Heavy armor or Not Heavy Armor.

[Twinsun]

I have a player that is interested in taking Heavy Armor Optimization feat, however there is the crux....

He is wearing Mithril FullPlate which is treated as medium, sooo will the feat work with it?

Personally I think so, simple because the armor itself and the tactics used in it are the same as Full Plate as far as protection goes, its just treated as medium because of the weight reduction from it being mithril but I wanted some other opinions.

[Tequila Sunrise]

What book does armor optimize come from? What's it do?

[Malkari Durant]

Tequila Sunrise wrote:

What book does armor optimize come from? What's it do?

Heavy Armor Optimization comes from Races of Stone and it allows you to increase you armor bonus and decrease you armor check penalty while wearing heavy armor.

Personally, my ruling on this is that the armor must be considered heavy in order to benefit from this feat

[Hagen]

Given that the feat was meant for Dwarves and that Dwarven mithril full plate isn't exactly unheard of in most certain fantasy settings (LotR,FR), I believe the feat should still work. The fact that the armour is lighter shouldn't make it harder to use.

[Canadian Bakka]

A mithril heavy armour, according to the description of the mithril properties if I recall correctly, defines such armour as medium armour for ALL purposes. For example, there are class abilities and feats that require the character to be using either medium armour or lighter (or no armour at all in many cases). Having a mithril heavy armour will satisfy that requirement.

By the same token, the heavy armour optizimation feat requires the character to be using heavy armour or any armour that is considered heavy. A mithril heavy armour no longer qualifies as such.

So, IMO, mithril heavy armour will not allow the benefits of heavy armour optizimation. It makes sense since it allows things to be fair. You cannot allow things to function one way and then turn around and change how it works simply because it would be more beneficial to a player (well, as a DM, you CAN if that is what you want) but I prefer a solid consistency in my games.

In the end, do what you think would be best for all involved in order to maintain a fun atmosphere. Just bear one thing in mind. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Meaning, if your players take advantage of the mithril heavy armour with the heavy armour optizimation feat (if you allow such), so can your npcs. Enjoy!

CB out.

[Twinsun]

An interesting effect of this, the War Mage in another of my campaigns is now saving every cp to purchase Mithral Full-Plate, treated as medium armor which he can wear and still cast...going to be a rovering artillery platform by the time its all said and done with.

[Aramil Naïlo]

I rule that it would not work. Mythril Full Plate is not Heavy Armour, and therefor should not gain the benefits of a feat that makes wearing Heavy Armour easier. Anything made of Mythril is treated as one category lighter, if I'm not mistaken, for all purposes. If they want better Full Plate Armour than plain Full Plate and still want to be able to make use of that feat then they should go for Adamant Full Plate Armour with spikes ;) !!

[Klotild]

"This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. A character wearing mithral full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor's check penalty to all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving." - CRB pg. 155

In my opinion as a GM that since it is written like that then the feat in question would apply to mithral plate since for the proficiency reason it is still heavy armor.