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Jormengand
2017-07-13, 10:27 PM
Elite Equipment

Many weapons are great not because of their magical quality but because of their amazing craftsmanship and design, as well as the quality of the materials from which they are crafted. This allows a martial character to contribute to situations that would normally require a magic weapon even when devoid of one, for example.

What follows is not based fully on reality - for example, a Dopplehänder is not significantly different from a greatsword, an Urumi is not widely considered to be effective in combat, a hurlbat doesn't even refer to one specific type of weapon, and a drakkenspear doesn't exist at all. Instead, it focuses on the kind of reality that a fantasy setting locked into a late-medieval era might entail.

Elite Tiers

"Elite" is a designation which states that a weapon, piece of armour, shield, tool, or other item is above masterwork quality, but an elite item is also masterwork. Similarly, while there are five elite tiers (Elite, Phenomenal, Glorious, Ultimate and Legendary) each of those is each previous tier - a glorious weapon is also phenomenal, elite and masterwork. Similar abilities from multiple tiers overlap, rather than stacking, however.

Elite equipment is considered to be magical for purposes of defenses which work better against nonmagical weapons than magical ones, such as DR/magic and incorporeality, as well as attacks which work better against nonmagical defenses, and other situations where magical items have an advantage over nonmagical ones purely by being magical. They still aren't magical, so they aren't subject to effects which affect magical weapons. Elite equipment gets saving throws at a bonus of either +5, or that of the creature holding it +2, whichever is higher. Any ability which would impede its functioning is 40% likely to be rendered ineffective.
Phenomenal equipment is considered to be a force effect when opposing an effect which is less effective (or ineffective) against force effects, such as incorporeality. It's considered to be magic equipment of +3 quality when confronted with an opposing ability which is less useful against such equipment. Phenomenal equipment gets saving throws at a bonus of either +10, or that of the creature holding it +4 whichever is higher. Any ability which would impede its functioning is 60% likely to be rendered ineffective.
Glorious equipment is indestructible. It's considered to be magic equipment of +5 quality for overcoming opposing abilities. Glorious equipment gets saving throws at a bonus of either +15, or that of the creature holding it +6, whichever is higher. Any ability which would impede its functioning is 80% likely to be rendered ineffective.
Ultimate equipment is epic in nature, and acts as magic equipment of +7 quality for overcoming opposing abilities. Ultimate equpment automatically passes any saving throw it is allowed and any ability which would impede its functioning doesn't.
Legendary items are artefacts except that they are nonmagical. A legendary item can be a minor or major artefact, but only a set number exist in either case.

An item having an elite tier doesn't preclude it being magical, but it doesn't mean that it is, either. Further, enchanting an item with an elite tier is exceptionally difficult and expensive (see "crafting elite items").

Table: Elite Weapons


Simple Weapons
Cost
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight
Type


Unarmed Attacks


Caestus
3000
1d3
1d4
19-20 *2
-
1 lb
B and P


Emeici
400,000
1d4
1d6
14-20 *4
-
-
P


Kattari
10,000
1d4
1d6
18-20 *2
-
1 lb
P and S


Suntetsu
45,000
1d4
1d6
16-20 *3
-
-
P


Tekko Kage
40,000
1d6
1d8
17-20 *2
-
1 lb
P and S


Wagh Nakha
375,000
1d8
2d6
16-20 *2
-
1 lb
P and S


Light Melee Weapons


Misericorde
35,000
2d6
3d6
*10
-
1 lb
P


Nekhaka
25,000
2d6
3d6
18-20 *2
-
2 lb
B


Roundel
8000
2d4
3d4
*7
-
1 lb
P


Stilletto
2000
1d6
2d4
*4
-
1 lb
P


One-handed Melee Weapons


Flanged Mace
3000
1d10
2d6
18-20 *2
-
3 lb
B


Heka
30,000
3d6
4d6
*4
-
3 lb
B or P


Pernach
10,000
2d6
3d6
18-20 *3
-
3 lb
B


Shestopyor
40,000
3d6
4d6
18-20 *4
-
4 lb
B and P


Two-handed Melee Weapons


Shillelagh
15,000
4d6
6d6
17-20 *2
-
6 lb
B


Ranged Weapons


Arbalest
4,000
2d6
3d6
19-20 *2
160 ft
8 lb
P


Hand Ballista
40,000
4d6
6d6
19-20 *4
240 ft
12 lb
B and P


Mechanical Crossbow
10,000
3d6
4d6
19-20 *3
200 ft
10 lb
B and P


Martial Weapons
Cost
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight
Type


Light Melee Weapons


Ancile
-
-
3d6
18-20 *2
-
Special
B


Cinquedea
3,000
1d10
2d6
18-20 *2
10 ft
2 lbs
S or P


Fransisca
3,000
1d10
1d12
*5
10 ft
2 lbs
S


Kirpan
300,000
4d6
6d6
16-20 *4
10 ft
1 lb
S or P


Kris
9,000
3d6
4d6
17-20 *3
10 ft
1 lb
S or P


Rondache
Special
1d8
1d10
19-20 *2
-
Special
B


Rondache, Spiked
Special
1d10
2d6
19-20 *2
-
Special
P


Seax
30,000
3d6
2d12
16-20 *4
10 ft
1 lb
S or P


Tomahawk
9,000
1d12
3d6
*8
30 ft
1 lb
S


One-handed Melee Weapons


Aegis
-
-
4d6
18-20 *2
-
Special
B


Ayamur
-
-
6d6
19-20 *5
-
5 lbs
True


Colichemarde
4,000
1d10
2d6
14-20 *2
-
2 lbs
P or S


Drakkenspear
35,000
4d6
6d6
*7
40 ft
6 lbs
P


Harpē
10,000
3d6
4d6
19-20 *4
-
4 lbs
S


Khanda
3,500
2d6
3d6
16-20 *2
-
4 lbs
S


Kite Shield
Special
1d10
2d6
19-20 *2
-
Special
B


Kite Shield, Spiked
Special
3d6
3d6
19-20 *2
-
Special
P


Kusenaginotsurugi
-
-
6d6
10-20 *3
-
3 lbs
S or P


Talwar
400,000
6d6
8d6
16-20 *4
-
2 lbs
S or P


Tsurugi
40,000
4d6
6d6
16-20 *3
-
3 lbs
S or P


Ulfbehrt
-
-
6d10
19-20 *8
-
2 lbs
S or P


Wakizashi, Ichikarada
4,000

1d4

1d6

18-20 *4

-

4 lbs

S or P



Wakizashi, Nikarada
16,000

1d4

1d6

17-20 *6

-

4 lbs

S or P



Wakizashi, Sankarada
60,000

1d4

1d6

16-20 *8

-

4 lbs

S or P



Wakizashi, Shikarada
260,000

1d4

1d6

15-20 *10

-

4 lbs

S or P



Yagrush
-
-
8d8
19-20 *5
-
5 lbs
True


Yatanokagami
-
-
2d12
19-20 *3
-
Special
B


Two-handed Melee Weapons


Ascalon
-
-
3d20
17-20 *6
-
4 lbs
P


Bardiche
4,000
2d8
3d8
19-20 *3
-
5 lbs
S


Claymore
4,000
3d6
4d6
16-20 *2
-
6 lbs
S


Doppelhänder
12,000
4d6
6d6
15-20 *2
-
5 lbs
S or P


Durendal
-
-
12d8
14-20 *5
-
6 lbs
S or P


Flamberge
45,000
6d6
8d6
14-20 *3
-
4 lbs
S or P


Hurlbat
3,200
2d8
3d8
*5
30 ft
2 lbs
B and S


Labrys
3,600
3d6
2d12
*5
-
6 lbs
S


Lochaber
10,000
3d8
4d8
18-20 *3
-
5 lbs
S


Monomolecular Falchion
450,000
6d6
8d6
3-20 *4
-
4 lbs
S


Ranged Weapons


Daikyū
5000
2d6
3d6
*5
130 ft
4 lbs

P



Deadeye Bow
375,000
4d6
6d6
16-20 *3
170 ft
7 lbs

P



Hankyū
4,500
1d8
2d6
19-20 *3
110 ft
4 lbs

P



Greatbow
15,000
3d6
4d6
*7
150 ft
5 lbs

P



Mechanical Bow
45,000
4d6
6d6
*9
170 ft
6 lbs

P



Recurve Bow
12,500
2d6
3d6
18-20 *3
130 ft
5 lbs

P



Reflex Bow
40,000
3d6
4d6
17-20 *3
150 ft
6 lbs

P



Siege Bow
400,000
6d6
8d6
*11
190 ft
7 lbs

P



Exotic Weapons
Cost
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight
Type


Light Melee Weapons


Wind-and-fire Wheel
9,000

2d6

2d8

17-20 *3

40 ft

1 lb

S



One-handed Melee Weapons


Arivāl
5,500

1d10

2d6

18-20 *3

-

3 lbs

S or P



Hook Sword
10,000

2d6

3d6

16-20 *3

-

4 lbs

S or P



Katana, Ichikarada
5,000

1d8

1d10

18-20 *4

-

6 lbs

S or P



Katana, Nikarada
20,000

1d8

1d10

17-20 *6

-

6 lbs

S or P



Katana, Sankarada
80,000

1d8

1d10

16-20 *8

-

6 lbs

S or P



Katana, Shikarada
320,000

1d8

1d10

15-20 *10

-

6 lbs

S or P



Masamunenokatana
-

1d8

1d10

15-20 *20

-

6 lbs

S or P



Muramasanokatana
-

1d8

1d10

9-20 *10

-

6 lbs

S or P



Urumi
4,000

1d6

1d8

*3

-

3 lbs

S



Two-handed Melee Weapons


Bladed Triskelion
50,000

3d6

4d6

15-20 *4

-

9 lbs

S



Daichui
4,000

3d6

4d6

19-20 *3

-

7 lbs

B



Falx
8,500

4d6

6d6

11-20 *2

-

12 lbs

S



Shichishi-tō
10,000

3d6

4d6

19-20 *3

-

10 lbs

S or P



Ranged Weapons


Zhūgé nǔ
350,000

1d6

1d8

*2

120 ft

7 lbs

P



Siege Weapons
Cost
Dmg (H)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight
Type


Ranged Weapons


Polybolos
350,000

3d6

*2

120 ft

28 lbs

P



Trebuchet
100,000

20d6

-

300 ft (100 ft minimum)

300 lbs

P




Weapon Descriptions

The weapon descriptions do not explain what the weapons in question actually are except in the case where the real weapon is unclear or nonexistent. Generally, the names can be looked up for descriptions of the weapon in question, and to describe them further would simply repeat information that is better described elsewhere. Instead this section details the rules for using the weapons in question.

Where the weapon claims to be a type of another weapon ("An arbalest is a type of heavy crossbow") it means the following:

- The former weapon (here the arbalest) is not a valid choice for feats such as weapon focus, rapid reload, or anything else which tells you to pick one type of weapon. You should pick the latter weapon (here the heavy crossbow) instead.
- Any effect which specifies the second weapon also affects the former weapon. For example, a wizard is proficient in the heavy crossbow. A wizard using an arbalest does not take a penalty on attack rolls for nonproficiency. If this would somehow lead to an effect that doesn't make sense and the resolution for the issue isn't clearly stated in the item description, the DM should decide on a resolution.
- The weapon does not adopt the cost, damage, critical threat range, critical damage modifier, range increment, weight, damage type or any special rules associated with the weapon it's a type of, nor does the number of hands required to wield it change. A heka, for example, is a type of quarterstaff but is not a double weapon and requires only one hand to wield normally.
- The the type of ordinary weapon which the elite weapon is is not a statement about the weapon's actual appearance or use - essentially, "A bladed triskelion is a type of two-bladed sword" is not meant to imply that it is actually a sword with two blades. Either refer to the weapon's description (if it is an invented weapon) or research the weapon in question (if the weapon actually existed) if needed.

Similarly, legendary items may make claims like "Ascalon is a longsword", which means the same thing as "Ascalon is a type of longsword" except that, as a unique item, it doesn't make sense to say the latter.

Shield bashes are not listed here; view the original shield description for information.

Arbalest
An arbalest is a type of heavy crossbow. It takes a move action to reload an arbalest.

Arivāl
An arivāl is a type of kama. A creature with an arivāl gets a +4 bonus on checks made to sunder a weapon. The arivāl is also a suitable tool for cutting wood, and is used to break apart coconuts.

Ascalon
Ascalon is a sword. When carried by the blade it can be treated as a holy symbol of a particular religion, but otherwise it is especially good at killing dragons: the damage it deals to dragons cannot be prevented and is tripled. A creature wielding Ascalon is also immune to the breath weapons of dragons.

(Ascalon has also been recorded as having perhaps been a lance; if a DM wishes to include ascalon as a lance instead of a sword its base damage is 2d20 and it cannot be used as a holy symbol but it deals double damage on a mounted charge.)

Ayamur
Ayamur is a greatclub. Damage dealt with Ayamur is true damage which cannot be prevented, resisted or mitigated by any means. A creature wielding Ayamur and Yagrush suffers no penalty for doing so, and a creature or object which is struck with both weapons in a single round must take a fortitude save (DC = 10 + half the wielder's character level + the wielder's strength modifier) or take enough true damage to destroy or kill it instantly.

Bardiche
A bardiche is a type of glaive. It's a reach weapon.

