In Baldur’s Gate 3, heavy armor works best for characters who aren’t focused on dexterity. However, it’s not the only path to a strong AC, and you can tailor your character’s armor choices to their abilities and playstyle.
At the game’s start, light and medium armor provide solid options. Decent heavy armor, on the other hand, doesn’t become available until Act 2.
Dexterity Affects Armor Class
Dexterity (Dex) provides a bonus to your Armor Class (AC). Heavy armor can negate this bonus and might even make stealth more difficult due to weight.
AC is more crucial at lower levels. By combining armor, shields, and other bonuses, you can reach high AC levels early in the game.
Strength-Based Characters and Heavy Armor
Heavy armor is ideal for characters who rely on strength (Str) instead of dexterity.
These characters won’t benefit much from Dex bonuses and often won’t engage in stealth activities.
Think of it in terms of weight. Dexterity is about being light and nimble, while heavy armor, well, it’s heavy.
Dex and Heavy Armor
If you’re playing a high-dexterity ranger, heavy armor isn’t very useful. It’s primarily for high-strength, low-dexterity characters.
If you already have high Dex, medium armor is usually sufficient. Heavy armor shines when you have low Dex.
You don’t necessarily need heavy armor to be tanky. Medium armor can provide an AC of 17, and light armor can reach 17 AC if you have 20 Dex.
With 20 Dex, you can use Mage Armor to achieve 18 AC without heavy armor.
In the game, you’ll often find magical armor that’s a good fit for your character. So, don’t hesitate to wear what suits your character’s strengths.
Proficiency Matters
If you’re not proficient in a type of armor, you’ll have disadvantages on skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls while wearing it.
If you want to create a melee ranger using non-finesse weapons, you can use chain mail.
However, if you prefer ranged or finesse weapons, consider respecing your character to remove heavy armor proficiency.
In BG3, strength requirements for armor have been removed. Proficiency is what matters.
Cost Considerations
Light armor is cheaper compared to heavy armor, which is rarer and more expensive. Plate mail, for instance, costs 1500 gold and offers 18 AC with no Dex requirement.
Happy gaming!