Armor of the Ghost Hunter. Please comment!

[Dagredhel]

I used to wonder why you never came across the magical equivalent of 'battlesuits' in D&D, because it seems so obvious an idea. The Demon Armor write up in the DMG reminded me of this. The armor below is an example of how I think the idea might be executed. While it is based on combat against a given creature type, one could as easily design a suit that emulated the abilities of a certain creature, that was based around one of the elements, or that revolved around any sort of unifying theme, really.

Armor of the Ghost Hunter

The Armor of the Ghost Hunter is a unique magical item of great potency. According to legend, it was forged and empowered by the master craftsmen, archwizards, and high priests of an ancient kingdom at the behest of their sovereign, who had in mind to clad each of his greatest champions in a suit of armor that would make them invincible against a particular type of adversary. Seven suits were forged, each different, each granting mystical powers designed to assure their possessor victory over a certain sort of foe. Armor of the Ghost Hunter was forged and enspelled to enable the champion given the honor of wearing it to combat the most powerful of the undead. This champion, the Ghost Hunter, was charged with eliminating any undead menace that threatened the king’s realm or its people.

In appearance, the complete suit seems to be a normal steel breastplate with a matching visored helm, gauntlets, and armored boots, remarkable only for its archaic styling. By flickering torchlight, however, the pieces of the suit can momentarily assume a spectral, translucent cast, or else fleetingly assume the aspect of great antiquity, gleaming newness, or anything in between. When a piece of the suit is worn, the body part of the wearer that the armor covers may even seem to briefly fade from view. The appearance of the armor never shifts while an onlooker is intentionally seeking to observe the effect, so it is easily written off as a trick of the light, at least at first. Perhaps most unnerving is that when the helmet is worn with visor its down, close inspection reveals that it appears to be empty.

Each piece of the Armor of the Ghost Hunter is a magical item in its own right, possessing the Ghost Touch power, as well as conferring a supernatural power to its wearer. Additionally, when the helmet, both gauntlets, or both boots are worn in conjunction with the breastplate, they grant an additional defensive bonus. The function of each individual piece is described below.

Breastplate: This utilitarian steel cuirass acts as +2 Ghost Touch armor. In addition, it protects its wearer with continuous Negative Energy Protection, as cast by an 18th level cleric.

Helmet: When this helm is worn with its visor down, it grants the wearer the ability to See Invisibility, as well as complete immunity supernatural attacks of undead creatures that rely on hearing or sight. When worn together with the breastplate, it offers an additional armor enhancement of +1.

Gauntlets: These sturdy gloves are enchanted with both the Ghost Touch and Undead Bane weapon special abilities. Furthermore, these effects likewise extend to nonmagical weapons and shields wielded in their grip. (This is an intentional exception to the rule that a weapon must possess an enhancement bonus of at least +1 to have a special power.) When both gauntlets are worn with the breastplate, they confer an additional +1 armor enhancement.

Boots: When both of these heavy, steel-clad boots are worn together, they grant the power of Etherealness, as per the armor power. Additionally, they allow travel while ethereal at double their wearer’s normal rate. When both boots are worn together with the breastplate, they confer an additional +1 armor bonus.

The full suit of Armor of the Ghost Hunter grants an armor class bonus of +10. Its statistics are otherwise per an enchanted breastplate.

So, what do you think?

Edit: Made suggested changes to the gauntlets' power.

 

[Schmoe]

Dagredhel, I think this is a very cool idea. It's a great concept, and I really like how the items, when worn together, are greater than the sum of their parts. I just have a few minor comments.

First, it seems to me that the overall power level of this suit is definitely artifact level. If that's what you were going for, fine, but for something created by mortals, you may want to tone it down a little.

The breastplate and helmet seem ok, if still quite powerful. The gauntlets, however, strike me as especially strong. They automatically confer Ghost Touch and Undead Bane on weapons wielded by the bearer? I don't know, it just seems a little much. I would probably drop the Undead Bane part of their abilities and leave that to the purview of whatever weapon the wearer chooses to wield.

The boots are also quite strong. I doubt that you want to grant someone the unlimited ability to become ethereal at will. You could add a limited duration per day to the ethereal power of the boots without weakening them in the role they were meant to fill.

Anyway, it looks great! I look forward to seeing the other suits.

 

[twjensen]

Great armor!

[...]but for something created by mortals, you may want to tone it down a little.[...]

The gauntlets, however, strike me as especially strong. They automatically confer Ghost Touch and Undead Bane on weapons wielded by the bearer?

1) I disagree that mere mortals could not create the suit. If seven of the kingdoms most powerful wizards were commissioned, and each worked on his suit for seven years?

Keep in mind that by the rules, a wizard can whip out 1,000 GP worth of magic item per day. Thats over 2 million GP allowance per suit.

2) I agree that the gauntlets are the most powerful component. If the suit is meant to be *owned* by a PC, they'll have to be toned down. If the suit is merely on loan for a particularly deadly mission, then its great!

 

[Dagredhel]

The boots are also quite strong. I doubt that you want to grant someone the unlimited ability to become ethereal at will. You could add a limited duration per day to the ethereal power of the boots without weakening them in the role they were meant to fill.

The boots grant the same power as a suit of magical armor with Etherealness: the wearer can become ethereal for as long as she wants, but only once per day; if she leaves the Ethereal, she can't reenter until a day has passed.

 

[Dagredhel]

Re: Great armor!

I agree that the gauntlets are the most powerful component. If the suit is meant to be *owned* by a PC, they'll have to be toned down. If the suit is merely on loan for a particularly deadly mission, then its great!

I agonized a bit over what powers to give the gauntlets. On the one hand, I was tempted to consider them as weapons in their own right which would obviate the need for other offensive tools when fighting undead opponents. On the other, it struck me that the sort of champion I envisioned as the armor's wearer would probably feel more at ease with a weapon or weapons, or a weapon and shield combination. So I guess I tried to sidestep the issue by allowing for both.

How about if the gauntlets can only confer their Ghost Touch and Undead Bane abilities only upon otherwise nonmagical items (weapons and shields)? This at least would keep a wearer from 'powering up' an already potent magical weapon or shield.

Better balanced, or still too strong?

 

[Schmoe]

Re: Re: Great armor!

How about if the gauntlets can only confer their Ghost Touch and Undead Bane abilities only upon otherwise nonmagical items (weapons and shields)? This at least would keep a wearer from 'powering up' an already potent magical weapon or shield.

Better balanced, or still too strong?

Much better balanced, IMHO. You might run into the problem that the gauntlets don't confer an enhancement bonus to the weapon (I'm not sure on the rules exactly. Does incorporeal require +1 or better to hit?) If it is a problem, simply add the Sure Striking ability to the gauntlets, as well. That would mean that the gauntlets make any non-magical weapon wielded equal to a +0 Ghost Touch, Sure Striking, Undead Bane weapon. Definitely a powerful force against ghosts.

 

[Dagredhel]

Re: Re: Re: Great armor!

Much better balanced, IMHO. You might run into the problem that the gauntlets don't confer an enhancement bonus to the weapon (I'm not sure on the rules exactly. Does incorporeal require +1 or better to hit?) If it is a problem, simply add the Sure Striking ability to the gauntlets, as well. That would mean that the gauntlets make any non-magical weapon wielded equal to a +0 Ghost Touch, Sure Striking, Undead Bane weapon. Definitely a powerful force against ghosts.

My thought was that the gauntlets would possess and confer the +2 enhancement of the Bane power versus undead, but grant no enhancement bonus otherwise, against other types of foes. This would be an exception to the rule that a magical item must have a bonus of +1 to have a special power.