"Armor Piercing" magic Wpn property [Archive] - Wizards Community

"Armor Piercing" magic Wpn property [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
J.B.
01-29-05, 08:35 PM I apologize if this has been brought up before, but are there any magical weapon properties out there that give an ability akin to armor piercing (not including "Brilliant Energy"). I've looked extensively through several of the forums, but I haven't found anything and the search function being down does't help.

Assuming there is no such magical weapon property out there; What bonus would you assign to an magical ability that allowed the weapon to ignore 1/2 of the AC bonus provided armor (and possibly natural AC).
DM Zoc
01-29-05, 08:40 PM Ignoring half of the Armor bonus would be +2. Ignoring half of the Armor and Natural bonus would be +4.
Darklion
01-29-05, 08:44 PM Assuming there is no such magical weapon property out there; What bonus would you assign to an magical ability that allowed the weapon to ignore 1/2 of the AC bonus provided armor (and possibly natural AC).If it pierced half of the non-enhancement AC, I'd say +2. (To such a weapon, full plate +4 would provide only +8 armor bonus instead of +12.)

If it pierced half of the total AC, +3. (To such a weapon, full plate +4 would provide only +6 armor bonus.)

IMO, piercing natural armor is a separate ability worth at least +4, if not +5 or further. The rationale for this is that at higher levels, many of the creatures being fought rely on high natural armors; they don't wear artifical armor. Being able to drop that automatically, without having to pierce magical protections or be subject to spell resistance, is an absolutely massive benefit.
J.B.
01-29-05, 10:12 PM yeah, halving both the armor bonus & natural AC bonus may be a bit much. However, halving just the armor bonus (including the enhancement bonus) is not worth a +4. At most it would be worth a +3. Although I would've rounded up the total AC instead (+4 full plate = AC 13, +4 full plate divided by 2 = AC 7).
prozacman
01-30-05, 03:47 AM i may be wrong but.. doesn't a brilliant energy ignore all armor? including natural armor? and for an effective +1 no-less?
HomebrewedMonster
01-30-05, 03:52 AM yeah, halving both the armor bonus & natural AC bonus may be a bit much. However, halving just the armor bonus (including the enhancement bonus) is not worth a +4. At most it would be worth a +3. Although I would've rounded up the total AC instead (+4 full plate = AC 13, +4 full plate divided by 2 = AC 7).

Full Plate provides a +8 armor bonus (half-plate gives +7)

So +8 armor bonus + 4 enhancement bonus = +12. 12/2 = 6. Also never round up in DnD, you always round down.
J.B.
01-30-05, 04:04 AM So +8 armor bonus + 4 enhancement bonus = +12. 12/2 = 6. Also never round up in DnD, you always round down.

Whoops. :D I thought full plate gave a +9 AC bonus, and I had no idea you're supposed to always round down (where does it say this specifically or is it generally agreed upon by all).

By the way, prozacman, brilliant energy is a +4 property.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
J.B. 01-29-05, 08:35 PM	I apologize if this has been brought up before, but are there any magical weapon properties out there that give an ability akin to armor piercing (not including "Brilliant Energy"). I've looked extensively through several of the forums, but I haven't found anything and the search function being down does't help. Assuming there is no such magical weapon property out there; What bonus would you assign to an magical ability that allowed the weapon to ignore 1/2 of the AC bonus provided armor (and possibly natural AC).
DM Zoc 01-29-05, 08:40 PM	Ignoring half of the Armor bonus would be +2. Ignoring half of the Armor and Natural bonus would be +4.
Darklion 01-29-05, 08:44 PM	Assuming there is no such magical weapon property out there; What bonus would you assign to an magical ability that allowed the weapon to ignore 1/2 of the AC bonus provided armor (and possibly natural AC).If it pierced half of the non-enhancement AC, I'd say +2. (To such a weapon, full plate +4 would provide only +8 armor bonus instead of +12.) If it pierced half of the total AC, +3. (To such a weapon, full plate +4 would provide only +6 armor bonus.) IMO, piercing natural armor is a separate ability worth at least +4, if not +5 or further. The rationale for this is that at higher levels, many of the creatures being fought rely on high natural armors; they don't wear artifical armor. Being able to drop that automatically, without having to pierce magical protections or be subject to spell resistance, is an absolutely massive benefit.
J.B. 01-29-05, 10:12 PM	yeah, halving both the armor bonus & natural AC bonus may be a bit much. However, halving just the armor bonus (including the enhancement bonus) is not worth a +4. At most it would be worth a +3. Although I would've rounded up the total AC instead (+4 full plate = AC 13, +4 full plate divided by 2 = AC 7).
prozacman 01-30-05, 03:47 AM	i may be wrong but.. doesn't a brilliant energy ignore all armor? including natural armor? and for an effective +1 no-less?
HomebrewedMonster 01-30-05, 03:52 AM	yeah, halving both the armor bonus & natural AC bonus may be a bit much. However, halving just the armor bonus (including the enhancement bonus) is not worth a +4. At most it would be worth a +3. Although I would've rounded up the total AC instead (+4 full plate = AC 13, +4 full plate divided by 2 = AC 7). Full Plate provides a +8 armor bonus (half-plate gives +7) So +8 armor bonus + 4 enhancement bonus = +12. 12/2 = 6. Also never round up in DnD, you always round down.
J.B. 01-30-05, 04:04 AM	So +8 armor bonus + 4 enhancement bonus = +12. 12/2 = 6. Also never round up in DnD, you always round down. Whoops. :D I thought full plate gave a +9 AC bonus, and I had no idea you're supposed to always round down (where does it say this specifically or is it generally agreed upon by all). By the way, prozacman, brilliant energy is a +4 property.