Crafting Magic Armor: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Epic Path]]
[[Category:Epic Path]]
[[Category:Magic Item Creation]]
[[Category:Magic Item Creation]]
* ''Go back to the [[Epic Path]] page.''
[[Image:Magic_Armor_1.jpg|500px|right|Manabane Breastplate]]
* ''Go back to the [[Magic Item Crafting Rules]] page.''
<div style="clear:right; float:right; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.5em">__TOC__</div>


==Calculating Cost==
To determine the cost of a magic armor, you must add up the following:
:* The cost of the non-magical base [[Armor_and_Shields | armor]].
:* The cost of any [[Dweomermetals]] or [[Reforging]] used in the armor's construction.
:* The cost of the total enhancement bonus, from the table below.
:* The cost of the '''''sum''''' of plusses of all magic properties on the armor, also from the table below (Yes, you consult this table twice if you have magic properties.)


== Creating Magic Armor ==
To magically enchant armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop.  There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire.  There must be a strong anvil and a wide variety of high-quality tools.  There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables.  Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle.  In no case is any workspace ever portable.


Armor to be made into magic armor must be either masterwork armor or armor made from a special material (see Dweomermetals, below).  The masterwork cost or special materials cost is added to the base price to determine final market value. Additional magic supply costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor, equal to half the base price of the Absolute Bonus cost (see Absolute Bonus, below).  If the character has a Craft (Armor) skill they can roll to make their own masterwork armor, although it is usually fastest to purchase a masterwork item from a less-skilled NPC smith.
::{| class="ep-default" style="text-align:center"
! width="110" | Enhancement Bonus or Magic Properties || width="110" | Cost
|-
| +1 || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=2-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +2 || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=6-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +3 || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=10-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +4 || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=14-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +5 || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=18-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +6 (epic) || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=23-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +7 (epic) || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=27-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +8 (epic) || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=31-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|-
| +9 (epic) || align="right" | {{#number_format: {{#expr: {{Magic-Item-Adjusted-Price|transcludesection=35-50 }} /2 round 0 }}}}
|}
 


Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator's effective caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the armor. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and one or more magic armor properties, the highest of the listed caster level requirements must be met. Magic armor must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus to have any magic armor properties added to it.
To magically enchant armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop.  There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire.  There must be a strong anvil and a wide variety of high-quality tools.  There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables.  Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle.  In no case is any workspace ever portable.


If spells are involved in the prerequisites for enchanting the armor, the creator must have either 1) prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), 2) Purchased scrolls of the spells, 3) Have the spells otherwise available such as in a wand, or 4) have worked out with the GM in advance any allowed substitutions (a jug of red dragon blood from a dragon of the proper challenge rating to substitute for a meteor swarm spell, for example) and must provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the armor triggers the prepared spells, or integrates any allowed substitutes.  The spells are not available to cast, and the substitutes are consumed in making the item. (Those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)
Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator's effective creator level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the armor. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and one or more magic armor properties, the highest of the listed creator level requirements must be met. Magic armor may be enchanted with either an enhancement bonus, or a magic property, or both, as long as the costs are all paid in a cumulative fashion.


Enchanting magic armor may entail other prerequisites beyond just spells or substituted materials. See the individual descriptions for details.
Enchanting magic armor may entail other prerequisites beyond just spells or substituted materials. See the individual descriptions for details.


Note that the Armor and Body magic item slots are the same slot, so a character cannot wear both armor and a body slot item at the same time.


:* Time Required:  Crafting magic armor requires one day for each CL of the item, minimum of seven days.
:* Time Required:  Crafting magic armor uses the [[Between Adventures]] rules, and requires one or several days of concentrated work.  In all cases, the minimum time required to create an item is determined by the rules of the [[Creator (Feat)]].


:* Feat(s) Required: Creator.
:* Feat(s) Required: Creator.


:* Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft
:* Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warfare
 


==Allowed Enchantments==
==Allowed Enchantments==
Magic armors have three types of improvements that may be applied to them:
Magic armors have two types of magical improvements that may be applied to them, and may make use of the properties of Dweomermetals:
 


===Armor Enhancement Bonus===
===Armor Enhancement Bonus===
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Armor Enhancement Bonus|Armor Enhancement Bonus]]
Characters from level 1 to level 20 can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +5, and can have up to +5 pluses worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor.
 
