# Armor made from Bulette hide?



## Dieter (Jan 29, 2002)

My players (the vultures that they are) are inquiring about the possibility of making armor from a skinned bulette hide.

1) Has anyone ever requested this? I know there are rules for making armor from dragon hide...but I can't find any general rules for fashioning armor from other beasts. 

2) What did you do? (i.e. is it possible to make armor out of it, what would be the armor bonus, penalties, etc. ???)


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## pontus (Jan 29, 2002)

Me, I'd just have them make the appropriate craft checks and then say "Ok, you have a Bulette hide armor" and then just use the statistics of an already existing armor (save me a lot of balancing). For Bulette hide, I'd substitute the stats for banded mail, so:

Bulette Hide (heavy armor) AC +6, Max Dex +1, Check Penalty -6, 35% spell failure


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## Dieter (Jan 29, 2002)

I should have also mentioned that the party was just interested in the retail value of armor. Also, how many suits/coats of armor would one bulette possibly generate?


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## pontus (Jan 29, 2002)

The retail value? Maybe 50-100 gp. More if they can find someone interested in "exotic armor". One Bulette might provide enough material for two suits, if they're lucky.


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## Wolf72 (Jan 29, 2002)

*post more when I get home*

I've got a whole little house rule about it (not at home at the moment)

bulette armor: Splint mail, but AC +7 (base AC increase by 1) (I'll post my dragon hide ideas so you can see where I went with this)  or 2 large shields with AC +3.

there is a higher DC for the creation of, and there is a price increase for the creation cost (in sp).


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## Thorntangle (Jan 29, 2002)

Come on people - it's a Bulette!  It's not sheep or pig or even crocodile.  It's a rare, vicious predator that swims under the ground and has super tough skin.  That hide gives it a +12 natural armor bonus!  A set of Bulette hide armor has got to have some style points too.  Would it help if we made a matching Bulette-hide wide-brimmed hat to accesorize?

Also, that bulette killed our cleric.  How can you put such a palty price on something like that.

Throw us a bone!


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## Dieter (Jan 29, 2002)

Thorntangle said:
			
		

> *Come on people - it's a Bulette!  It's not sheep or pig or even crocodile.  It's a rare, vicious predator that swims under the ground and has super tough skin.  That hide gives it a +12 natural armor bonus!  A set of Bulette hide armor has got to have some style points too.  Would it help if we made a matching Bulette-hide wide-brimmed hat to accesorize?
> 
> Also, that bulette killed our cleric.  How can you put such a palty price on something like that.
> 
> Throw us a bone! *




*Don't listen to him! He's just one of the aforementioned vult....er, I mean players in my game only in pursuit of building ever-more menacing spellbooks and other treacherous deeds against his very benevolent DM!!! FIEND!!!*


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## Sodalis (Jan 29, 2002)

was it just me or was this site crappin out a moment ago... I couln't load a page for my life...


anyhoo:

Thorntangle-  *
Come on people - it's a Bulette! It's not sheep or pig or even crocodile. It's a rare, vicious predator that swims under the ground and has super tough skin. That hide gives it a +12 natural armor bonus! A set of Bulette hide armor has got to have some style points too. Would it help if we made a matching Bulette-hide wide-brimmed hat to accesorize? *
 

if you have a MM handy, check out the rules for making dragon armor- no matter how skilled you are, and how huge the dragon was, all you can do is make MW hide armor.  No nat armor bonuses, no nothing.

If you really want a cool hide armor to sell, have the cleric (if he can be resurrected) or hire someone with the craft arms and armor feat (should cost a pretty penny tho) to *enchant it with bull str and bull rush*.  Then you have a beefed up rhino hide armor which will do very well in the open market.  

A bullete is no more exotic than any other creature in the MM.  It is as rare as teh DM wants it to be.  If he decided tomorrow that there is a festival where they run through the city and the townspeople run with them (the annual running of the bulletttes) then hell, I would say that bullette hide armor is a pretty common thing.  

*But as is, you should be happy that your DM is considering giving you the chance to make armor from this guy- just from the rules, you can only make hide armor. Dragon's hide is the only thing that is strong enough to make heavier armor (plate and mail)*


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## Vaxalon (Jan 29, 2002)

I'd use the Dragonhide rules on page 63 of the MM.

A huge bulette has a natural armor bonus of +12.  A huge DRAGON has a natural armor bonus of +18 at a MINIMUM, and can range as high as +30.

One bulette (size huge) produces enough hide for a single suit of large hide armor.  By selecting only choice scales and pieces of hide, an armorsmith can produce one suit of banded armor for a creature of medium size, or or one suit of half-plate for a creature of small size.  I wouldn't make it masterwork because bulette hide is inferior to dragonhide.

