Dragon armor punked [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dragon armor punked [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
blackthorn28
01-23-04, 03:53 PM Does anyone know why WotC made dragon hide armor not as cool as it used to be? According to the 3.5 DMG, dragon hide can only be use to produce masterwork armor at TWICE cost. It isn't lighter. It isn't tougher. It's just more expensive to manufacture and more difficult to aquire. If I were a PC who risked my skin to aquire dragon hide and then spent big bucks to make armor out of it, I'd like to do more than make a fashion statement. Maybe I'm just biased because I once had a 2nd edition character who did all that stuff, but it paid off with a much better AC. With the current rules, I'd have probably just made luggage outta the hide and commisioned a regular suit of masterwork armor.
Machiel_WarriorofDarkness
01-23-04, 04:01 PM I agree with you about the armor, but you're forgetting that it also gives you resistance 5 to the energy type of the original dragon. Still, I think it should give a higher AC plus immunity/resistance to the energy type of the dragon. Just my opinion though.
blackthorn28
01-23-04, 04:19 PM I didn't know about the resistance. That's kinda cool. But if I had to choose, I'd take a better AC or a reduction of the weight any day.
Willie the Duck
01-23-04, 08:59 PM It was clearly meant stricktly as a means for druids to wear plate mail. Of course it is no different from 3.0 dragonhide, but no one even noticed that stuff.

What ammuzes me is that medium sized full plate dragonhide armor, which can only be harvested from collossal dragons (i.e. CR 20+) costs only 3300 gp.
Boondoggle
01-24-04, 03:00 AM Armor made from dragonhide gives no resistances. Dragonhide armor, a specific armor in the DMG not made from actual dragonhide gives resistance.
blackthorn28
01-24-04, 08:22 AM Whatever the reason they did it, I like the 2nd Edition rule better. Then again, I could just be biased like I said before. I'm thinking about making a house rule thats makes dragon hide a little lighter than steel but just as tough. Somewhat like mithril, but not as cool. More like the chitin armor found in the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil adventure.
Aranamarunda
01-24-04, 10:13 AM Blackthorn 28, I think you are absolutely right. Let it add to AC, let it let you retain a higher dex bonus, let it count as one armour type lighter, let it give you at least give age catagory times 1 energy type resistance and maybe give a +1 to sorcerer caster level. But at least, do Somethin!:mad: :(
Boondoggle
01-25-04, 05:21 AM I would suggest increasing the price, significantly lower arcane spell faliure and lowering the weight, but otherwise leaving it unchanged for metal armor. Something like -20% ASF and 1/2 the weight would be appropriate, IMO. The cost increase should come from the need to have the armor fitted almost like a second skin to help reduce ASF. It should also only be made by commission due to the rare material and customization needed.
Capn Charlie
01-25-04, 06:54 AM In my game I count dragon hide as a power component and reduce the market price of elemental resistane enhancements by half. I also make it weigh slightly less but not much.
Reality-Impaired
01-28-04, 12:18 PM The fact is in the DMG that dragon hide armor isn't nearly as powerful as one would imagine. :bored: It does, in a roleplaying sense have some significance, if you stroll into a town wearing a red dragon scale armor and matching dragon tooth amulet. :bow:

On to the good: In the Draconomicon the rules for dragon bone/tooth weapons and dragon armor is clearly defined and more powerful than its DMG incarnation. If your characters didn't dissect a dragon before after reading the Draconomicon they certainly will after. ;)
FenixZero
01-28-04, 04:07 PM A while back I found this web site, I think at wizards, that i can't find again. In it, it had rules for dragon hide stats made with scales that a dragon willful gives to you. If anyone can point me in the right direction (or post a link to it), it would mean alot to me.

I posted this before the broads where closed but Ill post it here again, the question still stands. In this article (i think thats what it was) if a dragon willingly give you scales then it would have better stats. It would be lighter, have SP, and breath resistance to that type of dragon breath weapon.

FenixZero
waterprophet
01-28-04, 04:18 PM Originally posted by FenixZero
I posted this before the broads where closed but Ill post it here again, the question still stands. In this article (i think thats what it was) if a dragon willingly give you scales then it would have better stats. It would be lighter, have SP, and breath resistance to that type of dragon breath weapon.

