Author Topic: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?  (Read 2725 times)

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Sinfire Titan

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Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« on: September 10, 2011, 09:36:13 PM »
I would like to get a little help on my Armor Fix, and this is honestly the best place to do it. Basically, I'd like to optimize my design here.

[spoiler]Armor Modifications
These modifications can help a character far more than a mere special material, and armor can be modified in many different ways than weaponry can be. The following are rules for modifying your armor.

Camouflage1
Slot: Total2 (Non-modular)3
Target: Light4
Price Modifier: +500gp5
Weight Adjustment: N/A6
Speed Adjustment: N/A7

Intricate patterns cover the armor, helping to conceal you.8

In any round in which you move no more than 10ft (as per the Scout's Skirmish class feature, see Complete Adventurer; teleportation counts as movement for this purpose), you may add half of this armor's Armor Bonus to your Hide check result when an opponent tries to use a Spot check to find you. This benefit ends immediately if you take an action that would end an Invisibility spell effect, and does not provide a benefit if you are invisible or otherwise concealed. You can resume using this ability only by evading detection and making another Hide check in a later round.9

1. This is the name of the modification.

2.3. This tells you if the modification is Modular or not. A modular modification can be removed by removing the part of the armor it's attached to or the modification itself (so a modular Arm modification is simply attached to the gauntlet or vambrace, whereas any Helm modifications are attached to the helm itself). A modification only functions if you wear it. Most Torso modifications and all Total modifications are never modular, as the former is what composes the primary suit of armor and the latter requires the entire suit to function properly. Chainmail and Plate armor are special in that Leg modifications are removable entirely (doing so does not negate Total modifications). Non-modular modifications can only be attached upon creating the armor in question (unless the Fabricate spell is used to affix it).

4. This is what kind of armor this modification can affect (Light, Medium, or Heavy; for Exotic armors, refer to the secondary type). Only non-modular modifications will have a restriction in this section.

5. This is how much the modification will cost. For modular modifications, this entry will be a flat pricetag, whereas non-modular ones will actually affect the base armor's overall price. Modular modifications can be purchased separately as regular items for this listed price.

6. Modifications can affect the weight of a suit of armor dramatically, and this number will show you how much they affect it. This number assumes the modification is sized for a Medium creature.

7. Because modifications can affect weight, they can also affect how fast you can move. This is very rare; most modifications are light enough that they won't affect it.

8. This is a quick description of the modification in question. It has no effect on the abilities the modification grants.

9. This is an explanation of the modification's abilities. These effects only apply while you are wearing the modified armor.[/spoiler]


Please keep in mind that I like my homebrew to be unambiguous, so some of that wall of text is vital to the mechanics of this fix (I can move it to another section, but it would be far more useful if everything was in one place).


[spoiler][/spoiler]

X-Codes

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2011, 09:39:29 PM »
Looks good to me.

Lo77o

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2011, 10:40:12 PM »
Seems like its simple enough, but perhaps you could try and show 1-2 sample mod's ? That would give a better idea about how this would work around the table.
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Sinfire Titan

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2011, 11:01:39 PM »
Seems like its simple enough, but perhaps you could try and show 1-2 sample mod's ? That would give a better idea about how this would work around the table.

K.


[spoiler]Shield Sheathe
Slot: Arm (Vambrace) (Modular)
Target: Any
Price Modifier: 15gp
Weight Adjustment: +2lbs
Speed Adjustment: -0ft

This specialized holster is designed to keep a shield ready at all times, leaving your hand free.

Upon applying this modification, you must also attach a small shaft to your shield (this item is a part of the modification, and does not need to be purchased separately). Whenever you ready that shield, you may opt to attach it to your shield sheathe, leaving your hand open. The shield's benefits apply normally, but you can now use a two-handed weapon perform any action that requires both hands normally (applying ACPs/CLPs of both the armor and shield as appropriate).[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Armor Spikes
Slot: Total (Non-modular)
Target: Any
Price Modifier: +50gp
Weight Adjustment: +8lbs
Speed Adjustment: -0ft

The armor is now covered in thin plates, each of which supports spikes ranging between half-an-inch to a full four or more inches in length. Armor spikes provide a simple, yet effective, defense against grappling creatures.

