Dragonhide Armor

[Wolf72]

not=~

I didn't say SKR.. kreynolds, the pimp O the Phb, is who I meant.

nor did I ...

if you see the wee ~ symbol, it is equivalent to the 'not' symbol in logic and math.

if P= Kevin went to the store to buy Reynolds wrap,

then ...

~P = Kevin did not go to the store to buy Reynolds wrap ...


or ~Sxx =xx

 

[kreynolds]

Woohoo!

OK, folks. The link should be working again. Let me know if anyone else has any trouble. Anyways...

Click here for the Dragonhide Rules.

 

[Technik4]

Queries..

Just a couple quick questions:

1) Do you count the additional AC as an armor bonus that stacks with the existing shield or amor, or as a natural AC bonus. If natural AC (which I suspect) does this bonus stack with magical enhancemets.

2) Why did you see a need to create "elemental damage reduction"? In my estimation, it would be better to stick to a light elemental spell as a bonus say Resist Fire 5, with the caveat that it is disabled for 1 hour if hit with an oppposing elemental attack.

Otherwise, the rules seem pretty good, though I would dread making dragon armor, shouldnt there just be a "tough" armor version, with no elemental abilities, but say a +2 AC bonus?

TechNik

Edited: The reason I ask about "Elemental Damage Reduction" is because at the expensive levels it seems underpowered, you're more likely to encounter 1 specific elemental blast from a spell once in a round, which you could be immune to rather than have elemental damage reduction. Of course if all you have in your game is elemental damage reduction (and not the Resist abilities) then it makes perfect sense, but is still too expensive

 

[Wolf72]

from my reading of the table it looks to be a seperate natural armor class. so that suit of full plate normally gives a +8 AC, but the dragonhide type would give +8 AC and +6 natural AC ...

I like the elemental damage reduction ... very simple to use and implement. My only beef would be getting the resistance and reduction mixed up (if there were lots of creatures that used it, but there isn't so it's kinda moot).

you only want a +2 to AC? check out my download a few posts above, it's a slightly different take ... there's even some ideas for special hide armor (ankheg, bulette, winter wolf). remember to save it to file instead ... that way you can look at the pretty tables with the correct tabs.

 

[kreynolds]

from my reading of the table it looks to be a seperate natural armor class. so that suit of full plate normally gives a +8 AC, but the dragonhide type would give +8 AC and +6 natural AC ...

Exactly.

I like the elemental damage reduction ... very simple to use and implement. My only beef would be getting the resistance and reduction mixed up (if there were lots of creatures that used it, but there isn't so it's kinda moot).

Actually, there's some backstory as to why I went with "Elemental Damage Reduction" as opposed to elemental resistance. I created dragonhide armor for two reasons: 1) my players nagged me , and 2) I wanted to create a "true" dragon hunter as an NPC.

Basically, the NPC hunted Red Dragons. That was his career and his life. After slaying an Adult Red Dragon, he had the scales made into full plate and a large shield. The NPC had no idea that it would provide such benefits. To him, it was just a trophy, and a testament to his chosen path in life.

Down the road, a few years later, the NPC had located a Red Dragon lair, which he suspect housed very young dragons as well (out of the norm for a red dragon to care for so many young, I know, but that's a different story), for an older dragon had been snatching farmers, cattle, and travelers alike to feed the young ones, but it wasn't killing the victims on the spot. So, the NPC used his cohorts to lure the older dragon out of the lair while he then entered. He discovered 5 younger Red Dragons and engaged them in combat, and quickly realized that his new dragonhide armor was capable of soaking up nearly all of the fire they breathed upon him, even when they all breathed on him at once.

Against a single large dragon, Elemental Damage Reduction isn't really any more effective than Elemental Resistance, since the dragon can only breathe once anyways. But, against multiple dragons of the same type, it's a freakin' blessing.

If natural AC (which I suspect) does this bonus stack with magical enhancemets.

