Don some DnD armor, and you’ll be harder to hit in combat. Simple, right? Think again – as with all things Dungeons and Dragons, there are some intricate rules you need to be aware of before suiting up. Plus, if you want to build the best possible character, it’s worth putting more thought into your choice of armor 5e. This guide explains the DnD 5e armor rules and offers advice on integrating these with your desired character build.
For example, each of the DnD classes is proficient in different kinds of armor. Plus, there’s no point picking heavy plate if you plan to play one of the sneakier DnD races. We explain all of this (and more) below:
Armor class
A D&D character’s base armor class (AC) equals 10 plus their Dexterity modifier. Since armor protects its wearer from attacks, a character also adds a bonus to their armor class if they are wearing armor and/or wielding a DnD shield.
Armor proficiency
Anyone can put on a suit of armor or strap a shield to an arm. Only those proficient in the armor’s use know how to wear it effectively, however. Your class gives you proficiency with certain types of armor. If you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can’t cast DnD spells.
The armor table below collects the most commonly available types of armor found in the game and separates them into three categories: light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor.
Light armor
Wearing light armor gives you only a small amount of extra protection, but you still add your Dexterity modifier to your AC, just as you would if you were unarmored. It’s therefore ideal for more agile characters who have high dexterity. Every D&D class except the DnD Warlock, DnD Wizard, and DnD Monk starts with light armor proficiency.
Note that many armor types give you a disadvantage to Stealth checks, but this isn’t the case for most light armor. The notable exception is padded armor. Don’t buy this kind if you want to do any sneaking around. In fact, you probably just shouldn’t buy it anyway. It’s cheap, but it’s also pretty terrible.
Medium armor
Medium armor provides more protection than light armor, but at a slight cost. You still get some of the benefit of a high Dexterity score, but not the full amount. You only add your Dex modifier to your AC up to a maximum of +2 if you’re wearing medium armor.
Plenty of classes start out with medium armor proficiency:
Heavy armor
Typically, only Paladins and Fighters are proficient with heavy armor. However, some subclasses – like the Life Cleric and Tempest Cleric – can wear it too.
Heavy armor provides the biggest bonus to AC, but it doesn’t let you add your Dexterity modifier to your AC score. That said, when clad head to toe in heavy armor, you also don’t lose AC if your Dex modifier is negative. Therefore, heavy armor is great for slow, sluggish characters that just want to soak up hits.
Note that all heavy armor makes it very difficult to sneak around, giving disadvantage on Stealth rolls. The better types of Heavy Armor also have a Strength requirement. If you don’t meet that requirement, your movement speed is reduced.
Armor table
The following table lists the most common types of armor around, as well as each item’s weight, cost, Strength score requirements, and effect on your Stealth checks.
Light armor
| Armor | Cost | AC | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
| Padded | 5 GP | 11 + Dex modifier | – | Disadvantage | 8 lb |
| Leather | 10 GP | 11 + Dex modifier | – | – | 10 lb |
| Studded leather | 45 GP | 12 + Dex modifier | – | – | 13 lb |
Medium armor
| Armor | Cost | AC | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
| Hide | 10 GP | 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) | – | – | 12 lb |
| Chain shirt | 50 GP | 13 + Dex modifier (max 2) | – | – | 20 lb |
| Scale mail | 50 GP | 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) | – | Disadvantage | 45 lb |
| Breastplate | 400 GP | 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) | – | – | 20 lb |
| Half plate | 750 GP | 15 + Dex modifier (max 2) | – | Disadvantage | 40 lb |
Heavy armor
| Armor | Cost | AC | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
| Ring mail | 30 GP | 14 | – | Disadvantage | 40 lb |
| Chain mail | 75 GP | 16 | 13+ | Disadvantage | 55 lb |
| Splint | 200 GP | 17 | 15+ | Disadvantage | 60 lb |
| Plate | 1,500 GP | 18 | 15+ | Disadvantage | 65 lb |
Shield
| Armor | Cost | AC | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
| Shield | 10 GP | +2 | – | – | 6 lb |
Donning and doffing armor
The time it takes to don or doff armor depends on the armor’s category. ‘Don’ is the time it takes to put on armor. You benefit from the armor’s AC only if you take the full time to don the suit of armor. ‘Doff’ is the time it takes to take off armor. If you have help, reduce this time by half.
| Category | Don | Doff |
| Light armor | One minute | One minute |
| Medium armor | Five minutes | One minute |
| Heavy armor | 10 minutes | Five minutes |
| Shield | One action | One action |
For most armor, you won’t often need to think about how long it takes to don or doff these. DMs assume you’ll have plenty of time to change outfits during rests, and if you’re planning a stealth mission, the party Paladin probably has ample time to squeeze out of their plate beforehand.
The rules for equipping a shield are a little more important. If you’re a martial class with some spellcasting powers, you’d need three hands to wield sword, board, and magic. We’d recommend taking the War Caster 5e feat in that case – far easier than growing an extra limb.
Magic armor
The table above shows the basic armor that’s typically available, but plenty of DnD magic items offer additional armor options – should you happen to find them.
Bracers of Defense
The Bracers of Defense 5e are a magic item that gives +2 to AC to a character not wearing armor, and not carrying a shield. Pretty handy for that nudist Warlock character you were dreaming up.
Mithral Armor
Mithral Armor 5e is made of a magical material that makes for great armor. It’s light and springy, which means an armor made from Mithral doesn’t have a Strength requirement, and also won’t apply disadvantage to Stealth rolls. You can also hide it under normal clothes (normally not possible for heavier armor) and dramatically reveal it to your allies after getting stabbed by an orc, er, for example.
Armor of Resistance
Armor of Resistance 5e is a type of magic armor that grants resistance to a single damage type. For example an Armor of Psychic resistance means you take half damage from psychic effects. If you knew exactly what you’d be fighting, you could have a whole shelf full of different sets of Armor of Resistance. I don’t suppose the approaching Black dragon will wait around for a wardrobe change, however.
Mage Armor
Technically not a magic item at all, but a spell, Mage Armor 5e is great if your party is all dressed in their everyday clothes. It’s a first-level spell from the abjuration DnD school of magic, which buffs the target’s AC for eight hours. You can use it on a creature not wearing armor, and their AC automatically becomes 13, plus their Dexterity modifier. It’s like they’re wearing light armor, but better.
For more key character build info, here’s everything you need to know about DnD 2024 backgrounds. We can also help you find the right DnD weapons to complement your new outfit.
This guide directly presents rules text for armor in Dungeons and Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.