Can magic armor be reworked? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can magic armor be reworked? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
BeauJest
03-09-06, 03:04 PM A party defeated a Troll wearing +1 Chain Mail. The armor is Large, so you could assume there's enough material to make some smaller suits. Can magic armor be reworked without breaking the enchantments? I assume it's a much harder substance, so the blacksmith might require more money (hotter fire, stronger tools).

If it's not possible, what's the value of a Large set of armor, especially if it's designed for a non-humanoid?
karthos
03-09-06, 03:14 PM as a rule it cannot be reworked.

The market value of a suit of large +1 chainmail is 1600gp.
WeZil
03-09-06, 03:19 PM It can't be reworked, but that doesn't mean you can't sell that +1 large chainmail and then use that money towards a +1 medium chainmail
BeauJest
03-09-06, 03:39 PM Given that you can't rework armor, what's a (good) armorer going to do with a large suit of nonhumanoid armor? You'd think the party would get less money, since it'd be harder to unload...

I'm curious to know where in states the armor cannot be reworked. Not that I don't believe you, but I was unable to find any information on it.
SolenVlos
03-09-06, 03:55 PM well, since to rework you would have to unchain the mail, breake the rings, maybe melt it down (not sure how one can rework a chainmail) you are essentialy breaking it.

sou maybe you could work with your DM to brake it in two identical halves, and then re-enchant it.

I belive in 3.0, the armor used to size itself to fit the user.

It doesn't say armor cannot be reworked, but the rules also doesn't say that you can't act while you are dead.
Some_call_me_Tim
03-09-06, 04:39 PM The only reference I know of to resizing armor in the core is in the equipment section under full plate.Each suit of full plate must be individually fitted to its owner by a master armorsmith, although a captured suit can be resized to fit a new owner at a cost of 200 to 800 (2d4×100) gold pieces.In general the rules are silent on the issue. A few other quotes that might be relevant:When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn’t be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. Size should not keep characters of various kinds from using magic items.Although imediately following that there is then a table for determining size of armor and weapons.It costs no more to repair a magic item with the Craft skill than it does to repair its nonmagical counterpart.From that we can infer that resizing armor should cost no more than normal. However, I assume the 'resizing' refered to in the armor section was from one medium human to another, not from a troll to a human.

I don't see any real game breaker in allowing suits of armor to be reworked. Unless you need to enforce wealth limits. Based on the example given costs range from 15% to 50% of a new suit of armor.

I would go with what feels right in the campaign. In my campaign I like the idea of reworking existing armor to fit (it would take a mastercraftsman to do it without ruining the enchantment). I like it better than the Magic-Mart buying up used armor for half-price and selling other new armor of the correct size.

A lot better to remember that troll you slew, took his armor and had reworked into something more heroic. Or that some troll sees the epaulets of the trolskjold and flys into a rage. Rather than "This old thing? I got it at the Mega-Magic-Mart in the Free City. Only cost me 1300gp."
Dwayne
03-09-06, 04:52 PM I would say yes to reworking the armor as long as it is not full plate. I figure if you can repair damaged magical armor then a good smith could also resize it within reason.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BeauJest 03-09-06, 03:04 PM	A party defeated a Troll wearing +1 Chain Mail. The armor is Large, so you could assume there's enough material to make some smaller suits. Can magic armor be reworked without breaking the enchantments? I assume it's a much harder substance, so the blacksmith might require more money (hotter fire, stronger tools). If it's not possible, what's the value of a Large set of armor, especially if it's designed for a non-humanoid?
karthos 03-09-06, 03:14 PM	as a rule it cannot be reworked. The market value of a suit of large +1 chainmail is 1600gp.
WeZil 03-09-06, 03:19 PM	It can't be reworked, but that doesn't mean you can't sell that +1 large chainmail and then use that money towards a +1 medium chainmail
BeauJest 03-09-06, 03:39 PM	Given that you can't rework armor, what's a (good) armorer going to do with a large suit of nonhumanoid armor? You'd think the party would get less money, since it'd be harder to unload... I'm curious to know where in states the armor cannot be reworked. Not that I don't believe you, but I was unable to find any information on it.
SolenVlos 03-09-06, 03:55 PM	well, since to rework you would have to unchain the mail, breake the rings, maybe melt it down (not sure how one can rework a chainmail) you are essentialy breaking it. sou maybe you could work with your DM to brake it in two identical halves, and then re-enchant it. I belive in 3.0, the armor used to size itself to fit the user. It doesn't say armor cannot be reworked, but the rules also doesn't say that you can't act while you are dead.
Some_call_me_Tim 03-09-06, 04:39 PM	The only reference I know of to resizing armor in the core is in the equipment section under full plate.Each suit of full plate must be individually fitted to its owner by a master armorsmith, although a captured suit can be resized to fit a new owner at a cost of 200 to 800 (2d4×100) gold pieces.In general the rules are silent on the issue. A few other quotes that might be relevant:When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn’t be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. Size should not keep characters of various kinds from using magic items.Although imediately following that there is then a table for determining size of armor and weapons.It costs no more to repair a magic item with the Craft skill than it does to repair its nonmagical counterpart.From that we can infer that resizing armor should cost no more than normal. However, I assume the 'resizing' refered to in the armor section was from one medium human to another, not from a troll to a human. I don't see any real game breaker in allowing suits of armor to be reworked. Unless you need to enforce wealth limits. Based on the example given costs range from 15% to 50% of a new suit of armor. I would go with what feels right in the campaign. In my campaign I like the idea of reworking existing armor to fit (it would take a mastercraftsman to do it without ruining the enchantment). I like it better than the Magic-Mart buying up used armor for half-price and selling other new armor of the correct size. A lot better to remember that troll you slew, took his armor and had reworked into something more heroic. Or that some troll sees the epaulets of the trolskjold and flys into a rage. Rather than "This old thing? I got it at the Mega-Magic-Mart in the Free City. Only cost me 1300gp."
Dwayne 03-09-06, 04:52 PM	I would say yes to reworking the armor as long as it is not full plate. I figure if you can repair damaged magical armor then a good smith could also resize it within reason.