Forcing Someone into Armored Coat

[Idle Champion]

If you were looking for an on-the-cheap Mage Prison, for a low-level wizard who got knocked out in a fight... sure.

Take away a wizards book and materials pouch, put them in a cage swinging from the ceiling so they have to make a concentration check due to motion while casting, stuff them into an armoured coat that is tied about their arms and legs and can't be removed - you've got inexpensive, non-violent wizard containment.

Carrying an armoured vest to Suggestion/Beguiling Gift or tandem grapple onto someone seems like it would be telegraphed in combat.
"The bandit chief draws his... armoured coat, and holds it out much as a canvas sack might be held out to catch a goose."
"I cast Expeditious Retreat."
"Darn."

But then, if you can render a mid-level wizard or druid helpless for long enough, a suit of cursed unholy half-plate becomes a fabulous power inhibiter.

[lemeres]

Which is why I feel like it should be an accomplishment when they manage to do it. Not something that gets turned off the instant they use a move action to remove it (perhaps due to a tackle by a left over summon, giving them the chance to get away).

I just want it to be DONE when they do the big dramatic thing.

But I am always a fan of weird, crippling, and somewhat hard to use weaknesses. Binding fairies with cold iron chains and all.

It is usually the best part of monster movies. Silver bullets that need you to acutally shoot the wolf. The stake in the heart or sun beams that mean little when he rips you apart before you draw the stake or go for the window curtains. Trying to crush or melt a terminator when you can barely even slow him down.

[Weirdo]

Using a metal shield with beguiling gift / suggestion is much less telegraphed (and less dramatic) since it's something the opponent might carry for their own use, and all they have to do is hand it to you during casting.

If you want to go the "wrestle them into the coat" option I'd treat it a tie-up attempt with maybe a -2 penalty for improvised tools (the coat) - preventing them from just slipping off the coat without making an Escape Artist check (without use of wild shape or spells).

That way, the more difficult and dramatic use of the weakness is also the more effective one because it will stick.

lemeres wrote:

If it was instantly cured by removing the armor though...I would expect to see more people using some kind of welded on armor- with no proper method to remove without bolt cutters. It might seem cruel to the player...but again DRUIDS ARE NIGHTMARES TO KEEP CONTAINED. Hell, they are also some of the best assassins imaginable (since no one expects the little bluejay flitting at the window to suddenly grow a big beefy arm and stab you the instant you turn your back). I can reasonably see some people (particularly ones that are kinda askin' for 'nature's wrath') getting fairly paranoid. Combine that with medieval prison conditions...yeah, I can see it happening.

That would actually be pretty cool. It also - very importantly from a game design POV - gives the prisoner an active objective. Getting the armour off (or for the wizard finding your/a spellbook) will give you access to your power. A character (and potentially player) actively scheming to remove a power limiter is more interesting than one who is just waiting around for their debuff to wear off.

[JaC381]

There is actually an item for this: Ironmorph dust.

"This bag of powder has a sharp metallic odor. Ironmorph dust can be applied to a willing adjacent creature as a standard action, or thrown as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. On contact, it causes the target’s clothing to stiffen and harden (Reflex DC 15 negates). If the target is wearing light or no armor, his clothing is treated as chainmail for all purposes—including armor bonus, arcane spell failure chance, and armor check penalty—except weight. Exceptionally light clothing (such as a nightshirt or silks) is instead treated as a chain shirt. Exceptionally heavy clothing (such as a cold-weather outfit or elaborate ceremonial garb) is instead treated as full plate. If the target is already wearing medium or heavy armor, he instead gains DR 5/adamantine, but the maximum Dexterity bonus of his armor decreases by 3 (to a minimum of +0), and its armor check penalty increases by 3.

After 5 rounds, affected clothing returns to normal. Ironmorph dust has no effect on creatures not wearing clothing or armor.

Armor or clothing affected by ironmorph dust is effectively metal, and counts as such for abilities or classes that are restricted to certain types of armor (such as druids); however, any abilities that are suppressed or lost due to the ironmorph dust’s effects are restored at the end of the dust’s duration, instead of after their normal time limit."

And it is only 500 gold!

This supports the "Faraday cage" theory mentioned earlier. One could houserule this to also apply to forced wearing of armor (power is cancelled only as long as you wear it).