Speed Enchantment (DotF), is it broke?

[Adjudicator]

When comparing the benifits of the following three speed enchanted items the speed enchantment granted to armor and shields is glaringly overpowering IMHO.

Speed Enchantment for Armor or Shields from the DotF:

Speed: This armor or shield enchantment provides a +4 haste bonus to AC and gives the wearer an extra partial action every round, as the haste spell. This armor seems to be constantly vibrating, always appearing blurred.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, haste; Market Price: +3 bonus.

Speed Enchantment for Weapons from the DMG:

Speed: A weapon of speed allows the wielder one single extra attack each round at his highest bonus. It is not cumulative with haste. The extra attack must be with this weapon, not with some other weapon. The weapon does not grant the benefits of a haste spell, so an additional partial action is not what is granted, simply an extra single attack with this weapon.
Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, haste; Market Price: +4 bonus

Boots of Speed from the DMG:

Boots of Speed: On command, these boots enable the wearer to act as though hasted for up to 10 rounds each day. The duration of the haste need not be consecutive rounds.
Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, haste; Market Value: 8,000 gp; Weight: 1 lb.

1. COST:
Armor & Shield = 15,000 gp min, 51,000 gp max
Weapon = 48,000 gp min, 128,000 gp max
Boots = 8,000 gp

Economics make the boots an easy win, while the weapon is a horrible loss.

2. BENEFITS:
Armor & Shield = +4 AC bonus + Extra partial action each round
Weapon = Extra attack each round
Boots = +4 AC bonus + Extra partial action for 10 rounds

Armor is the undisputed champion of all time. You effectively get a +5 armor or shield for the price of +4, the haste bonus stacking with the min enchantment of +1, in addition to an extra partial action each round, WITHOUT a limit on duration like the boots bestow. Perhaps the best buy for a PC in all of D & D, talk about bang for you buck.
And the weapon is once again the loser grande, one extra attack is all that is yeilded, get that in spades from the armor for much less money.

The armor is cheap and always active.
The weapon is pricey and doesn't grant the full haste benefit, nor stack with haste.
The boots are great, if all you need is 10 rounds/day, so their price is balanced.

Slap this enchantment on a +1 buckler and go from a night-watchmen to the champion of the realms.

Have searched through the FAQ under DotF and there is no errata for this enchantment there.

IMHO this enchantment is unbalanced as it is written, am looking for suggestions on how to make it work right.

 

[CRGreathouse]

The armor of speed needs a fix. While there has been nothing official, designers have suggested:

* Change cost to +7
* Drop haste bonus to AC
* Make it work like boots of speed

 

[EOL]

The armor of speed needs a fix. While there has been nothing official, designers have suggested:

* Change cost to +7
* Drop haste bonus to AC
* Make it work like boots of speed

Just to clarify I think they suggested doing one of those three not all three.

As far as the boots of speed go it really depends what sort of campaign you're running. For a while my characters were having one big fight a day, and the boots of speed were getting really out of hand. However my campaign then moved back into a more traditional dungeon crawl mode and 10 rounds was nothing...

 

[skunian]

I have them function as the boots of speed, they are simialr in cost, +3 for armor is in the neighborhood of 10,000 gp and the boots are 8000 gp. If you wanted it to be on full time the cost would be in the neighborhood of 30000 gp base price. I've noticed in the OA book that some armor and weapons have spell like effect costs for armor that do not count as a + on the item, so you could alter it to that aas well.

But to answer your original question, Yes it's quite broken !

 

[Christian]

Errata for Defenders of the Faith has not yet been released. I have no doubt that this item power will be nerfed when it is-it has been widely recognized, by the designers and WotC staff as well as by third parties, that the Armor of Speed enchantment is ridiculously powerful for a +3 equivalent ...

 

[Bobbystopholes]

While I agree that the partial action is a bit much, the bonus to AC is nothing. Another +4 at the level you would buy this armor won't help much. At higher levels you get hit.

This enchantment helps out the little Clerics in my opinion. Of course, after you've cast righteous might, divine power, divine favor, magic vestment, and greater magic weapon... and then you cast two Flame Strikes in a round... and still move... well, you might not need that help...

Just don't allow it in your game, don't buy it for your character, whatever.

On another note, I hope they don't drop the AC bonus. That is what armor is for! The boots get the extra action, the weapon of Speed gets the extra attack, and the armor gets the AC. Pure and simple. Why they always gotta change stuff mid stream. Isn't this why people stopped playing Magic the Gathering?!

 

[Artoomis]

While I agree that the partial action is a bit much, the bonus to AC is nothing. Another +4 at the level you would buy this armor won't help much. At higher levels you get hit.

Of course, the AC bonus means it needs to cost AT LEAST a +5 enhancement for that alone - it's a stackable armor bonus (that is, it stacks with a non-shield or armor "armor bonus"), so it should cost more than the bonus to AC it provides. Add on top of that the extra partial action (which could be a spell), and +7 cost sounds pretty good. Cheap, even.

 

[Bobbystopholes]

The thing I like the best is that you can put it on your armor and your shield While the actions don't stack, the dodge bonus does. Oodilally.

Another thing, if it is only a +3, that doesn't make it too powerful because everyone will have it. Including the bad guys. Do you want to spend that gp on an extra action or do you want higher ability scores? Munchkins will always find a way to be "bigger and better", normal players just wouldn't think of buying this because of character concept.

 

[CRGreathouse]

The thing I like the best is that you can put it on your armor and your shield While the actions don't stack, the dodge bonus does.

Dodge bonuses stack. Haste bonuses don't.

 

[Bobbystopholes]

D'oh! It just goes to show that I should be working, not reading boards You are correct! I thought it was a dodge bonus. My bad.