Bladed Triskelion
A bladed triskelion is a kind of two-bladed sword (despite being a three-bladed sword in actuality). It consists of three curved blades emanating from a set at handles at 120-degree angles, and is wielded by constantly changing one's grip on the weapon. Although it is wielded in two hands, a creature wielding the bladed triskelion is considered to be fighting with three weapons - consider the double weapon rules. Effectively, the creature is armed with a single weapon and can make offhand attacks with the two other blades exactly as though they had three arms. The creature's two-weapon fighting and related feats are effective while wielding a bladed triskelion, even though they are actually three-weapon fighting.

Normally, you can wield a double weapon as though it weren't a double weapon by striking only with one end of it. A creature wielding a bladed triskelion can do this, but in this case they don't get the benefit for wielding the bladed triskelion in two hands. Any creature, even one who is larger than the intended size for the bladed triskelion, must still wield it in two hands to use it at all.

The bladed triskelion's damage and critical values are the same for all three blades, so the table only lists them once in each case.

Caestus
See "Claw-class weapon".

Cinquedea
A cinquedea is a type of short sword.

Claymore
A claymore is a type of greatsword.

Claw-class weapon
Any claw-class weapon is a type of unarmed strike. When wielding a claw-class weapon, your effective size is increased for determining the damage die of your unarmed attack. The damage dice on Table: Elite Weapons have pre-calcuated this size increase assuming the wielder is not a monk and doesn't have any other ability to increase their unarmed strike damage. The size increase is one category for the caestus, two for the emeici, kattari and suntetsu, three for the tekko kage and four for the wagh nakha. A character with the superior unarmed strike feat and no levels in monk applies the size increase after setting their damage to a constant.

In order to wield claw-class weapons effectively, you must wear one in each hand; the price listed is for two. Claw-class weapons deal lethal damage in general, though a monk still has the option to deal nonlethal damage at a penalty and other characters can deal it with the regular penalty.

Colichemarde
A colichemarde is a type of longsword.

Daichui
A daichui is a type of dire flail. A daichui is a double weapon, but if it is used as an ordinary two-handed weapon instead it has reach. The dauchui's two ends have the same damage and critical value so they are not written twice in the table.

Daikyū
A daikyū is a type of longbow.

Doppelhänder
A doppelhänder is a kind of greatsword.

Drakkenspear
A drakkenspear is a type of lance. It consists of a barbed spear connected to a light but tough chain. A creature who attacks with a drakkenspear can either use the chain to pull it back after each attack, thus allowing them to make a full attack at range with a single drakkenspear, or can try to pull a flying creature to the ground or a creature on the ground towards them. In the latter case, the wielder makes a single attack as a full action. If the attack hits, the wielder is entitled to a grapple check; a success pulls a flying creature to the ground (though it is assumed they can land safely enough that they're treated as only having fallen a fifth the distance they did) or pulls a creature on the ground a number of squares towards the user equal to 1, plus 1 per 2 points the grapple check was passed by. The drakkenspear then returns to the user's hand. You can pull a creature off their mount in which case they take full falling damage if they have no ability to fly, but the mount or rider (whoever has the better grapple check) opposes you. A drakkenspear cannot be used to pull a creature on the ground towards you unless you are on the ground but can be used to dismount a creature or force a flying creature to the ground.

If wielded in close combat, a drakkenspear is a reach weapon and deals double damage if used as part of a mounted charge just like a lance does.

Durendal
Durendal is a greatsword. A creature wielding durendal is immune to fear. A creature with the sword can cleave through enemies as though they had the cleave feat. If they have it they gain the benefits of the great cleave feat, or if they have that then they can take a five-foot step (in addition to any five-foot steps they would be able to make normally or even if they wouldn't be able to make any at all) before making the extra attack.

Emeici
See "Claw-class weapon". In addition, you get a +8 bonus to all rolls to feint while wielding your emeici and a +10 bonus to conceal them while wielding them (a creature may not notice that they are weaponry and cannot be disarmed of them. Emeici do not actually take up your hands, so you can carry objects while wielding them; you cannot wield them effectively while doing so though. Emeici take up your ring slots so you cannot wear magical rings while wielding them.

Falx
A falx is a sword, but it's otherwise its own weapon; you must aquire proficiency in the falx itself to use it. The falx is a reach weapon, but unlike other reach weapons you can threaten and strike at the same squares as you could without a reach weapon as well.

Flamberge
A flamberge is a type of greatsword. A creature who misses the wielder provokes an attack of opportunity if in the wielder's reach, but only once per round no matter how many attacks of opportunity the wielder can make or how many times the creature misses.

Flanged Mace
A flanged mace is a type of heavy mace.

Fransisca
A fransisca is a type of throwing axe.

Greatbow
A greatbow is a type of longbow.

Hand Ballista
A hand ballista is a type of heavy crossbow. It takes a move action to reload a hand ballista. When using a hand ballista, its wielder can either choose to attack two adjacent targets in range, or use the hand ballista much like a splash weapon (they can also use the hand ballista normally). In the former case, make a single attack and compare it against both targets' ACs, rolling miss chances for each separately if relevant. If used as a splash weapon, the bolt deals minimum damage to each creature hit indirectly. The hand ballista deals double damage to stationary structures or to vehicles.

While a hand ballista is not meant to be set up as a siege weapon, more than one halfling in possession of a medium hand ballista has tried: it's operated much as a regular ballista while large and as the size category changes, so does the size category of the creature who can use it effectively as a siege weapon by the same amount.

Hankyū
A hankyū is a type of shortbow.

Harpē
A harpē is a type of scimitar.

Heka
A heka is a type of quarterstaff. A creature wielding a heka can grapple an enemy with it, allowing the wielder to maintain the grapple at a distance up to their natural reach. A creature grappling a creature with a heka deals double damage attacking the same creature with a nekhaka; in addition any creature wielding a heka and a nekhaka reduces the penalty for wielding two weapons by 2 (usually to 0 if they have the two-weapon fighting feat, minimum 0), and they are seen to be in a position of authority, and gain a +5 bonus on diplomacy checks made with people they have a higher real or apparent status than (even if they have no actual authority to order them about).

Hook Sword
A hook sword is a type of weapon in its own right, but all monks are proficient in the hook sword. A creature fighting with hook swords gains numerous advantages. Even a single hook sword grants the wielder the ability to trip with the hook sword, and make disarm and trip attempts at a +4 bonus. Wielding two, you reduce the penalty for two-weapon fighting by 4 (usually to 0 with the two-weapon fighting feat, minimum 0) and may choose to fight at reach or at close range. A creature using two hook swords as a reach weapon has reach but a creature wielding them separately can use the two-weapon fighting action (which you cannot do while wielding them as a single reach weapon)

Hurlbat
A hurlbat is a type of throwing axe. It is a large axe designed to be thrown with two hands. When wielded in two hands, the wielder applies one and a half times their strength modifier to attacks withe the hurlbat even when throwing it.

