Masterwork armor doubts

[Nikosandros]

I'm not entirely sure if I understand the rules for masterwork armor correctly.

All the different kind of armors have masterwork versions, available for an enhancement bonus of +4 or higher. The price for masterwork is already included in the magic item price.

This means that, effectively all +4 armor become +5 in the case of light armors and +7 for heavy armor, while +6 armor always becomes either +7 or +9.

Is that correct?

 

[Andur]

According to the FAQ, yep.

 

[Merroth]

Basically if you add magical properties to an armor, you get masterwork armor included in it above +4 ench bonus. If you get a +4 Magical chainmail, it'll be a forgemail with +13AC (+9 from forgemail +4 from ench bonus). If you get a +6 Battleforged armor it'll be a +20 AC Godplate armor (plate becouse BF armor can only be plate, +14AC from godplate and +6 ench bonus), etc, etc.

 

[Oompa]

Uhhh..

Take leather, i can upgrade it to an leather armor +3, but the moment i upgrade it to leather +4, it is called feyleather armor.. which i can upgrade to +5, when i make it an +6 it will be starleather armor..

Insteadt of an +6 leather armor, you are wearing starleather.. and the cost will be youre basic +6 enhancement cost.

Leaher gives you an AC ranging from +2 to +5
FeyLeather from +7 to +9
Starleather is standard +10 (cant exceed +6 enhancement)

I hope i got this correct..

 

[Nikosandros]

For once, a non controversial topic...

I guess that "psychologically" the enhancement bump is a bit strange, but the rule appears straightforward.

 

[Merroth]

I hope i got this correct..

Exactly.

 

[Oompa]

Thanks

 

[mcrow]

Uhhh..

Take leather, i can upgrade it to an leather armor +3, but the moment i upgrade it to leather +4, it is called feyleather armor.. which i can upgrade to +5, when i make it an +6 it will be starleather armor..

Insteadt of an +6 leather armor, you are wearing starleather.. and the cost will be youre basic +6 enhancement cost.

Leaher gives you an AC ranging from +2 to +5
FeyLeather from +7 to +9
Starleather is standard +10 (cant exceed +6 enhancement)

I hope i got this correct..

This is incorrect from the way I understand it.

+6 leather is +6 leather. +6 leather is better than feyleather (AB +3) but it does not become feyleather.

Base Feyleather is +3 vs +2 for base leather. The biggest difference is that Feyleather reaquires at least a +4 enhancement bonus if it becomes masterwork/magical where as there is no minimum for leather. So, in theory most magical Feyleather armors will be more powerful than magical leather.

 

[Andur]

mcrow, according to the PHB FAQ, +4 Leather cannot exist, to get +4 it needs to be Feywild, likewise neither leather nor Feywild can hold a +6 enhancement, only Starleather can hold it.

I disagree with the FAQ and have already houseruled that enhancement bonuses and material types are not related in my campaign.

 

[keterys]

I disagree with the FAQ and have already houseruled that enhancement bonuses and material types are not related in my campaign.

All well and good in theory... but you do still plan on ensuring that every +4/+5 leather you hand out is feyleather (or whatever), right?

That is to say, it's okay to object on "that's stupid" grounds, but the game is still balanced around characters getting the proper type of armor and if you shortchange a character by giving them +6 plate instead of godplate, that's 6 AC difference... which is notable.