Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Zinger2099
11-26-07, 03:55 PM I am running a premade Adventure module, and the players just beat the boss and located the treasure. In the pile of treasure, as a Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon.

I have no idea what this Breastplate is. Is it a regular Breastplate fashioned to resemble a Griffon? Is it a Breastplate that was made for a Griffon to wear it? If that is that case, can anything but a Griffon wear it? Since it is not a traditional Breastplate, is it masterwork? How much would an item like this cost? How much can it be sold for? Is there anything else I should know about it?

Thanks in advance.
JackSnape
11-26-07, 04:42 PM I don't knwo anything about the item or module, so maybe you'll get a more useful response later. Barring that I'd say treat it as a MW breastplate with a value of (1.5xMW breastplate cost) due to being an art item. Maybe more or less depending on how hard the adventure was and how much treasure you've given already.
darkdrgon2136
11-26-07, 04:57 PM Id treat it as a regular breastplate, fit for a medium sized race.
The "Likeness of a griffin" means it has a Griffin engraving, so i guess pricing it as an art item would work.
Cifer
11-26-07, 05:22 PM Sounds like a breastplate with a griffon painted/engraved/whatevered on it. A breastplate for a griffon would be appropriate only if there was a griffon somewhere in the adventure.

By the way, what module is it? Maybe someone who has it can look up the page.
Dragonsblood
11-26-07, 05:27 PM You're the DM, you decide. Either way it should probably be masterwork though; you don't make regular exotic armor or regular stylized armor. Also, if you don't plan on including griffons in the near future of your campaign, make it a breastplate designed for a humanoid. I'd probably make it griffon barding though for the plothook potential (actually this isn't a bad idea...).
Sinis
11-26-07, 05:40 PM There's a couple of ways you can handle this, as the other posters have suggested.

First, you could make it actual barding for a griffin. Which would be awesome, but only if you had a reasonable way of it arriving there. I'm sure there are rules for exotic animal barding in the SRD. This might not be so useful to the players.

Second, it could be a breastplate with graven images of a griffins. Which is also cool. Treat it as MW breastplate, worth an arbitrary amount of gold higher.

Thirdly, it could be a bizarre combination of the two. It could be a breastplate with an obnoxious metal griffin head sticking out of the chest, at which point it is clearly decoration, and not intended to be worn. Treat as an art object of an arbitrary order.
Krusk
11-26-07, 08:50 PM I like sinis' third option and would definatly go with that.

Depending on how silly the game is, you might also want to just say it has a griffon carved onto the chest.
metalmayhem80110
11-27-07, 05:04 AM Thirdly, it could be a bizarre combination of the two. It could be a breastplate with an obnoxious metal griffin head sticking out of the chest, at which point it is clearly decoration, and not intended to be worn. Treat as an art object of an arbitrary order.

Who says you can't wear armor with animal/beast heads stickng out of the front... Havn't you seen some of the power ranger stuff?

But in all seriousness, I'd make it decorated breatplate that CAN be worn. I'd maybe give it a special value too, depending on what other treasure there was, and what level the party was. (Maybe some fly abilities?)

Also, which module was this? That might be helpful.
Escef
11-27-07, 06:20 AM A great thing to do with it would be to have the griffen be someone's heraldric symbol. So the question becomes how did it get there? And will anyone be looking for it?
Zinger2099
11-27-07, 07:44 AM Shackled City Adventure Path: Chapter 2: Drakthar's Way

The likeliness of it being fitted for a griffon really depends on how likely it was that the Vampire who horded it would have defeated a griffon. This would require the griffon to go down into his cave, because he doesn't get out much.

If I decide the armour is wearable, but it is designed more as an art object or ornament then an actual armour, should I make it less potent instead of more potent?
Krusk
11-27-07, 10:46 AM I think physically less potent with some form of cool magical effect is a good way to run that.