Katana
All types of katana, including masamunenokatana and muramasanokatana, are not only types of katana but types of bastard sword. Elite katanas are able to score critical hits against targets which would normally be immune, including objects.

Kattari
See "Claw-class weapon".

Kirpan
A kirpan is a type of short sword. A creature with a kirpan gains benefits for wielding it with a tulwar (see tulwar).

Khanda
A khanda is a type of longsword.

Kris
A kris is a type of short sword.

Kusenaginotsurugi
Kusaenaginotsurugi is a type of longsword. A plant (creature or noncreature) struck by kusenaginotsurugi is destroyed; a creature may take a fortitude save (DC = 10 + half wielder's character level + wielder's strength modifier) to take true damage equal to half its current hit points instead: true damage cannot be prevented, resisted or mitigated in any way. Kusenaginotsurugi also gains benefits when used as part of an item set.

Labrys
A labrys is a kind of greataxe.

Lochaber
A lochaber axe is a type of halberd. It's a reach weapon.

Masamunenokatana and Muramasanokatana
See katana. Masamunenokatanas and muramasanokatanas are minor artifacts of which multiples exist, and they may be destroyed, but only if the wielder of a muramasanokatana attempts to sunder a masamunenokatana while the former is in the hands of a ronin of at least 20th level and the latter in the hands of a samurai of at least 15th level. In this case both swords are instantly shattered.

Mechanical Bow
A mechanical bow is a type of longbow.

Mechanical Crossbow
A mechanical crossbow is a type of heavy crossbow. It takes no action to reload a mechanical crossbow.

Misericorde
A misericorde is a type of dagger.

Monomolecular Falchion
A monomolecular falchion is a type of falchion. Specifically, the blade is sharpened to have a thickness of only one molecule thick at the blade. Because it's so sharp, it can score a critical hit against any target, even if they would normally be immune, or even against objects.

Nekhaka
A nekhaka is a type of light mace. A creature wielding a heka and a nekhakha gains bonuses expounded upon in the heka's description.

Pernach
A pernach is a type of heavy mace.

Polybolos
A polybolos is a type of ballista. The polybolos is essentially a huge zhūgé nǔ fixed in place and fires the same way as one. A polybolos is hard to aim or reload in the same way that a ballista is and a medium or small creature trying to use one has the same penalties and reload time.

Recurve Bow
A recurve bow is a type of shortbow.

Reflex Bow
A reflex bow is a type of shortbow.

Roundel
A roundel is a type of dagger.

Seax
A seax is a type of short sword.

Shestopyor
A shestopyor is a type of heavy mace.

Shichishi-tō
A shichishi-tō is a type of bastard sword. A creature wielding a shichishi-tō gets a +6 bonus to disarm checks and a +6 shield bonus to AC, though the AC bonus only against attacks made with a melee weapon (including a reach weapon).

Shillelagh
A shillelagh is a type of quarterstaff.

Stilletto
A stilletto is a type of dagger.

Suntetsu
See "Claw-class weapon".

Talwar
A talwar is a type of scimitar. A creature wielding a talwar in their main hand and a kirpan in their offhand takes 2 less penalty for two-weapon fighting (usually 0 with the two-weapon fighting feat, minimum 0). Further, a creature armed with a talwar and a kirpan may rend as though they possessed the two-weapon rend feat, or rend twice if they really do possess that feat.

Tekko Kage
See "Claw-class weapon". In addition, you get a +8 bonus to disarm an opponent with tekko kage.

Trebuchet
A trebuchet is a type of heavy catapult. It's operated just like one except that instead of choosing a target square, the trebuchet operator chooses a large-sized area; any creature or object in the area takes damage.

Tsurugi
A tsurugi is a type of longsword.

Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of throwing axe.

Ulfbehrt
An ulfbehrt is a type of longsword. They aren't unique and are considered minor artifacts.

Urumi
An urumi is a type of whip. A creature who wields an urumi has an impressive reach: their reach with the urumi is four times their natural reach and they threaten the whole area. However, the urumi's wielder doesn't have the opportunity to attack normally with the weapon. Instead, a creature wielding an urumi can as a full-round action make a full attack against every creature in the area, friend or foe. If the wielder uses the urumi like this, they make an attack of opportunity against a creature every time one is provoked in the area until the start of the next turn (with no limit on how many can be made in this way), else no attacks of opportunity can be made with the urumi.

Wagh Nakha
See "Claw-class weapon". In addition, you get a +8 bonus to disarm an opponent with wagh nakha.

Wakizashi
All types of wakizashi are not only types of wakizashi but types of short sword. A creature wielding their wakizashi in their offhand reduces the penalty for two-weapon fighting by 2 (usually to 0 with the two-weapon fighting feat; minimum 0) so long as the mainhand weapon is a katana.

Wind-and-fire Wheel
A wind-and-fire wheel is a type of shuriken. Despite this, it's not really like a shuriken; it's an ordinary weapon except that a creature wielding two of them gets a +1 shield bonus to AC which stacks with the bonus from having the two-weapon defence feat. You also get a +4 bonus to disarm a creature with your wind-and-fire wheel instead of the usual penalty for using a light weapon.

Yagrush
Yagrush is a greatclub. It gains certain benefits when wielded with Ayamur (see Ayamur).

Zhūgé nǔ
A zhūgé nǔ is a type of heavy repeating crossbow. A creature wielding a zhūgé nǔ has the ability to fire shots even faster than with an ordinary repeating crossbow: any attack a creature is entitled to make with the zhūgé nǔ can be made three times (in effect, a creature with a base attack bonus of 16 wielding the zhūgé nǔ can make three attacks at full base attack bonus, three at a -5 penalty, three at a -10 penalty and three at a -15 penalty as a full action, or three attacks as a standard action). A zhūgé nǔ has a case of 15 bolts which works just like the bolt case of a normal repeating crossbow otherwise.

Table: Elite Armour and Shields


Armour
Cost
AC bonus
Max DEX

ACP
ASF Chance
Weight


Light Armour


Cuirass

3000

5

5

-1

20%

15 lbs



Mirror Armour

10,000

7

5

-2

30%

20 lbs



Wire-Weave Armour

20,000

9

5

-1

40%

20 lbs



Hauberk

100,000

12

6

0

30%

15 lbs



Nemean Hide

-

20

-

0

10%

10 lbs



Medium Armour


Brigandine
3,500

7

3

-3

30%

25 lbs



Jack of Plates

12,000

10

3

-4

40%

40 lbs



Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha

27,500

13

4

-3

40%

25 lbs



Almain Rivet

120,000

16

5

-2

35%

30 lbs



Kavacha

-

30

7

-2

20%

35 lbs



Heavy Armour


Gothic Plate

5,000

9

1

-5

40%

45 lbs



Maximillian Armour

20,000

12

2

-5

40%

45 lbs



Titan Plate

40,000

16

1

-8

60%

60 lbs



Golem Suit

600,000

20

0

-∞

100%

300 lbs



Leviathan Armour

-

40

4

-4

60%

40 lbs



Shields


Rondache
5000

4

-

0

10%

6 lbs



Kite Shield

17,500

6

-

-1

15%

15 lbs



Pavise

30,000

9

4

-6

50%

35 lbs



Monolith Shield

100,000

13

2

-8

100%

50 lbs



Ancile

-

15

-

-2

20%

15 lbs



Aegis

-

18

-

-2

0%

12 lbs


Yatanokagami

-

20

-

-3

30%

15 lbs

[/TR]

Armour Descriptions
Armour descriptions work just the same way as weapon descriptions. All types of elite heavy armour come with gauntlets.

