Animated +1 Mithral Tower Shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animated +1 Mithral Tower Shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aristulous
10-17-05, 08:10 PM If I wanted to save up for an Animated +1 Mithral Tower Shield, my market price would be around 7,000 gp's right?

Also if I read the Mithral rules correctly, it would allow me to take advantage of an 18 DEX. Under normal rules, A Tower Shield Dex mod stops at +2.

Mithral - copied from d20srd.org
Mithral is a very rare silvery, glistening metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0).

An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral. (A longsword can be a mithral weapon, while a scythe cannot be.)

Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.

Mithral has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.

Mithral Cost Modifiers Type of Mithral Item Item Cost Modifier

Light armor +1,000 gp
Medium armor +4,000 gp
Heavy armor +9,000 gp
Shield +1,000 gp
Other items +500 gp/lb.
mythSSK
10-17-05, 08:17 PM market price is 10,180 gp.

You're paying for an enhancement bonus of +3 (+1 animated), which is 9,000 gp. +1,000 gp for mithril. +180 gp for tower shield.

I believe you are correct in regards to the max. dex bonus.
masterofmayhem
10-17-05, 08:20 PM market price is 10,180 gp.

You're paying for an enhancement bonus of +3 (+1 animated), which is 9,000 gp. +1,000 gp for mithril. +180 gp for tower shield.

I believe you are correct in regards to the max. dex bonus.
Yes, he is. You are right about the price, though, except that it is 10,030 gold, not 10,180. The masterwork cost is already included in the cost for the mithral.

Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Aristulous
10-17-05, 08:33 PM Wow. <sigh> I guess I will be saving for quite a while. I'm 3rd level.

Under "normal" wealth gathering guidelines using the DMG 3.5

At what level do you think I'll have enough GP's?

Those rules are a little confusing... I'm relatively new to 3.0/3.5 but learning fast.
jaelis
10-17-05, 08:41 PM You could probably afford it at 6th level if you saved and bought nothing else. But 9th or 10th level would be more reasonable.

However, check with your DM. Technically, you can't even get a mithral tower shield because tower shields are made of wood. Allowing them seems to be a pretty common house rule, but it is a house rule.
Outla
10-19-05, 04:26 PM Tower shields are made of wood, not metal.

Sorry, you can't have a mithral one.
Armoracia Rusticana
10-19-05, 04:46 PM RoS provides you with metal Tower Shield I believe
Tony Vargas
10-19-05, 05:26 PM The PH Tower Shield is made (mostly) of Wood - a Darkwood Tower Shield should reasonably net you benefits very similar to those granted metal shields by Mithral, and, it's cheaper.
jaelis
10-19-05, 05:41 PM Except for the improved hardness and hp that mithril would give you. And mithril improves the ACP by 3, while darkwood is only 2. And darkwood doesn't change the max dex or the ACP.

Actually, mithril would be a whole lot better.
SodaGuy
10-19-05, 06:13 PM Do the max dex and ACP apply when you aren't even holding the shield?
tiercel
10-19-05, 06:22 PM Do the max dex and ACP apply when you aren't even holding the shield?Yup. The rules state: "A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use, such as armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, and nonproficiency."

Without this rule, presumably mages could all walk around with floating tower shields with no worries... Why get bracers of armor +5, which cost 25 000gp and replace a long-duration spell, if you could have a +1 animated tower shield for less than 10 000 gp and replace a spell you have to cast in, or just before, combat? Making the shield's penalties apply even when animated prevents this.
Tony Vargas
10-19-05, 07:31 PM And mithril improves the ACP by 3, while darkwood is only 2. And darkwood doesn't change the max dex.... The point I was making was that, since mithral and darkwood both do exactly the same thing - halve the weight of the item - granting a Darkwood Tower Shield the same perks as mithral (such as the improved Max DEX), wouldn't be unreasonable. The write-up of Darkwood hasn't changed since 3.0, but the Tower Shield gained a Max DEX in 3.5 - I'd consider correcting that 'oversight' a reasonable house rule...
jaelis
10-19-05, 10:17 PM Oh, that makes sense. You'd have to make darkwood more expensive, though.

And you'd still have the hardness/hp issue. That's the big problem I have with tower shields... when you go to take cover behind them, it's not very hard for your opponents to just sunder it. Its even hard to deal with in the rules, it's not clear how to make the opposed sunder check.
Tony Vargas
10-20-05, 03:54 PM Yeah, WotC has yet to really get a handle on the Tower Shield. 3.0 said one thing, FAQ said another, 3.5 changed it again, 3.5 FAQ, again, said yet something else... none of it's ever been that clear. :rolleyes:

At least the 3.5 version simply gives you a shield bonus, you can just take that and ignore any confusion over cover.
jaelis
10-20-05, 04:10 PM Actually, I like my houserule: If you take the total defense action with a tower shield, the AC bonus increase to +8 and you get evasion. No facing questions, no spell targeting issues, no sunder problems.
Aristulous
11-07-05, 06:30 PM Tower shields are made of wood, not metal.

Sorry, you can't have a mithral one.

