Thri-Kreen armor on Faerun.

[shaga]

How easy can you find a Thri-Kreen armor in Faerun?? Can Thri-Keen wear heavy armors? I always thought their exoskeleton an armor, like warforged have their armor. I could see them add light armor, maybe even some medium armors on them. What you think?

[Urpriest]

You should be able to find armor for Thri-Kreen of pretty much any sort in the Great Rift, though non-metal armor will probably be easier to find since IIRC, Thri-Kreen have a fairly tribal existence.

It's unlikely that you thought the exoskeleton was armor in the same way that a warforged's plating is, since there are many creatures with exoskeletons and all of them treat it just as natural armor.

[shaga]

"The typical Thri-Kreen wears only what it needs for holding its equipment, but no clothing or armor."

This means that any armor usable by thri-Kreen will probably not be made by Thri-Kreen culture or was made for a special "hero" Thri-Kreen. Unless a Thri-Kreen goes to a blacksmith and they craft an armor specifically for that Thri-Kreen. Now a blacksmith capable of crafting such an armor should be at list 6+lvl if not higher.
That`s what I mean by how easy could you find an Thri-Kreen armor in faerun.

As far as if they can actually wear armor. Its hard for me to imagine a Thri-Kreen with a full plate helmet. Also, you cant see it on the EXP image but on shining south book, page 73 you can see an image were the Thri-Kreen has exoskeleton plates on his chest, similar to those of a full plate. His hands and legs also have what it looks like exoskeleton bracer. I can see him wear light armors, maybe some medium armors too.

[Urpriest]

Unless a Thri-Kreen goes to a blacksmith and they craft an armor specifically for that Thri-Kreen. Now a blacksmith capable of crafting such an armor should be at list 6+lvl if not higher.


While it does indeed look like Thri-Kreen culture doesn't use armor very often (though I have to ask, is that quote from FR, or another source?), I don't get where you get this number. Why 6+?

[shaga]

The quote is from shining south. I also found this on EXH:
"Thri-kreen wear little clothing other than a simple harness for carrying weapons and equipment"

I am still googling it but I also found that in previous editions (2E) they couldn't wear armor but that doesn't count that much for 3.5E since they were large in 2E.

The npc blacksmith level I calculated from a simple house ruling I have for NPC crafters. I always assume they take 10 on their roll. If they can make something (hit the DC) with just their ranks +take 10. Then they can craft it. Otherwise they dont know how to make it. The DC for crafting an armor is 10+AC, +4 for being exotic armor. With max ranks (9) a 6 lvl character could make it, especially if you add his masterwork tools and any other bonus he may have but with my house rule he doesn't know how.

[Urpriest]

+4 for being exotic armor

Where does this come from?

Also, your houserule introduces a fairly significant discrepancy between NPC blacksmiths and PC blacksmiths, which seems rather counter to the spirit of 3.5.

[shaga]

Where does this come from?

Also, your houserule introduces a fairly significant discrepancy between NPC blacksmiths and PC blacksmiths, which seems rather counter to the spirit of 3.5.

A martial weapon has DC 15, an exotic weapon has DC 18. I figured the difference should also apply to armors.
What do you mean by "a significant discrepancy"?? and what do you mean by the "spirit of 3.5"? As I understand it NPCs and PCs exist in entire different level. Now by NPCs, i mean the warriors, adepts, commoners and experts. Those NPCs are nowhere near a PC. Even for heroic classes NPCs on DMG have ability score 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Most PCs, if not every PC, has better ability scores than that. NPCs also have less gear than PCs.

Anyway this is a bit far from the original question. Which was can Thri-Kreen wear/use heavy armor, or even medium armor and if yes then how rare should such an armor be in a faerun setting?

[Artillery]

A martial weapon has DC 15, an exotic weapon has DC 18. I figured the difference should also apply to armors.
What do you mean by "a significant discrepancy"?? and what do you mean by the "spirit of 3.5"? As I understand it NPCs and PCs exist in entire different level. Now by NPCs, i mean the warriors, adepts, commoners and experts. Those NPCs are nowhere near a PC. Even for heroic classes NPCs on DMG have ability score 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Most PCs, if not every PC, has better ability scores than that. NPCs also have less gear than PCs.

Anyway this is a bit far from the original question. Which was can Thri-Kreen wear/use heavy armor, or even medium armor and if yes then how rare should such an armor be in a faerun setting?

What? Its just armor for a non-humanoid. That just means its twice as expensive. Exotic armor is stuff like Mountain Plate, Twist Cloth etc.
There are rules about non-humanoid armor so why not use it? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/armor.htm#armorForUnusualCreatures)

[shaga]

What? Its just armor for a non-humanoid. That just means its twice as expensive. Exotic armor is stuff like Mountain Plate, Twist Cloth etc.
There are rules about non-humanoid armor so why not use it? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/armor.htm#armorForUnusualCreatures)

Yes I know about the costs and weights (for different sizes) but there is nothing there about crafting them. They are called exotic for a reason, they should be more difficult to craft than a normal armor.

But even if I just charge double and don't require a crafter search by the PC. The question remains. Can thri-Kreen use heavy armor ? and how rare such an armor should be on faerun? Especially considering thri-kreen dont make such armors.

[herrhauptmann]

Yes I know about the costs and weights (for different sizes) but there is nothing there about crafting them. They are called exotic for a reason, they should be more difficult to craft than a normal armor.

But even if I just charge double and don't require a crafter search by the PC. The question remains. Can thri-Kreen use heavy armor ? and how rare such an armor should be on faerun? Especially considering thri-kreen dont make such armors.
Exotic is for the armor style itself. Thrikreen full plate is double the cost of regular plate, but it's not exotic. Interlocking plate however, is exotic no matter who it's for.
Yes, real life, making a suit of plate to fit a weird body shape would be more difficult: because straps would have to go in different spots, and dishing out the plates into new and different shapes. But that's overly realistic, D&D doesn't care about it.

Why shouldn't they be able to wear heavy armor?
Yeah 2nd ed said no armor, fine. Pictures don't show anything besides bits of leather.
So what? Barbarians are usually shown in hide, or a loincloth. Yet lots of people put them in mithral breastplates or mithral fullplate.

Put thrikreen in heavy armor if they have proficiency with it (feat or class ability), and make sure to adjust their speed appropriately (and jump bonuses for the different speed).

They'd probably be unable to walk into a store and buy it unless there's an oddball smith who regularly crafts armor for nonhumanoids (pixies, tauric giant scorpions, mice, girallons, fire giants, dragons, etc) They'd have to commission it.
At double the price of regular armor, it'll take more time. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/craft.htm But an NPC smith could still do it.

[killem2]

By raw, it shouldn't be hard. If the materials are available for the armor, making it to fit you should just cost more and be done with it.

Of course at that point, you need the DM to confirm there is someone who makes that armor to begin with, if it isn't available to a humanoid, then you'll have to look elsewhere.

[Urpriest]

Another important point to make is that if you want to be "realistic" about what's for sale, all full-plate is commissioned individually anyway.