Underarmor, Dragoncloth (3.5e Equipment)
Dragoncloth is a very rare, very expensive material. It is a mixture of dragon scale fibers and regular cloth.
The scales are taken from slain dragons (occasionally donated by dragons looking to add some gold to their treasury from shed scales). The scales are then soaked in a very weak acid for several months to break the fibers apart. These fibers are now flexible and able to be woven. The scales have no properties to show what dragon they came from. With care, they are woven with regular cloth into a suit of clothing to be worn under normal armor (or clothing). It cannot be worn with skintight clothing. The strength of this armor as well as its light weight and flexibility make it a highly sought after item for any adventurer, and even rich individuals worried about an emergency.
Dragoncloth underarmor is very expensive due to the presence of dragon scale and its effectiveness.
3 lbs. of dragon scale can produce up to 3 suits of dragoncloth. Making dragoncloth requires both Craft (armorsmithing) and Craft (weaving). The first phase of making dragoncloth requires a weak acid (available for purchase at specialty or alchemy stores), a vat in which to soak the scale and 1d4 months time of waiting. The maker of the armor must be sure to shift the scale around once per day to ensure the acid doesn't just start eating at the fibers. A DC check (Craft (armorsmithing)) of 15 must be made to ensure that no excess damage is done to the armor. If the roll is between 6 and 14, then the fibers become too flimsy and the armor gets a -2 penalty to AC (at a loss of 1,000 gp in price). Between 2 and 5, the fibers become useless. If the roll fails completely (1), then the fibers and left overs aren't stirred efficiently and melt down completely.
After the fibers have broken up, the vat is strained to remove the acid, rinsed to clear any remaining acid, and then picked through to remove pieces not suitable for dragoncloth (these leftovers can usually still fetch a price with someone). The maker should now have between one half to a pound of dragon scale fibers. This is mixed with about four pounds of cloth (of any choice) to create the armor. A DC check (Craft (weaving)) of 30 needs to be made for every 1d20+5 minutes of work. The armor is ready for use immediately after creation.
It doesn't matter what dragon the scale comes from or how it is acquired, only that there be one pound for a suit. The cloth used in the representative price is common cloth: fine cloth is priced at 5,100, unusual at 5,250, and exotic at 5,750.
| Armor Type | Cost | Armor Bonus | Maximum Dex Bonus |
Armor Check Penalty |
Arcane Spell Failure Chance |
Speed (30 ft.) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra | 5,000 gp | +5 | +11 | -0 | 0% | 30 ft. | 6 lb. |
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