BULK: non-
WEIGHT*: 15#
BASE MOVEMENT: 12"
COST:
Elfin chain mail is never avail. on the open market
PP: -20%
OL: -5%
FRT: -5%
MS: -10%
HS: -10% (Assumes that armor
is covered by another garment. Elfin chain mail is light and thin, and
can be worn under normal clothing.)
HN: -5%
CW: -x (WSG: -20, a character
in anything heavier than chain cannot climb any severe slope or cliff)
TW: -
PV: -1/2'
HJ: -1/2'
BJR: -
BJS: -
TA: -5%
TE: -5%
TF: -5'
PT, <0: +x
PT, 0-30: +x
PT, 31-75: +x
PT, 76+: +x
PUMMEL DAMAGE: -x% (protection)
GRAPPLE 'AC': +x% (penalty)
GRAPPLE DAMAGE: -x% (protection)
* Assumes human-size.
(Elven chain may
be sold for up to 500 gp, varying by the
place and time of sale. It is not normally
available for purchase in shops, being
highly sought and often reserved for elves,
nobles, well-known leaders, and political
officials.) -- T3.45
Question: How does one make or acquire “elfin chainmail”?
Answer: Elfin chainmail
is a special type of chainmail armor that is
much lighter and stronger
than normal, and allows greater
freedom of movement. It
is made exclusively by elven armorsmiths
of above average ability,
who keep certain aspects
of its manufacture secret for a number of reasons. Even were its
manufacturing process better
known, duplicating elfin armor
would prove very difficult
for most armorers.
What
little is known about making elfin chainmail is that the
links of the chainmail are
much thinner and smaller in diameter
than usual. The metal from
which elfin chainmail is made is
apparently an alloy of high-quality
steel and mithral, a rare and
valuable metal of bright
silvery color. In the process of making
the alloy, the elven smiths
add a special substance to the
molten mixture to cause
the metal to be harder; the nature of
this substance has never
been identified, since it is either com-
pletely absorbed into the
metal in the smelting process, or
somehow destroyed. Not even
magical devices appear to be
able to determine the nature
of this substance. At any rate, the
presence or after-effects
of this substance also make the alloy
impervious to enchantment,
no matter how powerful the spell. *
Elfin
chainmail is linked together in an exceptionally intricate
fashion; the pattern of
the interconnections of links changes
from place to place across
the armor, so that certain general
designs may appear. One
suit might seem to have a tree-like
design on the chest, another
might have an abstract pattern of
criss-crossed lines, another
might have sunburst designs on
front and back. The intricacy
of the links is another reason
(aside from the nature of
the alloy itself) for the armor’s
strength. It appears that
only elves, because of their passion for
complexity and appreciation
of artistic beauty, are able to
properly fashion the armor
in this way.
It takes
twice as long as normal to make a suit of elfin chain-
mail (90 days instead of
45), and may take even longer than that
if the maker desires a particularly
complex design for linking it
together. Only 25% of all
elven smiths are able to fashion elfin
chainmail, the rest being
occupied with making other sorts of
armor (ring
mail, scale mail, etc.) or being of lesser ability.
Making elfin chainmail requires
the full involvement of the
smith and many years of
study as well; PC elves,
even those with exceptional
characteristics and backgrounds
as smiths or armorers, are
not able to make elfin chainmail
though they could make some
minor repairs on it if necessary. **
PC elves could, however,
obtain such armor as a
gift for extraordinary services
rendered for the elven people; it
is considered a great honor
to have a suit of mail made, and
some elves who own magical
but human-made chainmail will
prefer to use elfin chainmail
instead.
DMs who
like to start out characters with some
minor magical item could
offer elven characters an elfin chain-
mail suit instead, though
evil elves would not be able to receive
this benefit. Non-elves
are not given elfin chainmail by long-
established tradition, and
it is never sold. Elves regard it as an
artistic treasure as well
as an expression of appreciation and
distinction; selling it
would cheapen its social and cultural
value. Most non-elves are
not able to wear elfin chainmail any-
way, since they do not have
the proper build and size to fit an
already made suit, though
some thin and light humans and a
few large tallfellow halflings
might possibly be able to fit into it.
Elves would not appreciate
seeing a non-elf wearing elfin
chainmail, however, and
might believe the wearer got it by
killing or robbing the previous
owner.
Elfin
chainmail weighs about 15 pounds, allows movement
at ***
normal SPEED (up to 12”),
and is regarded as non-bulky; its
weight is very evenly distributed
over the body and limbs. A thin
layer of underpadding is
required, usually made of tough but
soft materials carefully
woven to permit free movement and
good ventilation. Special
small helms are usually worn with it,
and these take about a week
each to make properly (including
decorations, engravings,
and so forth).
* (Update: Elfin chainmail
can
be enchanted).
** (Update: Elven
PCs who devote an extra slot or slots to the Armorer
proficiency should be able to make elfin chainmail).
*** (Update: Technically,
human-size weighs about 15 pounds).
Q:
What is the availability and cost of
a suit of elfin chain
mail to an elf or
half-elf?
A: That depends upon
whether the character
wants to have one custom-made
or
simply wants to find one
to purchase. An
elf could probably locate
one or more
elven artisans in a large
elven community
who would be willing to
produce a
custom-made suit for a hefty
price, but
there would certainly be
a waiting list.
The character would certainly
be required
to pay in advance or leave
a large deposit,
and it could be a decade
or more before
the work is even started.
The
total cost
would
depend upon the campaign economics,
but
should run at least five times
the
book price, including fitting and adjustment.
Finding an elven craftsman
capable of making such armor
might be a
chore, however -- the DM
must decide
how difficult to make the
job. An entire
adventure could be built
around finding
craftsmen!
Elfin chain mail
which is found during
an adventure might or might
not be sized
correctly, but would almost
certainly need
adjustment, as would pre-made
elfin
chain
mail found in a magic
shop. Elfin chain
mail which is not
specifically made for the
character could probably
be purchased
for three to four times
book price in a
large city, but again, it
would be hard to
find. It would be logical
to assume that the
elven community would immediately
try
to buy back any such suits
rumored to be
on the general market for
historical value
alone, thus further reducing
the supply.
Elfin
chain mail should almost never be
found
sized for humans or demi-humans
other
than elves. It is a safe bet to assume
that each such suit in existence
was made
for a specific individual,
probably as a gift
for some great service to
the elven community.
Thus, such items should
not be
placed at random, and each
should have a
specific history. If
an artisan willing to
make
a new suit for a non-elven character
could
be found, the price should be at
least
10 times book value, due to unfamiliar
sizing
and extra materials.
(117.32)
Q:
In the description of elfin chain
mail, it is described
as being so light
and fine that it can be
worn under
clothing without anyone
noticing
that it is there. If it
is that light and
fine, why would it hinder
some thieving abilities?
A: Elfin chain
mail is not as light as normal
clothing, so nonencumbrance
bonuses do
not apply for thieving skills
while it is
worn. Also, it is not silent,
so a thief cannot
effectively move silently
while wearing
it. The same applies to
backstabbing,
which depends upon surprise.
Other abilities
which do not depend upon
silence
may be performed normally
while in elfin
chain mail at the
DM's discretion.
(117.54)