D&D 3E/3.5 Sundering in 3.5

[Nareau]

Check out dees threads!
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54782

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45270&perpage=30&pagenumber=19

Spider

 

[Malcer]

Hardness!

Yup, the new hardness rules of magical weapons take care of the problems with sundering.

 

[vanguard13]

For Sundering weapons or armor, I generally use the Durability factor from the Diablo game. I would figure out an durability number for a magic sword based on its enchantment level, basically a hit point range like a +5 Greatsword would have 250 hp and assign a durability AC 25 to it. So if something can sunder this Greatsword, it would have to make its typical Sunder attack versus AC 25 and if it hits the damage is taken away from the 250 durability HP's total. Once it reaches 0, the Greatsword would be unusable until it is brought to a blacksmith or some other place and repaired for lots of gold. If a creature uses a natural weapon to sunder, like a bite or claw, and they miss the Sunder attack very badly like on a natural 1 or by 5 or more on the AC, they instead hurt themselves and take damage for failing.

 

[Skinwalker]

Of course, that +5 sword is going to have a hardness of 15 and 35 hitpoints. Add adamantium to it and you've got 25 hardness and 45 hitpoints.

I think the lesson here it to spend the extra couple grand for adamantium if you plan on making a powerful weapon. And put that weapon away if a big critter takes a swipe at it and manages to nick it.

Also, it puts a premium on the Hardening spell from Magic of Faerun (or was it the FR main book?). It permanently adds 1/2 the caster level to the item's Hardness - a must for any truly precious sunder-able weapon.

 

[The Sigil]

Or make your blades out of more powerful material... instead of steel, use adamantine. Not a problem.

And you can use "item hit point buffs" provided in either Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves (highly recommended) or *shameless plug* The Enchiridion of Treasures and Objects d'Art (at RPGNow.com)

--The Sigil

 

[James McMurray]

Or if you're more of a Wotc fan, you can use the hardening spell from the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook.