In Dungeons & Dragons, players are able to wield a vast array of useful pieces of equipment. As much as players like to focus on their powerful magical weapons, a character’s armor is just as important. The right armor in D&D can make or break an encounter, altering a character’s armor class and dictating whether or not a given attack roll could potentially hit a character.
Though the default armor options when making a new character can leave a lot to be desired, there are many impactful pieces of armor that players can obtain on their journey. So today, we’re going to examine the various forms of defensive equipment in D&D and see which are the most useful!
Updated July 14, 2022 by Paul DiSalvo: Magic armor in Dungeons & Dragons comes in all shapes and sizes, offering a wide range of defensive benefits as well as the occasional offensive boost. As D&D is an ever-expanding game with several brand-new books released every year, powerful new defensive options are introduced to the game with some frequency. Just this year, the Call of the Netherdeep adventure module introduced several impressive armor options in the form of items imbued with the power of Ruidium.
Adamantine Plate
One of the most commonly available types of armor on this list, Adamantine Armor is excellent at keeping its wearer alive. This is because all Adamantine armor has a unique trait in which a creature wearing it treats all critical attacks made against them as normal attacks. This means that even if a monstrous foe were to dish out the most deadly of crits, a creature in this sturdy plate could brush it off.
While Adamantine armor comes in many forms, full plate provides the most AC, providing an impressive eighteen. This makes it a stellar choice for any Strength-based Fighter or Paladin looking to avoid the additional damage of critical hits.
Armor Of Resistance
Armor of Resistance can come in a vast array of forms and is quite useful when going up against foes that a party knows will be wielding specific forms of damage. Available in any type of armor from studded leather to plate, armor of resistance can tote resistance to any form of damage. For example, for a party that is preparing to trek through the tundra, varying forms of armor of cold resistance may be the ideal armor option for the quest.
As this armor comes in a variety of forms, any character with armor proficiencies would benefit from Armor of Resistance.
Arrow Catching Shield
Shields are among the most useful forms of armor in D&D. Occupying one of a creature’s hands, by default a shield provides a creature with an additional two AC. Arrow Catching shields are an improved form of an already useful armor type, providing yet another additional two AC to the equipped character if an incoming attack is ranged.
This shield even allows its wearer to potentially take a hit for an ally that is targeted by a ranged attack, as long as the shield’s wearer is within five feet of the target. As Paladins are a class known for their lackluster ranged options, this can at least mitigate ranged foes offenses.
Glamoured Studded Leather Armor
Rather than focusing strictly on defensive capabilities, Glamoured Studded Leather Armor provides stellar utility out of combat. A set of studded leather armor with an additional plus one bonus to a character’s AC, if the wearer of this armor speaks its associated command word, the armor is covered with an illusion. This illusion can display any other clothes upon the wearer.
This can have a wide range of applications, from serving as a disguise, or to make one’s self intentionally appear vulnerable. For characters like Druids, Rogues, and Warlocks that primarily make use of light armor, Glamoured Studded Leather Armor is a must-have.
Demon Armor
While as a cursed armor type, there are some inherent downsides to Demon Armor, in many circumstances, it is quite excellent. Though the armor cannot be removed without a remove curse spell, it provides its wearer with a noteworthy 19 AC. Additionally, this armor’s clawed gauntlets greatly improve one’s unarmed attack, providing an additional +1 bonus and dealing 1d8.
It is worth noting that a creature wearing this armor makes attacks and saving throws against demons at disadvantage. However, as long as there aren’t many demons running around in a given campaign, this armor can be phenomenal.
Ruidium Armor
Introduced in Call of the Netherdeep, Ruidium Armor is an excellent defensive option that provides significant protection and utility at the cost of a noticeable drawback. Coming in the form of any type of any medium or heavy armor save for hide, Ruidium Armor totes that armor’s default AC bonus with several additional benefits. In addition to providing an equipped creature with a swimming speed equal to their walking speed and the ability to breathe underwater, making it a great choice for an aquatic campaign, it also provides psychic damage resistance, one of the rarest damage resistance types in the entire game.
However, while these benefits are impressive, whenever this armor’s wearer rolls a natural one on any saving throw, they must succeed a Charisma saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion as well as a level of an affliction known as Ruidium corruption. Though these effects may be devastating, as Paladins and Hexblade Warlocks have access to reliably high Charisma saving throws, it can be a perfect armor option for such characters.
