Masterwork Armors

[SnakeNuts]

The section on Masterwork armors is a bit unclear to me. I can't really make any sense of it as such:

on page 212 it says that the masterwork armors only appear as magic armors (oh, I'm assuming that the masterwork armors are the ones underneath the 'normal' armors in the table on p. 214) 'and then only at the highest levels (16 and above)'. However, except in the descriptions, none of the actual names are mentioned at all it seems.

What throws me is the fact that they do have extra armor bonusses, so it is important to know which type of masterwork is used in which magical armor.

I'm not making myself very clear I'm afraid because I can't really wrap my head around it, but I'll try to give an example.

If I look at the leather armor for example, I see that normal leather armor has a +2 armor bonus. Then, when I want a +1 leather armor, I can do this according to the armor table (p.228) and it will cost 360gp. It will give me an armor bonus if +3 (+2 for the leather and +1 for the magic).

Then, I make a +4 leather armor. Looking at the table I would think that that would be 45.000gp and give me +6 in total. +2 from the leather and +4 from the magic.

However, what is the difference in price with the Feyleather armor? Can I construct a Feyleather +4 for the same price and get a +7 total? Or is it that I have to use Feyleather for anything of +4 or higher when making a leather armor. It doesn't expressly forbid it, so I'm assuming I can use 'normal' leather, but then it doesn't list any price extra for the feyleather.

As you can see, I'm a tad confused.

Any insights?

 

[mach1.9pants]

Armour has been FAQ'd so check that out but:
All non-magic, +1, +2 and +3 uses the 1st line of armour stats (e.g. leather armour)
+4 and +5 uses the second line (so you get a 'free' jump in AC)(e.g. Feyleather)
+6 uses the third line(another 'free' AC jump)(e.g. Starleather)
The price of this increase in AC is included in the magic armour cost.

Oh and the other FACT on masterwork armours? The names suck the big one

 

[Zurai]

All +4 and +5 armor is first tier masterwork (feyweave, feyleather, darkhide, forgemail, wyrmscale, or warplate). All +6 armor is second tier masterwork (starweave, starleather, elderhide, spiritmail, elderscale, or godplate). No armor below +4 enchantment is masterwork. No armor above +3 enchantment is non-masterwork. No armor below +6 is second-tier masterwork.

In other words, being enchanted to +4 automatically makes the armor masterwork, and being enchanted to +6 automatically makes the armor second-tier masterwork. There is no other way to make masterwork armor.

 

[Nikosandros]

I agree that the section on masterwork armor is unclear.

The PHB FAQ states that

These types of armors are explained on page 212 of the Player’s Handbook. They are Masterwork armors and cannot be purchased. They serve as the base armors for creating magic armors with higher enhancement bonuses. For example, if your hide armor is +4 or +5, it is Darkhide armor. You would then use the base stats for Darkhide armor. If the bonus was +6 or greater, it would be Elderhide armor.

Edit: Way too slow... I can't compete with the local ninjas.

 

[ForbidenMaster]

Take leather for instance. If the enhancement bonus is less than +4 then the total bonus to AC is enhancment+2. If the enhancement bonus is +4 or more, but less than +6 (ie +4 or +5) then the total bonus to AC is enhancement+3. If the enhancement bonus is +6, than the total bonus to AC is enhancement+4 (6+4=10).

 

[SnakeNuts]

Okay, not reading the FAQ before posting is a bad idea - I did read the Errata, but not the FAQ. (Will they be rolled in to one at some point?)

Thanks for the effort guys!

 

[mach1.9pants]

No probs and I Ninjaed you both...BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!

 

[Mirtek]

They are Masterwork armors and cannot be purchased. They serve as the base armors for creating magic armors with higher enhancement bonuses. For example, if your hide armor is +4 or +5, it is Darkhide armor. You would then use the base stats for Darkhide armor. If the bonus was +6 or greater, it would be Elderhide armor.

If it can't be purchased, how do we create such a magic armor on our own? And if we can buy such magic armor to use in the create magic item ritual, what if we just buy it and then decide to not perform the ritual and use the armor as non-magical armor?

 

[Zurai]

You create it by enchanting armor to +4, +5, or +6. I already covered that in my response. You cannot have non-magical masterwork armor.

 

[Mirtek]

You create it by enchanting armor to +4, +5, or +6.

I create magical armor by enchanting non-magical armor. So I need a non-magical to turn it magical. ...You touch a normal item and...

So unless the procedure also turns ordinary metal scales into real dragon scales I am stuck with never being able to make the two upper tiers of armor

You cannot have non-magical masterwork armor.

Then we can never enchant our own wyrmscale armor.

What the PHB FAQ states works only for found/bought magical armor and not for self made magical armor