FenixZero

There was a Dragon magazine article a few months ago with cool items that came from dragons. I don't remember which one offhand, though. Too bad Paizo doesn't have a content search on their website.
lukelightning
01-28-04, 04:28 PM Where do dragons get all their money? Simple! A great big dragon clones herself and uses the bodies to get dragonhide.
Deekin
01-28-04, 07:09 PM The Draconomicon has improved Dragonhide armor too:)
blackthorn28
01-30-04, 07:51 AM Is this the 2nd Edition Draconomicon you guys are talking about or something more recent?
Derren S.
01-30-04, 09:36 AM The 3(.5)Ed Draconomicon.
Boondoggle
01-31-04, 02:34 AM Draconomicon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/176680000)
Shadowfax7
01-31-04, 11:14 AM There are 2 other published versions of dragonhide armor, other than the one in the 3.5 DMG.

Dragonomicon (3.5 version):

1) The armor is 1 category lighter (as Mithral)
2) Armor Check Penalty is 2 less than normal (includes masterwork armor ACP adjustment)
3) Resistance to (energy type) 5, where the energy type depends on the immunity of the dragon from which the scales were obtained.

However, it does NOT weigh less. This perplexed me as it is 1 category lighter ??

Warcraft: The RPG (3.5 compliant)

1) Considered masterwork armor (thus one less ACP)
2) 0% Arcane Spell Failure chance
3) x20 of normal armor price

The 0% ASF is way too powerful . . .

However, neither armor offers any higher armor bonus than the armor it is based on: Hide, Scale or Breastplate.

edit: corrected 2nd source
Shadowfax7
01-31-04, 11:34 AM BTW Boondogle . . . neither armor made from dragonhide or Dragonhide Armor in the 3.5 DMG gives any sort of resistance. You must of seen it in the Dragonomicon.

I checked both entries as your comment perplexed me in that I hadn't seen this in the DMG, so unless I am blind, there is no such entry in the DMG.

