Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Scottomir Jan 03, 2009 22:18:31	With the release of ADVENTURER'S VAULT, the range of masterwork armors has greatly increased...as well as how soon they enter play (as early as +2!). As one of my players pointed out, the game seems to presume that masterwork armors will always replace regular magic items as soon as possible. The consequence is that a campaign must constantly dole out enough new masterwork armors to keep up the pace (which gobbles up treasure parcel slots) or else allow characters to fairly freely sell and buy new masterwork armors (which to my taste forces a campaign to have a very Warcrafty feel as everybody is always running to the magic item Walmart). So I've drafted the following new ritual that allows a party to keep "upgrading" its masterwork armor without always cashing in old pieces for new ones, in much the same way that the Enchant Magic Item ritual can improve the enhancement/enchantments of existing magic items. (Also in terms of my own taste, this ritual provides a way to introduce masterwork as traditional high-quality armor rather than the extremely Warcrafty, otherworldly masterwork armors in the PHB and AV.) I'd be grateful for feedback on this new ritual. I'm less interested in whether folks "like" this ritual (or agree with my taste on Warcrafty elements) and much more interested in any potential problems with rules mechanics or game balance. Anybody see problems I need to consider? Thanks! * * * TRANSFORM MASTERWORK ARMOR You employ magic forces to remake a piece of armor as improved masterwork armor. Level: 6 (special) Component Cost: Special Category: Creation Market Price: 350 gp Key Skill: Arcana (no check) Time: 1 hour Duration: Permanent You touch a piece of armor and transform it into improved masterwork armor. The masterwork condition that can be acquired depends on the armor’s enhancement bonus. The ritual caster also must meet the minimum level required. The armor does not gain or lose any enhancement or enchantment, but any existing masterwork condition is replaced. For example, non-masterwork +2 dwarven chainmail touched by a Level 6 caster using this ritual becomes +2 dwarven burnished chainmail, while masterwork +4 delver’s stormscale armor touched by a Level 16 caster using this ritual becomes +4 delver’s superior scale armor. The listed permanent item bonuses are applied to the armor’s base characteristics. They do not stack with each other or with other masterwork armor effects (existing masterwork effects are always replaced). The component cost for this ritual is 10 gp times the enhancement bonus times the item level. The cost is reduced by half for armor that already has an existing masterwork condition. For example, transforming non-masterwork +2 veteran’s scale armor (Lvl 7) into +2 veteran’s burnished scale armor costs 140 gp, while transforming +5 mithral forgemail (Lvl 24) into +5 mithral magnificent chainmail costs 600 gp.
#2 skyy Jan 04, 2009 22:27:26	I'm interested, someone with a full grasp of the rules please PEACH this
#3 Scottomir Jan 05, 2009 17:39:58	Yeah, I'd definitely be interested in any rules-conflict potential that this might inadvertently open. One complaint that I've faced is the notion of having a component cost. If it is "free" for Enchant Magic Item to resize armor so a PC can use it appropriately, should it be "free" for this ritual to upgrade the armor to the level-appropriate degree presumed by the rules design and mathematics?
#4 Scottomir Jan 05, 2009 21:11:05	After talking with some of the players in my group, I've reorganized the proposed table to be clearer to read and to make the masterwork properties from this ritual valid alternatives to the "Warcrafty" ones in the AV but still on-par (and hopefully balanced). The amended table is below: