[Armor Abiltiy]Reshaping

[Winged One]

Reshaping
Armor with this ability will change it's size and shape to acomodate any wearer, to a limit of 1 size category larger or smaller than the size it was originally. For example, it can change from normal armor for a medium humanoid into barding for an animal, or into armor for a small humanoid. If a wearer has an alternate form, it reshapes during the change to still provide the armor bonus to the new form. If a Druid Wild Shapes while wearing Reshaping armor, it blends into their form as normal. If a Druid attempts something which would normally circumvent this, the armor instead becomes an Animated Object and attacks the Druid. The Animated Object is normal except that it's slam attack is instead a bitch-slap attack and it gives no XP when defeated.
Moderate Transmutation;CL 7;Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Polymorph or alternate form; price +2 bonus

I considered making it a static price increase rather than an increase in the enhancement bonus, but I'm pretty much guessing the price either way. As always, feedback is apreciated.

[Valairn]

I'm not gonna kill any catgirls here, it seems simple enough. More or less you are trading a plus 1 bonus to be able to put this armor on well pretty much anything. You might add something like a reduce in armor check penalties to this particular form of armor that way I think its more balanced with a +1 bonus, otherwise you are trading a +1 bonus for a gimmick, and that just isn't worth it.

Since it reshapes the armor its reasonable to expect it would fit better than normal armor. Which would reduce armor check penalties in my opinion.

[Fizban]

Doesn't armor already resize to fit the wearer? Seems I was wrong on that. Second, there's a similar ability in CAv that works only for wildshaping, at the same cost, so this technically is more powerful. I'd say +2 is more than enough to cover any possible change of form.

It's really annoying that they keep using the clause "either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form." Since just about any creature can wear rings and amulets, not to mention the possibilities of bracers, bracelets, headgear, capes, and anything that's not armor, why even bother?

[icke]

Some problems:

1) How fast does the armor change shape? Can it follow a shapechanging ability that counts as a move action? Swift or free action? This is interesting if You have a shapechanger in Your campaign who takes the appropriate Quicken feat for his ability.

2) The prerequisites to make this armor enhancement should include Polymorph rather than Alter Self, at least if You want the armor to change from humanoid to other forms. Thus, CL 9 should be minimum.

[Winged One]

I'm not gonna kill any catgirls here, it seems simple enough. More or less you are trading a plus 1 bonus to be able to put this armor on well pretty much anything. You might add something like a reduce in armor check penalties to this particular form of armor that way I think its more balanced with a +1 bonus, otherwise you are trading a +1 bonus for a gimmick, and that just isn't worth it.

Since it reshapes the armor its reasonable to expect it would fit better than normal armor. Which would reduce armor check penalties in my opinion.
Tailored armor doesn't reduce the armor check penalty(unless that's how you represent the masterwork quality, in which case magic armor has to be masterwork anyway).


Doesn't armor already resize to fit the wearer? Seems I was wrong on that. Second, there's a similar ability in CAv that works only for wildshaping, at the same cost, so this technically is more powerful. I'd say +2 is more than enough to cover any possible change of form.
Will do. +2 it is.

Some problems:

1) How fast does the armor change shape? Can it follow a shapechanging ability that counts as a move action? Swift or free action? This is interesting if You have a shapechanger in Your campaign who takes the appropriate Quicken feat for his ability.
It changes exactly as fast as the shapechanger wearing it, so yes.

2) The prerequisites to make this armor enhancement should include Polymorph rather than Alter Self, at least if You want the armor to change from humanoid to other forms. Thus, CL 9 should be minimum.
Polymorph is a 4th level spell, so that'd be CL 7, actually. I'll still do it, just being a bit pendantic.

[Triaxx]

This makes me rather nervous. Would it stack with the natural ac of shifted forms? Because if so, I shudder at a Druid shapeshifted into a Bear.

[Winged One]

From the SRD, under Wild Shape:
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.

[Triaxx]

Yet the primary purpose of adding this enchantment seems to focus on avoiding the problems that come with changing form while wearing armor. Thus this would seem to over-ride that.

I suppose it would be a DM's decision as to which takes precedence.

[Winged One]

Or I could just edit it to clarify that it blends normally, and also make it follow my tradition for homebrew magic items to bitch-slap people that try to abuse them.

[Triaxx]

Very true. I like it irregardless.

[Shazzbaa]

This makes me rather nervous. Would it stack with the natural ac of shifted forms? Because if so, I shudder at a Druid shapeshifted into a Bear.

Ah, but you see, druids already get this: see "Wild" armour enchantment in the DMG, page 219. However, it's a +3 bonus. But the thing is that for wildshape, it already exists, so that's no kind of abuse (and no need for the bitch-slapping). :smalltongue:

This sort of thing would be nice mostly for us lycanthropic types, since our armour and clothing and whatnot just breaks if we're too big to wear it, and gets in our way otherwise; so having armour that specifies that it reshapes itself would help us. However, that would be just about the only reason you'd take this instead of the Wild armour enchantment... so as I said on the other thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30818):
"Hello, shopkeeper. I'd like to buy armour specifically made for lycanthropes. Why? Uh..... no reason...."
:smallwink:

[icke]

Additionally this one is useful for any natural shapeshifter, even including many dragon varieties. And yes, I also shudder at the thought of "wild" armor, but that's personal. As a DM, You're free to rule it out. Or, even better, make acquiring such an armor extremely difficult: The one-in-a-thousand master armorcraftsman who can build this thing requires, say, the skin of an adult gold dragon to make it. Worked fine in my campaign...

[XtheYeti]

Wait that is what "Wild" armor does. it stays on while in wild shape? why could i find out what it did before? Dang i could have probly lived with that knowlege

[Winged One]

Ah, but you see, druids already get this: see "Wild" armour enchantment in the DMG, page 219. However, it's a +3 bonus. But the thing is that for wildshape, it already exists, so that's no kind of abuse (and no need for the bitch-slapping). :smalltongue:
There's always a need to bitch-slap druids that are trying to break the game.:smallsmile:


This sort of thing would be nice mostly for us lycanthropic types, since our armour and clothing and whatnot just breaks if we're too big to wear it, and gets in our way otherwise; so having armour that specifies that it reshapes itself would help us. However, that would be just about the only reason you'd take this instead of the Wild armour enchantment... so as I said on the other thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30818):
:smallwink:

You can also say you want barding for your mounts, but you expect to change mounts frequently. Or whatever else you want to say.

[icke]

What about size limits? Can You equip a flea with it, or a planet?
I'd say, give it a limit of three consecutive size categories, so You can't do anything with just one armor.

[Triaxx]

Good idea. Which three? Say Medium, Large, Huge? Or Medium, Small, Large? One would do two sizes of horse, and an elephant, the other would do two sizes of horse, or a pony.

[I_Got_This_Name]

I'd just give it a size category, and allow it to fit one step in each direction; armor for a medium creature would fit small to large; a small's would fit tiny to medium, and a large's would fit medium to huge. You could even get it Gargantuan, if you wanted, fitting Huge to Colossal, or Diminutive, getting Fine to Tiny.

[Winged One]

I'd just give it a size category, and allow it to fit one step in each direction; armor for a medium creature would fit small to large; a small's would fit tiny to medium, and a large's would fit medium to huge. You could even get it Gargantuan, if you wanted, fitting Huge to Colossal, or Diminutive, getting Fine to Tiny.

You win a cookie for proposing the mechanic for it I picked. It is, however, invisible.:smallsmile:

[icke]

Good idea. Which three? Say Medium, Large, Huge? Or Medium, Small, Large? One would do two sizes of horse, and an elephant, the other would do two sizes of horse, or a pony.

Not which three, every three, for every single armor You choose three size consecutive size categories and the armor can shape to fit creatures of these three categories.

The guy with This Name had better words for explaining it, but I meant the same.

[fangthane]

All I can think of is that with Dark Discorporation (halfling/gnome warlock, for Small starting size) you'd end up with 8 squares' worth of bats wearing teeny tiny little diminutive mithral chainmails. Now that got a chuckle out of me. :)

[icke]

All I can think of is that with Dark Discorporation (halfling/gnome warlock, for Small starting size) you'd end up with 8 squares' worth of bats wearing teeny tiny little diminutive mithral chainmails. Now that got a chuckle out of me. :)

It's ONE armor. It doesn't split! I hope ot does not.

[Collin152]

Then what happens to it? Melds into all the little batlings?

[Winged One]

Yes, just as the invocation description says that your armor does.

[Fizban]

Before anyone asks, the difference between the wild enhancement in the DMG for +3 and the version in CAv for +1 is that Wild melds while the other does not. So, minor as it is, the fact that you're still wearing the armor gives you a few weaknesses.

[Collin152]

But they both let you keep the armor bonus. So why does this one beat you to bits if you try to do that?

[Winged One]

I'd have to bump it up to +3 if it worked with Wild Shape. Maybe even +4.

[icke]

I'd have to bump it up to +3 if it worked with Wild Shape. Maybe even +4.

Keep it +3, it doesn't do much more than wild armor and the usability for others except druids doesn't justify another +1.