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with leather straps.
- AC: 15 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight: 40lbs
- Cost: 750gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Hide
- This crude armor consists of thick furs and pelts. It is commonly worn by barbarian tribes, evil humanoids, and other folk who lack access to the tools and materials needed to create better armor.
- AC: 12 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight: 12lbs
- Cost: 10gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? No
- Scale Mail
- This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. The suit includes gauntlets.
- AC: 14 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight:
- Cost: 50gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Spiked Armor
- Spiked armor is a rare type of medium armor made by dwarves. It consists of a leather coat and leggings covered with spikes that are usually made of metal.
- AC: 14 + Dex Mod (max 2)
- Weight: 45lbs
- Cost: 75gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
Heavy Armor
Heavy armor doesn’t allow you to add your Dexterity modifier to the AC, although wielding a shield will add a bonus to your AC like normal. These armors weigh and cost a lot more and are the preferred variants for melee fighters. All of them give you disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
The following classes have proficiency with heavy armor: Paladins, Fighters, Forge, Life, Order, Tempest, Twilight, War, and Nature Domain Clerics.
- Chain Mail
- Made of interlocking metal rings, chain mail includes a layer of quilted fabric worn underneath the mail to prevent chafing and to cushion the impact of blows. The suit includes gauntlets. You must have a Strength score of at least 13.
- AC: 16
- Weight: 55lbs
- Cost: 75gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Plate
- Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates to cover the entire body. A suit of plate includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and thick layers of padding underneath the armor. Buckles and straps distribute the weight over the body. You must have a Strength score of at least 15.
- AC: 18
- Weight: 65lbs
- Cost: 1500gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Ring Mail
- This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it’s usually worn only by those who can’t afford better armor.
- AC: 14
- Weight: 40lbs
- Cost: 30gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
- Splint
- This armor is made of narrow vertical strips of metal riveted to a backing of leather that is worn over cloth padding. Flexible chain mail protects the joints. You must have a Strength score of at least 15.
- AC: 17
- Weight: 60lbs
- Cost: 200gp
- Disadvantage on Stealth? Yes
