Summoned Armor?

[0-hr]

Armor +3 and Summoned Armor +3 are both level 11 items that cost 9000gp. Why (other than having to give Hasbro more money) would someone choose the former over the latter?

Is this just unabashed power creep?

 

[Flipguarder]

Yes it is.

 

[Tremorsense]

If you buy magic armor +3 and later want to upgrade it to Armor of Resistence +3, you need to use Enchant Magic Item ritual and spend 4000gp worth of residuum (see AV p198)

If you buy Summoned Armor +3 and later want upgrade it to Armor of Resistence +3, you need to use Enchant Magic Item ritual and spend 13000gp worth of residuum.

That is the benefit of plain magic armor.

 

[Ryujin]

It's only power creep if you consider being able to emulate the Wonder Woman spin or play Power Ranger to be of great advantage. The only real usefullness that I can see is in being able to use mobile skills and then convert back to fully armoured in a blink.

 

[0-hr]

And attacks in the middle of the night will never catch someone unarmored - and it's an instant disguise - and no need to fear falling off the boat in your platemail - etc. - etc. - etc.

All for the low low price of zero gold pieces!

So yea, I"m going to have to consider that power creep.

 

[Ryujin]

So then why ask?

There is no detriment to sleeping in your armour in 4e, so you'll never be caught unarmoured anyway.

 

[Tremorsense]

And attacks in the middle of the night will never catch someone unarmored

There is nothing in 4e to hinder someone from sleeping in their armor.

and no need to fear falling off the boat in your platemail

The maximum armor check penalty in 4e is -2, nothing near the -7 of 3.5e, so even normal platemail is highly unlikely to sink you.

So yea, I"m going to have to consider that power creep.

It is power creep, but only a little. For many levels a couple of my players have had imposter's armor and it's never made a difference. Never has there been a time when I would have said "Ha! you're screwed because you have armor!", only to be foiled by their armor's magic. It's just a flavor thing, and if they want it instead of a more powerful armor property, well that's ok with me.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Is it power creep or a simple typo? Send it off to CS and tell them you suspect a typo.

 

[fba827]

Armor +3 and Summoned Armor +3 are both level 11 items that cost 9000gp. Why (other than having to give Hasbro more money) would someone choose the former over the latter?

Is this just unabashed power creep?

I would not go so far as to call it "unabashed" power creep.

It wouldn't really affect any encounter (at least the way my group plays). So at best I could call it an inch of power creep if even that much if for no other reason than to say you can do something "new/shiny" though no 'real' encounter-changing effect.

What's the alternative anyway, calling it a level 12 item? Personally, I don't think its anywhere near that amount of power.

But perhaps it comes down to play styles, maybe your group does something different than my group does. But if it is powerful for your group, consider bumping it to a level 12 magic item.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm cool with a little unabashed power creep when it comes to magic items...they have gotten a bit puny of late.