Heaviest possible armor you can make?

[flamewolf393]

So I have a Dwarven Forgemaster npc that works a Hell Forge owned by a Devil Lord. What is the best armor he could possibly make for max AC before enchanting? Any splatbook, even some homebrew considered if it makes sense.

Edit: its a 3.5 game, but pathfinder would be considered for gear purposes.

[ZeroSpace9000]

Stating which edition you're using will help quite a bit.

[Zanos]

Assuming 3.5, Mountain Plate(Races of Stone) and Mechanus Gear(Planar Handbook) both have 10 AC and 0 Max Dex.
Mechanus gear halves your movement(15 for a 30ft creature), and mountain plate reduces it to 1/3(10ft for a 30ft creature).
Mountain Plate also requires an Exotic Armor Proficiency feat, and reduces your speed even if you are a dwarf, and you cannot run at all.

Basically mountain plate is garbage, get a suit of Mechanus Gear.

[ranagrande]

The best I know of is Mountain Plate, from Races of Stone, at +10 AC.

[zergling.exe]

Assuming 3.5, Mountain Plate(Races of Stone) and Mechanus Gear(Planar Handbook) both have 10 AC and 0 Max Dex.
Mechanus gear halves your movement(15 for a 30ft creature), and mountain plate reduces it to 1/3(10ft for a 30ft creature).
Mountain Plate also requires an Exotic Armor Proficiency feat, and reduces your speed even if you are a dwarf, and you cannot run at all.

Basically mountain plate is garbage, get a suit of Mechanus Gear.

Unless I missed some errata for Races of Stone, Mountain Plate is half as well. Still terrible though, especially because it's exotic.

Edit: Also note that dwarves are 20 foot movement, they get to move normally in heavier armors to make up for this. IE, Mountain Plate is garbage for dwarves, what fools for inventing it.

Edit2: For getting +1 Battle Plate, a dwarf would be ahead by 1 AC from Dex, down 250 gp, 100 lbs lighter, and having 20 ft of movement still.

[Zanos]

Unless I missed some errata for Races of Stone, Mountain Plate is half as well. Still terrible though, especially because it's exotic.

Edit: Also note that dwarves are 20 foot movement, they get to move normally in heavier armors to make up for this. IE, Mountain Plate is garbage for dwarves, what fools for inventing it.
You're correct, I was looking at the 20 foot column for movement for some reason.

[zergling.exe]

You're correct, I was looking at the 20 foot column for movement for some reason.

Well, that is what they have. :smalltongue:

Also added another edit.

[Metahuman1]

Doesn't mountain plate give a +2 to AC for a total of 12 on rounds where you don't move in it?

[Rhatahema]

If you're looking at 3.5, the heaviest armor I know of if Thaalud Stone Armor. Heavy armor, 2.8k, +12AC, +0Max Dex, -8 ACP, 40% ASF, 180lb. From Anauroch, The Empire of Shade, pg. 108. It's not exotic and doesn't impose additional movement limitations beyond what's normal for heavy armor. It's just really heavy and probably can't be made from other materials (since it's already made from a special kind of stone).

[Michael7123]

Have yourself dimension doored into the side of a mountain. Bam. Massive, thick stone wall keeping you nice and safe.

[goto124]

Have yourself dimension doored into the side of a mountain. Bam. Massive, thick stone wall keeping you nice and safe.

Can't... breath...

[atemu1234]

Can't... breath...

There's a ring for that! (TM)

[Kraken]

If you're feeling crazy, you can tinker with clockwork armor (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20070212a).

[zergling.exe]

Doesn't mountain plate give a +2 to AC for a total of 12 on rounds where you don't move in it?

Interlocking armor does that. There are two kinds, scale and plate. Same book though.

[ben-zayb]

Have yourself dimension doored into the side of a mountain. Bam. Massive, thick stone wall keeping you nice and safe.Unless your enemy is that section of the mountain itself, which is just an Earth Elemental in disguise.:smalltongue:

[Gemini476]

If you're feeling crazy, you can tinker with clockwork armor (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20070212a).

...So do you get your dexterity to AC with that? That's pretty good armor, even if the weaknesses are crippling.

[SiuiS]

I wouldn't even say it's crippling. Just upgrade later; magic it to be harder (hardness boost of +10 total from spell and Psionic enhancement, then another 2/+1 from enchantment! Bludgeon that!), and enchant it to be immune to cold~

[Tarvus]

As an interesting aside/alternative, rather than focus on one armor, if you can get a heavy duty padded, leather or chain equivalent armour that you want to use, you can up-armor it with these 2 from Oriental Adventures:


Chahar-Aina: Extra "plates" that you wear over any padded, leather or chain equivalent armour but you need proficiency in medium armor. +1AC, -1 ACP, 10 lb.
Dastana (also in A&EG): Metal bracers can be worn in addition to any padded, leather or chain equivalent armour and shield but you need proficiency in light armor. +1AC, –1 ACP, 5 lb.

OA is 3.0, but according to its update in Dragon #318 the above stay basically as-is. Only addition is that any +X AC enchantments on either the Chahar-Aina or the Dastana replaces the +AC on the armor worn if better, or is ignored if not.

[Andezzar]

Not exactly the answer to your question but a Mithral Full Plate could give a wearer up to 12 AC with DEX 16+. Plus it's medium armor so you will be a bit more maneuverable.

[Jack_Simth]

As an interesting aside/alternative, rather than focus on one armor, if you can get a heavy duty padded, leather or chain equivalent armour that you want to use, you can up-armor it with these 2 from Oriental Adventures:


Chahar-Aina: Extra "plates" that you wear over any padded, leather or chain equivalent armour but you need proficiency in medium armor. +1AC, -1 ACP, 10 lb.
Dastana (also in A&EG): Metal bracers can be worn in addition to any padded, leather or chain equivalent armour and shield but you need proficiency in light armor. +1AC, –1 ACP, 5 lb.

OA is 3.0, but according to its update in Dragon #318 the above stay basically as-is. Only addition is that any +X AC enchantments on either the Chahar-Aina or the Dastana replaces the +AC on the armor worn if better, or is ignored if not.
... if that overlap only applies to the Enhancement bonus, it could still be VERY worthwhile - any of the +X Equivalent abilities could be made considerably less expensive that way. You could have, say, a +1 Heavy Fortification Chahar-Aina (36k and change), a +1 Dastana of Invulnerability (well, really just DR 5/Magic... there's better options in MiC if you look around) for 16k, and then your standard +5 Mithral Chain Shirt under that - and still have a shield with it's own properties.

[Tarvus]

... if that overlap only applies to the Enhancement bonus, it could still be VERY worthwhile - any of the +X Equivalent abilities could be made considerably less expensive that way. You could have, say, a +1 Heavy Fortification Chahar-Aina (36k and change), a +1 Dastana of Invulnerability (well, really just DR 5/Magic... there's better options in MiC if you look around) for 16k, and then your standard +5 Mithral Chain Shirt under that - and still have a shield with it's own properties.

I actually had to ask a friend to check the issue for me (found the right one googling for OA updates). I don't own that one but I asked if he could get the specifics:

However it is still the case that only one enhancement bonus can apply to a character's armor bonus at any time...A character can still gain the benefits of special abilities attached to multiple pieces of armor, however, so a character wearing +2 balance dastanas and a +1 displacement chahar-aina has a a +2 enhancement bonus to AC and can use the balance and displacement special abilities

[Kraken]

...So do you get your dexterity to AC with that? That's pretty good armor, even if the weaknesses are crippling.

Given that it actually increases your dexterity score while wearing it, because their isn't a listed maximum dexterity bonus, I think it's fair to say that there is none.

Aside form becoming immune to could, there are also various ways to increase the hardness of objects, so it's viable, but requires investment.