If I am wrong please post the page of the entry and/or section of the SRD.
Boondoggle
01-31-04, 02:16 PM Eh, faulty memory. It must have been in one of the various splatbooks. It was full plate that was made to look like red dragon scale and gave fire resistance 5?, but was just simple iron.
Derren S.
01-31-04, 02:21 PM Hm, I think thats from DotF.
And the Epic Handbook also has some special dragon hide armors.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
blackthorn28 01-23-04, 03:53 PM	Does anyone know why WotC made dragon hide armor not as cool as it used to be? According to the 3.5 DMG, dragon hide can only be use to produce masterwork armor at TWICE cost. It isn't lighter. It isn't tougher. It's just more expensive to manufacture and more difficult to aquire. If I were a PC who risked my skin to aquire dragon hide and then spent big bucks to make armor out of it, I'd like to do more than make a fashion statement. Maybe I'm just biased because I once had a 2nd edition character who did all that stuff, but it paid off with a much better AC. With the current rules, I'd have probably just made luggage outta the hide and commisioned a regular suit of masterwork armor.
Machiel_WarriorofDarkness 01-23-04, 04:01 PM	I agree with you about the armor, but you're forgetting that it also gives you resistance 5 to the energy type of the original dragon. Still, I think it should give a higher AC plus immunity/resistance to the energy type of the dragon. Just my opinion though.
blackthorn28 01-23-04, 04:19 PM	I didn't know about the resistance. That's kinda cool. But if I had to choose, I'd take a better AC or a reduction of the weight any day.
Willie the Duck 01-23-04, 08:59 PM	It was clearly meant stricktly as a means for druids to wear plate mail. Of course it is no different from 3.0 dragonhide, but no one even noticed that stuff. What ammuzes me is that medium sized full plate dragonhide armor, which can only be harvested from collossal dragons (i.e. CR 20+) costs only 3300 gp.
Boondoggle 01-24-04, 03:00 AM	Armor made from dragonhide gives no resistances. Dragonhide armor, a specific armor in the DMG not made from actual dragonhide gives resistance.
blackthorn28 01-24-04, 08:22 AM	Whatever the reason they did it, I like the 2nd Edition rule better. Then again, I could just be biased like I said before. I'm thinking about making a house rule thats makes dragon hide a little lighter than steel but just as tough. Somewhat like mithril, but not as cool. More like the chitin armor found in the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil adventure.
Aranamarunda 01-24-04, 10:13 AM	Blackthorn 28, I think you are absolutely right. Let it add to AC, let it let you retain a higher dex bonus, let it count as one armour type lighter, let it give you at least give age catagory times 1 energy type resistance and maybe give a +1 to sorcerer caster level. But at least, do Somethin!:mad: :(
Boondoggle 01-25-04, 05:21 AM	I would suggest increasing the price, significantly lower arcane spell faliure and lowering the weight, but otherwise leaving it unchanged for metal armor. Something like -20% ASF and 1/2 the weight would be appropriate, IMO. The cost increase should come from the need to have the armor fitted almost like a second skin to help reduce ASF. It should also only be made by commission due to the rare material and customization needed.
Capn Charlie 01-25-04, 06:54 AM	In my game I count dragon hide as a power component and reduce the market price of elemental resistane enhancements by half. I also make it weigh slightly less but not much.
Reality-Impaired 01-28-04, 12:18 PM	The fact is in the DMG that dragon hide armor isn't nearly as powerful as one would imagine. :bored: It does, in a roleplaying sense have some significance, if you stroll into a town wearing a red dragon scale armor and matching dragon tooth amulet. :bow: On to the good: In the Draconomicon the rules for dragon bone/tooth weapons and dragon armor is clearly defined and more powerful than its DMG incarnation. If your characters didn't dissect a dragon before after reading the Draconomicon they certainly will after. ;)
FenixZero 01-28-04, 04:07 PM	A while back I found this web site, I think at wizards, that i can't find again. In it, it had rules for dragon hide stats made with scales that a dragon willful gives to you. If anyone can point me in the right direction (or post a link to it), it would mean alot to me. I posted this before the broads where closed but Ill post it here again, the question still stands. In this article (i think thats what it was) if a dragon willingly give you scales then it would have better stats. It would be lighter, have SP, and breath resistance to that type of dragon breath weapon. FenixZero
waterprophet 01-28-04, 04:18 PM	Originally posted by FenixZero I posted this before the broads where closed but Ill post it here again, the question still stands. In this article (i think thats what it was) if a dragon willingly give you scales then it would have better stats. It would be lighter, have SP, and breath resistance to that type of dragon breath weapon. FenixZero There was a Dragon magazine article a few months ago with cool items that came from dragons. I don't remember which one offhand, though. Too bad Paizo doesn't have a content search on their website.
lukelightning 01-28-04, 04:28 PM	Where do dragons get all their money? Simple! A great big dragon clones herself and uses the bodies to get dragonhide.
Deekin 01-28-04, 07:09 PM	The Draconomicon has improved Dragonhide armor too:)
blackthorn28 01-30-04, 07:51 AM	Is this the 2nd Edition Draconomicon you guys are talking about or something more recent?
Derren S. 01-30-04, 09:36 AM	The 3(.5)Ed Draconomicon.
Boondoggle 01-31-04, 02:34 AM	Draconomicon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/176680000)
Shadowfax7 01-31-04, 11:14 AM	There are 2 other published versions of dragonhide armor, other than the one in the 3.5 DMG. Dragonomicon (3.5 version): 1) The armor is 1 category lighter (as Mithral) 2) Armor Check Penalty is 2 less than normal (includes masterwork armor ACP adjustment) 3) Resistance to (energy type) 5, where the energy type depends on the immunity of the dragon from which the scales were obtained. However, it does NOT weigh less. This perplexed me as it is 1 category lighter ?? Warcraft: The RPG (3.5 compliant) 1) Considered masterwork armor (thus one less ACP) 2) 0% Arcane Spell Failure chance 3) x20 of normal armor price The 0% ASF is way too powerful . . . However, neither armor offers any higher armor bonus than the armor it is based on: Hide, Scale or Breastplate. edit: corrected 2nd source
Shadowfax7 01-31-04, 11:34 AM	BTW Boondogle . . . neither armor made from dragonhide or Dragonhide Armor in the 3.5 DMG gives any sort of resistance. You must of seen it in the Dragonomicon. I checked both entries as your comment perplexed me in that I hadn't seen this in the DMG, so unless I am blind, there is no such entry in the DMG. If I am wrong please post the page of the entry and/or section of the SRD.
Boondoggle 01-31-04, 02:16 PM	Eh, faulty memory. It must have been in one of the various splatbooks. It was full plate that was made to look like red dragon scale and gave fire resistance 5?, but was just simple iron.
Derren S. 01-31-04, 02:21 PM	Hm, I think thats from DotF. And the Epic Handbook also has some special dragon hide armors.