Medium Armor Master: Master of Mediocrity

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

Medium Armor Master blows chunks. It's a feat for a potential +2 AC. That’s it.

Numerically, the most expensive (“best”) light and medium armor offer 12 + Dex mod (studded leather) and 15 + Dex mod (max 2) (halfplate). If you don’t want disadvantage on stealth checks, you get a breastplate (14+dex mod max 2).

If you’re considering Medium Armor Master, we have to accept a few fundamental truths: you want a high Dex mod, and you want to not suck at stealth checks. A character taking Medium Armor Master at 4th level, then, would likely be sitting at an AC of 17 in halfplate, or 16 in breastplate with no disadvantage on their stealth checks to start with. If Medium Armor Master would benefit you, you already have a +3 Dex mod, meaning these ACs would be bumped up to 18 in halfplate, and you don’t suffer disadvantage on stealth checks. AC 18 with perfectly fine stealth? Seems decent, right?

Well, let's quickly examine the other options that exist without taking this feat. If you take a +2 to your dexterity score, you’ll be getting +1 AC in light armor, making studded leather offer you an AC of 16, no stealth penalties. In addition, you’re getting +1 to all Dex attack rolls and ability checks, including stealth checks. To sweeten the deal, you’ll be up 350-700 gold, as breastplate and halfplate each cost 400 and 750 gp respectively while studded leather will only set you back 45 gp. You’re basically taking a feat that grants +2 AC in exchange for a better to hit, damage, saving throw, and skill modifier. Out the gate, I’m not impressed, and this is just comparing it to an ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT.

If we then look at your long game plan through the mid and upper tiers, when you’d want to keep bumping your Dexterity to eventually a +5, Medium Armor Master stops scaling, while regular light armor continues getting better. For every +2 to your Dexterity score, you’re getting a bonus +1 AC. Temporary bonus and magical assistance can improve your Dexterity further, making it possible for light armor in the mid to upper tiers to outdo even halfplate with Medium Armor master by a point or two.

+2 AC at 4th level that doesn’t scale past that and only will work on characters who already want Dex as their primary stat isn’t it. Magic Initiate offers you Shield or Mage Armor if you really want to boost your AC with Dex, and comes with bonus cantrips. You can absolutely trade 1 AC for not taking disadvantage on all stealth checks with breastplate and be perfectly fine rocking an AC of 16. You want more survivability? Take Tough. Want better stealth skills? Try Skulker, light armor, or Shadow Touched. Medium Armor Master commits the cardinal sin of RPG features by being boring. Don’t take a boring feat with meh number advantages. Actually empower your character with meaningful stat boots or new toys to play with.

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