What happens if you wear armor you are not proficient in Baldur's Gate 3?
If you wear armor you are not proficient in Baldur's Gate 3, your character will face severe mechanical penalties, significantly hindering their effectiveness in combat and exploration.
Understanding Armor Proficiency Penalties
When a character dons armor they are not proficient with, they immediately incur several detrimental effects. These penalties are designed to reflect the encumbrance and impracticality of fighting in gear you haven't been trained to use.
The specific consequences of wearing armor without proficiency include:
- Inability to Use Spells: Perhaps the most significant drawback for spellcasting classes, you will be entirely unable to cast any spells while wearing armor you lack proficiency in.
- Disadvantage on Ability Checks: Any Ability Check you attempt, whether it's for persuasion, stealth, or perception, will be made with Disadvantage. This means you roll two twenty-sided dice and take the lower result, drastically reducing your chances of success.
- Disadvantage on Saving Throws: Similarly, all Saving Throws you are forced to make, which are crucial for resisting spells and other harmful effects, will suffer from Disadvantage, making you more vulnerable to negative statuses and damage.
- Disadvantage on Attack Rolls: Your offensive capabilities will be severely hampered as all your Attack Rolls, whether with weapons, unarmed strikes, or certain spell attacks, will also be made with Disadvantage. This makes it much harder to hit your targets.
These penalties essentially cripple a character, making them largely ineffective in combat and in many role-playing scenarios.
How to Gain Armor Proficiency
Armor proficiency dictates which types of armor a character can wear without suffering the penalties described above. It's a fundamental aspect of character building in Baldur's Gate 3 and is typically gained through several avenues:
- Classes: Your chosen character class is the primary source of armor proficiency. For example, Fighters and Paladins often gain proficiency with heavy armor, while Rogues are proficient with light armor, and Clerics usually get medium armor and shields.
- Races: Certain races offer inherent armor proficiencies. For instance, some subraces might grant proficiency with light or medium armor as a racial trait.
- Feats: As your character progresses and gains levels, you may have the option to select feats. Some feats can grant additional armor proficiencies, allowing you to wear heavier armor types than your class would typically permit. For example, the Heavily Armoured feat can grant proficiency with heavy armor if you're already proficient with medium armor.
Example Scenarios:
- A Wizard wearing Heavy Armor: A Wizard, by default, is not proficient in any armor and typically relies on spells like Mage Armour for protection. If a Wizard equips Heavy Armor without gaining proficiency through a feat or multiclassing, they would be unable to cast any spells, negating their primary role in the party.
- A Rogue in Medium Armor: A Rogue is usually proficient in Light Armor. If they put on Medium Armor without proficiency, their stealth checks (an Ability Check) would be at Disadvantage, as would their attack rolls, making them ineffective at their core functions of sneak attacks and reconnaissance.
Understanding and managing armor proficiency is vital for optimizing your party's performance and ensuring your characters can contribute effectively throughout your adventures in Faerûn.
