How do y'all handle lvl.1 Elf armor?

[Kizarvexius]

(Putting aside the discussions about power-level), the actual purchase of armor at lvl.1 doesn't seem to jive with the idea that an Elf should possess Mithril at normal armor costs. Metal armor seems out of the reach of lvl 1 peeps. The book talks about a freshly created Elf as having 2d12 gold worth of stuff which is too little for metal armor.

How do y'all handle it?

[Raven_Crowking]

Remember that the elf in question has to be able to afford the armour in the first place.

I included one potential solution to this problem in FT 1: Creeping Beauties of the Wood: a specific location where, once in his lifetime, an elf can trade up one suit of armour and one weapon.

[JediOre]

As mentioned, the rule book does allow elves one piece of mithril armor at first level.

Beyond that, I think the solution for elves to acquire more, or better, mithril armor is something the DM should come up with.

Me, I would require a quest on behalf of an elven noble, who has the ability to make such, or has an elven armorer that could make it. It would also be fitting for a reward it an elven PC if he successfully performed a dangerous task on behalf of his patron.

I look at this mithril armor the same way I do elven chain mail from AD&D. Very rare outside elven groups, and uncommon among them as well. I once had a friend whose 2nd level PC was decked out in a suit of elven chain mail, along with a cloak and boots of elvenkind, for service rendered on behalf of the elven court (It was the reward to a party for completing B3-Palace of the Silver Princess). That suit is one of two or three that has ever come into possession of my players over the course of thirty years.

However, in DCC-RPG, mithril might have to be more common since elves can't deal with iron-based armor. Yet there is always bronze. . . .

[Kizarvexius]

As mentioned, the rule book does allow elves one piece of mithril armor at first level.

I could read it this way also. But someone else might read it that you have to purchase the armor at normal prices and it just happens to be mithril.

[JediOre]

As mentioned, the rule book does allow elves one piece of mithril armor at first level.

I could read it this way also. But someone else might read it that you have to purchase the armor at normal prices and it just happens to be mithril.

Ah, good point. I would just grant each elf player one piece of armor since I hold elves as a special race, apart from the mortal races.

[Pesky]

FWIW, I allow elves to purchase their first set of mithril armor at the cost of normal armor. I usually make a story or hook out of it, such as a local smith agreeing to repair a slightly damaged set of mithril armor for the aforementioned cost if the elf has done or will do some service. This way it is more than just an artificially discounted piece of armor.

[Raven_Crowking]

http://goodman-games.com/forums/viewtop ... 4&start=75

See my post on Mon Nov 03, 2014 11:50 am for a suggestion as to how this could be worked into a campaign.

[Pesky]

http://goodman-games.com/forums/viewtop ... 4&start=75

See my post on Mon Nov 03, 2014 11:50 am for a suggestion as to how this could be worked into a campaign.

"Forest Anvil" = very cool

[Weisenwolf]

(Putting aside the discussions about power-level), the actual purchase of armor at lvl.1 doesn't seem to jive with the idea that an Elf should possess Mithril at normal armor costs. Metal armor seems out of the reach of lvl 1 peeps. The book talks about a freshly created Elf as having 2d12 gold worth of stuff which is too little for metal armor.

How do y'all handle it?

Keep in mind that the Elf is supposed to have survived the funnel so may have more money available as a result. You could allow the Elf to delay this 'birthright' until he does have the money.

In the meantime Bronze armour: available from chain upwards, same price but I less a/c?

Bronze weapons: anything relying on a bladed edge or point (Which is virtually everything an Elf uses) is one dice less (on the dice chain) damage (Except arrows; doesn't make sense to nerf an Elf with a bow)

[bighara]

Slight tangent here:

Am I crazy or are there no price listings or specs for mithril gear in the book? I see it mentioned as a trade good (1 oz.), the part in the Elf class where it talks about it as a surrogate for iron, and then the blurb in the Equipment section about it maybe reducing spellcheck penalties. That's it.

Am I missing something?

[NJPDX]

It's left up to the judge to decide what Mithril is, how much it's worth, etc.

[DM Marcus]

Joseph Goodman should mandate that every funnel ends with Elven mithral armor for any surviving elves and a dwarven shield for every dwarven warrior (for the shield bash attack) among the big bad's treasure trove.

Let this be the first amendment to the DCC constitution.

[bighara]

It's left up to the judge to decide what Mithril is, how much it's worth, etc.

I'm thinking of copper (a la Runequest Aldryami) or bronze. The problem for me is that 'Mithril' is a loaded term in gamers' heads, with ideas that it's a "superior" metal to steel.

The nice thing about using bronze is that it's a viable alloy for armor and weapons.It's something that an elf might also find in a human city, though bronze smiths are less common. Also, things like ancient weapons or armor of legend (magic?) might be bronze instead of ferrous.

[NJPDX]

It's left up to the judge to decide what Mithril is, how much it's worth, etc.

I'm thinking of copper (a la Runequest Aldryami) or bronze. The problem for me is that 'Mithril' is a loaded term in gamers' heads, with ideas that it's a "superior" metal to steel.

The nice thing about using bronze is that it's a viable alloy for armor and weapons.It's something that an elf might also find in a human city, though bronze smiths are less common. Also, things like ancient weapons or armor of legend (magic?) might be bronze instead of ferrous.

That's sort of how I handle it. I have "elves" but they don't have much in common with Tolkien's. I made mine a sort of mishmash of Moorcock's Elric and Clark Ashton Smith's, Hyperborean, supermen. These people have the sensitivity to iron and consequently use various bronze alloys in their arms and armor. For legendary, "bronze" items they're made of a orichalcum; the special bronze alloy mentioned in Plato's writing about Atlantis.

It's pretty interesting to research the reasons bronze fell out of favor in antiquity, giving way to iron ... it's not necessarily because bronze was inferior (to iron at least, not steel).

[bighara]

True. Once they started carburizing iron, it improved greatly. But initially bronze was much better than early "spongy" iron. It was harder to come by and hard to forge (easy to cast, though) than Fe.

I like the Melnibone angle on the elves.

[DCCfan]

My players avoided elves at all cost. They hated the iron rule. If they rolled up an elf they ignored the rule all together. I got tired of trying to enforce it all the time anyway. Even with the relaxed enforcement of this rule all elves in the game ended up being suicide missiles. They were charged into every deadly situation and luck burned to death as quickly as possible. I wish I had thought of making bronze weapons and armor a more available alternative to mithril. I almost wish that bronze had been used in the core rules and that mithril had never been mentioned at all. I think I might start playing it that way and see if the cheaper and easier to find metal makes a difference in how elves are played.