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It is an enchantment for armor and shields that lets the possesor put them into the form of a piece of jewelry. As a standard action, the armor or shield can spread out back into normal form. I used shrink item and disguise self as the spell requirment and it is CL 13.
While normally I would look at this and say +3, when I think about it as a player, I would never sink that much money into something like this. Since it is more flavor than anything else, I am leaning towards a +2. So what do you think?
Also, it really needs a better name than shrink-a-dink.
uh... i'd say +2 is reasonable
but be aware, that means that the fighter will wake up in full plate
+3 is far too expensive. I would say +2 is good.
In terms of power level this reminds me of the armor property "called" from 3.5 magic item compendium.
It was very cheap for the convenience, not even a + mod.
CALLED
Price: +2,000 gp
Property: Armor or shield
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) conjuration
Activation: Standard (command)
At fi rst glance, this armor or shield looks like
any other item of its kind. Closer inspection
reveals a small image of a beckoning hand
inscribed on its surface.
Provided that you and your called armor
or shield are on the same plane, you can
call it to you by speaking the proper command
word, regardless of the intervening
distance. If you aren’t wearing armor at the
time, a suit of called armor appears on your
body, as though you had donned it in the
normal fashion. If you are wearing other
armor when you speak the command
word, the called armor appears in your
space or in an adjacent space you designate
that is capable of holding it. A called shield
appears on the proper arm if you are not
already using another shield when you call
it, or in your space or a designated adjacent
space if you are.
If any other creature has worn your
called armor or shield since you last wore
it, you can no longer call it until you wear
it again.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and
Armor, teleport.
Cost to Create: 1,000 gp, 80 XP, 2 days.
Look at the Hideaway weapon property in the Magic Item Compendium. It is essentially what you are looking for minus the effect of making it look like a piece of jewelry and costs 2k (no actual enhancement value). I would just add the Glammered special quality for another 2.7k but make it part of the shape/size alteration for flavor and be done. No effective enhancement bonuses. Call it a Jeweled item and give it one large gem for aesthetics, since it is becoming a piece of jewelry.
& I know, it is frowned upon to give weapon properties to armor & vice versa, but it works for the concept.
So it's basically Folding Plate from the APG?
So it's basically Folding Plate from the APG?
Cheapy is faster then me today. Reverse engineer it as a GP adder(instead of a + bonus cost) from the folding plate entry and you should be fine.
Folding plate is expensive tho (12.6k). Where the +1 full plate would only cost 2.5k, the effective cost for that enhancement would skyrocket to 10k. I really think that is a bit much. Maybe scale the cost with the weight of the armor (how much it must be compressed)?
How about this:
Light armor, 4k
Medium armor, 7k
Heavy armor, 10k
Seems to scale better to me. Opinions?
Folding plate is priced at 12,650 gold. Remove the cost of the +1 full plate, and that leaves 10,000 gold. So the folding property is worth 10,000 gold.
Personally, I would just import the 3.5 Called property. 2000 gold, say the command word as a standard action and the armor or shield appears on your body. Works over any distance as long as you are on the same plane (but doesn't work if someone has worn the armor after you).
Folding plate is priced at 12,650 gold. Remove the cost of the +1 full plate, and that leaves 10,000 gold. So the folding property is worth 10,000 gold.
Personally, I would just import the 3.5 Called property. 2000 gold, say the command word as a standard action and the armor or shield appears on your body. Works over any distance as long as you are on the same plane (but doesn't work if someone has worn the armor after you).
It comes down to how much you want armor type to matter really. As a side note, by making it a measly 2k you are also neutering half of the benefits of the endurance feat (sleep in medium armor) for what is basically peanuts.
If you consider standard action to gain up to +14 armor bonus at will/indefinitely only need to be worth a 2k investment, then that is the direction you should go with your home rule. (+14 taken as a 'worst case' using +5 full plate as an example.)
I see others are fine with it, however, just wanted to point out the other side of perspective.
"Transformers, roll out"?
Is that too long for an ability name?
Try Jeweled and add in some fine jewelry-style engraving or gems for flavor.
Though I still think that pricing it as a scaling +gp quality would be better, but that's just me I guess.
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Try Jeweled and add in some fine jewelry-style engraving or gems for flavor.
Though I still think that pricing it as a scaling +gp quality would be better, but that's just me I guess.
I would consider a +1 with an additional gold cost. That would suite better, I think. And yes, "Transformers, roll out!" is to long. Awesome, but to long.
called property from 3.5 is perfectly fine for 2K. endurance is a crappy feat that should have just been a trait. at best.
endurance is just a feat tax for diehard, and diehard isn't really too amazing either. diehard gets you killed more than it helps.
Playstyles differ, so i will respectfully disagree.
It comes down to how much you want armor type to matter really. As a side note, by making it a measly 2k you are also neutering half of the benefits of the endurance feat (sleep in medium armor) for what is basically peanuts.If you consider standard action to gain up to +14 armor bonus at will/indefinitely only need to be worth a 2k investment, then that is the direction you should go with your home rule. (+14 taken as a 'worst case' using +5 full plate as an example.)
