Elven Chain Cost Question

[Kochean]

Why does elven chain armor in the pathfinder core book state the cost at 5150gp, especialy when the cost of a suit of chain mail costs 150 and the mithral cost for medium armor is 4000 coming up to a grand total of 4150gp. Mithral chain shirts come out right at 1100gp.

I could understand the additional 1k gp to be for some additional feature like an actual +1 bonus, 0 armor check penalty for stealth, enchantment discounts, etc.

[DougErvin]

It is the only medium armor which does not require medium armor proficiency to use. So for bards and rogues it saves them the cost of a feat. Whether that is enough to justify an extra 1000 gp in cost I can't really say. Just pointing out where it is different from regular mithral chain mail.

Doug

[TriOmegaZero]

Elven chain specifically calls out that it counts as light armor for proficiency, which was changed in PF from 3.5. So a character could with only light armor prof. could wear elven chain without penalty.

Ninja'd.

[Chris Parker]

DougErvin wrote:

It is the only medium armor which does not require medium armor proficiency to use. So for bards and rogues it saves them the cost of a feat. Whether that is enough to justify an extra 1000 gp in cost I can't really say. Just pointing out where it is different from regular mithral chain mail.

Doug

Mithral reduces the category or the armour it's made of by one (provided it isn't already light armour), meaning that mithral chain mail is light armour.

[TriOmegaZero]

Chris Parker wrote:

Mithral reduces the category or the armour it's made of by one (provided it isn't already light armour), meaning that mithral chain mail is light armour.

That was specifically changed in PF so that you couldn't have barbarians in mithral full plate.

[DougErvin]

TriOmegaZero,

Exactly what I was going to say especially since that was the exact argument I used in the Mithral is Too Good thread.

Doug

[TriOmegaZero]

Aren't we just the tag team? XD

Link to relevant PRD entry.

[Kochean]

ah thanks. it kinda makes a little sense now. I did not see the armor counts as light including proficiency.

I was thinking that the cost was a typo because it would of been a cost similar to +1 mithral chainmail. but when they made it nonmagical they forgot to change the price.

[James Risner]

Chris Parker wrote:

Mithral reduces the category or the armour it's made of by one (provided it isn't already light armour), meaning that mithral chain mail is light armour.

That isn't true in 3.p, since in 3.p Mithral Full Plate is a Heavy Armour Proficiency item.

I think the OP is pointing out the additional cost (1,000 gp) and the precise reason for this is the fact it is a Medium Armour that doesn't require medium proficiency. In other words, worth 1,000 gp.