Aegis
The aegis is a heavy steel shield.

Almain Rivet
Almain rivet is a type of breastplate.

Ancile
An ancile is a type of heavy wooden shield. Twelve exist: eleven are minor artifacts and one is a major artifact.

Brigandine
A brigandine is a kind of scale mail.

Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha
A chal'ta hazar masha is a type of scale mail which comes with armour spikes. The armour spikes deal damage as for a creature three size categories larger than you (2d6 while medium).

Cuirass
A cuirass is very easy to put on and can be donned in 2 rounds, donned hastily in a round and removed in a round.

Golem Suit
A creature wearing a golem suit actually increases a size category for certain purposes from wearing such humongous armour. The creature's space and reach are increased to those of a creature of one size category greater and the same body shape, and they attain the modifiers to attack rolls, AC, special attacks such as bull rushes and grapples, and the hide skill of a creature of the increased size (not that it matters given the armour check penalty). They can wield weapons and use shields as a creature of their real size category, not the new one. An effect which asks for the creature's size category uses the real one if the effect is mental or the new one if it is physical.

A colossal golem suit invariably collapses under its own weight and cannot be made.

Gothic Plate
Gothic plate is a type of full plate.

Hauberk
A hauberk is a type of cuirass. Likewise, it can be donned in two rounds, and donned hastily or removed in one.

Jack of Plates
A jack of plates is a type of scale mail.

Kavacha
Kavacha is a type of breastplate. A creature wearing Kavacha is immune to critical hits.

Kite Shield
A kite shield is a type of heavy steel shield.

Leviathan Armour
A creature wearing leviathan armour doesn't take a penalty to swim checks for doing so and has DR/- and resistance to everything 20.

Maximillian Armour
Maximillian armour is a type of full plate.

Mirror Armour
Mirror armour functions as an actual mirror; a creature can scry using the armour as a focus.

Pavise
A pavise is a type of tower shield. A creature who uses a pavise can give themselves total cover like a regular tower shield but can fire and reload a crossbow - any type, but only a crossbow - while doing so.

Monolith Shield
A creature wielding a monolith shield has cover due to the shield.

Nemean Hide
Nemean hide is a type of hide armour except that proficiency in it isn't transferable. A creature who rolls a 1 to hit while striking the wearer with a melee weapon or natural attack deals damage to their own weapon (or to themselves in the case of a natural attack).

Rondache
A rondache is a type of light steel shield.

Titan Plate
Titan plate is a kind of full plate. Any creature attempting to force a creature wearing titan plate to move - whether fall prone or actually move from the square they're in - takes a -8 penalty to any relevant checks.

Wire-Weave Armour
Wire-weave armour is a type of chain shirt.

Yatanokagami
Yatanokagami is a heavy steel shield. It is a mirror and reflects any gaze or ray attack directed at the wielder back at the user of the attack.

Donning Elite Armour

For expedience's sake, assume that light armour follows the second row in Table: Donning Armour, medium armour the third and heavy armour the fourth unless otherwise specified.

Other Elite Items

Yasakaninomatagama
Yasakaninomatagama is a small jewel whose beauty is such that creatures interacting with the wearer have a starting attitude 1 category higher than normal unless they succeed on a will save (DC 20 + the wearer's charisma modifier).

Item Sets

Imperial Regalia
A creature using kusenaginotsurugi, yatanokagami and yasakaninomatagama gains certain benefits. Using any two of them grants the creature the ability to make people panicked instead of shaken with intimidate checks. A creature using all three gains the ability to use intimidate to demoralise opponents once per round as a free action.

Crafting Elite Equipment

There are no rules for creating elite equipment that could possibly be made that wouldn't immediately be broken. Instead, general guidelines:

- Elite equipment should take as long to make as similarly-effective magic armour, and should have fairly high DCs compared to regular equipment.
- Magic elite equipment should be heavily restricted to the point where it should be better to choose one or the other unless one wishes to combine the unique effects of both for some reason.

The only hard rule is that elite equipment, due to the fact that the craftsmanship is more relevant than the actual price of the materials, costs the same amound as normal for tiny or smaller creatures, 1.25 times as much for large, 1.5 for huge, twice as much for gargantuan and 2.5 times as much for colossal creatures. Elite armour costs 1.5 times as much for large, 2 for huge, 2.5 for gargantuan and 3 for colossal if the intended wearer isn't humanoid in shape.

AOKost
2017-07-14, 04:53 AM
You state that these items can be made, but maybe not by a player. You could put in a level restriction. Say that they are 'naturally epic' items, and if a character wants to even learn how to craft them, they have to be of at least 20th level, and should have 20 ranks in the appropriate Craft skill, with Skill Focus (Craft[Skill]), and some other Crafting specific Feats... Even Artificers shouldn't be able to make these before level 20. You could say that the minimum required level to be 25 to craft them and Craft Epic Arms & Armor added in...

Since they can be crafted, then unless otherwise noted in the description that it's made of a specific material other than steel/iron, you could change the materials it's made of, as well as the templates that are added to the object being crafted.

I love playing Artificer type characters, and the idea of thinking they reached the epitome of their craft and can craft the best of items only to learn of a whole new tier of equipment would utterly astound and shock them... These items are of such magnitude and awe inspiring power that they were generally forgotten and only ancient legends whisper of them, so the quest is on for them to learn of these objects and to learn how to craft them, and improve upon them!

I love the feel of these items... though they are truly epic, and way too over powered for virtually every game that isn't epic.

Edit: Furthermore, for the Nemian Hide, when it states that it's Hide armor but it isn't transferable... what does that mean? Does it mean that you are still required to have the Light Armor Proficiency Feat to use it effectively?

Jormengand
2017-07-14, 07:52 AM
You state that these items can be made, but maybe not by a player. You could put in a level restriction. Say that they are 'naturally epic' items, and if a character wants to even learn how to craft them, they have to be of at least 20th level, and should have 20 ranks in the appropriate Craft skill, with Skill Focus (Craft[Skill]), and some other Crafting specific Feats... Even Artificers shouldn't be able to make these before level 20. You could say that the minimum required level to be 25 to craft them and Craft Epic Arms & Armor added in...

