Calculating the cost of an adamantine sheild [Archive] - Wizards Community

Calculating the cost of an adamantine sheild [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kastor Lieberung
09-08-05, 08:49 AM Hi,

Im trying to calculate the cost of an adamantine heavy shield.

The DMG says that the cost modifier for of heavy adamantine armor is 15000 gp + the masterwork item original cost. But are heavy shields considered to be in the heavy armor category? It seems strange to me that a heavy shileld contains as much metal even as a light armor category chain shirt, so I'm wonderng if any can clear this up for me.
tarkin
09-08-05, 10:03 AM A better question you might ask is why get an adamantine shield?

You realize that it does not grant DR. Only Adamantine armor grants DR.

All you get for Adamantine shield is the increased hardness and sunder ability if you try to sunder with a shield bash.
Lotus Crane
09-08-05, 10:33 AM The DMG rules treat mithral shields somewhat like mithral light armor in that both cost +1000 gp over the base cost. So you might want to treat adamantine shields somewhat like adamantine light armor in that both would cost +5000 gp over the base cost. Then again, mithral is equally useful for light armor and shields (it can't actually reduce light armor by another category, unlike with medium or heavy armor), but adamantine is not. Due to the fact that adamantine shields do not provide DR 1/- like adamantine light armor does, perhaps the cost should be lowered a bit, maybe to 2000-3000 gp? Then again, unlike adamantine light armor, an adamantine shield can be used as a weapon, as tarkin pointed out, and adamantine weapons generally cost +3000 gp over the base price. Yeah, how about we just keep the price +5000 gp to cover all the bases?
Zuckerart
09-08-05, 05:08 PM And actually the masterwork price is included in the price for the adamantine.

Adamantine: This ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. Armor made from adamantine grants its wearer damage reduction of 1/– if it’s light armor, 2/– if it’s medium armor, and 3/– if it’s heavy armor. Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Kastor Lieberung
09-09-05, 02:08 AM If an adamantine sheild doesn't provide DR it is pretty much useless I agree.

Thanks for clearing that up :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kastor Lieberung 09-08-05, 08:49 AM	Hi, Im trying to calculate the cost of an adamantine heavy shield. The DMG says that the cost modifier for of heavy adamantine armor is 15000 gp + the masterwork item original cost. But are heavy shields considered to be in the heavy armor category? It seems strange to me that a heavy shileld contains as much metal even as a light armor category chain shirt, so I'm wonderng if any can clear this up for me.
tarkin 09-08-05, 10:03 AM	A better question you might ask is why get an adamantine shield? You realize that it does not grant DR. Only Adamantine armor grants DR. All you get for Adamantine shield is the increased hardness and sunder ability if you try to sunder with a shield bash.
Lotus Crane 09-08-05, 10:33 AM	The DMG rules treat mithral shields somewhat like mithral light armor in that both cost +1000 gp over the base cost. So you might want to treat adamantine shields somewhat like adamantine light armor in that both would cost +5000 gp over the base cost. Then again, mithral is equally useful for light armor and shields (it can't actually reduce light armor by another category, unlike with medium or heavy armor), but adamantine is not. Due to the fact that adamantine shields do not provide DR 1/- like adamantine light armor does, perhaps the cost should be lowered a bit, maybe to 2000-3000 gp? Then again, unlike adamantine light armor, an adamantine shield can be used as a weapon, as tarkin pointed out, and adamantine weapons generally cost +3000 gp over the base price. Yeah, how about we just keep the price +5000 gp to cover all the bases?
Zuckerart 09-08-05, 05:08 PM	And actually the masterwork price is included in the price for the adamantine. Adamantine: This ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. Armor made from adamantine grants its wearer damage reduction of 1/– if it’s light armor, 2/– if it’s medium armor, and 3/– if it’s heavy armor. Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Kastor Lieberung 09-09-05, 02:08 AM	If an adamantine sheild doesn't provide DR it is pretty much useless I agree. Thanks for clearing that up :)