08-25-2016, 08:58 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2015
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Cost Factor for odd Armor
Background: I run my GURPS campaign in the D&D world of Eberron. One of my players is building a new NPC as a "Syberis kobold", which is a kobold race with wings that lives on tall mountaintops.
I've built out all the stats, no problem. My question is: How much should armor cost for this race? I haven't been able to find generic rules for armoring odd body shapes, unless they are so odd you can effectively go for horse barding instead. Assuming that he doesn't armor his wings, should his torso armor cost more because it has to have holes in the back for his wings? Should his leg armor cost more because kobolds are toe-walkers? Or should these be accounted for by assuming that the armor you start with is "fitted" for you (Low-Tech p.103)? What if he finds some great armor somewhere down the line, and wants to have it refitted for him? Is that still accounted for by a craftsman spending an hour and making the Armory+2 check (again, Low-Tech p.103), or should it cost more because it takes longer or is a more difficult check? Last edited by clnoel; 08-25-2016 at 08:59 PM. Reason: Grammar correction |
08-27-2016, 04:02 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
I would assume about the same price in materials, but how much vendors/crafters demand for out of the ordinary gear is campaign specific.
"Toe-walkers"? Do you mean digitigrade like most mammals rather than our plantigrade like bears? If so, then it probably isn't technically harder to make shoes/boots for. Its again depends on crafter's experience and exotic gear markup. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but most of how much refitting would cost depends on crafter experience and markup. Though it may cost a bit more due to adjusting support components in torso armor. You can't just cut holes and hope none of the removed bits were necessary to hold everything together. I imagine as I'm not a tailor/armorer.
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08-27-2016, 06:32 AM | #3 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
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08-27-2016, 06:39 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
My question is: how strong are their wings? Can the kobold support the extra weight and still fly?
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08-27-2016, 01:11 PM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
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I say that having once tried really hard to make a technically possible flying humanoid. At best they're the size of ducks, really weird looking, and have issues with drag, balance, and other things.
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08-27-2016, 02:26 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
Given a TL 3-4 world where everything is hand made one-offs, you may not get charged a mark up at all.
Instead, you'll likely get something Cheap for standard cost, if the person making it isn't any good with your body shape and doesn't have the skill to figure it out on the fly. If they're ethical, they may charge you less, knowing that they're producing a kinda shoddy product. If they're excitable and curious, they may do it at cost for the chance to learn how to make a breastplate for a winged kobold (for example) - but you could end up paying for two or three times the normal materials as there's a few failed experiments. And waiting a long time. Manufacturing at this TL is a personal relationship, and it's going to depend on the people doing the work.
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08-27-2016, 02:51 PM | #7 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
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I think one unmentioned issue is whether their torsos are shaped differently than normal humanoids or mixed with bird/bat/pterasaur features. A giant bird keelbone and massive flight muscles flexing all over the place during flight must be hell to armor effectively. But most flying humanoids are more angelic with no flight muscles, just wings.
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08-28-2016, 06:06 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
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09-03-2016, 11:09 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Nov 2015
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Re: Cost Factor for odd Armor
I feel blind!
Physiology modifier is exactly what I was looking for! Using the -2 penalty turns the Armory +2 check into an Armory+0 check. This means that you either need to find someone more skilled (which is more expensive because they presumably have higher wealth level) or have someone less skilled take more time (which is more expensive based on an hourly rate). In either case, it'll probably cost about double to have the armor refitted. Or I could consider that -2 an "unfamiliarity penalty" as listed under Armory, which has the same effect. Also, I decided that the race's own armorers would have regular armor for their race readily available. That suggestion made a lot of sense, so his starting armor will be purchased as regular. And having armor specifically made and fitted for him (which I consider the definition of "fine" armor in my world), would cost the same regardless of who was making it, because (as stated above) that's a personal relationship. Thanks for all the suggestions! |
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armor, wings |
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