Plate Armor
Heavy armor: AC 18 flat. [[compendium:skill:Stealth]] disadvantage. Requires STR 15. Best base AC in the game at 1,500 gp.
Plate Armor (Heavy)
Plate armor consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates covering the entire body, including gauntlets, heavy boots, a visored helmet, and thick layers of padding underneath.
Stats:
Don/doff time: 10 minutes to don, 5 minutes to doff.
STR penalty: If you wear plate without meeting the STR 15 requirement, your speed is reduced by 10 feet.
Assessment: Plate armor provides the highest base AC in the game (18). With a shield (+2), a plate-wearing character reaches AC 20 before any magical enhancements. This is the aspirational armor for Fighters, Paladins, and heavy-armor Clerics.
Cost and availability: At 1,500 gp, plate is a significant investment. Many DMs treat plate as something that must be commissioned from a skilled armorsmith over several weeks, not simply bought off a shelf. In some campaigns, plate is a notable milestone achievement.
Maximum mundane AC: Plate (18) + shield (2) + Defense Fighting Style (1) = AC 21. With magical +1/+2/+3 armor and shields, this can reach AC 25+.
Dwarven plate: Dwarves ignore the speed reduction from heavy armor (their base speed isn't reduced by wearing it), making them natural plate wearers even at STR 15.