Reworked PHB armors (3.5) PEACH

[Seharvepernfan]

I have problems with the armors found within the PHB. I think a lot of people do, so I spent a few hours today working on a homebrewed replacement. The biggest reason for this homebrew is that most characters end up wearing one of three or four different types of armor, the rest being ignored. I believe these changes will make every type of armor see use, even at higher levels.
Here it is:

Masterwork Armors: A masterwork suit of armor has its' max dex bonus increased by one, its' armor check penalty decreased by one, and its' spell failure decreased by 5%. Non-metal masterwork armors have their max dex increased by two instead of one. Masterwork armor costs twice as much as normal armor. Dwarven-plate is masterwork by default (stats as listed).

Mithril Armors: A suit of metal armor can be made of mithril instead of steel. Mithril armors have their max dex bonus increased by one, otherwise they are treated as per the DMG.

Armor Modifications:

Spoiler

Show

Camoflage: +300sp, +2 lbs (grants a +2 circumstance bonus to hide checks in a specific terrain type)

Muffling: +300sp, +2 lbs (grants a +2 circumstance bonus to move silently checks, up to negating the armor's armor check penalty)

Forest Shroud: +100sp, +2 lbs (negates the effect that undergrowth and heavy undergrowth has on the wearer's Tumble and Move Silently checks)

Netcutter Spikes: +200sp, +10 lbs (as armor spikes, except a proficient character with armor spikes gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Strength checks or Escape Artist checks made to escape a net, web spell, or a similar entangling effect)

Netcutter Spikes and Forest Shrouds cannot be put on the same suit of armor.

Quality Armor Types:

Armor with a bonus of +4 or less is considered light armor, +5 to +6 is medium, and anything +7 or higher is heavy. Enhancement bonuses do not affect this.

Clothes, though they may cover your body, are not substantial enough to be enhanced as armor. For that, you need robes, which are typically made of soft leather (these aren't bath robes). Any armor (including robes) may be enhanced up to +5 (so no bracers of armor +6 or higher; the best available is robes of armor +5 [though other enhancements may be added up to +10 as usual]).

Armor	Cost	Armor Bonus	Max Dex	Check Penalty	Spell Failure
Clothes	-	-	-	-	-
Robes	-	+0	-	-	-
Padded	5 sp	+1	+7	-0	10%
Leatherscale	10 sp	+2	+6	-0	15%
Leatherplate	25 sp	+3	+5	-1	20%
Brigandine	100 sp	+4	+4	-2	25%
Scalemail	200 sp	+5	+3	-3	30%
Breastplate	300 sp	+6	+2	-4	35%
Platemail	600 sp	+7	+1	-5	40%
Full-plate	800 sp	+8	+0	-6	45%
Dwarven-plate	2000 sp	+9	+0	-6	45%

Cheap Armor Types:
(these armors are strictly worse than those above, but are less costly and therefor still likely to be used by lower-level characters)

Armor	Cost	Armor Bonus	Max Dex	Check Penalty	Spell Failure
Hide	15sp	+3	+4	-2	25%
Chain Shirt	65sp	+4	+3	-3	30%
Chainmail	130sp	+5	+2	-4	35%
Bandedmail	220sp	+6	+1	-5	40%

[Zman]

I like this, but I think you have enough room to make the others useful.

Hide Armor: Medium/+4/+4/-3/25%
Scale mail: Medium/+5/+3/-4/30%
Splintmail: Heavy/+6/+2/-5/35%

[ngilop]

Umm.. maybe my eyes are going bad but exactly what is the difference between these asnd the base armors? they seem tobe the same exact thngs stat wise. every armor giving the same total allowable bonus in the end.

[Zman]

Umm.. maybe my eyes are going bad but exactly what is the difference between these asnd the base armors? they seem tobe the same exact thngs stat wise. every armor giving the same total allowable bonus in the end.

Small tweaks, changed pricing, changed Masterwork, Changed Mithril.

[Seharvepernfan]

I like this, but I think you have enough room to make the others useful.

Hide Armor: Medium/+4/+4/-3/25%
Scale mail: Medium/+5/+3/-4/30%
Splintmail: Heavy/+6/+2/-5/35%

I do have room. The question is, should I do that? I'm thinking about it.

every armor giving the same total allowable bonus in the end.

This was intentional. I don't see any reason for it to not be the case. Only a handful of characters ever get a high-enough dex for that to matter anyway.
I think these reworked armors are more logical.

Small tweaks, changed pricing, changed Masterwork, Changed Mithril.

That, and the fluff aspect of having more "realistic" armors.

I'm glad you like them, Zman. Thanks for the input!