Heroic tier characters (characters from level 1 to level 20) can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +5, and can have up to +5 pluses worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor, though there must always be at least +1 Enhancement bonus on the armor before any magic armor properties can be applied. As a result, heroic tier characters can wear armor with an absolute bonus of anything from +1 to +10.


Epic tier characters (characters level 21 to level 35) can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +9, and can have a total of up to +9 pluses-worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor (resulting in an Absolute Bonus as high as +18). However, the enhancement bonus of the armor must be raised to at least +6 before it can have any Epic magic armor properties applied to it.
Characters level 21 to level 35 can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +9, and can have a total of up to +9 pluses-worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor.


Any attempt to wear armor more magically enchanted than your level allows results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the armor (-4 to attack rolls), and the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the armor).
Any attempt to wear armor more magically enchanted than your level allows results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the armor (-4 to attack rolls), and the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the armor).


At level 36 and higher (apotheosis) all restrictions on enhancement bonuses and the magic item properties are lifted, at which point the armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
At level 36 and higher (apotheosis) all restrictions on enhancement bonuses and the magic item properties are lifted, at which point the armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
While an armor's enhancement bonus is nearly always used to increase the armor's total AC, some armors contain innate properties from special materials, which may also be increased by allocating some or all of the enhancement bonus to that property. An example of this is an adamantine armor's Damage Resistance (DR). Players may dedicate enhancement bonuses to increasing these innate properties instead of the armor's Armor Bonus to AC. However, the armor's total enhancement bonus is always the sum of any of these, and the armor's total enhancement bonus cannot ever exceed the campaign level limitations for enhancement bonus (see Campaign Level, below). Note that reallocation of Enhancement bonus to enhance a special materials property of the armor is from the Absolute Bonus (see below), as this only refers to different ways to allocate the Enhancement bonus of the armor, not the pluses derived from Magic Armor Properties. For details on special material innate properties, and the effects of using enhancement bonuses to increase them, see the [[Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials]] page. Enhancement bonuses may never be used to add or enhance a property that the armor does not already have innately from its special materials.


===Magic Armor Properties===
===Magic Armor Properties===
* [[Magic_Item_Enchant_-_Magic_Armor_Properties|Magic Armor Properties]]
* [[Armor Magic Properties]]


Magic Armor Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects that magic armors grant or perform on top of the normal functionality of that armor.  Armor must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus before any magic armor properties may be added to them. The limit to the total value of all armor properties that may be added to a suit of armor is +5 pluses worth of properties for characters level 20 or below (heroic tier), or +9 pluses-worth of properties for characters levels 21 to 35 (epic tier).  At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford and the referee will allow.
Magic Armor Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects that magic armors grant or perform on top of the normal functionality of that armor. The limit to the total value of all armor properties that may be added to a suit of armor is +5 pluses worth of properties for characters level 20 or below, or +9 pluses-worth of properties for characters levels 21 to 35.  At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford and the referee will allow.


No item may ever have the same property twice.
No item may ever have the same property twice.


<div style="margin-left:1.5em">
====Upgrading and Changing Enchantments====
Enhancement bonuses cannot be removed from magic armor once applied, but the enhancement bonus can be increased. The cost to do so is the difference in cost between the old enhancement bonus and the new one.


===Dweomermetals and Special Materials===
Magic armor properties can be removed from a suit of magic armor, replaced with altogether new properties, or upgraded to a higher version of the existing magic armor property (when applicable).  The cost to do so is the difference between the cost of the sum of plusses of the old properties and cost for the sum of plusses of the new propertiesHowever, if the sum of plusses of the properties goes down, there is no refund of money unless you can convince the craftsman performing the alterations why he should actually pay you for the privilege of doing that work.  Performing magic armor property swaps and upgrades takes one full day of work per change in the plus sum, with a minimum of 1 full day. Even if this work isn't performed by a player, the player must wait for the alterations to be performed, and they cannot make use of the armor while the craftsman is working on it.  Some craftsmen might offer to lend or rent out a suit of armor while their customers wait, though they would expect the loaner armor to return to them in good condition.
* [[Dweomermetals And Other Special Materials]]
 
Mundane armors are assumed to be made of forged ironFragile armors are usually made of crude iron, bronze, or bone. Masterwork armors are assumed to be made of good quality steel, similar to historical Damascus or Wootz (forging good steel was often a happy accident before the chemistry was fully understood).  Armors made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine.  


