Lycanthropic Armor

[Rama_Lei]

The townspeople slowly encircled the thief, a human were-rat.
"Sure you're tough in all that armor, lad. But when you transform, it'll pop right off, and you'll be easy pickings!" smirked the tavern owner.
"Really now?" said the were-rat, tilting his head, a grin spreading ear to ear, "Let's find out!" His face began morph and thick black hair started to peek through his gloves and boots. What had kept him alive so far was a magnificently ornate mithral armor, with gems in set round the shoulders. But instead of the armor falling off, it too began to change! It bent and molded and reformed perfectly on to the new rat. Donned in his armor, the were-rat scurried up the wall, leaving the townspeople to wonder.


Lycanthropic Armor: A must have for any shapeshifter, lycanthropic armor changes with it's wearer. Moderate Transmutation; CL 4 Craft Magic arms and Armor, polymorph; Price 2x base price of armor. 4x for large lycanthropes.

[ExHunterEmerald]

Ooh, perfect timing. Got to throw this at my DM before next weekend...

Though, on pricing, I'd give it a +1 bonus cost, or +2 for a large lycanthrope.

[Eighth_Seraph]

...rat size bonuses to AC...and mithral armor. Ultimate. Spy. Nicely done, Lei.

[Rama_Lei]

Ooh, perfect timing. Got to throw this at my DM before next weekend...

Though, on pricing, I'd give it a +1 bonus cost, or +2 for a large lycanthrope.
Well, the DMG gives pricing for non humanoid armor at 2x for medium creatures, so I based it of off that.

[Jack_Simth]

Probably better to base it off of...



Wild: The wearer of a suit of armor or a shield with this ability preserves his armor bonus (and any enhancement bonus) while in a wild shape. Armor and shields with this ability usually appear to be made covered in leaf patterns. While the wearer is in a wild shape, the armor cannot be seen.

Moderate transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, baleful polymorph; Price +3 bonus.


... as it's essentially the same thing.

[Shazzbaa]

... as it's essentially the same thing.

Not quite. That enhancement just lets you keep your armour bonus for melded armour. It doesn't actually allow the armour to meld. Whereas this new armour isn't doing anything anything about armour bonuses; it's just changing the shape of the armour.

So while they may have similar results, in terms of what the spell is actually doing, it's quite different.

[Rama_Lei]

Not quite. That enhancement just lets you keep your armour bonus for melded armour. It doesn't actually allow the armour to meld. Whereas this new armour isn't doing anything anything about armour bonuses; it's just changing the shape of the armour.

So while they may have similar results, in terms of what the spell is actually doing, it's quite different. What she said. Also, wild shape and a lycanthropes alternate form are two very different things.

[Jester42]

Personally, I would jack the cost way up. Depending on how accepted in the campaign setting lycanthropy is a player may have issues finding an alchemist willing to create the armor, no matter how easy the enchanting is.

[Rama_Lei]

Personally, I would jack the cost way up. Depending on how accepted in the campaign setting lycanthropy is a player may have issues finding an alchemist willing to create the armor, no matter how easy the enchanting is.
I could include that as a variation option. It is also fairly simple, since any self respecting wizard knows polymorph

[Fizban]

Not quite. That enhancement just lets you keep your armour bonus for melded armour. It doesn't actually allow the armour to meld. Whereas this new armour isn't doing anything anything about armour bonuses; it's just changing the shape of the armour.

So while they may have similar results, in terms of what the spell is actually doing, it's quite different.
I believe you have it backwards: Wild armor melds as normal, but you get to keep the armor bonus it was giving you.

Now, it's not like it's all that gamebreaking, but I'd still cost it at +2 bonus equivalent. Call it shapeshifter armor, let it say "the armor automatically reshapes to fit the wearer's new form", and cost it at +2.

For a mundane version, it's hard to believe as possible. On the last iteration of this same exact thread, someone who puports to have made armor in real life reconed it would be physically possible, but it would look ridiculous and be quite akward. It would require help re-adjusting the straps and such after the transformation, and it would have to be made specifically for the person and their shapeshifting abilities. In short, much more expensive than x2 normal cost.

This type of ability makes the most sense as magic.

[Jack_Simth]

Not quite. That enhancement just lets you keep your armour bonus for melded armour. It doesn't actually allow the armour to meld. Whereas this new armour isn't doing anything anything about armour bonuses; it's just changing the shape of the armour.

So while they may have similar results, in terms of what the spell is actually doing, it's quite different.Essentially, not exactly; it's got about 80 to 90% of the same game mechanical effects. Okay... so your shifting armor doesn't hide. But then, it keeps its other nifties (such as, say, Glammered, Ghost Touch, Greater Shadow, Greater Silent Moves, whatever) which is liable to be more valuable in many circumstances.

If it's close to the same game mechanical effects for critters that change shape (both of which are specialized to a particular type of shifting), shouldn't it have close to the same game mechanical cost?



What she said. Also, wild shape and a lycanthropes alternate form are two very different things.

Completely different abilities... and, gee, that Druid could sure make someone think he was a werebear; but the were shifting is less flexible, but has an intermediary form which is rather nice. Hence "base it off of"

[Shazzbaa]

I believe you have it backwards: Wild armor melds as normal, but you get to keep the armor bonus it was giving you.

No, no, you misunderstand; I'm just saying the "Wild" enhancement isn't what allows the armour to meld. It's the druid's wild-shape ability that does that (which is the whole reason that Wild armour isn't compatible with lycanthropy). Lycanthropic shape-changing is possibly the only shapechanging in the game where worn equipment doesn't automatically meld with the new form.


Though, that aside, I can see what Jack's saying about this actually being *more* useful than the Wild enhancement.


Depending on how accepted in the campaign setting lycanthropy is a player may have issues finding an alchemist willing to create the armor, no matter how easy the enchanting is. Also, I agree with this. ;3

[Fizban]

*Blink Blink*

So I did, I see what you were saying now.

The thing I don't like is, if shapeshifting armor is gonna cost so much (+3 seems like to much to me), why not just use bracers of armor and be done with it? The fact that wild armor melds while still protecting is almost a bonus anyway: those attacking the animal don't know it's got armor on, those seeing the bird flying overhead don't know it has armor etc. It's almost like glammering for free, except different.

My point is, shapechanging armor should remain visible as armor in any form, and function the same in any form, and cost as a +2 bonus. Otherwise you might as well just get the bracers.