Halfweight Enchancement?

[darbythegambler]

I was looking at a list of armor and shield enhancements, and there was one that seemed pretty odd. It was called Halfweight, it's in Underdark (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), and the enhancement says the armor is treated as light armor... my question is, does that affect things like arcane spell failure or max dexterity or even armor check penalties? It mentions no change of anything i just mentioned, but logically speaking... Fullplate that becomes light has to have some change... right?

 

[Dandu]

Logically yes, but I pity the fool who tries to bring logic into DnD.

 

[darbythegambler]

so if i get a +1 Halfweight Fullplate, just label it as light armor and change nothing else?

 

[Dandu]

Yes, unless you can convince your DM otherwise.

 

[Nebten]

It also weights only 25lbs. Also anybody who is profencient in light armor can wear it. Other then that, nothing changes. I would venture to say that you can move your base of what you can move in light armor as well since speed is effected by armor type, not the armor itself. This cannot be said about armor check penalty or ASF which is variable from armor to armor. If you look at armor material types, they specifical say if they effect these aspects of armor.

Otherwise, as the Black Mage says, talk to you DM.

 

[darbythegambler]

thanks for the advice, i'll talk to my DM and go by her rules, thanks

 

[Herzog]

It might also apply to some Class Abilities that are restricted to light armor use, like the ranger's weapon style feats.

 

[Runestar]

Quite an overpriced armour ability if you ask me. Instead of wearing +1 halfweight fullplate, why not simply wear +4 mithral breastplate or something?

 

[Zomg Zombies]

It might also apply to some Class Abilities that are restricted to light armor use, like the ranger's weapon style feats.

Yes, class abilities would treat it like light armor; So, spellcasting classes like bard, duskblade, warmage, dread necromancer or beguiler could all cast normally in a mithral heavy plate halfweighted: 10 AC up to a possible 12, more in epic, as opposed to the mithral breastplate +4, which could only be maxed out one more, at 10 before going epic. You wouldn't be dancing in it (0 dex, -8 check penalty), but I could see a few duskblades, warmages or dread necromancers enjoying that.