In all cases, only ONE material may be used in the construction of a single suit of armor, even after the Apotheosis at level 36.  Unless the referee allows it, of course.
Magic Armor which is altered in such a way as to violate the limitations of the campaign level will inflict a non-proficiency penalty on the wearer, or worse.
</div>


===Dweomermetals and Reforging===
* [[Dweomermetals]]


===Special Rule: Absolute Bonus===
Mundane armor is assumed to be made of forged iron. Fragile armor is usually made of crude iron, bronze, or bone. Armor made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine. These fantastic materials are collectively called "dweomermetals".
By adding together the plus values of the Enhancement Bonus and Magical Properties of a suit of armor you determine the armor's Absolute Bonus. For example, a +2 Expeditious Plate Mail has a +4 Absolute Bonus, since the Expeditious property has a +2 cost associated with it. The maximum possible Absolute Bonus of any magic weapon, armor or shield is +18, though the maximum allowed in a given campaign varies by the campaign's current player level. At level 36, all restrictions are lifted, and weapons, armors and shields may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
 
 
==Restricted Enchantments==
Armor cannot have any other magical enchantments placed on it besides the three listed above: armor enhancement bonus, magic armor properties and dweomermetals/special materials.  For the sake of heading off questions, a list of what is NOT allowed is provided below.  Note that there are magic armor properties and dweomermetals which can provide some of the effects below.  However, except by using those properties or materials, these effects cannot be directly enchanted into armor.
 
 
* Ability Damage
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Ability Scores|Ability Scores]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Alternate Movement Types|Alternate Movement Types]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Alternate Senses|Alternate Senses]]
* Base Attack Bonus (BAB)
* Caster Level Checks
* Circumstance Bonuses
* Class-Specific Abilities
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Combat Maneuver Bonus|Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB)]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Combat Maneuver Defense|Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD)]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Damage Resistance|Damage Resistance (DR)]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Deflection AC|Deflection AC]]
* Dodge AC
* Elemental Damage
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Energy Resistance|Energy Resistance (ER)]]
* Feats
* Hit Points
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Increased Movement|Increased Movement]]
* Initiative
* [[Magic Item Properties|Magic Shield Properties]]
* [[Magic Item Properties|Magic Weapon Properties]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Natural AC|Natural AC]]
* Other Classes’ Class Features
* Racial Abilities
* Ranged Damage
* Reach
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Saving Throws|Saving Throws]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Shield Enhancement Bonus|Shield Enhancement Bonus]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Skill Bonuses|Skill Bonuses]]
* Skill Ranks
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Spell Effects|Spell Effects]]
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Spell Resistance|Spell Resistance]]
* Spell Save DC
* Status Conditions
* Temporary Hit Points
* Touch Attacks
* Traits
* [[Magic Item Enchant - Weapon Enhancement Bonus|Weapon Enhancement Bonus]]


Note that special materials can be added to an existing suit of armor, but doing so requires a special process. If a character already has a +3 breastplate, and wants it to be a +3 mithril breastplate, he would have to buy the [[Dweomermetals#Reforging_a_Dweomermetal | reforging]] service. He cannot simply upgrade it himself. (This rule can be broken, at GM discretion, in cases where the armor is a family heirloom, an artifact, or any sort of magic item that is meant to grow with the player, where replacing it with a new armor would disrupt the story continuity for the character. In these cases, the item may have always been made from the special material, but only exhibits its qualities when the character reaches a high enough level to appreciate it, or perhaps it acquires the special materials qualities after some event transpires (like the character gets splashed with molten mithril).)


Only ONE special material may be used in the construction of a single suit of armor, even after the Apotheosis at level 36. Armor cannot be made of both ambergold and paramount alloy.


==Other Magic Armor Considerations==
==Other Magic Armor Considerations==
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Armor is always created so that if the type of armor comes with a pair of boots, a helm, or a set of gauntlets, these pieces can be exchanged for other magic boots, helms, or gauntlets.  It even looks good!  Isn't magic great?
Armor is always created so that if the type of armor comes with a pair of boots, a helm, or a set of gauntlets, these pieces can be exchanged for other magic boots, helms, or gauntlets.  It even looks good!  Isn't magic great?


