Mithril and Masterwork

[Bront]

Is Mitrhil Armor automaticly Masterwork? Or can you have "normal" and masterwork Mitrill armor? And does that mean that you can lower the armor check penalty even more?

 

[Scharlata]

Is Mitrhil Armor automaticly Masterwork? Or can you have "normal" and masterwork Mitrill armor? And does that mean that you can lower the armor check penalty even more?

Hi!

You certainlty could use the Table 7-2: Armor on page 168 of the Races of the Wild because it contains all mithral armors with their new Maximum Dex Bonus, new Armor Check Penalty, and new Arcane Spell Failure Chance.

See for yourself:
Steel Chainmail: 150 gp, Armor Bonus: +5, MDB +2, ACP -5, ASFC 30%;
Mithral Chainmail: 4,150 gp, Armor Bonus: +5, MDB +4, ACP -2, ASFC 20%

Edit: You see, the chainmail is masterwork (due to the mithral) but the ACP is not lessened more than 3 points (other than you suggest).

Enjoy

 

[Thondor]

Wish I had my books . . .

I'd always assumed that Mithral or say Adamantium products were masterwork. Logically only masterarmourers would ever get to work with these materials, (can you imagine the cost of wasting material, ugg) I'm not sure the official answer but it would seem safe to say that all exotic materials are masterwork, and I assume that is factored in.

 

[Caeleddin]

Any special material is ALWAYS masterwork. Mithral, adamantite (not adamantium), cold iron, dragonskin, etc. The masterwork cost is already factored into the cost of the special material (thus Mithral Chain Shirt is 1000 (light armour mithral cost) + 100 (chain shirt cost) for a total of 1100 gp). Masterwork bonuses has also been factored into the mithral armour's bonuses (+2 extra MDB, -3 ACP, -10% ASF).

 

[Dracomeander]

Any special material is ALWAYS masterwork.

Note quite true.

Adamantine, Dragonhide, & Mithril are always considered masterwork with the cost of being masterwork absorbed into the cost of working with the material.

Cold Iron, Darkwood, & Alchemical Silver are just special materials with an increased cost separate from the masterwork cost. It is possible to get normal or masterwork quality items from Darkwood, Cold Iron, & Alchemical Silver.

 

[Bront]

Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.

Ok, I missed this line.

It's also under the Adamantine, Darkwood. Dragonhide doesn't specificly say it, but only talks about making masterwork items out of it (And is amazingly cheep, must be lots of dead dragons around).

Personaly, I'd use different rules for dragonhide, and simply use those rules for the cost of having someone make it. I like dragonhide armor providing a few interesting resistances or other bonuses, make it more mystical.

 

[Caeleddin]

In the DMG, under Specific Armours, it says that that particular suit of dragonhide is masterwork. I assumed that all DH are masterwork from there and it sort of makes sense....

I give DHs an auto Resist xxx/30 for the corresponding energy type. I also give them an inherent +AC bonus, depending on armour type.

 

[Bront]

In the DMG, under Specific Armours, it says that that particular suit of dragonhide is masterwork. I assumed that all DH are masterwork from there and it sort of makes sense....

I give DHs an auto Resist xxx/30 for the corresponding energy type. I also give them an inherent +AC bonus, depending on armour type.

I scale the resistance a bit depending on the item, but some kind is good, as well as perhaps a slight AC Bonus.

 

[Caeleddin]

I don't know about the resist. It is an extraordinary ability, so to me it is either yes or no. Of course, if you use a rainbow suit...... That's another story.

The AC bonus is +1 for leather/studded leather, +2 for scalemail/banded mail, +3 breastplate/half-plate, +4 full plate. This is an inherent bonus, so it stacks with anything else to do with the armour's AC.


Added thoughts: I would make DH have the same properties as Mithral as well (lower arcane failure, +MDB, etc.)

 

[Dracomeander]

The Draconomicon has further rules for crafting armors and other things from materials gleaned from dragons. If you have that book available to you, you might want to see how it handles adding extraordinary abilities or special non-magical properties to items made from dragon parts.