By using TWO bulettes, a suit of half-plate could be built.

In addition, the skull-plate of the each bulette can be used to produce one large or small shield.

What's the advantage to this?  People with no metalworking skill can produce banded armor when they would ordinarily be limited to hide.


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## Moulin Rogue (Jan 29, 2002)

I believe the 2e write-up of the bulette said that the plates on the back of its head could be fashioned into extra-good shields, but didn't mention any other kind of armour. You can take or leave an "official source" of course, but I think that's what it said.


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## wolff96 (Jan 29, 2002)

*Re: Bulette Hide Armor*



			
				Vaxalon said:
			
		

> *What's the advantage to this?  People with no metalworking skill can produce banded armor when they would ordinarily be limited to hide. *




There's one other benefit that includes it's own built-in niche market.

Druids can't wear armor of metal.

A suit of Bulette hide with whatever statistics will be a lot better than anything else that a druid could wear, and it's still HIDE armor.


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## MythandLore (Jan 29, 2002)

Here is the house rule our group has been using for several months now.




> Dragon-hide and "Other Creature-hide" Armors
> 
> The cost (value) of creature hide armor is equal to the adjusted natural armor bonus multiplied by 400gp, then add the Armor's (normal) cost in gold pieces multiplied by 2, and then multiply the total by 20; So a suit of "+5 Natural AC Great Wyrm Red Dragon-hide masterwork full-plate" would be worth 100,000gp.
> +1 Natural AC is added to the Armor Bonus of a shield or suit of armor for every +7 (round down) natural armor of the original creature.
> ...


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## Wolf72 (Jan 29, 2002)

*Wolf's dragon and other armor*

it's a bulette? a fantastic creature?  ... yup so are dragons, and the best you get out them is a non-magic suit of MW armor.

anyway before this gets bumped into house rules here's some of my homegrown rules ...


DragonHide and other Special Armors:
Currently armor made from dragon hide has the following statistics:

*table* [here] lists size of dragon and the armor you can make from it.  What I added in was Padded armor of the size of the dragon slain (a medium dragon can make a suit of padded armor) and the option to create bucklers [2.5 lbs, no ASF, no ACP... non-metallic, 1,165gp]

All Items made are MW. You can make an armor that is lower on the table. A gargantuan Dragon’s hide does not have to be made into a huge suit of hide armor, it can be made into Large or smaller suit if [the crafter] so wishes ... although it may be a waste of some material.  Regardless, the rules only allow for one suit armor to be made [so make it worth it!]. *ej’s add-in, Bucklers made of dragon hide are MW, have no Arcane Spell Failure and weigh 2½ lb., they can gain no EXTRAS [they are worth 1,165gp].
But that’s it!  Dragon Armor is supposed to be special so here are my available EXTRAS.  Each EXTRA has it’s own cost in regards to time as well as a regular market value (guideline).  Any and all EXTRAS must be chosen at the time of creation.  Only one EXTRA per size category may be selected (tiny 1 EXTRA, colossal up to 7 EXTRAS) [up to DM and campaign whether it is based on the armor size or the dragon size]. Large Shields may have up to 2 EXTRAS, Small shields may have up to 1 EXTRA. [EXTRA’s  = equipment bonuses]


 +1 AC : DC +2, creation cost +300sp.  This may be stacked (DC & cc stack too).  {+750gp ea time} 
 Resistance 5: DC +4, creation cost +500sp.  It becomes Resist. 5 of what ever type of resistance the dragon had (See table below). {1st +1,000gp, 2nd +2,000 (total 3k)}
 ½ weight: DC +3, creation cost +400sp.  The armor weighs ½ standard.  See mithral armor DMG 242-3). {+800gp}
 Damage Reduction 1: DC +4, creation cost +600sp.  The armor gains DR 1. {+1,000gp}
 -2 Armor Check: DC +2, creation cost +300sp. This is in addition to MW, total armor check is reduced by 3. {+500gp}
 +1 Dex bonus: DC +2, creation cost +250sp.  The max dex bonus is increased by 1. {+500gp}
 -15% ASF: DC +6, creation cost +750sp.  The Arcane Spell Failure rate is decreased by 15%. {+2,000gp}

1. Wyverns and Fang Dragons (Monsters of Fearun) have no Resistances and may not take that EXTRA. 
2. Deep and Silver Dragons have two types of resistances, both may be used (see stacking AC bonus) 
3. Dragon Armor Resistances: Resistance 5 of appropriate type  (table below)