Maybe +2 Armor check but it also lets the wearer _________.
Bluto
11-27-07, 11:33 AM I would say absolutely no game effect at all. This is simply a masterwork breastplate that has the image of a griffon. The armor could be worked with feather-like patterns towards the edges, have a chest ridge approximating a beak.

Based on the adventure text, it doesn't even appear masterwork, but I don't see many non-masterwork armors being worked to that level.

Don't your players ever want random sigils and gew-gaws on their armor?
I know I've had a few PCs that pay lots of extra gold for that symbol of Kord to be prominent on the chest/beltbuckle/gauntlets/whatever.

Apparently, some previous adventurer liked griffons.. but was not up to the challenge at hand.

Unless you want to make it magic, then the sky is the limit. This could be a "clue to it's function" - and you could have it hinting at the fierceness of the griffon, flight, griffon summoning.. whatever, depending on campaign level.
_Jayne_Cobb_
11-27-07, 11:41 AM I am running a premade Adventure module, and the players just beat the boss and located the treasure. In the pile of treasure, as a Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon.

I have no idea what this Breastplate is. Is it a regular Breastplate fashioned to resemble a Griffon? Is it a Breastplate that was made for a Griffon to wear it? If that is that case, can anything but a Griffon wear it? Since it is not a traditional Breastplate, is it masterwork? How much would an item like this cost? How much can it be sold for? Is there anything else I should know about it?

Thanks in advance.

"Likeness" means "representation, picture, or image". The breastplate is shaped like, or has an image of, a griffon. Nothing more.
Zinger2099
11-27-07, 11:51 AM Unless you want to make it magic, then the sky is the limit. This could be a "clue to it's function" - and you could have it hinting at the fierceness of the griffon, flight, griffon summoning.. whatever, depending on campaign level.

I've already told them it wasn't magical after the wizard casted detect magic. Not going back on what I said there.

Probably just going to use what you suggested (and many others), and just make it masterwork and have engravings of griffons. Perhaps throw in a backstory somewhere, a griffon hunter ran into a vampire and was caught out of his element.