I didn't price the called property at 2,000gp. WotC did. Considering spellcasters can get a 50% miss chance, damage reduction, invisibility, or defensive abilities as a standard action, fighters needs something as well. Armor is pretty much their only good defensive ability. A warrior without his armor is almost as worthless as a warrior without his weapon.
pricing it as an armor enhancement bonus +2 will make it very expensive, it will have to be at least +1 armor which means it will start out costing only 8k, but upgrading will be costing too much
8k(+1) > 12k(+2) > 16k(+3) > 20k(+4) > 24k(+5)
If you want the cost to go up with more powerful armor I'd have it be a +1 enhancement bonus, otherwise I'd price it as mithral armor since lighter armors will have less benefit from it. Virtualy no benefit for light armor =1k, medium armor gives part of a feat's benefit=4k, heavy armor would not be possible to wear usually 9k seems fair for a circumstancial benefit.
Hm. The Called armor property is pretty close, just minus the flavor of actually shrinking it to be worn as an amulet/ring/etc. And doing that would force it to take up the appropriate item slot. I might just give that part for flavor and leave the price at 2k.
If you really want to do it as an enhancement equivalent bonus though, I'd have to agree with Remco. A +2 makes the thing too expensive, especially if you ever want to enhance the item further. Leave it as a +1.
Edit: And I second (actually 1sted, see my post above) the idea of scaling cost with the weight of the armor (though my costs were a bit steeper at the light end). This also more closely approximates the cost of folding plate.
Expecto Armoro.
"By the power of powered armor, I have the power!"
called.
Instant Full Body Combat Condom.
Glamered-but-not-really. (You did remember the Glamered enhancement, no?)
Instant Armor.
Assassin's Bane.
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Shrinking armor? Maybe 7500K add, should not be a "+" at all. Generally if something gives a benefit that does not affect its combat-worthiness, it is done as an add-on cost, as there's no reason to charge more for doing this to +3 armor relative to +1.
I could see the used though; though it is pretty pigeon-hold for a diplomatic person that doesn't want to appear armored. I guess it does let you sleep and standard-action suit up, but people wouldn't pay 7500 for that.
You could even make it a necklace (neck slot 7500 GP item) that lets you summon armor and a weapon that you store in it as a standard action (could hold 1 armor and 2 weapons).
The only thing over Glamered this has is no ACP, but no armor bonus.
Also no weight.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I think the right idea is the shifting cost. Does it take up a slot as jewelry?
I'd go with Light 1K, Medium 2K, heavy 6K.
Logic below
For Light armor, it's a convience/situational factor (wearing that pendant to a fancy ball, or wanting more stealth) Armor expert (trait) reduces the ACP by one. For most light armor (since it's already masterwork) you're dealing with an ACP of one or two, so it's a minor benefit.
For the Medium vs Endurance argument it's a bit trickier. "Feats as Items" often are. A slotless +3 on a skill (low level skill focus) would be 1800 GP, a +6 would be 7200 GP. This feature doesn't give the +4 bonus of endurance and doesn't allow the wearer to qualify for Diehard (Endurance also doesn't take a standard action) The situational benefit for ACP would be greater, as would the movement advantage, so I think 2K makes a fair trade.
Heavy. Now here's where it's really nice, and deserves the higher price tag. You can't sleep in heavy armor (w.o 3PP stuff) and the 'standard action vs minutes' benefit is nice Also the weight and speed issues I mentioned above in the medium armor are greater. Still, they're situational, and the limitation of a standard action means that a GM can still get a surprise round in where they can have their fun. 6K sounds 'about right' to me.
As to names... Trinket property? How does +1 ghost touch trinket full plate roll off the tongue?
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Yes, I did remember glamered.
No, it doesn't take up a slot as jewelry.
Yes, Trinket sounds like the best option so far.
Just so you guys know, I am aware that the uses of this is rather specific. I am creating it as a special request from one of my players, and just couldn't decide on a fair pricing. I'll probably take the advice offered by Master Crafter (first) and Mr Morris (lot of respect for your work, man) and make the cost dependent on the type of armor classification.
If any else has other name ideas, please share them, but I'm going to run with Trinket for the time being.
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Actually basing on type would make a good bit of sense; since (especially in light of being reminded of glamoured for the diplomat), the real saving is being able to suit up as a standard action, which is harder with heavier armor. Basically makes a "heavy armor rogue" more viable, as you don't take armor check penalties for skills but can easily put armor on if push comes to shove. With light armor glamour would do what you are looking for.
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The player who requested this is basically looking for gloves of storing for armor. Glamoured is just making it appear to not be there, he wants more.
I don't know if any of you have seen the remake of the Lost in Space movie. But if you have, picture the sceane where Matt LeBlanc's character has his armor come out to give him a helmet. Or like the gaffa guards helmets from Star Gate (but obviously with an entire suite, not just the helmet).
Trinket, Jeweled, Bejeweled, Collapsing, Folding, Signet. Any of these work?
Knight's Jewel, Safeguard Jewel, Iron Crest Jewel, Jewel of Vigilance
