Magic claws

[galaga]

So i was pondering my claw focused Sheoling epic char trying to figure out how to get past epic DR. Then it hit me. In the Draconomicon there is a dragon magic item designed to fit over claws. granted tehy themselves do not add attack or damage but rather increase the crit multiplier on the dragons claws and use up the ring slot for claw it is equiped on. thos got me to thinkin that somethin like this, posibly designed by the Sheoling themselves as an enhancment for their natural weapons (which in their culture would be wildly popular if I recall) would not be to out there. heres my thought.

Claw Caps (working name)
Devolped by Sheoling
increase damage or crit multiplyer of 'claw' they are placed on by 1 step
enchantable as a weapon

Basicaly they would be small blades designed to fit snugly over a sheolings claws. it may take either the ring slot or the weapon slot, that is one thing to try and figure out..

Basicaly tryin to get my claws to overcome epic DR without having to resort to an amulet of mighty fists which effects many more natural attacks then I need it to:)

[Sargon]

humm i kinda like where this is going

if at all possible can you give me the stats from the item you are baseing this on from the draconomicon?

beacuse if they work with the dragons claws then they should be able to work with the sheolings claws just fine, with very little needing to be changed.

but i really like where this is going.

[Lord Kain]

I agree it should be adaptable and work just fine, Hmm have to invest in a pair of those for my lizardman.

[galaga]

Draco pg 82

Claws of the Ripper
Metal sythlike blades designed to fit over 1 set of a dragon's claws
increases crit multiplier from x2 to x4
Dragon cannot use a ring on this claw

[Lord Kain]

Can't use rings, ouch.
Hmm gloves would be more approperiate on a humanoid. As other wise a clawed humanoid could wear magic gloves and these claws at the same time.

[Sargon]

humm i will have to look it up.

but wouldnt just claws you can enchant be roughly thing you wanted?

how much do these things cost?
we dont need to mess with its crit mod, if we jsut need something that you can put on claws that you can enchant.

[Sargon]

Claws of the Ripper: These metal, scythelike blades are designed to fit over one set of a dragon's claws, and they resizes to fit any dragon of large size or bigger. A dragon wearing claws of the ripper cannot also make use of a magic ring on that claw. when worn , claws of the ripper increase the damage dealt by the dragon's claws on a critical hit, giveing then a x4 multiplier (like that of a scythe.)

faint transmutation; CL 6th; craft ring; price 2,000 GP; weight 10 lb.


those are the stats that the draco gives for these claws. i have a few problems with these stats being used just as they are.

due to how magical they are they cost way too much for any barbaric nodmaic soceity to have a large number of there members wear. so for the claws doing the purpose we (I) want them to do we should do away with the magical abilities on the claws.

something that simpally goes on claws and can be enchanted as a weapon, dosent need to resize or increason crit mod. those things can be applied to any weapon as magic enhancements.

as for which item slot they would take up, the ring slot would make sense, but so would the glove slot and i think the glove slot might make more sense. so lets go with a glove slot.

i would idealy like them to be enchanted like a weapon, so there base form of the claws would not have any magic on it at all. so they could be nice and affordable, like 30 GP.

[galaga]

sounds good to me though a small effect such as increasing claw damage to a d6 or giving them a x3 crit would be nice aditional basics but I can work with gloves that applie weapon enchants to a sheolings natural claws

[Lord Kain]

But know dear Galaga, a +6 Enchanted Weapon costs 720,000gp. Once an item translated into epic power you multiply the cost by a 10.
Even at level 24, We can still face off againts numerious non-epic monsters. Though they'd have advanced hit dice.

[galaga]

of course dear Kain gotta do something with that 1.8 million gold one of these wouldb e less then half my funds

Probably gonna need one for each claw but having at least 1 is good

[Lord Kain]

Galaga, remember very few creatures have a DR above 10 even at epic. (many epic creatures actually lack DR)
There are far better uses for your cash. If a DR of 10 epic stops your claw from being useful your claws are screwed as you'd have to deal with DR 10 vs other types of damage.

[Sargon]

i am as a DM am comfortable with an item that costs 35 Gp, fits over your claws, uses the base stats of your claws, can can be enhanced as it it were a melee weapon. that is good enough for me at this point in there design.

as for the improved damage and increased critical range, most of that can be done with normal weapon enchantments, so i will leave it without those things.

lord kain is correct in what he is saying about epic monsters, as far as i have seen it, things that have a DR / Epic are extreamly rare. in 3.5E DR agaisnt other kinds of damage is all the rage.


i have other balance issues with this type of item that i will have to work out. i have a very careful sense of balance and i try to make everything that is custom made measure up to it.

it took me a little over a year to be happy of the balance with my new nightkord races.

some of my issues with it focus around. will it unbalance the ammy of mighty fists? you know, if it can fit around claws why not fists? its not like iron knuckles are a exotic concept and they are basically the same thing as these are they not? they arnt inculded in the game. (to my knowledge)

and my other issues is why hasnt something like this been done before? there must be something that resambles this somewhere in the game? i hope we arnt the first ones to think of it.

[Lord Kain]

Well first off you need one for each claw and it only works on a claw.
If a dragon were to pick up an amulet of mighty fist it apply to his bite, both claws, both wings and the tail slap.

[galaga]

well I think I am gonna have to reconsidre my epic char. Forgot you gain no more natural attacks from higher BAB

[Sargon]

probbly best