Bloodcut Armor - Overpowered? Or am I playing it wrong?

[Hypersmurf]

So it looked like a better deal than it really was, compared to just playing cautiously. You can burn through surges faster re-charging the armor than just playing prudently without it.

The PC I'm about to play doesn't have a button for "cautious" or "prudent", so I figure it suits him perfectly

-Hyp.

 

[boolean]

My warlord picked up the Bloodcut Hide armor in KotS. It's pretty cool, but it's also a little bit of a trap. It's worth it to spend a healing surge if the one turn of damage resistance saves you more than a surge worth of damage, right? But, I found I was provoking more OAs and such on that turn. So it looked like a better deal than it really was, compared to just playing cautiously. You can burn through surges faster re-charging the armor than just playing prudently without it.

On the other hand, you could look at it from the other perspective: for the cost of a healing surge, it allows you to act less cautiously for that round, allowing you to do things like provoking an OA by moving into a flank.

 

[Keenath]

On the other hand, you could look at it from the other perspective: for the cost of a healing surge, it allows you to act less cautiously for that round, allowing you to do things like provoking an OA by moving into a flank.

Exactly. You turn it on when you know you're about to bull through a cluster of enemies, reducing or negating the damage you'd have otherwise taken for doing something that stupid. Or you've managed to get flanked or surrounded or whatever.

Also, you don't have to block 1 surge-worth of damage to make it 'worth it'. It was a minor action to kick in the armor, while it's a standard to use second wind -- and if you use a surge on the armor, you still HAVE your second wind left. It's completely worthwhile if you block even half your healing surge value with the armor.

 

[Pickles JG]

Exactly. You turn it on when you know you're about to bull through a cluster of enemies, reducing or negating the damage you'd have otherwise taken for doing something that stupid. Or you've managed to get flanked or surrounded or whatever.

Also, you don't have to block 1 surge-worth of damage to make it 'worth it'. It was a minor action to kick in the armor, while it's a standard to use second wind -- and if you use a surge on the armor, you still HAVE your second wind left. It's completely worthwhile if you block even half your healing surge value with the armor.

Or if you want to clump up a bunch of villains & call down fire support on your own head.