Increased Dex bonus? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Increased Dex bonus? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Arvagor
08-25-06, 09:41 PM Is anyone aware of a special material or an enhancement that will increase the maximum Dex bonus that a given suit of armor provides, while leaving the other properties the same (or decreasing them)? Besides mithral? ;)

Situation... I have a +1 mithral shirt, but I have adventure access to +1 shadow silk leather (from Tome of Magic). I also have gloves of dexterity +2, making my Dex an even 20. I'm not going to be able to purchase +4 or +6 gloves for a while (I have access to both), but if/when I get the +6 gloves, it feels like I'm cheating myself out of a point of AC (which may be important since he's a squishy rogue) if I stick with the mithral. OTOH, unless I get some free stat bumps somewhere along the way, he also won't be able to make full use of the +8 max Dex on the shadow silk (he only gets one more stat bump before retiring/high level campaign, and his unmodified Dex is 18 even).
ShinAkuma2
08-26-06, 01:06 AM Unless you plan on maxing out the Dex bonus on the Silk stuff, don't bother trading it in...

+1 Mithral Shirt has a maximum AC of 11 (5 Armor, 6 Dex)

Your +1 shadow silk leather (unless it has some other weird properties) has a max AC of 11 (3 Armor, 8 Dex).

With anything less than 26 Dex, you're losing out with the leather, unless, again, Shadow Silk does something else of interest for the armor.
Iswald
08-26-06, 05:17 AM Wildwood (RW) and Blue Ice (Fro) both raise the max dex for armor, but neither is as good as mithral. Also, you would have to find access. You should purchase what you're able to find unless you think you have a good chance of finding something better.
Arvagor
08-26-06, 12:58 PM +1 Mithral Shirt has a maximum AC of 11 (5 Armor, 6 Dex)

Your +1 shadow silk leather (unless it has some other weird properties) has a max AC of 11 (3 Armor, 8 Dex).It would be nice if I could find something that's (4 armor, 7 Dex), but there doesn't seem to be anything like that (that I can find).

With anything less than 26 Dex, you're losing out with the leather, unless, again, Shadow Silk does something else of interest for the armor.
+2 bonus (unnamed) to Hide and Move Silent, no AC check penalty, 4 lbs., 10% ASF in light, 0% in in shadows or darkness (last not too significant as the PC is not a spellcaster).
Mommy was an Orc
08-26-06, 03:23 PM I feel like I posted this - my character is extremely similar in situation.

Anyway, the problem with the shadow silk, is that I don't think it makes a lot of sense, unless you feel you're going to get to 24 Dex reasonably soon - then the +1 AC vs the unnamed bonuses and 8.5 less weight depends on situation for you.
Arvagor
08-26-06, 04:16 PM It is relatively cheap, and I have a favor that would let me get it for half price; I suppose I could buy it and keep it around for situational use...
clannagh
08-31-06, 07:37 PM there is always the bracer route

or get a cohort whose main job is to cast mage armor/greater mage armor on you
Fallenangel359
09-01-06, 08:19 AM after a certain point, armor just becomes bad, and bracers of armor are better
Arvagor
09-01-06, 01:33 PM Yes, but for those who can't craft them themselves, bracers are prohibitively expensive for those who can otherwise wear armor, and have other expenses -- such as, say, the magic weapons we need to attack the monsters who are trying to get to the casters who should be wearing bracers... ;)
Reylance
09-05-06, 03:09 PM At a certain high enough Dexterity level, all armor will be a problem. Picking up that suit of shadow silk leather does not give you a better armor choice, at this time, than your current mithral chain shirt.

You might want to pick it up for the future, when wizards are likely to have the spell greater mage armor. Wear the shadow silk leather and greater mage armor at the same time (where the armor has a useful enhancement, like death ward or fortification). You get your full Dexterity bonus, the +6 armor bonus, and the boon from the armor.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Arvagor 08-25-06, 09:41 PM	Is anyone aware of a special material or an enhancement that will increase the maximum Dex bonus that a given suit of armor provides, while leaving the other properties the same (or decreasing them)? Besides mithral? ;) Situation... I have a +1 mithral shirt, but I have adventure access to +1 shadow silk leather (from Tome of Magic). I also have gloves of dexterity +2, making my Dex an even 20. I'm not going to be able to purchase +4 or +6 gloves for a while (I have access to both), but if/when I get the +6 gloves, it feels like I'm cheating myself out of a point of AC (which may be important since he's a squishy rogue) if I stick with the mithral. OTOH, unless I get some free stat bumps somewhere along the way, he also won't be able to make full use of the +8 max Dex on the shadow silk (he only gets one more stat bump before retiring/high level campaign, and his unmodified Dex is 18 even).
ShinAkuma2 08-26-06, 01:06 AM	Unless you plan on maxing out the Dex bonus on the Silk stuff, don't bother trading it in... +1 Mithral Shirt has a maximum AC of 11 (5 Armor, 6 Dex) Your +1 shadow silk leather (unless it has some other weird properties) has a max AC of 11 (3 Armor, 8 Dex). With anything less than 26 Dex, you're losing out with the leather, unless, again, Shadow Silk does something else of interest for the armor.
Iswald 08-26-06, 05:17 AM	Wildwood (RW) and Blue Ice (Fro) both raise the max dex for armor, but neither is as good as mithral. Also, you would have to find access. You should purchase what you're able to find unless you think you have a good chance of finding something better.
Arvagor 08-26-06, 12:58 PM	+1 Mithral Shirt has a maximum AC of 11 (5 Armor, 6 Dex) Your +1 shadow silk leather (unless it has some other weird properties) has a max AC of 11 (3 Armor, 8 Dex).It would be nice if I could find something that's (4 armor, 7 Dex), but there doesn't seem to be anything like that (that I can find). With anything less than 26 Dex, you're losing out with the leather, unless, again, Shadow Silk does something else of interest for the armor. +2 bonus (unnamed) to Hide and Move Silent, no AC check penalty, 4 lbs., 10% ASF in light, 0% in in shadows or darkness (last not too significant as the PC is not a spellcaster).
Mommy was an Orc 08-26-06, 03:23 PM	I feel like I posted this - my character is extremely similar in situation. Anyway, the problem with the shadow silk, is that I don't think it makes a lot of sense, unless you feel you're going to get to 24 Dex reasonably soon - then the +1 AC vs the unnamed bonuses and 8.5 less weight depends on situation for you.
Arvagor 08-26-06, 04:16 PM	It is relatively cheap, and I have a favor that would let me get it for half price; I suppose I could buy it and keep it around for situational use...
clannagh 08-31-06, 07:37 PM	there is always the bracer route or get a cohort whose main job is to cast mage armor/greater mage armor on you
Fallenangel359 09-01-06, 08:19 AM	after a certain point, armor just becomes bad, and bracers of armor are better
Arvagor 09-01-06, 01:33 PM	Yes, but for those who can't craft them themselves, bracers are prohibitively expensive for those who can otherwise wear armor, and have other expenses -- such as, say, the magic weapons we need to attack the monsters who are trying to get to the casters who should be wearing bracers... ;)
Reylance 09-05-06, 03:09 PM	At a certain high enough Dexterity level, all armor will be a problem. Picking up that suit of shadow silk leather does not give you a better armor choice, at this time, than your current mithral chain shirt. You might want to pick it up for the future, when wizards are likely to have the spell greater mage armor. Wear the shadow silk leather and greater mage armor at the same time (where the armor has a useful enhancement, like death ward or fortification). You get your full Dexterity bonus, the +6 armor bonus, and the boon from the armor.