Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cryov Oct 08, 2013 15:43:38	Normally this would be a non-issue for me but I am playing in a Savage Tide campaign as a cleric in full plate. I really rather not drown or otherwise. In any case the DM has banned all other setting material, non-wotc material, 3.0 material, and stuff from the magazines. I got 22k gold to spend strictly for armor and I like to have the protection + magic enhancements but trying to reduce the acp down to 0 seems nigh impossible with these restrictions. So mithril full plate...anything else to help it?
#2 awaken_D_M_golem Oct 08, 2013 16:05:34	hmm ... there have been super-optimized armors done before. Perhaps one of the old hands around here, remembers where one is? But this'll be cheese, and probably not fit with your DM.   Technically the Psion Uncarnate in a roundabout way does get even Plate into the ghost/ethereal zone. But this isn't what you want, doesn't fit your idea.   Lycanthromancer has used the Astral Construct power to make an Iron Man style body suit.  Again not what you want.
#3 Andarious-Rosethorn Oct 08, 2013 17:10:04	The Nimbleness Enchantment gives your armor +1 Max Dex and -2 ACP (From MIC). Goes a long way to imrpoving your Sink skill. Costs a +1, which is somewhat steep but oh well.   Races of Stone also gives two feats that you can take, Heavy Armor Optimization, and Greater version of the same. In total they will reduce your ACP by another 3 (when wearing heavy armour) and increase your Max dex by 2.   The problem with the feats (aside from the fact they cost 2 of your feats), is that they take BAB 4 and 8 respectively, and are incompatible with Mithril, by nature since it makes your plate Medium. Sorry so they don't help at all really.   Still only a -4 to swim with your Mithril Full Plate of Nimbleness. Could go with Breastplate instaed if you really don't want to sink, it gives you 10' more movement, and no ACP.
#4 Andarious-Rosethorn Oct 08, 2013 17:28:41	Nevermind, problem solved. See MIC for Buoyant Armour Enchant, it costs 4K and removes the ACP from swimming, additionally giving a +2 competence bonus to swim checks.
#5 Maat_Mons Oct 08, 2013 19:23:51	Go ahead and add a keel (Stormwrack, p106) to the armor. It provides a +2 circumstance bonus to swim, and it's only 50 gp.
#6 StevenO Oct 08, 2013 21:18:25	Andarious-Rosethorn wrote:
#7 Tempest_Stormwind Oct 08, 2013 22:30:00	Better option than Buoyant armor: The Least Crystal of Aquatic Action. 250gp, any masterwork armor now has 0 ACP as far as Swim is concerned. The Lesser gives an actual Swim speed (1000gp), and the Greater gives Water Breathing and Freedom of Movement of a sort, (3000gp). And if you later switch to a different suit of full plate, the gem can be exchanged in about ten seconds. This IS your answer.
#8 Andarious-Rosethorn Oct 08, 2013 22:36:34	You can still use a Swim skill if you've got a swim speed, there are reasons to. So while Tempest I'll never argue that you didn't just kick my ass lol, you didn't totally render my answer obsolite. Both works if you want to be sure you can swim rediculously well.    +3 Buoyant Armour with a Keel and a Greater Crystal of Aquatic action means you take no penalty, get a net of +4, can move basically any way you want and breathe underwater. Pretty well trivializes any of the standard issues for going into the drink.   Note to self, Aluonna needs SOME of these solutions, probaly armour with a keel, and a least crystal, maybe even a lesser.
#9 Tempest_Stormwind Oct 09, 2013 13:32:28	Okay, finally got my full MIC, and not my quicknotes.   Buoyant: Requires magic (+1) armor, +4000gp, Swim ACP = 0, +2 swim. That's it.   Lesser Crystal of Aquatic Action: Requires magic (+1) armor, 1000gp, Swim ACP = 0, Swim speed = half land speed, +8 Swim (untyped) and Skill Mastery (Swim) (as a byproduct of having a swim speed), and it can be switched to another suit of armor if you choose. One drawback: You can't use other armor gems at the same time (that said, most of the armor gems are just budget versions of stuff you're probably wanting anyway - i.e. Mind Shielding is the poorest pauper's Mind Blank, and Life Shielding is a budget bargain-bin Soulfire), but on the flipside, if you're on dry land, you can switch it out for a different gem (and still come out under the cost of Buoyant).   Doesn't seem like much of a reason for Buoyant at all unless you're trying to maximize your Swim check and have money to burn. If you're just wanting to make sure your suit of armor doesn't kill you underwater, a least crystal will do that. A lesser upgrades that to making you an expert surface swimmer, and a greater crystal turns it into a deep-sea diving suit.
#10 Cryov Oct 09, 2013 15:52:26	Thanks for the help guys! It seems that crystal is the way to go for sure...also seems to be the cheapest way to give me the most effective swim.  I've been running around with floaties on my arms all game...the air bladders or w/e from stormwrack.
#11 Cryov Oct 09, 2013 17:46:25	Oh and I did find a way to get full plate ACP down to 0 with these restrictions, Mithril fullplate of nimbleness, -1acp from masterwork, -2 from nimbleness, -3 from mithril. So 0 ACP. :D
#12 Tempest_Stormwind Oct 09, 2013 18:09:46	Cryov wrote:
#13 Slagger_the_Chuul Oct 11, 2013 3:57:41	Hellforged mithral full plate of nimbleness would work for the original 0 ACP goal, if you don't mind losing a little bit on the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC and arcane spell failure chance, and using an item that literally comes from Hell (imposing a -1 attack penalty for good wearers).  The armour/weapon templates from the DMG2 offer a decent handful of nice little tweaks like this (also enabling another favourite of mine in the feycraft/githcraft mithral shirt with thistledown padding).