Enchantments and armor made out of metals other than iron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Enchantments and armor made out of metals other than iron [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ValiantCavalier
11-11-03, 09:42 PM I was reading a thread and it mentioned "Mithril breastplate +2".

I was wondering, is it +2 because it's mithril or is it +2 in addition to being made of mithril (Thus adding even more protection that because)?
Herr Doktor
11-11-03, 09:59 PM I believe this belongs in a different forum, perhaps the Dungeon Master's Guide forums.

Typically a mithral breastplate +2 means it is a breastplate made of mithral (lighter, less armor check penalty, greater max dex, one armor catergory lower [heavy becomes medium, medium becomes light, light stays light]) and has a +2 magical enchantment.

Mithral itself grants no armor bonus in addition to that normally by the armor, unless you can use your Dex to greater effect and obtain a higher AC that way...
Ozar
11-11-03, 10:34 PM So there's no way to have heavy mithril armor?
Herr Doktor
11-11-03, 10:54 PM Not unless you homebrew a heavier type of armor that would drop to heavy armor when built from mithral.
Ozar
11-11-03, 11:25 PM Originally posted by Herr Doktor
Not unless you homebrew a heavier type of armor that would drop to heavy armor when built from mithral.

I dub thee.. Very Hard To Move Around In armor.

Or maybe I could call it Emplacement Armor or some such.
Knightcrawler
11-12-03, 12:38 AM Also any armor bonuses from different metals are considered enhancement bonuses thus they do not stack with magical bonuses.

For example a suit of full plate mail made from adamantine has an armor bonus of +8 and a enhancement bonus of +3 for a total of +11. If you then give the armor a magic of +4 its total is only +12 the bonuses do not stack. Of course in an anti-magic zone the armor looses all magical enhancements but will keep the material ones.

This also applies to weapons made from different materials. Of course hardness and hit points will be changed.
ValiantCavalier
11-12-03, 09:23 AM Originally posted by Ozar
So there's no way to have heavy mithril armor?

Hypothetically, yes. But that would pretty much defeat the "lighter-than-iron" purpose of mithril.
Ozar
11-12-03, 12:42 PM Originally posted by ValiantCavalier
Hypothetically, yes. But that would pretty much defeat the "lighter-than-iron" purpose of mithril.

Would it? Think about it.. with Mithril, you could forge a suit of armor that, if it were made of iron, it would be impossible to move around in. Refined Plate Mithril Armor, AC 10.
ValiantCavalier
11-12-03, 04:42 PM Originally posted by Ozar
Would it? Think about it.. with Mithril, you could forge a suit of armor that, if it were made of iron, it would be impossible to move around in. Refined Plate Mithril Armor, AC 10.

Well, yes but that would still defeat the light-weight purpose of mithril. There are 2 main purposes of mithril: 1. Far more durable that iron 2. Far lighter than iron

So, yes I guess you could. But I think that armor would actually be worth less (not worthless, just worth less) than a regular variation of mithral armor.

Well... Now that I actually really think about it.... Just how much mithril would it take to make a set of full plate mail (assuming that's what you wanted to make) the equivalent weight of iron full plate? If you just kept layering and layering, then even if you could move, it would be so hot in there, you couldn't even stay in the sunlight for more than 5 minutes without dying of a heat stroke...
^Graff
11-13-03, 12:11 PM You could get The Definitive Harness from Arcana Unearthed. If you made that out of mithril you could rule that it was still heavy armor with the same weight and penalties of full plate. Otherwise, I can't see any heavy armor made of mithril.

As for heat stroke, you wouldn't have a problem if it had heat resistance or a ring of comfort.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ValiantCavalier 11-11-03, 09:42 PM	I was reading a thread and it mentioned "Mithril breastplate +2". I was wondering, is it +2 because it's mithril or is it +2 in addition to being made of mithril (Thus adding even more protection that because)?
Herr Doktor 11-11-03, 09:59 PM	I believe this belongs in a different forum, perhaps the Dungeon Master's Guide forums. Typically a mithral breastplate +2 means it is a breastplate made of mithral (lighter, less armor check penalty, greater max dex, one armor catergory lower [heavy becomes medium, medium becomes light, light stays light]) and has a +2 magical enchantment. Mithral itself grants no armor bonus in addition to that normally by the armor, unless you can use your Dex to greater effect and obtain a higher AC that way...
Ozar 11-11-03, 10:34 PM	So there's no way to have heavy mithril armor?
Herr Doktor 11-11-03, 10:54 PM	Not unless you homebrew a heavier type of armor that would drop to heavy armor when built from mithral.
Ozar 11-11-03, 11:25 PM	Originally posted by Herr Doktor Not unless you homebrew a heavier type of armor that would drop to heavy armor when built from mithral. I dub thee.. Very Hard To Move Around In armor. Or maybe I could call it Emplacement Armor or some such.
Knightcrawler 11-12-03, 12:38 AM	Also any armor bonuses from different metals are considered enhancement bonuses thus they do not stack with magical bonuses. For example a suit of full plate mail made from adamantine has an armor bonus of +8 and a enhancement bonus of +3 for a total of +11. If you then give the armor a magic of +4 its total is only +12 the bonuses do not stack. Of course in an anti-magic zone the armor looses all magical enhancements but will keep the material ones. This also applies to weapons made from different materials. Of course hardness and hit points will be changed.
ValiantCavalier 11-12-03, 09:23 AM	Originally posted by Ozar So there's no way to have heavy mithril armor? Hypothetically, yes. But that would pretty much defeat the "lighter-than-iron" purpose of mithril.
Ozar 11-12-03, 12:42 PM	Originally posted by ValiantCavalier Hypothetically, yes. But that would pretty much defeat the "lighter-than-iron" purpose of mithril. Would it? Think about it.. with Mithril, you could forge a suit of armor that, if it were made of iron, it would be impossible to move around in. Refined Plate Mithril Armor, AC 10.
ValiantCavalier 11-12-03, 04:42 PM	Originally posted by Ozar Would it? Think about it.. with Mithril, you could forge a suit of armor that, if it were made of iron, it would be impossible to move around in. Refined Plate Mithril Armor, AC 10. Well, yes but that would still defeat the light-weight purpose of mithril. There are 2 main purposes of mithril: 1. Far more durable that iron 2. Far lighter than iron So, yes I guess you could. But I think that armor would actually be worth less (not worthless, just worth less) than a regular variation of mithral armor. Well... Now that I actually really think about it.... Just how much mithril would it take to make a set of full plate mail (assuming that's what you wanted to make) the equivalent weight of iron full plate? If you just kept layering and layering, then even if you could move, it would be so hot in there, you couldn't even stay in the sunlight for more than 5 minutes without dying of a heat stroke...
^Graff 11-13-03, 12:11 PM	You could get The Definitive Harness from Arcana Unearthed. If you made that out of mithril you could rule that it was still heavy armor with the same weight and penalties of full plate. Otherwise, I can't see any heavy armor made of mithril. As for heat stroke, you wouldn't have a problem if it had heat resistance or a ring of comfort.