Mobile prefix on armor, any way to make it add +X rank of tumble?

[gpk]

Since Mobility in DDO is very different from its pnp counterpart (AAOs and whatnot) does it make sense to add Mobile as an amor prefix as is?

SInce in DDO mobility requires you to be able to tumble, wouldn't it make sense for the Mobile prefix to at least give you a few ranks of tumble (like +3 to untrained) ? At leat then you might be able to tumble w/ some skill boosting buffs. In it's current form it is very had as not to interpret it as a value reducing prefix; it's of no use to anyone without any tumble ranks.

[tihocan]

I think it's fine that it requires you to invest one or two skill points into tumble to take advantage of it.

[Gimpster]

I think it's fine that it requires you to invest one or two skill points into tumble to take advantage of it.

Take "advantage" of what, exactly? The DDO Mobility feat has almost no advantage except that it qualifies you for Spring Attack, which this armor doesn't do. All this armor does is give +4 AC while tumbling, and hardly anyone cares about their AC while tumbling.

Even if you did care about tumbling AC, wearing Mobile armor means
1. The Mobile property is costing plusses that could've gone to increasing your AC all the time.
2. The Mobile property only comes on non-metal armor, which means it is down another -1 or -2 AC from metal armor you could be wearing.
3. The Mobile property only comes on random non-named armor, which means you're down another -1 AC from wearing quality named items like a Kundarak Delving Suit or dragonscale plate.

That's point one: Mobile is a weak property, so doing something to boost it is automatically balanced.

Point two: compare it against Mobility in D&D.

In PnP D&D, Mobility is a feat which gives you +4 AC against attacks you provoke by moving in combat. Characters with the Tumble skill can instead use Tumble to move around without provoking attacks at all. That is, in PnP Mobility is redundant with Tumble: a single character might need one or the other, but not both.

In DDO it works reversed. Mobility increases your AC while you tumble, which is mostly useless if you don't have Tumble ranks.

Since Mobile armor gives you the beneift of the Mobility feat without having trained it, and that feat basically depends on having a tumble rank, it should also give you the benefit of a tumble rank without having trained it.

[Beherit_Baphomar]

Nm, I shoulda read the dudes post above this one.

[The_Silver_Griffon]

I'd rather they put that code into the Tumble spell so that someone without tumble ranks can benefit from it. No feather fall? Drink a Tumble potion and land unscathed (or at least much less scathed). Then, you also have a way to activate your Mobility item without investing skill points.

And while they are at it, make Tumble scale like Jump. Backflips roxxxoorrrrzzz!

[Dylos_Moon]

*snip*
SInce in DDO mobility requires you to be able to tumble, wouldn't it make sense for the Mobile prefix to at least give you a few ranks of tumble (like +3 to untrained) ? At leat then you might be able to tumble w/ some skill boosting buffs. In it's current form it is very had as not to interpret it as a value reducing prefix; it's of no use to anyone without any tumble ranks.

Actually, when I got a mobile robe, I noticed something. If you attempt to tumble without any ranks in tumble (causing you to jump from side to side) you STILL get the mobility AC boost. So you don't actually need ranks in tumble, you just need to try to tumble. Really, try it and open your character sheet when pressing the tumble command if you don't believe me.

[Gimpster]

Actually, when I got a mobile robe, I noticed something. If you attempt to tumble without any ranks in tumble (causing you to jump from side to side) you STILL get the mobility AC boost.

Duh, of course.

The point is not that you can't get the AC boost, but that it is useless if you're only making little tiny hops.

[Gimpster]

I'd rather they put that code into the Tumble spell so that someone without tumble ranks can benefit from it.

They already can.

No feather fall? Drink a Tumble potion and land unscathed (or at least much less scathed).

That already works too.

Then, you also have a way to activate your Mobility item without investing skill points.

Anybody can do this.

And while they are at it, make Tumble scale like Jump.

It already does.