Masterwork armor doubts

[Oompa]

I like it that an +4 armor needs to be another type of material, it makes it an bit more special..

 

[Nikosandros]

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.

If you rule in this way, you get two armors that cost the same, but of different power.

 

[mcrow]

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.

Huh...that makes absoultely no sense at all. Well, I found the first house rule that I'll be using in 4E. The bonus will not dictate the armor material in my game.


BTW, do you have a link to the FAQ. I'm having a hell of a time finding it.

Thanks.

 

[Oompa]

No because feyleather will have an minimum cost of an +4 armor, and max of an +5 armor and Starleather armor will cost the same as an + 6 armor..

 

[Oompa]

http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin...TEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1waGI*&p_li=&p_topview=1

 

[Andur]

If you rule in this way, you get two armors that cost the same, but of different power.

I haven't decided if that is bad or not yet. I tend to run campaigns where the PC's "level up" their gear, rather than go and keep swapping it out wholesale.

Of course my "easy solution" is to do nothing, it is the price one pays for having mortal made gear as a base. It simply "costs" more to get the enchantment over a +3.

The other solution is to make regular armour +6 = to the middle tier +4. That takes care of one of the cost differences, but not all.

The final solution is to have quests for upgrading the armour to the next tier.

The problem I have with armour is that weapons don't match up. Why is it I can have a regular old sword +6, but I can't have regular old armour +6?

I"ll probably go with first choice and simply have a "level boost" to AC at levels 16 and 30.

 

[keterys]

Shouldn't that be 16 and 26?

 

[Regicide]

I haven't decided if that is bad or not yet. I tend to run campaigns where the PC's "level up" their gear, rather than go and keep swapping it out wholesale.

4E is just a vending machine. Put gold into ritual, get magic item out of ritual. To upgrade gear you disenchant your darkhide getting 20% back, then put that into the ritual and poof, out pops elderhide.

 

[vagabonvoid]

I always take the FAQs with a grain of salt.

There is nothing in the rules saying you cannot have just a plain +6 leather armor. There are no maximums stated in the rules; however, there are minimums stated for the masterwork quality armors.

Yes, if you have +6 leather (+8 to ac) but it will be flawed compared to the basic +6 starleather (a +10 to ac) and cost the same, but it still can be done.

I would suggest a quest for the PCs to get mastercraft armor or to upgrade to it...

 

[bjorn2bwild]

In another thread, it was mentioned that the masterwork armors can be interpreted not as different materials, but different techniques

What's to say that when you upgrade your +3 leather to +4, you don't have to change up the strapping/rivets/leather conditioning/etc?

The boosts in AC are, as has been stated before, necessary to keep AC in line with your opponent's relative attack power. The way you get to that boost, via differing material, technique, questing, skill challenge, or whatever, is all campaign and DM dependant. Just be sure that you don't penalize characters by making it too hard/lengthy to achieve that AC boost.