Any time you make a grapple check, the creature you are grappling or grappled by takes 1d4 points of piercing damage. This applies regardless of the outcome of the grapple check. If this armor is augmented, add the Grade of that augmentation to the damage dealt in this way. The damage is considered magical in that case.

In addition to the above, you may pay an additional 50gp to have the armor spikes act as a Masterwork Tool (Intimidate). You can also have armor spikes deal slashing damage instead of piercing damage (these decisions must be made when the modification is first added).[/spoiler]


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Lo77o

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2011, 09:59:22 AM »
Well, as i suspected, this all seems like it would be simple enough to figure out around the table. And its a neat idea.
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Unbeliever

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2011, 12:32:26 PM »
I think it's fine, if a little complicated.  But, complicated isn't necessarily bad.  I am passing fond of Star Wars Saga Edition's upgrade rules, though they are not particularly balanced.

Instead of having various location-based slots for armors, I might just have a flat number of them -- i.e., all armor can have 4 upgrade slots or what have you.  Also, it might be good to designate which kinds of upgrades are magical and which aren't.

Sinfire Titan

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2011, 12:54:34 PM »
I think it's fine, if a little complicated.  But, complicated isn't necessarily bad.  I am passing fond of Star Wars Saga Edition's upgrade rules, though they are not particularly balanced.

Instead of having various location-based slots for armors, I might just have a flat number of them -- i.e., all armor can have 4 upgrade slots or what have you.  Also, it might be good to designate which kinds of upgrades are magical and which aren't.

I thought about it being a flat number, but then I realized people would just take the Wand Chamber one because it is one of the most useful. They can still do it, but they can only get two of them.


The sections will be divided between magical and nonmagical, so the modifications will be easy to sift through. v1 probably isn't going to have magical ones yet, largely because I want to focus on the Augmentations first.


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Unbeliever

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Re: Am I Making This Overly-Convoluted?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2011, 06:59:10 PM »
It all sounds good. Though you could just restrict it so that you can only have each modification once. Will look forward to the whole doc.

Sinfire Titan

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« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2011, 02:47:04 AM »
Quote from: Armor Augmentations
Grades and Enhancement Bonuses: Attaching an augmentation to a suit of armor provides not only the abilities of the augmentation itself, but improves the armor's defensive abilities. The armor bonus provided by the suit of armor receives an enhancement bonus (the armor itself receives this bonus, not the wearer) based on the Grade(s) of any and all augmentations attached. For this reason, attaching multiple augmentations to a single suit of armor is highly recommended as their effects stack (to an extent).

I'm planning on allowing the standard +5 enhancement bonus, but I want to encourage MWK Heavy Armor (or even exotic armor) by improving the Enhancement bonus beyond +5. While I wouldn't make the Grades straight-up stack (since many DMs would view this overpowered, even though I may not agree with that sentiment), I would like them to provide a psuedo-cumulative benefit.

However, should I apply this same benefit to weapons? Would this be more beneficial on Shields, thus making them more attractive? And how far should the Grades stack (I was personally thinking a +10 cap, based on the total Grade of the augmentations attached).


For the record, the most augmentations you can attach to a single suit of armor is currently 8 (for MWK Mountain Plate, MWK providing the extra slot). 10 Grade 5 augmentations are going to cost the same as the current price of a +10 suit of Adamantine Full Plate (116,650), give or take.



Alternatively, should I have the redundant augmentations improve the Damage Reduction armor will be providing (FTR: Mountain Plate currently provides DR 10/Bludgeoning and Piercing)? Makes the AC stay the same, but makes it a bit more efficient at helping you stay alive.


[spoiler][/spoiler]