 
===Creator Level for Armor===
===Caster Level for Armor===
The creator level of magic armor with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the creator level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two creator level requirements must be met.  As always, creator level is gained from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warfare.  Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.
The caster level of magic armor with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.  As always, caster level can either be a character's 'native' caster if they actually cast spells, or their Effective Caster Level they gain from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warcraft.  Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.
 


===Hardness and Hit Points===
===Hardness and Hit Points===
Each +1 of a magic armor’s enhancement bonus adds +2 to its hardness and +10 to its hit points. This is additive with the base hardness and hit points of the armor, which is based on the material from which it is made and the type of armor in question.  Refer to the tables below to determine base hardness and hit pointsArmor properties usually have no effect on hardness or hit points, but some do, so refer to these specific rules for the effects of each property.
Armor does not have hardness or hit points. This has been replaced with the [[Combat_Maneuvers#Sunder|Sunder combat maneuver]]Instead, armor can be [[Broken]] if a sunder attempt successfully equals or exceeds the wielder's Maneuver Defense.  See the [[Combat_Maneuvers#Sunder|Sunder maneuver]] and the [[Broken]] condition pages for more details.
 
 
==== Table: Weapon, Armor and Shield Hardness and Hit Points ====
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center"
! Weapon or Shield || Hardness <sup>1</sup> <sup>4</sup> || Hit Points <sup>2</sup> <sup>3</sup>
|-
| align="left" | Light blade || 10 || 2
|-
| align="left" | One-handed blade || 10 || 5
|-
| align="left" | Two-handed blade || 10 || 10
|-
| align="left" | Light metal-hafted weapon || 10 || 10
|-
| align="left" | One-handed metal-hafted weapon || 10 || 20
|-
| align="left" | Light hafted weapon || 5 || 2
|-
| align="left" | One-handed hafted weapon || 5 || 5
|-
| align="left" |  Two-handed hafted weapon || 5 || 10
|-
| align="left" | Projectile weapon || 5 || 5
|-
| align="left" |  Armor || special<sup>4</sup> || armor bonus × 5
|-
| align="left" | Buckler || 10 || 5
|-
| align="left" | Light wooden shield || 5 || 7
|-
| align="left" | Heavy wooden shield || 5 || 15
|-
| align="left" | Light steel shield || 10 || 10
|-
| align="left" | Heavy steel shield || 10 || 20
|-
| align="left" | Tower shield || 5 || 20
|}
* <sup>1</sup> Add +2 for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items.
* <sup>2</sup> Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.
* <sup>3</sup> Add 10 hp for each +1 enhancement bonus of magic items
* <sup>4</sup> Varies by material.  See below and Dweomermetals for details.
 
 
==== Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points ====
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center"
! Substance || Hardness || Hit Points
|-
| align="left" | Glass || 1 || 1/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Paper or cloth || 0 || 2/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Rope || 0 || 2/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Ice || 0 || 3/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Leather or hide || 2 || 5/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Wood || 5 || 10/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Stone || 8 || 15/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Iron or steel || 10 || 30/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Argent || 15 || 40/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Ambergold || 18 || 30/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Bloodgold || 5 || 25/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Bloodsilver || 20 || 40/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Cuprium || adds +3 to base || adds +9 to base
|-
| align="left" | Mithral || 15 || 30/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Peacemetal || 15 || 35/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Puremetal || 12 || 30/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Adamantine || 20 || 40/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Dolemetal || 25 || 50/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Truemetal || 30 || 50/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Paramount || 40 || 60/in. of thickness
|-
| align="left" | Glassteel || 10 || 30/in. of thickness
|}


Magical enhancement bonuses on armor do not increase the wielder's Maneuver Defense versus sunder attempts, though some [[Dweomermetals]] do.


===Interaction between Shields and Armor===
===Interaction between Shields and Armor===
Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses. Shield enhancement bonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuses when the shield is used in a shield bash. The bashing special ability, however, does grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls (see the special ability description).
You can stack (i.e. add together) an [[Armor Bonus]], an [[Armor Enhancement Bonus]], a [[Shield Bonus]], and a [[Shield Enhancement Bonus]]However, two bonuses of the same type (e.g. two Armor Bonuses) do not stack with each other; instead, you may only use the highest available valueSee also the [[Character_Creation#Determine_Armor_Class_Values | Character Creation]] rules for additional details on the various bonuses that can be added to your total Armor Class value.
 