Most of them aren't designed to be epic items. The main reason I left out the rules for crafting them were because I knew that either they would be prohibitively difficult to craft, or crafting elite equipment would be the new get-rich-quick scheme that put craft (poisonmaking) to shame. Similarly the reason I left players to work out how hard it is to make the items magical was because I knew it would be easy to break any general rule I made.


Since they can be crafted, then unless otherwise noted in the description that it's made of a specific material other than steel/iron, you could change the materials it's made of, as well as the templates that are added to the object being crafted.

You're expected to look up and check what the item would really be made of if you're unsure, but yes, you can make an adamantine kirpan or a darkwood reflex bow.


I love playing Artificer type characters, and the idea of thinking they reached the epitome of their craft and can craft the best of items only to learn of a whole new tier of equipment would utterly astound and shock them... These items are of such magnitude and awe inspiring power that they were generally forgotten and only ancient legends whisper of them, so the quest is on for them to learn of these objects and to learn how to craft them, and improve upon them!

I love the feel of these items... though they are truly epic, and way too over powered for virtually every game that isn't epic.

The cost of the items is designed to be about the same as a magical nonelite piece of equipment of the same general power. In the case of the weapons, you give up accuracy or the chance at fancy abilities for higher damage and critical rates; in the case of armour they're ever so slightly more expensive than magical armour but with all the abilities that come with being elite.


Edit: Furthermore, for the Nemian Hide, when it states that it's Hide armor but it isn't transferable... what does that mean? Does it mean that you are still required to have the Light Armor Proficiency Feat to use it effectively?

Essentially: if you somehow get your hands on MAP without having LAP then you can't use the nemian hide proficiently. This rarely matters due to not having an armour check penalty and the difficulty in getting MAP without LAP, but it's there for completeness.

AOKost
2017-07-14, 03:13 PM
Thanks for your thorough and quick response. I'd always assumed that since the Medium Armor Proficiency had Light Armor Proficiency as a prerequisite, that would generally mean that you couldn't have Medium without Light, but I guess there could be some classes or prestige classes somehow that could state something along the lines of 'the character gains Medium Armor Proficiency even if they don't meet the requirements' or some such.

I really like these items. and the general feel. I'm one that's always looking for mundane ways to improve upon settings. Looking for materials, mundane templates and things along those lines that can be done but generally aren't because it's so difficult and requires such specialization. That shouldn't mean that a PC shouldn't be able to do it if they set their mind to it.

I do love magic in fantasy settings... but I feel it takes away from the... mundane... too much. Yes, you can use magic and psionics to shape reality, but there will be those that search for the epitome of their craft without magic. Those smiths that will want to alloy metals, the druids and other like minded individuals that would spend centuries breeding a specific trees to have specific characteristics, or a pack of wolves...

I see the items you've presented here as good steps in the right direction for late game usage. And I really appreciate them, I hope you didn't think otherwise.

I would love to see more variations if you come up with any! Please keep this thread going and updating it! :D If you would like, I might try and throw in some ideas. You've already got a "Mechanical Bow", so why not a "Compound Blow"? And speaking of bows, I'm glad you used "Recurved Bow"... It's always been a personal favorite of mine to use! You've got Wire-weave, so why not Chain-cloth Shirt, and Chain-cloth Mail? There's a similar idea I read somewhere... It was a set of robes that provided +2 AC because they had Mithral threads sewn in, but it didn't con't as a piece of armor... or maybe it was Light Armor...? I don't remember off hand, but it's an idea to start from and run with :)

AvatarVecna
2017-07-14, 03:36 PM
Looking forward to trying these out. I imagine they combine quite well with Hypermundanes, but even standard martials would appreciate sich a variety of powerful weapons that can't be simply dispelled by some dickish wizard.

Jormengand
2017-07-14, 03:47 PM
Thanks for your thorough and quick response. I'd always assumed that since the Medium Armor Proficiency had Light Armor Proficiency as a prerequisite, that would generally mean that you couldn't have Medium without Light, but I guess there could be some classes or prestige classes somehow that could state something along the lines of 'the character gains Medium Armor Proficiency even if they don't meet the requirements' or some such.

Yeah. Basically it was the only one which was a different type designation from the item which it was a type of so I had to work out what that would mean. It will almost never come up, though.


I would love to see more variations if you come up with any! Please keep this thread going and updating it! :D If you would like, I might try and throw in some ideas. You've already got a "Mechanical Bow", so why not a "Compound Blow"?

The compound bow was invented after the assault rifle. I can only stretch historical accuracy so far before someone notices. I will add some ultimate-tier bows, though.


And speaking of bows, I'm glad you used "Recurved Bow"... It's always been a personal favorite of mine to use! You've got Wire-weave, so why not Chain-cloth Shirt, and Chain-cloth Mail? There's a similar idea I read somewhere... It was a set of robes that provided +2 AC because they had Mithral threads sewn in, but it didn't con't as a piece of armor... or maybe it was Light Armor...? I don't remember off hand, but it's an idea to start from and run with :)

I'll admit that I'm not quite a fan of obvious wizard armour (or non-armour which grants armour bonuses and mostly acts like armour). In general, that's what bracers of armour are for, and a wizard shouldn't have any qualms about using magic items the way a mundane character might.

I will add more stuff as I think of things to add, but I've dropped almost as many ideas as I've included.

Morphic tide
2017-07-15, 11:42 PM
The compound bow was invented after the assault rifle. I can only stretch historical accuracy so far before someone notices. I will add some ultimate-tier bows, though.

What about those bows which are made of multiple materials? What are those called? I've always though of them as compound bows. Also, mechanical-bow would be a compound bow if it's strings and pulleys, and using gears and springs would be considerably more complicated (and more effective with crossbows by storing more energy than strings and pulleys would). You already have what's probably clockpunk power armor with the Golem Suits, why not embrace a touch of Schizo Tech with medieval compound bows?

As for giving concrete numbers on crafting, I'd not use the regular craft rules at all. 100 GP per point of check result above the DC with a cap on useful check result based on item quality to make it so that it scales better with time.

Why allow twice the rate of magic items? Because these are items from a fixed list with no capacity to upgrade them after creation, unless you go through whatever hoops are used to restrict Elite and Magic stacking. Which is why I think that the setup should be modular modifications, some revolving around special materials, some being applicable to post-manufacture items, some requiring the item to be made with it in the first place, rather than a fixed list of items.

Besides, the big reason why poison crafting is so good for crafting is that it's uncapped. You get the check result worth of poison, no matter how high the result is, so exceeding the DC by enough to get fifty times the cost of a dose gets you fifty doses. Get a sufficiently crazy bonus and an expensive enough poison and you can be raking in tens of thousands of gold per day. Poison crafting would remain well above Elite items in profit margins.

