Magical Armor and enhancement

[Derek Dalton]

I'm building a concept character. Now for armor I chose Folding Plate armor. It's normally +1. My question is this how would I figure the cost to add more pluses to it? Do I add the difference in gold going from +1 to +2?

[Scott Wilhelm]

Let's see:

Folding Plate: 12,650 gp

It's +1: 1000
It's Full Plate: 1500
It's Masterwork:150

1000+1500+150 = 1650

12,650 - 1650 = 11,000

Foldyness costs 11,000gp.

Does that match a "+" equivalent?

Enhancement bonuses to armor = (+#)^2 X 1000

So +1 armor: 1000gp
+2: 4000
+3: 9000
+1 Folding (unspecified armor): 12,000
+4: 16000gp

Since the Foldyness Enchanment does not fit the Enhancement bonus Formula, I think it is a +11,000gp Enchantment and not a "+" equivalent enchantmet. I think it costs 3000gp to increase it from +1 to +2. But as a particular magic item, your GM might rule otherwise or even make it difficult or illegal for you to upgrade your Folding Plate at all.

I have a counter proposal, though. Instead of buying expensive Folding Plate, just get yourself a nice, cheap Wand of Swift Girding. That will let you dress in your armor as a Standard Action. You can always put the Folding enchanment on your regular Full Plate later.

Still another option is to just get Mithral Full Plate. Mithral Full Plate counts as Medium Armor, so you can sleep in it if you have Endurance. That costs 10,500gp, cheaper than your Folding Plate. I must say I consider Mithral Full Plate to be prohibitively Expensive, though.

If you really want Folding Plate, I recommend you arrange your character build so that you can cast or use a Wand of Swift Girding and soup up your Masterwork Full Plate as your budget allows, and add on Foldyness when you can afford it.