MIC: Ironward Diamond....Overpowered?

[Jhaelen]

Bear in mind that greater Augment Crystals must be applied to an item with at least a +3 enhancement bonus, so that's potentially an extra cost compared to what you might normally have added to that armour.

Yup, not overpowered at all. However, I do consider to increase the time it takes to swap crystals to put a limit to the 'I'll simply buy a dozen of those' mentality that they might create in some players.

 

[Mistwell]

Ah, never mind then--one can just buy several for the price difference then.

I'd have to check, but they seem to have dealt with that issue for most items in that book. Most of those items say you have to have them in place for 24 hours before they can be used (and you can only have on crystal in place at a time). So, assuming that clause is in that item, buying several won't help you.

[Edit - I checked, and it does NOT have that limitation, which seems unwise to me. It does at least have the limitation that it must be affixed to heavy armor with no less than +3 enhancement bonus, as in actual enhancement bonus and not equivalent to that bonus. It also takes a move action to remove a crystal, and a move action to place a crystal, and probably a move action to draw the crystal unless you happen to have it in hand.]

 

[ThirdWizard]

At level 10, that item is about 15% of a PC's wealth and it will last about 3-5 rounds a day for a front line fighter, double that for most other combatants, and significantly more for casters. It's nice, I have to admit. And, the less combats per day the better it is, and the more one big guy vs party fights as opposed to mook fights as well. But, it probably quickly starts to lose its pazaz as you go up in level. I can't imagine it being very useful to characters who can afford to buy several of them at a time.

 

[hong]

I think increasing it to a full-round action to add/remove the crystal also makes sense. That effectively makes it into a once-per-encounter thing.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I think increasing it to a full-round action to add/remove the crystal also makes sense. That effectively makes it into a once-per-encounter thing.

Aye. Mistwell's 24-hour attunement suggestion is also a good one.

 

[James McMurray]

The requirement of a +3 enhancement on the armor is the biggest cost. That means your armor won't have +2 worth of abilities, which are often much better than +2 AC. The one that attaches to +1 armor grants DR of 3/- for 30 points per day and seems to be a much nicer buy to me.

 

[Nifft]

Wow, those all really do seem too good. If they ran out (like stoneskin) then I wouldn't mind so much.

Hmm, how about a crystal thingy that slots into armor, costs 1000 gp, grants you DR 5/-- up to 50 points (total), and then burns out forever.

It's about the same price as a scroll of stoneskin, but it's use-activated and doesn't suck up your mage's action.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Stalker0]

The requirement of a +3 enhancement on the armor is the biggest cost. That means your armor won't have +2 worth of abilities, which are often much better than +2 AC. The one that attaches to +1 armor grants DR of 3/- for 30 points per day and seems to be a much nicer buy to me.

If it was a weapon I'd agree with you. But in general I like my armor to provide....AC While I'm a fan of fortification as much as the next guy, usually my armor is always +1 to +5, while my weapons are +1 flaming, frost, deathing weapons.

 

[James McMurray]

MIC adds a lot of +1, +2, and cheap armor abilities that could be added instead, and your cleric friend can up the AC if needed.

Also, the Greater crystal requires heavy armor too, making it useless to a lot of builds.

I guess it all boils down to preferences though. I personally would rather be immune to energy drain, get blur or displacement a few times a day, armor I can sleep in or that puts itself on as a command word, etc. than spend those two points on a couple of AC.

 

[Hypersmurf]

MIC adds a lot of +1, +2, and cheap armor abilities that could be added instead, and your cleric friend can up the AC if needed.

Not having MIC, I'm not sure if it's covered... but is there anything preventing you putting the DR 5/- Ironward Crystal on +1 Heavy Armor that's been Magic Vestmented up to a +3 enhancement bonus?

-Hyp.