History Main / ArmorAndMagicDontMix

* In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series, magic and heavy armor don't mix for two reasons: heavier armor sets tend to have [[LevelLockedLoot high requirements on Strength]], which the mages generally don't develop, and also make casting spells more expensive, effectively reducing their mana pools. It is, however, possible to subvert this in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' if you manage to unlock the [[MagicKnight Arcane Warrior]] [[PrestigeClass mage specialization]], which checks Strength requisites against your [[OneStatToRuleThemAll Magic score]] instead.

* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect|1}}'' the greater the character's focus on tech or biotics, the less heavy the armor they could equip. Tali, Liara, and Adept, Sentinel, and Engineer Shepard could only wear light armor, and Liara and Sentinels don't even have any options for improving their competence with it. Garrus and Infiltrator or Vanguard Shepard start out with only light armor available but can invest skill points to unlock medium armor. Wrex and Soldier Shepard, the most combat-focused characters, have access to medium armor from the start and can unlock heavy armor. The later games in the series remove armor classes.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', as [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]] wears full black armor as in his original game, but is a fully magic fighter. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Gilgamesh]] then lampshades this trope by calling out to him that if he's a wizard, he should dress the part.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'': magic classes like the Mage and Sage can wear some medium armor without penalty, but they rely on the StatSticks for decent spellcasting strength. So if they aren't {{Squishy Wizard}}s they'll be mediocre spellcasters.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'': magic classes like the Mage and Sage can wear some medium armor without penalty, but they rely on the StatSticks for decent spellcasting strength. So you either have to be SquishyWizard or a semi-durable but mediocre spellcaster.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''; nothing stops you from being a spellcaster wearing heavy armor, but in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', ArmorIsUseless and in ''Dark Souls'', concentrating on the two stats that make you an excellent spellcaster tend to leave you with not enough stats to level your Endurance before the [=PvP=] soft cap, which allows you to equip heavier armors without suffering a movement penalty. It is certainly not unheard of, for sure.

* In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series, magic and heavy armor don't mix for two reasons: heavier armor sets tend to have [[LevelLockedLoot high requirements on Strength]], which the mages generally don't develop, and also make casting spells more expensive, effectively reducing their mana pools. It is, however, possible to subvert this in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' if you manage to unlock the [[MagicKnight Arcane Warrior]] [[PrestigeClass mage specialization]], which checks Strength restrictions against your [[OneStatToRuleThemAll Magic score]] instead.

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the more Force-oriented Jedi/Sith classes (Consulars and Inquisitors) were only proficient with light armor at first. The game has since added adaptive armor, which once equipped becomes functionally equivalent to the heaviest armor the character can normally wear, which can allow them to wear armor that looks heavier.

* In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', you ''can'' build even a magical damage mage as much armor as you want, [[CompetitiveBalance but then your spells wont do any damage]]. Also, mage's abilities scale in a way so that it's more reasonable to build them into [[GlassCannon glass cannons]].
** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] by [[TattooOfPower Ryze]], whose spells scale off mana as opposed to ability power, so that he can take advantage of the tanky mana items that give additional armour buffs.

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* Averted in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening''. A mage could wear a suit of body armor, enhance the armor's effectiveness by enchanting it with various spells (largely Matter and Fate), and shroud themself in a shielding spell to top it off. The SquishyWizard factor of ''Mage'' is due to magi lacking the inherent immunities or self-healing abilities other supernatural types posses, but they are good at avoiding harm in the first place.

* Averted in DemonsSouls and DarkSouls; nothing stops you from being a spellcaster wearing heavy armor, but in DemonsSouls, ArmorIsUseless and in Dark Souls, concentrating on the two stats that make you an excellent spellcaster tend to leave you with not enough stats to level your Endurance before the [=PvP=] soft cap, which allows you to equip heavier armors without suffering a movement penalty. It is certainly not unheard of, for sure.

** In 3.X Edition arcane casters ''can'' wear armor if they take a proficiency feat, but if they do they risk a percentage chance that the spell will fail to cast, {{justified|Trope}} as the armor interfering with the gestures involved in spellcasting. Bards and the add-on classes warmage and warlock can wear light armor without hitting this restriction, and can take a feat, "Armored Caster", to be able to wear medium armor without risking spell failure. Of course, a wizard with skill in the schools of transmutation and abjuration doesn't necessarily ''need'' armor since they can protect themselves quite well with their spells.
** Also from 3.X Edition, {{druid}}s are only allowed to wear armor (and other equipment) made from "natural" materials (wood, hides, stone, etc.) or else their powers are unusable. Assuming default materials, this restricts druids to wearing light armor or the weakest type of medium armor, but the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' and other add-on books added other esoteric materials (e.g., dragonhide in the DMG) that are classified as natural and can be forged into heavier armors.

* In ''VideoGame/EverQuest'' and ''VideoGame/EverQuestII'', as well as the spinoff ''ChampionsOfNorrath'', all the mage classes are restricted to wearing cloth armor, though ''[=EQ2's=]'' appearance armor slots have allowed for them to at least ''appear'' to be wearing full platemail while wielding giant flaming swords.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Diablo]]'':
** In the first game, characters had a hard limit on how many points they could put in each stat. Wizards had the lowest maximum strength score.
** In the second game this happens in a roundabout way. A character's ability to wear a piece of armour (aside from level and any specific class restrictions on an item) more often than not depends on how many stat points are in STR. The result is that the 'pure' mage classes (necromancers and sorceresses) can't wear the heaviest armour because the player has likely put most of their stat points into INT. In other words, they can't wear the armour because they're squishy, and they're squishy because they train their minds more than their bodies.

** In the first game, characters had a hard limit on how many points they could put in each stat. Wizards could had the lowest maximum strength score.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Diablo II]]'' this happens in a roundabout way. A character's ability to wear a piece of armour (aside from level and any specific class restrictions on an item) more often than not depends on how many stat points are in STR. The result is that the 'pure' mage classes (necromancers and sorceresses) can't wear the heaviest armour because the player has likely put most of their stat points into INT. In other words, they can't wear the armour because they're squishy, and they're squishy because they train their minds more than their bodies.

** ''{{Skyrim}}'' changes it up a little. Spells work just as well with armor as without, but the Alteration skill tree has a perk, "Mage Armor," that adds a multiplier to protective spells like Stoneflesh if the caster is unarmored.

* In ''StarWars/TheOldRepublic'', the more Force-oriented Jedi/Sith classes (Consulars and Inquisitors) were only proficient with light armor at first. The game has since added adaptive armor, which once equipped becomes functionally equivalent to the heaviest armor the character can normally wear, which can allow them to wear armor that looks heavier.

** Also from 3.X Edition, {{druid}}s are only allowed to wear armor (and other equipment) made from "natural" materials (wood, hides, stone, etc.) or else their powers are unusable. With just the core rulebooks (''Player's Handbook'', ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', and ''Monster Manual'') this restricts druids to wearing light armor or the weakest type of medium armor, but add-on books added some esoteric materials that are classified as natural and can be forged into heavier armors.

* In ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]] wears full black armor as in his original game, but is a fully magic fighter. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Gilgamesh]] then lampshades this trope by calling out to him that if he's a wizard, he should dress the part.