Now he is dead and his breastplate is in the hands of the adventurers.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Zinger2099 11-26-07, 03:55 PM	I am running a premade Adventure module, and the players just beat the boss and located the treasure. In the pile of treasure, as a Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon. I have no idea what this Breastplate is. Is it a regular Breastplate fashioned to resemble a Griffon? Is it a Breastplate that was made for a Griffon to wear it? If that is that case, can anything but a Griffon wear it? Since it is not a traditional Breastplate, is it masterwork? How much would an item like this cost? How much can it be sold for? Is there anything else I should know about it? Thanks in advance.
JackSnape 11-26-07, 04:42 PM	I don't knwo anything about the item or module, so maybe you'll get a more useful response later. Barring that I'd say treat it as a MW breastplate with a value of (1.5xMW breastplate cost) due to being an art item. Maybe more or less depending on how hard the adventure was and how much treasure you've given already.
darkdrgon2136 11-26-07, 04:57 PM	Id treat it as a regular breastplate, fit for a medium sized race. The "Likeness of a griffin" means it has a Griffin engraving, so i guess pricing it as an art item would work.
Cifer 11-26-07, 05:22 PM	Sounds like a breastplate with a griffon painted/engraved/whatevered on it. A breastplate for a griffon would be appropriate only if there was a griffon somewhere in the adventure. By the way, what module is it? Maybe someone who has it can look up the page.
Dragonsblood 11-26-07, 05:27 PM	You're the DM, you decide. Either way it should probably be masterwork though; you don't make regular exotic armor or regular stylized armor. Also, if you don't plan on including griffons in the near future of your campaign, make it a breastplate designed for a humanoid. I'd probably make it griffon barding though for the plothook potential (actually this isn't a bad idea...).
Sinis 11-26-07, 05:40 PM	There's a couple of ways you can handle this, as the other posters have suggested. First, you could make it actual barding for a griffin. Which would be awesome, but only if you had a reasonable way of it arriving there. I'm sure there are rules for exotic animal barding in the SRD. This might not be so useful to the players. Second, it could be a breastplate with graven images of a griffins. Which is also cool. Treat it as MW breastplate, worth an arbitrary amount of gold higher. Thirdly, it could be a bizarre combination of the two. It could be a breastplate with an obnoxious metal griffin head sticking out of the chest, at which point it is clearly decoration, and not intended to be worn. Treat as an art object of an arbitrary order.
Krusk 11-26-07, 08:50 PM	I like sinis' third option and would definatly go with that. Depending on how silly the game is, you might also want to just say it has a griffon carved onto the chest.
metalmayhem80110 11-27-07, 05:04 AM	Thirdly, it could be a bizarre combination of the two. It could be a breastplate with an obnoxious metal griffin head sticking out of the chest, at which point it is clearly decoration, and not intended to be worn. Treat as an art object of an arbitrary order. Who says you can't wear armor with animal/beast heads stickng out of the front... Havn't you seen some of the power ranger stuff? But in all seriousness, I'd make it decorated breatplate that CAN be worn. I'd maybe give it a special value too, depending on what other treasure there was, and what level the party was. (Maybe some fly abilities?) Also, which module was this? That might be helpful.
Escef 11-27-07, 06:20 AM	A great thing to do with it would be to have the griffen be someone's heraldric symbol. So the question becomes how did it get there? And will anyone be looking for it?
Zinger2099 11-27-07, 07:44 AM	Shackled City Adventure Path: Chapter 2: Drakthar's Way The likeliness of it being fitted for a griffon really depends on how likely it was that the Vampire who horded it would have defeated a griffon. This would require the griffon to go down into his cave, because he doesn't get out much. If I decide the armour is wearable, but it is designed more as an art object or ornament then an actual armour, should I make it less potent instead of more potent?
Krusk 11-27-07, 10:46 AM	I think physically less potent with some form of cool magical effect is a good way to run that. Maybe +2 Armor check but it also lets the wearer _________.
Bluto 11-27-07, 11:33 AM	I would say absolutely no game effect at all. This is simply a masterwork breastplate that has the image of a griffon. The armor could be worked with feather-like patterns towards the edges, have a chest ridge approximating a beak. Based on the adventure text, it doesn't even appear masterwork, but I don't see many non-masterwork armors being worked to that level. Don't your players ever want random sigils and gew-gaws on their armor? I know I've had a few PCs that pay lots of extra gold for that symbol of Kord to be prominent on the chest/beltbuckle/gauntlets/whatever. Apparently, some previous adventurer liked griffons.. but was not up to the challenge at hand. Unless you want to make it magic, then the sky is the limit. This could be a "clue to it's function" - and you could have it hinting at the fierceness of the griffon, flight, griffon summoning.. whatever, depending on campaign level.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 11-27-07, 11:41 AM	I am running a premade Adventure module, and the players just beat the boss and located the treasure. In the pile of treasure, as a Breastplate shaped in the likeness of a Griffon. I have no idea what this Breastplate is. Is it a regular Breastplate fashioned to resemble a Griffon? Is it a Breastplate that was made for a Griffon to wear it? If that is that case, can anything but a Griffon wear it? Since it is not a traditional Breastplate, is it masterwork? How much would an item like this cost? How much can it be sold for? Is there anything else I should know about it? Thanks in advance. "Likeness" means "representation, picture, or image". The breastplate is shaped like, or has an image of, a griffon. Nothing more.
Zinger2099 11-27-07, 11:51 AM	Unless you want to make it magic, then the sky is the limit. This could be a "clue to it's function" - and you could have it hinting at the fierceness of the griffon, flight, griffon summoning.. whatever, depending on campaign level. I've already told them it wasn't magical after the wizard casted detect magic. Not going back on what I said there. Probably just going to use what you suggested (and many others), and just make it masterwork and have engravings of griffons. Perhaps throw in a backstory somewhere, a griffon hunter ran into a vampire and was caught out of his element. Now he is dead and his breastplate is in the hands of the adventurers.