Mercury dragonhide armor

[Calintares]

Seeing as how the hides of mercury dragons are so reflective they can use it as an attack, would an armor made out of it have any effects other than regular dragonhide armor?




DISCLAIMER: no mercury dragons were harmed during the writing of this post.

[AslanCross]

Seeing as how the hides of mercury dragons are so reflective they can use it as an attack, would an armor made out of it have any effects other than regular dragonhide armor?




DISCLAIMER: no mercury dragons were harmed during the writing of this post.

By RAW, no. However, it's a reasonable houserule. Since the dragon's Brilliance ability is (Ex), I would think that it's possible. The problem is it seems to be tied to age category (which is a reflection of size and experience) so I'm not sure how to scale it; suits of armor made from dragonhide are much much smaller than the dragon's body.

[Caphi]

By RAW, no. However, it's a reasonable houserule. Since the dragon's Brilliance ability is (Ex), I would think that it's possible. The problem is it seems to be tied to age category (which is a reflection of size and experience) so I'm not sure how to scale it; suits of armor made from dragonhide are much much smaller than the dragon's body.

Depends. I don't know mercury dragons, but the ability being part of age category seems like it's connected to maturity rather than size, and a section of hide from any dragon who was old enough would work as well as the whole thing.

[The Glyphstone]

How would you price it though? Dragonhide normally is just a flat cost modifier, so there'd be nothing stopping you from saying your dragonhide armor came from a Great Wyrm.

[herrhauptmann]

How would you price it though? Dragonhide normally is just a flat cost modifier, so there'd be nothing stopping you from saying your dragonhide armor came from a Great Wyrm.

DM says, "You want dragonhide armor? It's not for sale, you gotta go kill one and bring back a large number of scales to a smith who knows how to work the stuff." Didn't dragonhide used to be a plot item that you had to earn. And it would also grant you bonuses depending on what dragon it came from?
Resistance to fire/acid/lightning etc.

[AslanCross]

How would you price it though? Dragonhide normally is just a flat cost modifier, so there'd be nothing stopping you from saying your dragonhide armor came from a Great Wyrm.

Even if it did, you can only fit so many of those scales on your body.

[Ormur]

My players asked if I'd be willing to houserule that dragon hide had the same armour bonus as the dragon's natural armour bonus after they killed an adult white dragon. I'd be willing to houserule something special about it but not that. I don't know mercury dragons though.

[Calintares]

My players asked if I'd be willing to houserule that dragon hide had the same armour bonus as the dragon's natural armour bonus after they killed an adult white dragon. I'd be willing to houserule something special about it but not that. I don't know mercury dragons though.

At birth, a mercury dragon's scales are dull silver. As it ages, the scales become brighter and brighter, until at adult age they gain a brilliant mirror finish. Sunlight or other sources of light reflecting off the scales and wings of a mercury dragon can be blinding.

It would probably be something like having Blinding or possibly Reflecting. But it ought to cost a lot to make in order to make sure to preserve the mirror-qualities

You really ought to check them out, IMO they're the most awesome dragon type by far.

[The Cat Goddess]

So... If you've got a party of heroic good-type heroes, here's how to mess with 'em.

A young adult (yet powerful... add class levels?) Red Dragon. Wearing Silver Dragonhide Barding.

Name him Lec'Tor.

Have him serve Fava Beans, Liver & a nice Chianti...

[Gametime]

Even if it did, you can only fit so many of those scales on your body.

I always assumed the scales got stronger as a function of age, not because you had more of them. The dragon just gets MIRROR POWAH as it ages, or something, and the reflectivity of the scales intensify on an individual level.

But eh.

[Deth Muncher]

So... If you've got a party of heroic good-type heroes, here's how to mess with 'em.

A young adult (yet powerful... add class levels?) Red Dragon. Wearing Silver Dragonhide Barding.

Name him Lec'Tor.

Have him serve Fava Beans, Liver & a nice Chianti...

I TOTALLY saw what you did there.

[Calintares]

Those rules for what sorts of armor you can get out of a dragon are messed up. Why does it take more to make a breastplate than a half-plate? why can't you make scale mails out of the scales? and why does the armormaking focus on heavy armor when druids (who are the ones who care about dragonhide from a statistics point of view) are only proficient in medium?

[Eldariel]

Draconomicon has Dragonscale (I think?) Armors with special abilities; Mercury Scale would make a lot of sense as some sort of Reflecting.

[true_shinken]

Draconomicon has Dragonscale (I think?) Armors with special abilities; Mercury Scale would make a lot of sense as some sort of Reflecting.

Dragoncraft. Two of my players are wearing red dragoncrafted hide armor now.

[The Cat Goddess]

Those rules for what sorts of armor you can get out of a dragon are messed up. Why does it take more to make a breastplate than a half-plate? why can't you make scale mails out of the scales? and why does the armormaking focus on heavy armor when druids (who are the ones who care about dragonhide from a statistics point of view) are only proficient in medium?

1) Yeah, that is dumb. I'd put Breastplate over with Banded Mail (if not Hide).

2) Because Scale mail is stupid? (/Sarcasm)

3) Because in the old days (read: previous editions of the game) it was a Right of Passage for a Fighter to get Dragonhide Plate.

[herrhauptmann]

So... If you've got a party of heroic good-type heroes, here's how to mess with 'em.
A young adult (yet powerful... add class levels?) Red Dragon. Wearing Silver Dragonhide Barding.
Name him Lec'Tor.
Have him serve Fava Beans, Liver & a nice Chianti...

Took a sec, but very nice.