Elven Chain vs. Mithral Shirt... WTF?

[RigaMortus]

Someone please tell me why Elven Chain is more expensive than a Mithral Shirt and what benefits it has to offer over a Mithral Shirt, if any?

Elven Chain
Medium Size creature speed is 30.
Small Size creature speed is 20.
20% Arcance Spell failure.
+4 Max Dex bonus.
-2 Armor Check penalty.
Cost is 4,150 GP

Mithral Shirt
Medium Size creature speed is 30.
Small Size creature speed is 20.
10% Arcance Spell failure.
+6 Max Dex bonus.
NO Armor Check penalty.
Cost is 1,100 GP

Please tell me I am missing something here? Why is Elven Chain more expensive than a Mithral Shirt? Is there erratta on this somewhere?

 

[Crothian]

Elven Chain = Mithral Chain Mail

Mithral Shirt = Mithral Chain Shirt

That's why.

 

[RigaMortus]

I had a feeling it might be something like that, but I couldn't find a good description on it. For example, one that explained what armor bonus it had.

 

[kreynolds]

Hehe. No offense intended to anyone, but I found this thread very amusing. Reminds me of a few of my own oversights. Happens to the best of us.

 

[Vinyafod]

In the same manner... can anybody tell me the difference between a Dwarven Plate and a Mithral Plate?

Dwarven Plate (by the description a plate crafted out of Mithral)
- Full Plate
- AC: 8
- Max DEX : +3
- Armorchekpenalty: -4
- Spell failure: 25%
- Medium Armor
- Weight: 25 pounds
- Cost: 10.500 GP

Mithral Plate (by the rules presented in the DMG page 243)
- Full Plate
- AC: 8
- Max DEX : +3
- Armorcheckpenalty: -3
- Spell failure: 25%
- Medium Armor
- Weight: 50 pounds
- Cost: 10.500 GP

 

[shilsen]

In the same manner... can anybody tell me the difference between a Dwarven Plate and a Mithral Plate?

There isn't any difference. It's the same thing, just like Elven Chain is Mithral Chain Mail.

 

[Vinyafod]

If it is the same, how come that the Dwarven Plate has different stats listed?
As you probably have seen, I have listed the stats of a Dwarven Plate and the Stats of a Mithral Full Plate. However, they are not the same.
The description of the Dwarven Plate says:

This full plate is made of mithral.

It has no additional enchantments.

I'll just call the mithral rules from page 243, DMG a template for now.
If I apply the *Mithral-template* to a standard Full Plate, I do not recieve the same stats for it as a Dwarven Plate has. Still a Dwarven Plate, per it's description, is nothing else than a Mithral Full Plate.

The Dwarven Plate has an armorcheckpenalty of -4. Thats 2 lower than a standard full plate. The Mithral-template lowers the armorchepenalty by 3.
The Dwarven Plate weighs 25 pounds (half as much as a standard full plate). The Mithral-template doesn't affect weight of armors or shields. Only non-armor or non-shield items are halved in weight. (That doesn't really make sense but let's go strictly by the rules for this one).

Why is that so? Why two different set of stats for the same thing.

Edit: spelling

 

[drnuncheon]

The Mithral-template doesn't affect weight of armors or shields.

Actually, that's not true. Weight of armor is 'one category less' - generally the actual weight of the armor is not considered because it's usually being worn, and the encumbrance value of wearing armor is (I believe) in most cases greater than the actual weight of the armor would indicate.

Looking at the example items, we see that mithril armor weighs somewhere from 1/2 (dwarven plate) to 1/3 (mithril shield) the weight of the base armor.

J

 

[Vinyafod]

By saying weight, I meant weight in pounds and not the armortype/ category.
There is no doubt that mithral armors are treated as one category lighter than standard armor, with light armors still being light. At least the ones primarily made out of metal.

Still, I quote the DMG, page 243:

Nonarmor or shield items made from mithral weigh half as much as the same item made from other metals.

So, shields and all items that are NOT armor weigh half as much. As a logical conclusion... mithral armor weighs just as much as standard armor. In the case of a full plate 50 pounds.
It can make a difference if it weighs 50 or only 25 pounds. Imagine a not so strong cleric (STR 11). The armor weighing 50 pounds consumes almost 50% of his total carrying capacity. Give him a mace, a shield and some mundane, daily equipment and he is at his absolute maximum. If the armor only weighed 25 pounds it is much easier for him.

Now, I myself think that the rule from the DMG is not logical at all. Why should an armor be treated as one category lighter if it weighs just as much as a standard armor? Why does the longsword weigh half as much but the full plate not? Both are made primarily of metal.

I just wonder why the *named* mithral full plate aka "Dwarven plate" is not the same as a mithral full plate.

After all, I know that I can just rerule it to my liking but I would like to be sure that there is no justified reason for the differences. Maybe I just missed something.

EDIT: spelling

 

[Taluron]

I thought dwarven plate was made with adamantine?