A shield can be built such that it also acts as a magic weaponThis requires the shield to be equipped with shield spikes, and is handled as if the shield was a double weapon, namely, two sets of enhancements are applied to the shield and the costs are tracked as though they were two separate items, even though they aren't. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that like bonuses never stack. For example, a property which grants a shield bonus to AC from the shield spikes would not stack with the shield bonus provided by the shield itselfAlso, as a note, some magic weapon properties, such as the [[Defending]] magic item property, require you to use your shield or armor as a weapon to gain the benefit of the property.  The GM may rule that when using the shield or armor spikes as a weapon means you lose the actual shield or armor bonuses until the start of your next turn, just as if you used your shield for a shield bash.
 
Magic properties built into a shield add to the market value in the form of additions to the bonus of the shield, although they do not improve AC. A shield cannot have an absolute bonus (enhancement plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +18. A shield with a special ability must also have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.
 
 
===Activation of Armor and Shields===
Usually a character benefits from magic armor and shields in exactly the way a character benefits from non-magical armor and shields: by wearing them. If armor or a shield has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).


===Activation of Armor===
Usually a character benefits from magic armor in exactly the way a character benefits from non-magical armor: by wearing them. If armor has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).


===Armor for Unusual Creatures===
===Armor for Unusual Creatures===
The cost of armor for non-humanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies.  The cost of the masterwork quality is also affected to the same degree.  IE, if armor costs four times as much because it is size large, it costs 4 times as much to make it masterwork.  The cost to enchant a size large suit of armor is unchanged, however, nor does the armor's size increase the time required for enchantment.
The cost of armor for non-humanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies.  The cost to enchant a size large suit of armor is unchanged, however, nor does the armor's size increase the time required for enchantment.

Latest revision as of 18:06, 30 July 2020

Manabane Breastplate

Calculating Cost

To determine the cost of a magic armor, you must add up the following:

  • The cost of the non-magical base armor.
  • The cost of any Dweomermetals or Reforging used in the armor's construction.
  • The cost of the total enhancement bonus, from the table below.
  • The cost of the sum of plusses of all magic properties on the armor, also from the table below (Yes, you consult this table twice if you have magic properties.)


Enhancement Bonus or Magic Properties Cost
+1 1,150
+2 5,000
+3 12,500
+4 28,000
+5 90,000
+6 (epic) 377,500
+7 (epic) 1,150,000
+8 (epic) 3,600,000
+9 (epic) 11,025,000


To magically enchant armor, a character needs a good heavy workshop. There must be a powerful heat source such as a blown forge or magical fire. There must be a strong anvil and a wide variety of high-quality tools. There must be adequate room to work, with benches and tables. Finally, there should be a supply of materials, the most obvious being the armor or the pieces of the armor to be assembled. A good forge can be a cozy affair, or a massive workshop that sprawls and rambles through many rooms of a castle. In no case is any workspace ever portable.

Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator's effective creator level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the armor. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and one or more magic armor properties, the highest of the listed creator level requirements must be met. Magic armor may be enchanted with either an enhancement bonus, or a magic property, or both, as long as the costs are all paid in a cumulative fashion.

Enchanting magic armor may entail other prerequisites beyond just spells or substituted materials. See the individual descriptions for details.

Note that the Armor and Body magic item slots are the same slot, so a character cannot wear both armor and a body slot item at the same time.

  • Time Required: Crafting magic armor uses the Between Adventures rules, and requires one or several days of concentrated work. In all cases, the minimum time required to create an item is determined by the rules of the Creator (Feat).
  • Feat(s) Required: Creator.
  • Skill(s) Required: Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warfare

Allowed Enchantments

Magic armors have two types of magical improvements that may be applied to them, and may make use of the properties of Dweomermetals:

Armor Enhancement Bonus

Characters from level 1 to level 20 can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +5, and can have up to +5 pluses worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor.

Characters level 21 to level 35 can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +9, and can have a total of up to +9 pluses-worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor.

Any attempt to wear armor more magically enchanted than your level allows results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the armor (-4 to attack rolls), and the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the armor).

