Pricing for Energy Resistant Armor and Shields

[lightful]

I’m certain that this topic has been beaten to death but I just noticed the change and I can’t help but feel that it makes no sense at all.

The different method of pricing energy resistant armor and shields in 3.5 is …unreasonable to say the least. I mean would you rather spend 16 k plus on a +4 shield or 19 k plus on a +1 energy resistant (10) one ? What makes the matter even more confusing is that the energy resistant armors are really only useful for surviving ambushes and other situations where you’re caught unaware.

A protection from energy at caster level 10 goes for 750 gp. and can accommodate whatever type of energy you happen to need for 120 hp of resistance which is certainly more useful in most situations (especially high level combat – because who else can really afford the new gear ?).

Am I missing something glaringly obvious (or even insidiously convoluted) behind the reasoning for this change ?

 

[Rath the Brown]

I’m certain that this topic has been beaten to death but I just noticed the change and I can’t help but feel that it makes no sense at all.

The different method of pricing energy resistant armor and shields in 3.5 is …unreasonable to say the least. I mean would you rather spend 16 k plus on a +4 shield or 19 k plus on a +1 energy resistant (10) one ? What makes the matter even more confusing is that the energy resistant armors are really only useful for surviving ambushes and other situations where you’re caught unaware.

A protection from energy at caster level 10 goes for 750 gp. and can accommodate whatever type of energy you happen to need for 120 hp of resistance which is certainly more useful in most situations (especially high level combat – because who else can really afford the new gear ?).

Am I missing something glaringly obvious (or even insidiously convoluted) behind the reasoning for this change ?

A suit of armor or a shield cannot have higher than +10 equivalent in abilities. Adding anything that does not cost "a +" will let you get other things on your armor, after you've "maxed it out". In other words, I can have +5 Plate Mail of Heavy Fortification (+5 ability) and still add enchantments that have a fixed cost.

Also, makes getting abilities such as Slick and Shadow more viable, when you know that those abilities aren't going to keep you from getting Spell Resistance or Heavy Fortification later on.

And lastly, the fixed cost is just that, fixed. Say you want to add Ghost Touch to your +4 shield; that's going to cost you 33000 gp (49000 for +7 shield - 16000 for already being +4). Adding Fire Resistance to your +4 shield would still only cost 18000.

 

[Jack Simth]

Well, you can't get greater than +5 enhancement/ +10 total without the epic rules, anyway. Of course, a Glamoured (+2,700) Etherialness (+49,000 gp) Undead Controlling (+49,000 gp) Greater Slick (+33,750) Greater Shadow (+33,750) Greater Silent Moves (+33,750) Resistance, All, Greater (+66,000 * 5) +5 Ghost Touch (+3 equivalent) Mithral Full Plate armor costs.... 9,000 + 1,500 + 64,000 + 66,000 + 66,000 + 66,000 + 66,000 + 66,000 + 33,750 + 33,750 + 33,750 + 49,000 + 49,000 + 2,700 = 606,450 gp and gives you +13 AC, max dex +3, ACP -3, ASF 25% (effectively) medium armor that lets you control undead, wander about the etherial plane, absorbs the first 30 points of damage from each of the elemental attacks, grants a +15 competency bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Escape Artist checks that you can wear anywhere (glamered - looks like normal clothes, but maintains all it's properties)

 

[Staffan]

Am I missing something glaringly obvious (or even insidiously convoluted) behind the reasoning for this change ?

Yes.

Energy resistance is basically priced as an item that adds energy resistance, plus 50% because it's adding another ability to a slotted item. So, a ring of minor fire resistance costs 12,000 gp. The fire resistance ability on a suit of armor costs 18,000 gp.

This gets somewhat whacky at the lower levels, because usually you multiply the price of the lower ability, but you need a +4-equivalent armor to exceed the 12,000 gp base cost of the {energy} resistance ability. It's a lot simpler this way, rather than having the cost change based on the other stuff on the armor.

Note that the same goes for the armor abilities that add to skills, as well as some of the other abilities.