Max Dex of Heavy Armor

[Gazzien]

How high can you push the maximum dexterity of a Heavy-category armor [For the purposes of this exercise, let's say Full Plate], without reducing its category? (No Mithril, ripped Celestial Plate, etc)

From what I can tell, it's:
+1 (Full plate)
+2 (Entropium)
+1 (Of Nimbleness)
for a total of +4.

Did I miss something, or is it really, really hard to boost max dex? Is there something in 3rd party that would make this easier?

[NunoM]

Off the top of my head, Wildwood full-plate (Races of the Wild, p. something) is still a heavy armor and has a +2 Max Dex bonus.

[Maat Mons]

Segmented (Dragon 358, p42) and ceremonial (Dungeon 105, p71) each add +1, but ceremonial comes with a lot of downsides. 

[Gazzien]

Thank you both~

Now I just have to hunt down Dragon 358 and Dungeon 105...

[Jackinthegreen]

Is this on the armor itself, or can feats and class features improve it too?

[Gazzien]

Is this on the armor itself, or can feats and class features improve it too?

Anything, to be honest. I'd rather not go with class features, so that I can throw this on any build, but anything at all is welcomed.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

 
Captain Captain Q where are you?
You've got some work to do now.

[kitep]

Mountain Plate (Races of Stone) - if made out of some other material, eg Mithril, it gains the benefits of said material but is still considered to be heavy armor.  So technically it fits your requirement of not reducing the category.  Probably not what you want, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

[Gazzien]

Mountain Plate (Races of Stone) - if made out of some other material, eg Mithril, it gains the benefits of said material but is still considered to be heavy armor.  So technically it fits your requirement of not reducing the category.  Probably not what you want, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

That's... actually pretty cool. Didn't know about that one. Thanks~!

aDMG: I tried looking through the EVD, couldn't find anything else, which is why I brought it here.

Edit: Maybe I just failed a spot check, though...

[Demelain]

Mind if I ask why it's important that it stay Heavy?

[Maat Mons]

Now I just have to hunt down Dragon 358 and Dungeon 105...

I'd hate to see you go to all the trouble of obtaining a copy of Dungeon 105 just to realize you'll never want to use ceremonial, so I've OCRed it for you. 

(click to show/hide)

CEREMONIAL ARMOR
Ceremonial armor is typically worn not for combat but for show, or to intimidate or impress. A suit of ceremonial armor costs twice as much as normal masterwork armor (but is not necessarily itself masterwork). and consists of about half the actual armor of a normal suit. Ceremonial armor weighs half as much as the normal armor, and provides half the armor bonus of the standard armor, rounded down. The maximum Dexterity bonus for ceremonial armor increases by +1. the armor check penalty is reduced by 2 points (to a minimum penalty of 0), and it does not impact the wearer's speed. Arcane spell failure chances for ceremonial armor are half normal. Despite these changes, the category of a suit of ceremonial armor (light, medium, or heavy) does not change; although a suit of ceremonial full plate may only provide the same protection as a regular chain shirt. it still requires the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat to wear properly.

[Gazzien]

Mind if I ask why it's important that it stay Heavy?

For the "Heavy Armor Optimization", "Greater Heavy Armor Optimization", and "Deflective Armor" feats. Probably would have helped if I threw that in the op, huh? -takes notes for next time-

I... Wow. Ouch. Thank you for the Ceremonial bit. Totally not using that.

[phaedrusxy]

I think there was at least one way to increase the type of armor something counts as, but damned if I can remember what it was... If someone else can remember it, this might let you use mithril.

[zook1shoe]

I think there was at least one way to increase the type of armor something counts as, but damned if I can remember what it was... If someone else can remember it, this might let you use mithril.

gold and platinum increase by 1step

[Jackinthegreen]

I think there was at least one way to increase the type of armor something counts as, but damned if I can remember what it was... If someone else can remember it, this might let you use mithril.

gold and platinum increase by 1step

Gold being on page 179 in Magic of Faerun, and Platinum being on page 180.  Looking through Captnq's armor lists, it seems Ring armor is the most easily used, although Partial from Oriental Adventures is very slightly better.  Both have a +4 Max Dex Bonus, which goes down to 2 when turned into heavy armor.  Since Entropium was used in the OP though, it wouldn't work.

However, I looked closer at the Entropium mention and it also increases the effective category of the armor.  The rules are on page 20 of the A&EG.  So if we made a suit of entropium ring armor it would be considered heavy armor but have a Max Dex Bonus of +6.  Add Nimbleness for +7.

Gazzien, I think we have your answer.  Entropium ring/partial armor for a base heavy armor with +6 MDB, and just add Nimbleness for +7.  Sounds perfect for a Deepwarden build.

[Amechra]

Now I just have to hunt down Dragon 358 and Dungeon 105...

I'd hate to see you go to all the trouble of obtaining a copy of Dungeon 105 just to realize you'll never want to use ceremonial, so I've OCRed it for you. 

(click to show/hide)

CEREMONIAL ARMOR
Ceremonial armor is typically worn not for combat but for show, or to intimidate or impress. A suit of ceremonial armor costs twice as much as normal masterwork armor (but is not necessarily itself masterwork). and consists of about half the actual armor of a normal suit. Ceremonial armor weighs half as much as the normal armor, and provides half the armor bonus of the standard armor, rounded down. The maximum Dexterity bonus for ceremonial armor increases by +1. the armor check penalty is reduced by 2 points (to a minimum penalty of 0), and it does not impact the wearer's speed. Arcane spell failure chances for ceremonial armor are half normal. Despite these changes, the category of a suit of ceremonial armor (light, medium, or heavy) does not change; although a suit of ceremonial full plate may only provide the same protection as a regular chain shirt. it still requires the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat to wear properly.

Hmm... so it costs twice as much as Masterwork, has half the armor bonus... but weighs half as much, has a Dex bonus 1 higher, reduces ACP by 2, and does not impact speed... (and halves ASF%, though that is kinda moot what with all the ways to outright get rid of it.)

I feel like there has to be a use for this, somehow, even though the drawbacks are plenty awful (though... couldn't you dodge around the extra cost with Fabricate?)

[zook1shoe]

can a Astral Driftmetal Stonemail can be converted to Entropium or Darkwood, since its now metal?

if so, its got a +4 max Dex 'base'

[Maat Mons]

I think there was at least one way to increase the type of armor something counts as…

In addition to the ones already mentioned, stability weights (Underdark, p66) or an armored kilt do this. 

I feel like there has to be a use for [ceremonial armor], somehow…

Oerthblood (Dragon 351, p45) is a special material with benefits that depend on the armor category.  For heavy armor, it provides the wearer with a +3 luck bonus to all saving throws and DR 3/-, albeit for +30,000 gp.  It would be nice to get the save bonus without a speed reduction. 

[ksbsnowowl]

All this talk of heavy armor mandates that I mention Knight Unburdened.

[NunoM]

Just read this in Bunko's Basement: if allowed in your campaign, the Tooth of Savnok ("Tome of Magic", p. 79) allows you to move at your normal speed when wearing medium or heavy armor, or when carrying a medium or heavy load.