*table* shows dragons and the types of resistances armor from their hide may be created with.
Cold	Deep, Crystal, Topaz, White, Silver
Force	Amethyst
Sonic	Emerald
Electricity	Song, Sapphire, Blue, Bronze, Shen Lung
Neg. Energy	Shadow 
Fire	Deep, Red, Brass, Gold, Ibrandlin, Dragon Turtle, Lung Wang
Acid	Brown, Black, Green, Copper, Silver

Other Armors!  Armors made from hides of fantastic creatures have the benefit of not being made of metal.  All are considered MW items (-1 chk penalty in addtion to listed EXTRAS).
 Ankheg ScaleMail: ½ weight (see above). DC 23, creation cost 1,066sp. [1,000gp]
 Bulette SplintMail or 2 large shields: +1 AC. DC 22, creation cost 1,466sp splint or 866sp ea shield. [1,100gp armor or 920gp ea shield]
 Behir ScaleMail: Electricity Resistance 5. DC 24, creation cost 1,166sp.  [1,200gp]
 Gorgon ChainShirt: +1 AC.  DC 22, creation cost 1,133sp. [1,000gp]
 Hydra Studded Leather: ½ weight & -15% ASF. DC 29, creation cost 2,033sp. [2,975gp]
 Remorhaz Splint Mail: Cold Resistance 5.  DC 24, creation cost 1,166sp. [1,350gp]
 UmberHulk Hide: +1 max dex bonus.  DC 22, creation cost 800sp.  [665gp]
 WinterWolf Padded: Cold Resistance 5.  DC 24, creation cost 1,016sp.  [1,155gp]
 Frost Worm Hide: Cold Resistant 5.  DC 24, creation cost 1,050sp.  [1,165gp]
 Ibrandlin: As Gargantuan Dragon.  
 Wyvern: As Huge Dragon. 
 Dragon Turtle: As Huge Dragon. 
 Melnibonean Dragon: As Huge Dragon.
 Purple Worm Breast Plate:  +1 AC & DR 1.  DC 26, creation cost 2,066sp.  [2,100gp]
 Chitin Armor: from montrous vermin/insects: ½ weight; Scale, Breastplate, Half-plate, or shields.

Power Component:  If enchanted for resistance (during or after construction) Dragon armors/Special Hide Armors count as the xp and material cost for its specific resistance (or both, Deep & Silver).   This is not an EXTRA, but a property of all Dragon Armor/Special Hide Armor.  These are all NON-metallic armors.  DM’s option for Druidic use (I’d allow it, they still need the appropriate feat though).
[option, (heck, it’s all optional ... )] Additionally these armors require the use of an Achemist.  The DC for the Alchemy work is the same as the DC for the Armorer.  The alchemy work can be done during or after armor creation, but it can only be done once and then only immediately after the initial creation.  If done concurrently the alchemy and smith work must be done by seperate crafters.  Be sure to add in the additional money and time for  additional creation cost.  The price (not final, just the Extra Price) should be doubled (x2) as well.


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## Altalazar (Jan 30, 2002)

For just plain armor, I'd make it some variation of Hide armor, as was indicated here.

My favorite thing to do with 'special' components is to let it decrease the gold/exp cost for making specially enchanted items related to the item.  For instance, red dragon hide being used to make a shield of fire resistance.  'Power items' I think it is called.

I am not sure what a Bullete would be good for, however.

In any case, it makes a good trophy.


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## Vaxalon (Jan 30, 2002)

I'd say it would be a fine component for light fortification.


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## beta-ray (Jan 30, 2002)

Awww give the vul... I mean players a break. Give 'em SOMETHING exotic about it. Why not simply make it impervious to other bulettes?

That'll at least give them a bulette-proof vest.

Just wondering... if someone got a giant crab shell, would that provide any help?


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## Vaxalon (Jan 30, 2002)

You are NOT going to heaven for that!


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## Bran Blackbyrd (Jan 30, 2002)

beta-ray said:
			
		

> *That'll at least give them a bulette-proof vest. *




Ouch. I mean that's... Damn...

Hehe, it's so bad I wish I'd thought of it first.


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## Dieter (Jan 30, 2002)

beta-ray said:
			
		

> *Awww give the vul... I mean players a break. Give 'em SOMETHING exotic about it. Why not simply make it impervious to other bulettes?
> 
> That'll at least give them a bulette-proof vest.
> 
> Just wondering... if someone got a giant crab shell, would that provide any help? *





I think we all saw _that one_ coming. I hope you didn't spend too much time thinking up that one.


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