Eladrin Plate & Eladrin Battle Shield

[Mysterious Hu]

Eladrin Plate
Forged by the mastersmiths of the Eladrin, this plate armour is unusually light and flexible.

Level 1 +0
Level 6 +1
Level 11 +2
Level 16 +3
Level 26 +4
Level 21 +5
Level 26 +6

Armour: Plate

Enhancement: AC

Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wearing Eladrin Plate.

Eladrin Battle Shield
Cunning beaten from special alloys and using an unusual layout of straps, this large shield is surprising nimble and weildy.

Level 1 +0

Shield: Heavy Shield

Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wielding an Eladrin Battle Shield.

 

[Alex319]

Eladrin Plate

Level 1 +0
Level 6 +1
Level 11 +2
Level 16 +3
Level 26 +4
Level 21 +5
Level 26 +6

I think this chart is erroneous. You have +5 plate as lower level than +4 and +6 as the same level as +5.

But anyway, in general there are five different progressions for levels for primary slot items:

+N: level 5N-4
+N: level 5N-3
+N: level 5N-2
+N: level 5N-1
+N: level 5N

It looks like you are intending the level 5N-4 progression. This is probably a mistake because in the PHB, the only primary slot items that use the 5N-4 progression are the basic "magic items" that provide no benefits other than their enhancement bonus. Since this item is strictly superior to the 5N-4 progression item (since it has the extra benefit of lower armor check) it should probably be a 5N-3 progression item. (Since the benefit it relatively weak, any higher level is unnecessary.) Also, there are no +0 magic primary slot items.

 

[Ferdil]

He's right, man. You screwed up the level progression. Those are the corrected items:

Eladrin Plate
Forged by the mastersmiths of the Eladrin, this plate armour is unusually light and flexible.

Level 2 +1
Level 7 +2
Level 12 +3
Level 17 +4
Level 22 +5
Level 27 +6

Armour: Plate

Enhancement: AC

Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wearing Eladrin Plate.


Eladrin Battle Shield
Cunning beaten from special alloys and using an unusual layout of straps, this large shield is surprising nimble and weildy.

Level 1

Shield: Heavy Shield

Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wielding an Eladrin Battle Shield.

 

[Raven Swords]

I think Hu was going for a non-magical base line then adding enchanted versions in on top...

Hu, are you using the levels to determine cost as opposed to power? Either way I'm with Alex on the cost for magical progression if you have the loss of the skill penalty as a magical effect.

I'm not sure if you can balance out the rules if you want a suit of non-magical armour with our the skill penalty?

 

[Ferdil]

I think Hu was going for a non-magical base line then adding enchanted versions in on top...

Hu, are you using the levels to determine cost as opposed to power? Either way I'm with Alex on the cost for magical progression if you have the loss of the skill penalty as a magical effect.

I'm not sure if you can balance out the rules if you want a suit of non-magical armour with our the skill penalty?

Since they're not base weapons because they have properties, and that the starting equpment (the base one) has no properties except from the basic ones I think this shouldn't be. They're level 2+ magic weapons / armor. Fullstop.

 

[Raven Swords]

Since they're not base weapons because they have properties, and that the starting equpment (the base one) has no properties except from the basic ones I think this shouldn't be. They're level 2+ magic weapons / armor. Fullstop.

Well that brings up an interesting question, how do you determine the line between a magical effect an a non-magical effect?

Could you could support this as a base item if the price was sufficiently high?

 

[Ferdil]

Well that brings up an interesting question, how do you determine the line between a magical effect an a non-magical effect?

Could you could support this as a base item if the price was sufficiently high?

NO, because if the price was too high, the characters could not take it at char creation. No character would buy a mundane item after the character creation when there is a magic item they can buy/find. Also, this way higher-level characters could take a mundane item for a low price (relative to their wealth) that is slightly more powerful than another mundane item.

ALL MUNDANE ITEMS SHOULD BE EQUALLY POWERFUL. FULLSTOP. Call them level 0 or what do you want, but they are equally powerful. Some require a feat to use, and they're more powerful, but the feat cost balances the thing. The added cost should not balance an item.
If that was, I could make a mundane item that does whatever I want and just make its price high.

As for the Magic/non magic item question: you can roleplay the magic items however you want, as masterwork (I always do that), as ancient, as whatever. The rules do not care. And that's a good thing.

 

[Alex319]

Eladrin Battle Shield
Cunning beaten from special alloys and using an unusual layout of straps, this large shield is surprising nimble and weildy.

Level 2 +1
Level 7 +2
Level 12 +3
Level 17 +4
Level 22 +5
Level 27 +6

Shield: Heavy Shield

Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wielding an Eladrin Battle Shield.

Shields no longer have enhancement bonuses. This isn't 3.5e anymore.

 

[Ferdil]

Shields no longer have enhancement bonuses. This isn't 3.5e anymore.

you're right. Correcting...

 

[Mysterious Hu]

Thanks for the input

Eladrin Plate
The magic bonus progression looks a bit odd because the Eladrin Plate is actually +1 Scale armour. I have applied a cosmetic modification (“looks like Plate Amour”); so Paladins can swan around it while maintaining their dungeon-cred. It is less useful than +1 Scale because you need the Plate Armour Proficiency in order to wear it without penalty; but this would not negatively affect the target market (Paladins) as they receive that Proficiency as a Class Feat at 1st Level.


Eladrin Battle Shield
The “+0 Shield” is more of a stab in the dark; effectively it is a +1 Light Shield (if such a thing existed). The idea came from the “property” effect of the Eladrin Plate, allowing a character to carry a Heavy Shield without the -2 Skill Penalty.

In light of your remarks and some more thought on my part, maybe it should be higher level. The -2 Armour Penalty for a Heavy Shield affects five Skills, while most Skill Bonus items only affect one skill. This would make the Eladrin Battle Shield the equivalent of about 10 1st level Magic Items (around 3600gp worth of kit – or one 8th level Magic Item). I don't know if that brings it more in line with other magic items.

Eladrin Battle Shield
8th Level Arm Slot
Heavy Shield
Property: There is no Skill Check Modifier for wielding an Eladrin Battle Shield.

By the way Ferdil - nice graphics are they all your own work?