At level 36 and higher (apotheosis) all restrictions on enhancement bonuses and the magic item properties are lifted, at which point the armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.

Magic Armor Properties

Magic Armor Properties are additional traits, bonuses or effects that magic armors grant or perform on top of the normal functionality of that armor. The limit to the total value of all armor properties that may be added to a suit of armor is +5 pluses worth of properties for characters level 20 or below, or +9 pluses-worth of properties for characters levels 21 to 35. At level 36 and higher all restrictions are lifted, and armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford and the referee will allow.

No item may ever have the same property twice.

Upgrading and Changing Enchantments

Enhancement bonuses cannot be removed from magic armor once applied, but the enhancement bonus can be increased. The cost to do so is the difference in cost between the old enhancement bonus and the new one.

Magic armor properties can be removed from a suit of magic armor, replaced with altogether new properties, or upgraded to a higher version of the existing magic armor property (when applicable). The cost to do so is the difference between the cost of the sum of plusses of the old properties and cost for the sum of plusses of the new properties. However, if the sum of plusses of the properties goes down, there is no refund of money unless you can convince the craftsman performing the alterations why he should actually pay you for the privilege of doing that work. Performing magic armor property swaps and upgrades takes one full day of work per change in the plus sum, with a minimum of 1 full day. Even if this work isn't performed by a player, the player must wait for the alterations to be performed, and they cannot make use of the armor while the craftsman is working on it. Some craftsmen might offer to lend or rent out a suit of armor while their customers wait, though they would expect the loaner armor to return to them in good condition.

Magic Armor which is altered in such a way as to violate the limitations of the campaign level will inflict a non-proficiency penalty on the wearer, or worse.

Dweomermetals and Reforging

Mundane armor is assumed to be made of forged iron. Fragile armor is usually made of crude iron, bronze, or bone. Armor made from fantastic materials are possible as well, such as the classic mithril and adamantine. These fantastic materials are collectively called "dweomermetals".

Note that special materials can be added to an existing suit of armor, but doing so requires a special process. If a character already has a +3 breastplate, and wants it to be a +3 mithril breastplate, he would have to buy the reforging service. He cannot simply upgrade it himself. (This rule can be broken, at GM discretion, in cases where the armor is a family heirloom, an artifact, or any sort of magic item that is meant to grow with the player, where replacing it with a new armor would disrupt the story continuity for the character. In these cases, the item may have always been made from the special material, but only exhibits its qualities when the character reaches a high enough level to appreciate it, or perhaps it acquires the special materials qualities after some event transpires (like the character gets splashed with molten mithril).)

Only ONE special material may be used in the construction of a single suit of armor, even after the Apotheosis at level 36. Armor cannot be made of both ambergold and paramount alloy.

Other Magic Armor Considerations

Full Suits

Armor is always created so that if the type of armor comes with a pair of boots, a helm, or a set of gauntlets, these pieces can be exchanged for other magic boots, helms, or gauntlets. It even looks good! Isn't magic great?

Creator Level for Armor

The creator level of magic armor with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the creator level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two creator level requirements must be met. As always, creator level is gained from having the Creator feat and ranks in either Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warfare. Note that even spell casters have to have the Creator feat to make magic items.

Hardness and Hit Points

Armor does not have hardness or hit points. This has been replaced with the Sunder combat maneuver. Instead, armor can be Broken if a sunder attempt successfully equals or exceeds the wielder's Maneuver Defense. See the Sunder maneuver and the Broken condition pages for more details.

Magical enhancement bonuses on armor do not increase the wielder's Maneuver Defense versus sunder attempts, though some Dweomermetals do.

Interaction between Shields and Armor

You can stack (i.e. add together) an Armor Bonus, an Armor Enhancement Bonus, a Shield Bonus, and a Shield Enhancement Bonus. However, two bonuses of the same type (e.g. two Armor Bonuses) do not stack with each other; instead, you may only use the highest available value. See also the Character Creation rules for additional details on the various bonuses that can be added to your total Armor Class value.

Activation of Armor

Usually a character benefits from magic armor in exactly the way a character benefits from non-magical armor: by wearing them. If armor has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).

Armor for Unusual Creatures

The cost of armor for non-humanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies. The cost to enchant a size large suit of armor is unchanged, however, nor does the armor's size increase the time required for enchantment.