Ultraplate (5e Equipment)
Ultraplate[edit]
| Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Strength | Stealth | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,250+ gp | 19+ | 17+ | Disadvantage | 75+ lb. |
History
Once upon a time, there was a league of great and extraordinary craftsmen formed from the finest of their kind of all races. Their skill in their products was unparalleled, and so was their tutelage. People from all over the lands desired their handiwork, from the lowliest commoner to the richest kings. Wars were fought and won, empires rose and fell from their favor. During their existence, they created many great and wonderful things, but their greatest invention, and the one ultimately responsible for their disbandment, was ultraplate.
Adventurers have always been a notoriously fickle bunch. All it took was one human, a fighter with less brains than muscle, to look at his perfectly good set of plate armor and ask "Yeah, that's pretty good and all, but what if it was even better?" His idle question turned into a bothersome itch, which turned into rampant dissatisfaction that spread amongst like-minded adventurers. They had the gold- why couldn't their armor be crafted even greater? The lamentations of the adventurers eventually reached the guild of legendary craftsmen, and they put their heads and skills together to work. They eventually decided that if they were to craft something even greater than plate, certain... sacrifices... would have to be made. The resultant suit of armor would hardly be able to be called a suit of armor. It would be too big, too thick, too heavy, too rough- more like a large hunk of wrought steel. The craftsmen were originally very hesitant at this, but the adventurers clamored and persisted. Not more than one month later, the first suit of ultraplate was created. And then the next, and then the next...
Things were good for a while, but then dissatisfaction started rising again. The ultraplate was fine, but it wasn't perfect. Small blows were still slipping throw the gaps- a quick jab from a rapier, the occasional piece of sand in the eye... Again, the craftsmen were pressured to craft something greater. Again, they pooled their collective talents together to create a solution. Again, they realized, in order to meet the demands of these adventurers, sacrifices would have to be made. They set about upgrading the ultraplate. This new wave was heavier, rougher, and more rugged than any armor ever created before it. It was a miracle it could even be lifted. And they sold well, to those who could afford them.
Even then though, after all the effort the craftsmen put in, the adventurers would not stay satisfied. They always found some, problem, some issue. The exasperated craftsmen resorted to ceaseless upgrading of the already overbuilt armor, slapping on hunks of steel after hunks of steel to correct every perceived flaw. They accumulated mountains of gold for their effort, but the piles grew so vast that it lost all value except just to purchase more steel. They upgraded and upgraded fervourlessly, until finally, on one gentle autumn day, the complaints stopped.
The craftsmen slowed and stopped their toiling, looking up from the workshops that had consumed them. And they were horrified as they realized just exactly what they had done.
The league of craftsmen got to work again, this time destroying every suit of ultraplate they had ever built. After they finished this task, they disbanded out of shame, sending the world into a quiet spiral of chaos. Each member swore an oath to never craft another set of ultraplate ever again, which they passed down to those they trained in their craft. Select metalworkers and smiths you may encounter today are descended from the legacy of the league, and although they possess the secret knowledge of ultraplate, you would be hard pressed to convince one to craft it for you. However, it is not completely outside the realm of possibility, as some smiths are willing to exchange their honor for a bit of extra coin.
Properties
Ultraplate can only be obtained by commissioning a suit of it from a willing armorsmith who knows the secret of ultraplate. It requires a week to craft and is custom-made for the wearer. Once crafted, it can only be worn by the creature it is crafted for.
The secret of ultraplate is that it can always be upgraded to fix any perceived flaws with it. Each upgrade must be performed by an armorsmith who knows the secret of ultraplate. The cost of the ultraplate increases by 1.5x each time it is upgraded, and each upgrade takes 24 hours of work by the armorsmith. The AC bonus of the armor goes up by 1 each time it is upgraded. The Strength requirement goes up by 2 each time, to a maximum of 30, and the weight increases by 10 lbs each time.
- First Upgrade
Cost: 3375 gp AC: 20 Strength: 19 Weight: 85 lb
- Second Upgrade
Cost: 5062 gp AC: 21 Strength: 21 Weight: 95 lb
Special. The ultraplate is now so great that it requires an hour to don and doff the armor. If your Strength score is no longer sufficient to meet the prerequisite, your speed is halved while wearing the armor.
- Third Upgrade
Cost: 7593 gp AC: 22 Strength: 23 Weight: 105 lb
- Fourth Upgrade
Cost: 11390 gp AC: 23 Strength: 25 Weight: 115 lb
Special. The ultraplate is fit so specifically to you, it can be only upgraded further while you are wearing it. If your Strength score is no longer sufficient to meet the prerequisite, your speed is 0 while wearing the armor.
- Fifth Upgrade
Cost: 17088 gp AC: 24 Strength: 27 Weight: 125 lb
- Sixth Upgrade
Cost: 25628 gp AC: 25 Strength: 29 Weight: 135 lb
Special. The ultraplate is now so immense and protective that it can no longer be removed, as the pieces that would allow removal constitute a vulnerability.
- Seventh Upgrade
Cost: 38443 gp AC: N/A Strength: 30 Weight: 145 lb
Special. The ultraplate has been perfected. All vulnerabilities in the armor have been sealed off. While wearing the armor, you have total cover against all attacks and effects. However, you are also blinded, deafened, and restrained. In addition, if you are required to breathe, you are currently suffocating. Once you die in the armor, the sheer mass of wrought metal you entombed yourself in transforms into an iron golem under the control of the DM.
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