Enchanted Darkwood Buckler

[Globetrotter]

In the armor list, there is a custom item for a darkwood buckler.

One of my players wants to make a +1 darkwood buckler... is this not allowed somewhere in the rules?

We can force it in Herolab (although I really hate things in red), but I want to make sure there are no game restrictions to allow it.

[risner]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

but I want to make sure there are no game restrictions to allow it.

Comes down to a RAW interpretation. There are several ways to read the rules:

1) Specific items like DW Buckler, Elven Chainmail, are specific items and can't be enhanced.

2) Only magic special items (Celestial Armor) can't be advanced. Mundane special items (DW Buckler) can be magically enhanced.

3) Even special ones can be advanced like Celestial Armor to increase the AC bonus.

Mathias reads the rules as #1, you are reading it as #2 or #3. You will need to make a patch to fix it by replace-id the DW Buckler or some other way to fix it

[chiefweasel]

cant you custom make a Buckler, use the DW materials, and then all a +1 to it?

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by chiefweasel

cant you custom make a Buckler, use the DW materials, and then all a +1 to it?

I was going to say pretty much the same thing. Go to add a CUSTOM magic armor and pick Buckler and then add the special material Darkwood. Then make it plus 1. Now you have a +1 Darkwood Buckler which unlike a Mithiral chain shirt will be exactly the same thing.

[Globetrotter]

That is what I am talking about... making the custom buckler

When you select custom and then select buckler, the darkwood option is grayed out because a buckler is traditionally made from metal and not wood.

I can force it and I think it works correctly, but i get validation errors (meaning it is in red and not black).

Even though I hate to have things in red, I can deal. However, I do want to make sure by raw it is legal to have a buckler made from darkwood. Sometimes herolab is correct on rules and sometimes it is wrong. I am curious what side of the spectrum this falls on.

[Mathias]

Using the editor, you can copy the buckler to make a "Buckler, Wooden".

[Globetrotter]

I am really bad at using the editor... i don't understand most of it.

Are there instructions somewhere that I can read to figure out how to use it properly?

edit: I think I figured it out. Still, a guide somewhere would be useful for peons like me, lol

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

When you select custom and then select buckler, the darkwood option is grayed out because a buckler is traditionally made from metal and not wood.

Actually I am pretty sure like all shields they where Wood. It was not until much later in history that metal working got to a point of making them non-wood as cast-iron is extremely heavy. More realistically is shields where both metal and wood actually.

One more change I will have to do for my own home games I guess as I had not noticed yet that Bucklers where marked to be only metal.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter

I am really bad at using the editor... i don't understand most of it.

Are there instructions somewhere that I can read to figure out how to use it properly?

edit: I think I figured it out. Still, a guide somewhere would be useful for peons like me, lol

The guide is located inside the Editor go to Help->Help on using the editor.

[JimGroves]

Originally Posted by risner

Comes down to a RAW interpretation. There are several ways to read the rules:

1) Specific items like DW Buckler, Elven Chainmail, are specific items and can't be enhanced.

2) Only magic special items (Celestial Armor) can't be advanced. Mundane special items (DW Buckler) can be magically enhanced.

3) Even special ones can be advanced like Celestial Armor to increase the AC bonus.

Mathias reads the rules as #1, you are reading it as #2 or #3. You will need to make a patch to fix it by replace-id the DW Buckler or some other way to fix it

Emphasis is mine, because I'm trying to get Mathias' attention here.

Paizo has inadvertantly ruled on this debate between these various rule readings with precedent.

In Serpents Skull #37 Chapter One (Souls for Smuggler's Shiv), the author, James Jacobs (Creative Director), lists a +1 darkwood buckler as a treasure reward on page 21.

I'm not trying to be snotty, but I take that as some evidence on which rule interpretation is correct.

As it stands, I hate things in *red* too, because that signifies an error, but I read the thread. I have to use the editor I guess, but I'm wishing that wasn't the case.

EDIT: Alright, I just fixed that with the Editor in 3 minutes or less and it was comically easy, so I am embarrassed. HOWEVER, I actually use HeroLabs with my players along side a VIrtual TableTop (MapTools). In between sessions we reconcile PC .por files as character sheets and e-mail them back and forth to each other. That means sharing .user files too, and making sure those are current. Not that big of a deal, but I just wish it was uniform because that it is consistent with the rules, rather than hacking a user file get rid of the *red*.