A question on Dwarven Plate

[thorimar]

I'n my current campaign I am playing a Dwarven cleric who has the additional role as the "tank" for the party (Monk, Archer, Rogue, and Mage round out the party). Therefore I am looking ahead for ways to crank up my AC and I've seen many threads where fighters recommend dwarven plate. And why not, since it is one of the better armors for those with a moderate Dex bonus (+3).

So here is my question. My character is built for item creation, eventually getting into the Artificer PrC from The Book of the Righteous, so I was thinking of making this armor, which my DM hasn't ruled out. The DMG, on page 243, says "Weapons or armors fashioned from mithril are treated as masterwork items with regard to creation times", so by rule it would cost 500 gp for the full plate component and 50 gp for the masterwork component (though it isn't necessary for future enchantments). I'm good to this point. But what about the material? Mithril adds 9,000 gp to the cost of the item if you buy it, so do I take 1/3 of that value since I am creating the armor or do I have to pay the full price for the mithril but not factor it into the item creation time? I think I pay the full 9,000 gp for the mithril, but I was looking for additional input to take to my DM. Thanks in advance.

Thorimar

 

[Spatzimaus]

The Market Price increases by 9000. That part is clearly stated. The rest is a bit vague, since "the item is a masterwork item (DC 20) with respect to creation time" can be taken multiple ways: does this mean that the creation time is the same as for a normal masterwork item, or does it mean that it follows the same creation time rules as a masterwork item?

But it helps if you look at the Craft skill description in the PHB:

"1. Find the item's price in Chapter 7: Equipment or the Dungeon Master's Guide...
2. Find the DC listed here or have the DM set one
3. Pay one-third the item's price in raw materials
4. Make a skill check representing one week's work"

Since Dwarven Plate is explicitly listed in the DMG, satisfying criteria 1, we can simply take the listed price (10,650) and divide it by 3 to get raw materials. So, it costs 3550 gp for raw materials, you make a Craft check with DC 20 (masterwork) for the whole thing, with a correspondingly huge creation time, and the final item is worth 10,650.
That is, of the 9000, 3000 is for raw material and 6000 is paying a skilled smith for the months it'd take to make the item.

Let's say I've got a smith with a Craft skill of +15, who Takes 10 on the item. He completes 25*20 sp = 50gp per week. At this rate, it'd take him 213 weeks, or just over 4 years to finish the item. That's why my Psion took the spell Fabricate; he can make the item in a few rounds with magic.

IMC we designed an alternate "Exotic Material" system that changes how this all works anyway.

Now, if you want to go the other way and create a 1500gp full plate (DC 18), 150gp masterwork (DC 20), and then add on 9000gp to the cost at the end, it's not the same thing but it's a balanced system. Since the mithral isn't increasing the construction time any, all the cost goes to raw materials.
This is probably actually a better system than my first answer, but it's more of a house rule.

Anyway, go with whatever works for you and your DM.

 

[Wolf72]

I always used the "treated as masterwork" for creation times ... otherwise you'll be making stuff for years.

so mithril full plate takes as long as MW fullplate to create. [edit: it has the same creation cost at least, yes full market price and raw materials will be expensive. But, for creation purposes you get to use standard non-mithril price for actually crafting the armor.]