Actually, as quick support of modular Elite items, I'll quickly whip up a little table-ish thing for them as a guideline. Feel free to adjust it to whatever you feel like, if you do Elite modifications and want them to be brackets like magic items. This is just me trying to match the boundaries to the highest cost of each category.

Elite: Cost: 0-6,000 GP; DC 5, Check Cap 15
Phenomenal: Cost: 6,000-20,000 GP; DC 10, Check Cap 25
Glorious: Cost: 20,000-50,000 GP; DC 20, Check Cap 40
Ultimate: Cost: 50,000+ GP, DC 30, Check Cap 55

As for suggestions for what to do for Elite modifications, I'd have it be basic parameters, mostly, with exponential costs for increase. Damage by die, with size increases/decreases being die size changes exclusively, though that, too, would be a modification, increasing critical range and size one point at a time, improving weight properties and so on. For armor, it'd be AC, armor check penalty, maximum Dex bonus and Arcane Spell Failure. If the Wizard wants to shell out a hundred thousand gold for an unenhanceable robe that gives them 6 AC without any penalties, let them. We can laugh at their lack of offensive bonuses.

More special stuff would really just go to the inherently-Elite stuff, like your list. Golem Armor being an excellent example of something casters would get to spend double-digit millions of gold making a version they can use. Although I think that the Infinite ACP is overdoing it. Can't we just use -100 and call it good? Then the casters can blow another few million getting it down to a point where it'll let them pass Balance checks. The resultant Golem Armor with 0% ASF and no SCP would then quite well qualify as Artifact-tier, a legendary act of industrial power to create it and depleting the wealth of entire worlds to fund. Just because a caster wanted to use it.

As for Fabricate? Well, the check cap can be the limiter of how much you can add. Meaning Fabricate would only be able to add, say, twice the cap to an item, meaning a mere 2,000 GP per cast to an Elite item, and a pathetic-at-that-level 5,000 GP per cast to an Ultimate item. Good for saving time on adding new properties to high-end items, but actual gear progression would be quite minor at that point. Like, it's good if you are getting started on the above caster-friendly Golem Armor, maybe buying you 5% ASF and 2 ACP, but it'll fail to make a real dent in the insane mountains of gold value needed to lower 100% ASF to 0% and -100 ACP to 0. Although being able to increase the AC of a suit of armor by 1 permanently is well worth the slot and materials.

Hmm... If we allow Fabricate to make the improvements, then it obviously needs to come with the skill check. But how to we make the scaling cause a big enough price hike to keep a double-cap from getting very far on good things? We can start near said cap, but then a lot of stuff will cost massive amounts for small improvements. Which is fitting with magic items, I suppose, but doesn't really fit the logic of mundane crafting. Separation of improvement field would prevent price bloating, but would also make the cost-benefit ratio rather crazy. Taking a Scythe and giving it 17-20 crit range should be a big deal, but how much should that cost? Should that alone push it into Phenomenal? I don't think it's worth 6-9k GP, myself.

How to make it work in an exponent is kinda hard. 6k GP is the difference between a +1 weapon and a +1 Keen weapon, which doubles crit range, but the starting point is important. If we place +2 crit range at 6k, then we are saying that we expect 19-20 weapons to have it applied, while 18-20 weapons exist to be better with Keen. The saving grace for larger exponents is Improved Critical. It doubles the crit range of weapons without stacking with Keen. If we let the range of Elite stack, then we can assume Improved Critical and consider the range increase doubled by default. You won't be paying for much increase if you aren't dedicated to crits, and if you are, you will have Improved Critical. So bonus^3 works out fairly well, with +9 range, the needed amount to turn a nat 20 only weapon into a crit on anything but 1 weapon, needing 721 times whatever flat number we use. *1000 is fairly standard, giving us the following table of progression:



+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
+9


1,000
8,000
27,000
64,000
125,000
216,000
343,000
512,000
729,000




Guaranteed crit should be fairly high epic, so I have no problems with needing that much gold for a crit weapon. Particularly given that a single +6 bonus-equivalent magic item, as in the lowest of the Epic magic effects, is 720,000 GP, meaning that this is actually low Epic. Accelerated crafting methods are needed to make this work, of course. A feat to accelerate crafting rate is kinda needed past +3, because taking over a month to add 10% to the crit rate isn't quite worth it, given that you're likely to have only a 70% rate at this point. Of course, there's an Epic feat for getting 10,000 GP per day instead of 1,000 GP for a single item crafting feat. Making it so you get 1,000 GP per point you exceed the craft check by is even better, as it means that those increased caps with higher-quality Elite items get improved as well. And you can, of course, keep the clause of one field of crafting by tying it to a skill. Whether or not to apply it to Fabricate's instant crafting is a big question that I'll answer with no. Because being able to just magic 50,000 GP of Elite improvement with a single spell slot is just no. Two days work in a single spell is fine when a days work will struggle to fully compete with a 5,000 GP magic item. It's fine when the total amount of work won't earn you more than 100,000 GP per day, when you blow every slot you have on it.

So, Jormengand, what do you think about the ideas involved here? Feel free to argue any point given, as well as just take the basic core shell of the ideas and build your own numbers out of it, but modular Elite items are kinda vital to making it actually work out well as a competing option with magic's own modularity. Especially if there's use of the DMG custom magic item rules which aren't entirely crazy, they just have holes due to some crazy spells. Particularly given that not having modularity means that you sometimes just get three versions of the same item that only increment numbers, instead of doing neat things of their own. Golem Armor is great, Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha is just upgraded Spiked Scale Mail. If it had bonuses to Grapple as if you were a size larger, then it'd really be worth actually being it's own thing with modular Elite equipment existing.

Jormengand
2017-07-16, 08:07 AM
What about those bows which are made of multiple materials? What are those called? I've always though of them as compound bows. Also, mechanical-bow would be a compound bow if it's strings and pulleys, and using gears and springs would be considerably more complicated (and more effective with crossbows by storing more energy than strings and pulleys would). You already have what's probably clockpunk power armor with the Golem Suits, why not embrace a touch of Schizo Tech with medieval compound bows?

The bows made of multiple materials are called composite bows. I hear they allow you to add part of your strength to your damage with the bow.

As for tech levels... a bow with some mechanical components and armour that makes you effectively bigger by taking up so much space and being heavy (the fact that you need STR 18 just to move while wearing or carrying it is deliberate) aren't on the same scale as a bow with a complex cam-and-pulley system.


As for giving concrete numbers on crafting, I'd not use the regular craft rules at all. 100 GP per point of check result above the DC with a cap on useful check result based on item quality to make it so that it scales better with time.

