Hardness Question

[ElectricDragon]

Looking through th SRD I found a discrepency that brought two questions to my mind. Here are the revelent parts of the SRD.

Under the magic armor and shield section:

Shield Hardness and Hit Points: Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to a shield’s hardness and +10 to its hit points.

Under the magic weapon section:

Hardness and Hit Points: Each +1 of enhancement bonus also adds 1 to the weapon’s or shield’s hardness and hit points.

1. Which one is right for magic shields? Is there some errata on this?

2. And: What is the hardness and hit points of magic armor? I understand that only rarely would this information be needed, if ever; but it is relevant.
Now the SRD sets armor hp at 5 times armor bonus; but this does not include enhancements to the armor bonus. Hardness for armor doesn't seem to change with enhancement unless there is some errata for this.

My problem is that a +5 heavy wooden shield would have 65 hp and a hardness of 15 (by the first method), while +5 full-plate armor of steel would have 40 hp and a hardness of 10. By the second method; a +5 heavy wooden shield would have 20 hp and a hardness of 10. The armor remains the same no matter which method is used.

I am taking the case that enhancement bonuses to the armor bonus do not change the actual armor bonus. Otherwise, if the enhancement bonus counts as armor bonus then the armor would still not increase in hardness; but hp would increase by 5 per plus of enhancement.

I am interested in everyone's thoughts on the matter.

Ciao
Dave

 

[Steve Jung]

It's your first choice. Check the DMG errata.

Hardness and Hit Points
Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 222
Problem: The first paragraph is not consistent with similar
information for shields on page 217.
Solution: Delete the first sentence after the boldface header.
Change the next sentence to read as follows:
Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to a weapon’s or
shield’s hardness and +10 to its hit points.

 

[ElectricDragon]

Okay, now what about armor hardness and hp? Any word on that? Or do shields get harder to destroy while armor remains the same? I realize that only armor that is not being worn can be sundered. Still, it seems to me that +5 armor would be harder to sunder than normal armor of the same type.

Ciao
Dave