Races of Stone (pg 158) offers a steel Tower Shield. 75gp's and weigh's 100lbs.
RavenDrake
11-07-05, 10:55 PM So... you get a Mythril-based Metal Tower Shield (1075gps)... that weighs More than a Wooden One(50lbs, versus 45lbs), but gives you lower ASF, ACP, and a higher Max Dex Bonus.... :confused:

Unless the stats for the Metal Tower Shield are different than the wooden one...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aristulous 10-17-05, 08:10 PM	If I wanted to save up for an Animated +1 Mithral Tower Shield, my market price would be around 7,000 gp's right? Also if I read the Mithral rules correctly, it would allow me to take advantage of an 18 DEX. Under normal rules, A Tower Shield Dex mod stops at +2. Mithral - copied from d20srd.org Mithral is a very rare silvery, glistening metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0). An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral. (A longsword can be a mithral weapon, while a scythe cannot be.) Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below. Mithral has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15. Mithral Cost Modifiers Type of Mithral Item Item Cost Modifier Light armor +1,000 gp Medium armor +4,000 gp Heavy armor +9,000 gp Shield +1,000 gp Other items +500 gp/lb.
mythSSK 10-17-05, 08:17 PM	market price is 10,180 gp. You're paying for an enhancement bonus of +3 (+1 animated), which is 9,000 gp. +1,000 gp for mithril. +180 gp for tower shield. I believe you are correct in regards to the max. dex bonus.
masterofmayhem 10-17-05, 08:20 PM	market price is 10,180 gp. You're paying for an enhancement bonus of +3 (+1 animated), which is 9,000 gp. +1,000 gp for mithril. +180 gp for tower shield. I believe you are correct in regards to the max. dex bonus. Yes, he is. You are right about the price, though, except that it is 10,030 gold, not 10,180. The masterwork cost is already included in the cost for the mithral. Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Aristulous 10-17-05, 08:33 PM	Wow. <sigh> I guess I will be saving for quite a while. I'm 3rd level. Under "normal" wealth gathering guidelines using the DMG 3.5 At what level do you think I'll have enough GP's? Those rules are a little confusing... I'm relatively new to 3.0/3.5 but learning fast.
jaelis 10-17-05, 08:41 PM	You could probably afford it at 6th level if you saved and bought nothing else. But 9th or 10th level would be more reasonable. However, check with your DM. Technically, you can't even get a mithral tower shield because tower shields are made of wood. Allowing them seems to be a pretty common house rule, but it is a house rule.
Outla 10-19-05, 04:26 PM	Tower shields are made of wood, not metal. Sorry, you can't have a mithral one.
Armoracia Rusticana 10-19-05, 04:46 PM	RoS provides you with metal Tower Shield I believe
Tony Vargas 10-19-05, 05:26 PM	The PH Tower Shield is made (mostly) of Wood - a Darkwood Tower Shield should reasonably net you benefits very similar to those granted metal shields by Mithral, and, it's cheaper.
jaelis 10-19-05, 05:41 PM	Except for the improved hardness and hp that mithril would give you. And mithril improves the ACP by 3, while darkwood is only 2. And darkwood doesn't change the max dex or the ACP. Actually, mithril would be a whole lot better.
SodaGuy 10-19-05, 06:13 PM	Do the max dex and ACP apply when you aren't even holding the shield?
tiercel 10-19-05, 06:22 PM	Do the max dex and ACP apply when you aren't even holding the shield?Yup. The rules state: "A character with an animated shield still takes any penalties associated with shield use, such as armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, and nonproficiency." Without this rule, presumably mages could all walk around with floating tower shields with no worries... Why get bracers of armor +5, which cost 25 000gp and replace a long-duration spell, if you could have a +1 animated tower shield for less than 10 000 gp and replace a spell you have to cast in, or just before, combat? Making the shield's penalties apply even when animated prevents this.
Tony Vargas 10-19-05, 07:31 PM	And mithril improves the ACP by 3, while darkwood is only 2. And darkwood doesn't change the max dex.... The point I was making was that, since mithral and darkwood both do exactly the same thing - halve the weight of the item - granting a Darkwood Tower Shield the same perks as mithral (such as the improved Max DEX), wouldn't be unreasonable. The write-up of Darkwood hasn't changed since 3.0, but the Tower Shield gained a Max DEX in 3.5 - I'd consider correcting that 'oversight' a reasonable house rule...
jaelis 10-19-05, 10:17 PM	Oh, that makes sense. You'd have to make darkwood more expensive, though. And you'd still have the hardness/hp issue. That's the big problem I have with tower shields... when you go to take cover behind them, it's not very hard for your opponents to just sunder it. Its even hard to deal with in the rules, it's not clear how to make the opposed sunder check.
Tony Vargas 10-20-05, 03:54 PM	Yeah, WotC has yet to really get a handle on the Tower Shield. 3.0 said one thing, FAQ said another, 3.5 changed it again, 3.5 FAQ, again, said yet something else... none of it's ever been that clear. :rolleyes: At least the 3.5 version simply gives you a shield bonus, you can just take that and ignore any confusion over cover.
jaelis 10-20-05, 04:10 PM	Actually, I like my houserule: If you take the total defense action with a tower shield, the AC bonus increase to +8 and you get evasion. No facing questions, no spell targeting issues, no sunder problems.
Aristulous 11-07-05, 06:30 PM	Tower shields are made of wood, not metal. Sorry, you can't have a mithral one. Races of Stone (pg 158) offers a steel Tower Shield. 75gp's and weigh's 100lbs.
RavenDrake 11-07-05, 10:55 PM	So... you get a Mythril-based Metal Tower Shield (1075gps)... that weighs More than a Wooden One(50lbs, versus 45lbs), but gives you lower ASF, ACP, and a higher Max Dex Bonus.... :confused: Unless the stats for the Metal Tower Shield are different than the wooden one...