Special material armor and armor spikes

Malakye · Jan 17, 2003

If you have adamantine armor, can you add armor spikes that are regular steel or do they have to be adamantine as well?

If they have to be adamantine, how much do they cost? A weapon that does 1d6 damage (which is what armor spikes do) costs 3,000gp more than normal but that seems kind of steep.

Destil · Jan 17, 2003

Malakye said:
If you have adamantine armor, can you add armor spikes that are regular steel or do they have to be adamantine as well?

Nope, you can add any type of armor spikes you want.

If they have to be adamantine, how much do they cost? A weapon that does 1d6 damage (which is what armor spikes do) costs 3,000gp more than normal but that seems kind of steep.

Click to expand...

Remember that they get a natural enhancment bonus to attack and damage, just like any other adamantine weapon.

Hygric · Jan 17, 2003

I don't think that it is prohibited, so it would be allowed under the rules. I do feel that a DM would be well entitled to rule that they have to be of the same material. My limited knowledge of welding tells me that it is quite difficult (even with modern welding techniques) to join different metals together with any strength behind the join.

Not so much of a problem for adamantine, but a bit of a waste for mithral. But then given just how good mithral armour is, I don't see a problem with it.

Archer · Jan 17, 2003

You wouldn't weld on the armor spikes, you'd make plates with spikes on them and put the spikes through openings in the original armor and/or replace a few pieces with spiked pieces.

Steverooo · Jan 17, 2003

OR...

...OR you could just put threaded holes in the appropriate places in the armor for threaded spikes to be screwed into...

Hygric · Jan 17, 2003

Like I said, I have limited knowledge on this sort of thing.

Replacement armour pieces that are spiked: They would have to be of the same material as the armour then, otherwise you end up with a suit of half-iron, half-adamantine. And I think that is probably one thing that they haven't made a template for yet in 3e.

Threaded holes / spikes through holes: I see no reason why this wouldn't work, but mightn't the holes cause weaknesses in the armour?

Steverooo · Jan 18, 2003

Holes = Weakness?

Hygric said:
Threaded holes / spikes through holes: I see no reason why this wouldn't work, but mightn't the holes cause weaknesses in the armour?

I wouldn't think so. Armor usually has at least a few screws, hinges, etc. All visored helmets do. All gauntlets do. Of course, a hole without a spike IN it would be a weakness, sure!

If you want to add spikes without adding holes, you could add a thicker "ring" around a lower-leg or -arm piece, then drill a hole down into that, giving you a spiked knee-piece or elbow... The ol' knee-to-the-groin or reverse-elbow-smash thus becoming more lethal. Spikes curving out from above the shoulders are also popular for spiking the guy standing next to you (although it makes muscling open doors trickier)! Naturally, spiked gauntlets are nice...