No. However, the natural AC bonus from the shield and armor do stack with each other, just like a normal armor bonus.

you're more likely to encounter 1 specific elemental blast from a spell once in a round

But having Elemental DR is much better than elemental resistance when you are faced with multiple sources of said energy, and like I said, my dragonhide was primarily designed for dragon hunters, though it benefits others just as well.

which you could be immune to rather than have elemental damage reduction.

Two things...

1) A Ring of Elemental Resistance, Major grants you Elemental Resistance 30 and it costs 24,000gp. That's not immunity, but it's close. Also, if you look at the Energy Immunity spell from Tome & Blood, you'll find that it's a 7th level spell, and having total immunity to a single energy type on a magic item would cost you roughly 182,000gp (7 x 13 x 2000gp). Energy Immunity isn't as cheap as you think.

2) Also, I should mention that Elemental Damage Reduction stacks with Elemental Resistance. Not only are they from two different sources, but they are also two completely different types of protection. So, whatever elemental energy gets through your Elemental Damage Reduction still has to get through your Elemental Resistance, and that's the real benefit, and the real reason why Elemental DR is so costly.

 

[Technik4]

Wow, thanks skreynolds and wolf for the explanation. I got it, and while what you said make sense, it seems I simply favor the phb spells and enchantments, but its a neat concept.

Does anyone have any idea if you could combine 2 materials? For instance, a suit of mithral black dragon armor, or adamantine red dragon shield? I know its possible (anything is) but has anyone ever made up rules for costs, total number of benefits, etc?

Technik

 

[kreynolds]

it seems I simply favor the phb spells and enchantments...

Seriously, I don't mean to be rude, but that begs the question of "Then why are you in the House Rules thread?"

but its a neat concept.

Thanks.

Does anyone have any idea if you could combine 2 materials? For instance, a suit of mithral black dragon armor, or adamantine red dragon shield? I know its possible (anything is) but has anyone ever made up rules for costs, total number of benefits, etc?

Now I'm really confused. I thought you said you favored the PH spells and enchantments. Interesting...

 

[Wolf72]

Wow, thanks skreynolds and wolf for the explanation. I got it, and while what you said make sense, it seems I simply favor the phb spells and enchantments, but its a neat concept.

Does anyone have any idea if you could combine 2 materials? For instance, a suit of mithral black dragon armor, or adamantine red dragon shield? I know its possible (anything is) but has anyone ever made up rules for costs, total number of benefits, etc?

Technik

it's not skreynolds! it's ~skreynolds!!!

and combining? um, I'm against it ... though I'd let you do the mithral armor with admantine spikes (it'll be purty expensive though)

how would you make mithral/adamantine dragon armor? ... one is hide the other a metal alloy ... (unless you're talking about doing the backing of dragon hide, and the plates of whatever ...)

ah! make technik stop, he's making think! (um ... in case you don't get that, questions are good)

 

[Technik4]

Heh

Well, I simply think in "this case" the phb spells and enchantments are actually more powerful, in most situations, than your variant. However I love house rules

Well, I was thinking about this some more, and this was the idea. Basically, the bulk of the armor would be mae of the metal alloy, however the adorning pieces and an outside layer of the armor would be made with the dragon scales.

I am no armorsmith, and have no concept of how these things are really put together, but I like rules for weird situations Anyway, I was thinking this would provide the elemental resistances (or damage reductions) without the natural armor bonuses. Basically, youre getting the "magic" without the toughness. So, how would this be priced?

Black Dragon Mithral Chain Mail
AC +5
Acid Resistance 10
Light Armor, otherwise as mithral chainmail. Note, that whoever is making this purchase (or from scratch) had to get some pretty difficult raw materials (depending on your game world, I don't let sleeping wurms lie).

or this?

Red Dragon Full Adamantine Plate Mail
AC +10
Fire Resistance 20
Heavy Armor, otherwise as Full Adamantine Plate. Again, these are incredibly rare materials, you could not make this combination without the dragon scales, so their worth should be calculated as already in the cost.


Just some ideas,

Technik

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Heh

Well, I simply think in "this case" the phb spells and enchantments are actually more powerful...

Which ones? Off the top of my head, I can't think of any that outshine my variant.