Items and their durability

[Il Peccatore]

Hey everyone,

How do I determine an item's durability, or when it would break? I am unsure first, how to factor in an item's hit points and hardness, and second, in which situations would an item break? Any help would be appreciated. I've tried reading over the relevant parts in the core rulebook but I am still confused.

Best,
Il Peccatore

[Archaeik]

Breaking Items

The section above that also deals with this topic.

In short, determine your item's total HP; if it loses half it's total HP it becomes "broken" which has associated penalties for trying to use it.
When physical damage is done to an object, subtract its hardness from the damage done.(can be reduced to zero)
Is there something more specific?

[Il Peccatore]

Archaeik wrote:

Breaking Items

The section above that also deals with this topic.

In short, determine your item's total HP; if it loses half it's total HP it becomes "broken" which has associated penalties for trying to use it.
When physical damage is done to an object, subtract its hardness from the damage done.(can be reduced to zero)
Is there something more specific?

Sorry I just don't understand how to factor an item's HP. Let's say I have a mithral breastplate, how would I determine its HP?

[Archaeik]

From "Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points"

Mithral 15(hardness) 30(HP)/in. of thickness

Now, the 30/in is for objects like doors and such, it does not change the "Armor" entry in the table I linked first.

"Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points"
Armor special("see other table") armor bonus × 5(HP)

so yeah, I see why this gets a little confusing, now we have to HP listings, but specific overrides general.

30/in <- general
armor bonus *5 <- specific

A breastplate has an armor bonus of +6.
A Mithral breastplate has 6*5= 30 HP

To damage this breastplate at all you need to do damage in excess of its hardness (so >15)
Hardness applies to every physical damage roll. (such as sunder attacks)
If the breastplate takes 15 points of damage, it is now broken. If it takes 30 points, it is destroyed.

Broken

[Il Peccatore]

But you don't need to actually sunder armor to do damage, correct? By just hitting the person wearing the armor, damage could be done.

Let's say someone hits for 17 damage to a player, that would be 2 damage to the armor, yes?

I really appreciate your help. I would be rather lost without it.

[Archaeik]

If the item is being worn, it requires a sunder attempt.

Normal attacks vs AC only damage the target, not their gear.

Sunder damage only damages the item. (Unless you have the Greater Sunder FEAT)

[Il Peccatore]

Archaeik wrote:

If the item is being worn, it requires a sunder attempt.

Normal attacks vs AC only damage the target, not their gear.

Sunder damage only damages the item. (Unless you have the Greater Sunder FEAT)

Thank you.

[Jeraa]

Quote:

Mithral 15(hardness) 30(HP)/in. of thickness

Now, the 30/in is for objects like doors and such, it does not change the "Armor" entry in the table I linked first.

Well, yes and no.

Quote:

Hit Points: An object's hit point total depends on what it is made ofand how big it is (see Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points, Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points, and Table: Object Hardness and Hit Points). Objects that take damage equal to or greater than half their total hit points gain the broken condition (see Conditions). When an object's hit points reach 0, it's ruined.

Steel and mithral items have the same hit points, but special materials can change the hit points of items like weapons and armor. A breastplate made from steel or mithral has 30 hitpoints, but one made from adamantine has 40 hit points. A heavy steel shield or a heavy mithral shield has 20 hit points, but a heavy adamantine shield has 26 hit points.

Quote:

Weapons and armor normally made of steel that are made of adamantine have one-third more hit points than normal. Adamantine has 40 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 20.

Dragonhide armor has either 1/3rd the hitpoints (if the armor is normally metal), or double the hitpoints (if the armor is leather/hide). Alchemical silver weapons have 1/3rd the hitpoints of a normal weapon.

The other special materials in the core rulebook have the same hitpoints as normal items.