Ironward crystal and mithril armor?

[ksbsnowowl]

One of my players, a barbarian, wants to get a Lesser Ironward augment crystal (MIC) to put on his armor. He's also wanting to get a mithril breastplate. A lesser ironward crystal only works on medium or heavy armors (it grants DR 3/- for up to 30 points absorbed per day).

Just to examine the wording:
"A lesser iron ward diamond functions only when attached to medium or heavy armor."

Mithril:
"Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light..."

It is treated as light for movement and other limitations. The question then is, what are the other limitations? Proficiency? (ie - is a rogue proficient with a mithril breastplate?) Should the qualities of the ironward crystal count as a limitation?

A mithril breastplate counts as light armor for movement, but what other ways does it count as light armor, and does it ever count as medium armor for any purpose?

Can this augment crystal be used on a +1 mithril breastplate?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It counts as light armor for class abilities that only work when wearing light armor, etc.

For purposes of proficiency, I believe it still counts as medium armor (but I can't recall exactly what the final ruling was there).

The augment crystal should work fine - but remember that the DR won't stack with the Barbarian's class DR.

 

[ksbsnowowl]

The augment crystal should work fine - but remember that the DR won't stack with the Barbarian's class DR.

Actually, these crystals specify that they DO stack with other sources of DR X/-.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

You're right; I forgot that the crystals were special, and just checked the Barbarian class's DR.

 

[frankthedm]

Proficiency? (ie - is a rogue proficient with a mithril breastplate?)

For purposes of proficiency, I believe it still counts as medium armor (but I can't recall exactly what the final ruling was there).

The FAQ addressed this issue. To make it look like the people writing other parts of the DMG didn't screw up by making assumptions, Heavy Armor Proficiency were further devalued in the 3.5 ruleset. Thankfully Pathfinder went the other direction.

The description of mithral on page 284 of the DMG is less precise than it could be in defining how it interacts with armor proficiency rules. The simplest answer—and the one that the Sage expects most players and DMs use—is that mithral armor is treated as one category lighter for all purposes, including proficiency. This isn’t exactly what the DMG says, but it’s a reasonable interpretation of the intent of the rule (and it’s supported by a number of precedents, including the descriptions of various specific mithral armors described on page 220 of the DMG and a variety of NPC stat blocks).

 

[NEXxREX]

to figure this out read up on proficiency rules rather then mithril rules. analyze why a character cant use heavy or light armor, is it to bulky, is it to heavy?? these are the things that would define why it would count or not. mithril makes it easier to move in (armor check penalty) and makes it lighter (speed, higher dex bonus) but its still thick enough to give the AC stat it gives (so it may get in the way when your moving if you dont know how to "move" in it).

also be careful of mithril, its really shiny and gets stolen

 

[TheEvil]

Most GMs I have played with have ruled it as 'whatever is is most advantageous to the character'.

 

[Visigani]

I would allow the mithril breastplate to carry the crystals. If one were to make the armor out of adamantine, and then transmute the adamantine into mithril through whatever magical procedure there is no reason why the crystals would suddenly stop working.

And really, if it's only +30 HP (and only physical damage hp at that) it's not so large a bonus as to deny the player their kudo for being creative.

 

[Trance-Zg]

I would call it the best of both worlds. but...

The character can count mithril breastplate as medium armor only if he has medium armor proficiency.

I.E. barbarian and ranger can both wear the armor with no penalty but only barbarian can benefit from the medium armor aspect of the armor. So crystal works for barbarian but not for ranger.

 

[Shin Okada]

In addition to that FAQ, Races of Wild shows various Mithral armors as simply one category lighter than the usual version. I mean, Mithral Breastplate is categorized as a light armor in that book.

I believe RAI is that mithral and similar special materials actually change the category of armors.