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I'm DMing my first 4e game and my group just finished the adventure in the back of the DMG and they are going to take parts of the dragon, primarily enough skin for 1 suit of armor, and it's talons and teeth.
I figure the skin will make wyrmscale armor (maybe +1 magic because it's from a dragon after all). I'm wondering what would be an appropriate level to let them find someone who can craft it. Also I'm wondering what exactly to do with the talons and teeth if my group decides to make daggers or such out of them.
Arcane ritual components.
Exactly how much, I'm not sure .. but quite a bit, even for a small dragon.
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It's true that a suit of wyrmscale armor is at least +4 enchantment, but that makes it a level 16 item worth 45000 gp (at minimum), not a level 9 item worth 105,000 gp. In any case, if you want to make wyrmscale armor it'll take the PCs quite a while; level 16 items should start showing up at around level 12. A better idea, I think, is to make the armor standard magic scale armor. The dragon from the DMG is white, if I recall, so a suit of +1 or +2 armor of cold resistance (levels 2 and 7 respectively) or +1 or +2 frozen armor (levels 4 and 9 respectively) seem like good low-level options. The +1 versions could be made available immediately; the +2 versions would be appropriate treasure parcels starting at level 3 or 5.
You know wyrmscale armor has a minimum enhancement of +4 and that is equal to a level 9 item and worth 105.000 gp..
I would let them skin it, and if no-one knows how to skin, ruin the skin and let them get a few extra gp..
What has two thumbs, a magic DM hand wave, and doesn't care about minimum enhancements? *points thumbs at self* this guy.
Also, I don't know if I'm mean enough to let them fail at skinning it...but it did cross my mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by javcs
Arcane ritual components.
Exactly how much, I'm not sure .. but quite a bit, even for a small dragon.
This thought crossed my mind...I figure that's what I'll do depending on what they decide to keep.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickVigorous
A better idea, I think, is to make the armor standard magic scale armor. The dragon from the DMG is white, if I recall, so a suit of +1 or +2 armor of cold resistance (levels 2 and 7 respectively) or +1 or +2 frozen armor (levels 4 and 9 respectively) seem like good low-level options. The +1 versions could be made available immediately; the +2 versions would be appropriate treasure parcels starting at level 3 or 5.
This is probably what I'll do...I didn't really consider standard scale armor since it is a dragon after all. But frost type equipment crossed my mind (A tooth could be made into a +1frost dagger), but I didn't see any armor in the PHB, but a quick peek at the adventurer's vault on the shelf and B&N should be a little more enlightening. Thanks for the help
*edit* PS, could anyone enlighten me as to why they have minimum enhancement bonuses?
*edit* PS, could anyone enlighten me as to why they have minimum enhancement bonuses?
Because masterwork armor have better armor ratings than normal and giving a 1st level guy +4 AC better than what a guy his level should have at 1st level is a really bad idea. At higher levels, it just fits the math of appropriate defense scores.
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Because masterwork armor have better armor ratings than normal and giving a 1st level guy +4 AC better than what a guy his level should have at 1st level is a really bad idea. At higher levels, it just fits the math of appropriate defense scores.
I figured it was something along those lines, thanks.
We hit the exact same problem recently, and DM had an elegant solution. "Here's 200gp worth of arcane components. But if you use them in the creation of items with cold and/or draconic elements to them, they're worth +20% to that ritual. Enjoy."
It still won't build a Wyrmscale Armour for them (which would indeed break the game badly), but it might get them most of the way to a dandy suit of Scale Armour of Cold Resistance.
Good old "skin the dragon, get an item". I got exactly the same thing, and the party has a "skin of dragon". Mind you, there is no way I would let that violate treasure parcels of per level allocation. So even though they have a skin, it wont actually result in more loot than I would otherwise have allocated.
At some stage in the future I will find a point in time to appropriately slot the creation of the armor in as standard allocation, and do it for "free"
I'm DMing my first 4e game and my group just finished the adventure in the back of the DMG and they are going to take parts of the dragon, primarily enough skin for 1 suit of armor, and it's talons and teeth.
I figure the skin will make wyrmscale armor (maybe +1 magic because it's from a dragon after all). I'm wondering what would be an appropriate level to let them find someone who can craft it. Also I'm wondering what exactly to do with the talons and teeth if my group decides to make daggers or such out of them.
When placing the dragon's hoard, take out a few parcels and assume the PCs will take from the corpse enough material to make a +1 hide armor, +1 dagger from a specially suitable tooth (not all of them would be in prime condition) and the horn could be strung to make a +1 shortbow.
In due time these items can be upgraded to +1 white dragonscale hide, +1 wyrmtooth dagger and +1 frost shortbow.
Mind you, the dragon in the back of the DMG is a Large one, or about the size of a horse or large crocodile. Not enough to yield as much material as you're thinking. The teeth would, at best, serve to make the grip of a dagger (I did just that!), or maybe a fearsome amulet.
If you check the Players Handbook, I think that you'll find that dragon skin makes hide armour. No more, no less. By extension I would say that dragon claws, teeth, etc. would be usable in the manufacture of normal weapons, of appropriate size.
What has two thumbs, a magic DM hand wave, and doesn't care about minimum enhancements? *points thumbs at self* this guy.
Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Why did you post your question in the first place, if you're going to ignore the guidelines or recommendations anyway?
Gathering options is a completely viable and reasonable use for a forum like this. He doesn't have to do what you say just because he asked your advice.
If you check the Players Handbook, I think that you'll find that dragon skin makes hide armour. No more, no less. By extension I would say that dragon claws, teeth, etc. would be usable in the manufacture of normal weapons, of appropriate size.
How about this: They get the skin, and want to turn it into wyrmscale armor. So they have to find an enchanter who can work with it. Sure enough, they find one... but it will take a while for the armor to be ready... how long? 8 levels or so....
Hmm, I didn't see that before. I guess I didn't check because it also says that it can make scale armor on the same page.
It's not the material, but how it is worked. "Wyrmscale" armor is just a term for scale armor made by dragonborn to mimic the overlapping scales of a dragon. It doesn't mean it's actually made of dragon scales.
How about this: They get the skin, and want to turn it into wyrmscale armor. So they have to find an enchanter who can work with it. Sure enough, they find one... but it will take a while for the armor to be ready... how long? 8 levels or so....
Because in 8 levels when they want a second suit made and that one takes 1 week it's inconsistent and weird.
Items are balanced around their GP value. If you start doing weird stuff with it, expect weird results.
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