Dragon Scale Mail
Dragon Scale Mail is a type of armor that has numerous variations, one variation per breed of dragon. This male functions as traditional scale mail, but with an additional +1 bonus to the wearer’s AC.
Not only does this armor provide resistance to the type of damage that the associated dragon’s breath produces, but this armor allows its wearer to locate the nearest dragon of that type within thirty miles. As indefinite access to damage resistance is a stellar boon for any character, characters of any class capable of wearing Dargon Scale Mail would benefit from this option.
Animated Shield
One of the most useful shields in D&D, as the name would suggest, Animated Shields are capable of moving on their own. If the shield’s command word is said, it begins to float, gravitating around the wearer, protecting them while both hands remain free.
This shield notably allows a player to utilize “two weapon fighting” or a character using their hands to cast spells whilst still utilizing the defensive benefits of a shield.
Spellguard Shield
While Animated Shields are able to leave one’s hands open, no shield is able to prevent as much damage as a Spellguard Shield. Providing the same AC as other shields, Spellguard Shields allow their wielders to make saves against all spells at advantage.
As if that weren’t enough, this shield also causes magic attack rolls made against the wielder to be made at disadvantage! There isn’t a shield-wielding character in D&D that wouldn’t want access to a Spellguard Shield.
Efreeti Chain
Though Efreeti Chain only comes in one form, it is easily among the most impressive types of heavy armor in D&D. An augmented variant of chain mail, in addition to the standard AC benefits of chain mail, Efreeti Chain provides an additional +3 bonus to the wearer’s AC. Furthermore, while many types of armor on this list provide damage resistance, Efreeti Chain provides its wearer with complete immunity to fire damage.
To top it all off, this armor provides the wearer with access to the Primordial language and the ability to walk on molten lava, making it the ideal equipment for any adventures that may take place within the Elemental Plane of Fire.
Hide Of The Feral Guardian
Appearing in the Explorer’s Guide to Wildmount, the Hide of the Feral Guardian is a legendary form of studded leather armor perfectly suited to a party’s Druid. In addition to providing an AC bonus based on the armor’s current state, the Hide of the Feral Guardian not only allows the wearer to cast Polymorph on themselves once per day, but it pairs particularly well with a Druid’s Wild Shape feature.
This is because even if the creature attuned to this armor is transformed in another form, they still received the AC bonus provided by this armor, making it an especially useful piece of equipment for Druids of the Circle of the Moon.
Plate Armor Of Etherealness
The Etherealness spell is an incredible seventh-level spell that allows its caster to partially enter the ethereal plane. While this spell is quite useful, its accessibility is heavily limited by its high spell level.
With this in mind, Plate Armor of Etherealness is a legendary suit of armor that allows its wearer to access the Etherealness spell without even using a spell slot. All the wearer of this armor must do is say the armor’s command word, and they have access to the Etherealness spell for ten minutes each day, dipping their toes into the Ethereal Plane to avoid damage and maneuver through objects! As an incredible utility armor option, it’s hard to find an armor-wearing character who wouldn’t benefit from this item.
Powered Armor
Appearing in the Lost Laboratory of Kwalish, Powered Armor is the most technologically advanced armor available in D&D, effectively functioning in comparable manner to an Iron Man suit. In addition to serving as a suit of +1 plate mail, this armor provides the wearer with a Strength ability score of eighteen and advantage on all death saving throws!
While this would already be a useful suit of armor as is, a creature wearing this armor can utilize energy cells that they may find or their own HP in order to activate special abilities. These effects can provide the wearer with unparalleled flexibility, allowing the character to fly, fire beams of radiant energy, create force fields, and access several other useful features.
Armor Of Invulnerability
Though Spellguard Shields excel at preventing magical damage, a suit of Armor of Invulnerability is unmatched when it comes to protecting one from non-magical attacks.
Providing resistance to all non-magical attacks, the wearer of this armor can use an action once per day to make themselves completely immune to non-magical attacks for ten minutes! Once an adventurer dons a suit of this armor, they could very well take on a small army by themselves. If a character is proficient with Heavy Armor, there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t want access to this stellar armor.