Why allow twice the rate of magic items? Because these are items from a fixed list with no capacity to upgrade them after creation, unless you go through whatever hoops are used to restrict Elite and Magic stacking. Which is why I think that the setup should be modular modifications, some revolving around special materials, some being applicable to post-manufacture items, some requiring the item to be made with it in the first place, rather than a fixed list of items.

Besides, the big reason why poison crafting is so good for crafting is that it's uncapped. You get the check result worth of poison, no matter how high the result is, so exceeding the DC by enough to get fifty times the cost of a dose gets you fifty doses. Get a sufficiently crazy bonus and an expensive enough poison and you can be raking in tens of thousands of gold per day. Poison crafting would remain well above Elite items in profit margins.

No, you still have to decide how much poison you're making normally; there's just a clause in the skill which says that you measure your progress in GP instead of SP.


Actually, as quick support of modular Elite items, I'll quickly whip up a little table-ish thing for them as a guideline. Feel free to adjust it to whatever you feel like, if you do Elite modifications and want them to be brackets like magic items. This is just me trying to match the boundaries to the highest cost of each category.

Elite: Cost: 0-6,000 GP; DC 5, Check Cap 15
Phenomenal: Cost: 6,000-20,000 GP; DC 10, Check Cap 25
Glorious: Cost: 20,000-50,000 GP; DC 20, Check Cap 40
Ultimate: Cost: 50,000+ GP, DC 30, Check Cap 55

As for suggestions for what to do for Elite modifications, I'd have it be basic parameters, mostly, with exponential costs for increase. Damage by die, with size increases/decreases being die size changes exclusively, though that, too, would be a modification, increasing critical range and size one point at a time, improving weight properties and so on. For armor, it'd be AC, armor check penalty, maximum Dex bonus and Arcane Spell Failure. If the Wizard wants to shell out a hundred thousand gold for an unenhanceable robe that gives them 6 AC without any penalties, let them. We can laugh at their lack of offensive bonuses.

See, I worry that any kind of modular system would either be horribly abuseable, or punish certain combinations unduly.


More special stuff would really just go to the inherently-Elite stuff, like your list. Golem Armor being an excellent example of something casters would get to spend double-digit millions of gold making a version they can use. Although I think that the Infinite ACP is overdoing it. Can't we just use -100 and call it good? Then the casters can blow another few million getting it down to a point where it'll let them pass Balance checks. The resultant Golem Armor with 0% ASF and no SCP would then quite well qualify as Artifact-tier, a legendary act of industrial power to create it and depleting the wealth of entire worlds to fund. Just because a caster wanted to use it.

Damned casters. Ruining everything for the rest of us.

The infinite ACP... well, I don't really want it to be reduceable to the point where you can swim in 300 pounds of stone.


As for Fabricate? Well, the check cap can be the limiter of how much you can add. Meaning Fabricate would only be able to add, say, twice the cap to an item, meaning a mere 2,000 GP per cast to an Elite item, and a pathetic-at-that-level 5,000 GP per cast to an Ultimate item. Good for saving time on adding new properties to high-end items, but actual gear progression would be quite minor at that point. Like, it's good if you are getting started on the above caster-friendly Golem Armor, maybe buying you 5% ASF and 2 ACP, but it'll fail to make a real dent in the insane mountains of gold value needed to lower 100% ASF to 0% and -100 ACP to 0. Although being able to increase the AC of a suit of armor by 1 permanently is well worth the slot and materials.

Hmm... If we allow Fabricate to make the improvements, then it obviously needs to come with the skill check. But how to we make the scaling cause a big enough price hike to keep a double-cap from getting very far on good things? We can start near said cap, but then a lot of stuff will cost massive amounts for small improvements. Which is fitting with magic items, I suppose, but doesn't really fit the logic of mundane crafting. Separation of improvement field would prevent price bloating, but would also make the cost-benefit ratio rather crazy. Taking a Scythe and giving it 17-20 crit range should be a big deal, but how much should that cost? Should that alone push it into Phenomenal? I don't think it's worth 6-9k GP, myself.

How to make it work in an exponent is kinda hard. 6k GP is the difference between a +1 weapon and a +1 Keen weapon, which doubles crit range, but the starting point is important. If we place +2 crit range at 6k, then we are saying that we expect 19-20 weapons to have it applied, while 18-20 weapons exist to be better with Keen. The saving grace for larger exponents is Improved Critical. It doubles the crit range of weapons without stacking with Keen. If we let the range of Elite stack, then we can assume Improved Critical and consider the range increase doubled by default. You won't be paying for much increase if you aren't dedicated to crits, and if you are, you will have Improved Critical. So bonus^3 works out fairly well, with +9 range, the needed amount to turn a nat 20 only weapon into a crit on anything but 1 weapon, needing 721 times whatever flat number we use. *1000 is fairly standard, giving us the following table of progression:



+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
+9


1,000
8,000
27,000
64,000
125,000
216,000
343,000
512,000
729,000




Guaranteed crit should be fairly high epic, so I have no problems with needing that much gold for a crit weapon. Particularly given that a single +6 bonus-equivalent magic item, as in the lowest of the Epic magic effects, is 720,000 GP, meaning that this is actually low Epic. Accelerated crafting methods are needed to make this work, of course. A feat to accelerate crafting rate is kinda needed past +3, because taking over a month to add 10% to the crit rate isn't quite worth it, given that you're likely to have only a 70% rate at this point. Of course, there's an Epic feat for getting 10,000 GP per day instead of 1,000 GP for a single item crafting feat. Making it so you get 1,000 GP per point you exceed the craft check by is even better, as it means that those increased caps with higher-quality Elite items get improved as well. And you can, of course, keep the clause of one field of crafting by tying it to a skill. Whether or not to apply it to Fabricate's instant crafting is a big question that I'll answer with no. Because being able to just magic 50,000 GP of Elite improvement with a single spell slot is just no. Two days work in a single spell is fine when a days work will struggle to fully compete with a 5,000 GP magic item. It's fine when the total amount of work won't earn you more than 100,000 GP per day, when you blow every slot you have on it.

This kind of calculation is why I like to leave DMs to work out what's right for their game.


So, Jormengand, what do you think about the ideas involved here? Feel free to argue any point given, as well as just take the basic core shell of the ideas and build your own numbers out of it, but modular Elite items are kinda vital to making it actually work out well as a competing option with magic's own modularity. Especially if there's use of the DMG custom magic item rules which aren't entirely crazy, they just have holes due to some crazy spells. Particularly given that not having modularity means that you sometimes just get three versions of the same item that only increment numbers, instead of doing neat things of their own. Golem Armor is great, Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha is just upgraded Spiked Scale Mail. If it had bonuses to Grapple as if you were a size larger, then it'd really be worth actually being it's own thing with modular Elite equipment existing.

I think that making modular elite equipment fair and balanced at all tiers would be far, far more effort than a project to give mundanes nice things really warrants.

I might go back and add some interesting things to some of the current weapons and armour, though.