Metal Armor and Dex Loss

[Buddy Lee]

Hi Guys,

I've been back to UO for about 4 months now after being gone for 6 years. I've been playing around with Imbueing for a while and have made a few sets of armor for my characters. But now that I've actually learned a few things about how stuff works now. I want to try and design a new set of Armor for my Archer.

I know a lot of people are using Leather these days but I really don't want to wear leather with my warrior. It just does not seem right. I know back in the day you would receive a dex penalty for wearing metal armor. I made normal iron suite comprised of plate and chain and put it on my smith and I did not notice a drop in my dex. Also I currently have a suite of chain and ring that my archer is wearing and I also have not noticed any dex loss on him.

Does this mean that the dex penalty for metal armor no longer exists? I was looking at the FAQ above and it still mentioned a dex penalty in the archery section.

Thanks for you help.

Buddy

 

[Lord Gandalf]

Plate ring chain studded stone or wooden armours are non-mediable thats their only big disadvantage.
Exept if u decide to imbue them with mage armor mod

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

There is no longer a dex penalty for any armor. (OK, I guess if you find something old that's cursed, or if you happen to find some kind of event item that has a penalty as a unique property, or something like that.) Not since the Age of Shadows expansion many years ago.

Most people seem to agree with what zchosen has said: That the biggest difference is meddability. Since there's no specific advantage to metal armor, and everyone needs Mana these days, and metal and studded armor are non-meddable without the mage armor property, leather armor wins for basically everyone.

There's some exceptions. Samurai Plate armor that's GM made has Mage Armor as a free property, while it counts for Imbuing it doesn't count when you're runic crafting. So Valorite-made Samurai Plate can be the best non-Imbued, non-Artifact, non-new loot system armor around. Some metal armor artifacts are useful (Heart of the Lion, a breastplate with 15 DCI), and some are awesome (Helm of Vengeance, a norse helm with many properties).

Some use metal armor for RP purposes. Some because they use Valorite Runic hammers to craft it and get lucky and get a piece they need.

Some people swear that metal armor actually has lower base resists than does leather and thus metal armor can't be Imbued as well. However, those people never seem to say this in public, so I think they are probably wrong.

Welcome back!

If you use non-meddable armor remember to use the Focus skill, rather than the Meditation skill, to regain Mana. (Or rely solely on the various stuff that comes from your gear.)

-Galen's player

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

RP-wise I've always thought it made more sense actually for an archer to wear leather.

Or, at most, chain tunic and then most of the rest leather. (From images and depictions and the occasional historical account I tend to associate, say, the English logbowmen wearing armor that's on the lighter or at least the ****tier side. Quilted aketon (which I just assume all of our characters have on under the armor, it's just that we don't see it) with some chain and leather on over it to protect it from being cut too easily, metal or leather helm.
I have a Knight who wears Samurai Plate solely because at least it's some kind of plate. (But he's been wearing a robe lately so I have to wonder why I bother.) And I have 2 warriors who legally speaking are commoners who wear leather.

Then again, RP-wise I've also never liked how archers can't fight with a little sword hand-to-hand when the enemy gets close unless they are willing to diminish their overall effectiveness by devoting skill points to having an additional weapon skill. I've benefited greatly from the invention of the Chivalry skill but I also miss the way I could use a bow, then whip out a katana and fight hand-to-hand when the enemy got close. Sure I could do that now but seems more effective to just have Fencing and Chivalry and use a leafblade.

-Galen's player

 

[Buddy Lee]

Thanks for the input guys, that helps a lot. I don't really RP but I do like to at least have my character be dressed appropriately for their template. I use Focus so I'm not concerned about it being medable. I do appreciate the comments about the Archer armor and I had mostly forgotten about that. He actually started out with swords then switched to Fencing and finally ended up with Archery so he's been more of a "Warrior" than an pure Archer. But I might try and play around with some studded armor and see if I like the look of that.

Of course this whole thing might be irrelevant if they reworkd the armor as they have stated.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Thanks for the input guys, that helps a lot. I don't really RP but I do like to at least have my character be dressed appropriately for their template. I use Focus so I'm not concerned about it being medable. I do appreciate the comments about the Archer armor and I had mostly forgotten about that. He actually started out with swords then switched to Fencing and finally ended up with Archery so he's been more of a "Warrior" than an pure Archer. But I might try and play around with some studded armor and see if I like the look of that.

Of course this whole thing might be irrelevant if they reworkd the armor as they have stated.

Nah, because who knows how much gameplay you'll have between now and when the reworking is implemented, if it happens at all!

-Galen's player

 

[Petra Fyde]

Some people swear that metal armor actually has lower base resists than does leather and thus metal armor can't be Imbued as well. However, those people never seem to say this in public, so I think they are probably wrong.


-Galen's player

Base resists are a matter of record and can be found here: http://uo2.stratics.com/items/magic-item-properties/items-base-properties

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Base resists are a matter of record and can be found here: http://uo2.stratics.com/items/magic-item-properties/items-base-properties

And, lo and behold.....All about the same. 15 or 16 per piece.

-Galen's player