New armor

[CRGreathouse]

I've been thinking about making a new form of armor beyond full plate. Making new base armors is hard, though, because little changes can really throw the system out of order.

Double Plate
Armor bonus: +10
Max Dex bonus: -2
Armor check penalty: -9
Arcane failure chance: 45%
Cost: 2,500 gp
Weight: 90 pounds

I've gone over many aspects of its balance - Dex as dump stat, making it out of mithral, using it in an antimagic field, etc. and it seems to work, but I'd like other opinions; I may have missed something glaringly obvious to someone else.

What do you think of it? Too weak? Too strong?

 

[Crothian]

So, Max dex -2 means that you will always have a minus for Dex?

I guess I'm not seeing a point to this. What am I missing?

 

[CRGreathouse]

So, Max dex -2 means that you will always have a minus for Dex?

Correct.

I guess I'm not seeing a point to this. What am I missing?

Dex 8 in full plate -> AC 17
Dex 8 in double plate -> AC 18

I originally gave it Max Dex -1, but eventually concluded that it was too good.

 

[Anabstercorian]

I've had some thoughts on this. Here are my suggestions for fantastically heavy levels of armor.

Extreme Armor Proficiency
Requirements: Heavy, Medium, and Light Armor Proficiency, Strength 15+
Benefit: You are proficient in Extreme armor and can wear it with no more than the listed penalties to movement and skills.
Normal: When wearing Extreme armor, you suffer a penalty to all attacks and skill checks related to movement, including Ride, equal to the armor check penalty. Additionally, your movement is reduced to 5, and you can neither run nor make a double move.

Then, add some Extreme armor types.

Movement in Extreme Armor:
Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes have their speed reduced to 10 feet. Humans have their speed reduced to 15 feet. Both have their run speed reduced to three times their speed.

 

[Jeph]

I, personally, do not like this, because it makes this armor *only* useful to characters with Dex 7 or under. For anyone with dex 8 or above, it is worse than full plate, period.

I mean, the net armor bonus will be the same, and with Double Plate, you suffer more penalties.

However, if you were using the "armor provides Damage Reduction" rule, this would be pretty handy.

 

[Crothian]

I, personally, do not like this, because it makes this armor *only* useful to characters with Dex 7 or under. For anyone with dex 8 or above, it is worse than full plate, period.

I mean, the net armor bonus will be the same, and with Double Plate, you suffer more penalties.

It seems as if tyou are trying to create an armor that will almost reward people with a bad Dex. I don't think that would be something created. Now, if you could grant some reason besides the addition of the AC for this to be, it might be better.

 

[Romotre]

Reward? 2,500 GP? For maybe a few points better armor? We've already established that Dex is a very powerful skill, so why not help out the guy that goes against the grain? Full plae isn't enough. bring on double and triple plate!

 

[CRGreathouse]

I, personally, do not like this, because it makes this armor *only* useful to characters with Dex 7 or under. For anyone with dex 8 or above, it is worse than full plate, period.

I mean, the net armor bonus will be the same, and with Double Plate, you suffer more penalties.

Would you recommend my earlier version, with Max Dex -1?

 

[Wolf72]

you could say that the armor is already partially made out of mithral (ie make a type of specific armor) and adamantine ... that way you could change the Max Dex to 0 and keep everything else the same ...

you could try giving it a very simple DR 1 (K.I.S.S.)


[edit: here's my high plate (well actually it's an edited version of melnibonean plate from DragonLords of Melnibone]

High Plate 4,000gp; +10 AC; +2 Max Dex; -4 ACP; 20% ASF; 20/15 move; 40 lbs

Melnibonean Plate is always MW and usually only available by a Melnibonean craftsman. It can also be used to represent any Ancient/High form of armor (Valheru, Solamnic ...). Alternate name: High Plate. It is made from a combination of adamantine and mithral, it is always considered heavy armor (no additional qualities from mithral or adamantine).

 

[Shalewind]

Hey, that High Plate is pretty niffty. Could it be further made of mithril or adamantite?