What is the difference between normal Shardplate and Radiant?

[Sythrin]

Except of the storypoints that I can include in a a game, like you dont have to carry the plate as it is summonable and thereby is not counted to your carryweight or that a Radiant cannot use normal Shardplate because of the screams.
There seems to be no stat difference between those 2, unless I have not seen something.
Like radiant has as many charges as a deadshardplate appearently.

[DSCrankshaw]

Shardplate doesn't scream for a Radiant, only dead Shardblades. 

The main mechanical difference of a Radiant Shardblade is that it can be summoned instantly (non-Radiant Shardblades aren't summoned until the next round), and take any shape, therefore taking on the properties and double the damage dice of any weapon. 

The main advantage of Radiant Shardplate is that it can be summoned (don't underestimate this, as otherwise transporting 1400 lbs is not an easy task, and will require a wagon and chull or horses for most parties) and that it recharges during a rest without requiring Stormlight. 

Edited August 5, 2025 by DSCrankshaw
Fix typo.

[Jult]

51 minutes ago, DSCrankshaw said:

Shardplate doesn't scream for a Radiant, only dead Shardblades. 

To add to this, Syl describes the feelings projected by Shardplate as "contentment". As opposed to the "pain" she felt from Shardblades (RoW I-1).

2 hours ago, Sythrin said:

There seems to be no stat difference between those 2, unless I have not seen something.

Radiant Plate has other in-game mechanical advantages. It does not have the 'Dangerous' trait. And it doesn't add disadvantage to Invested checks.

Another ability that was present in the books that I haven't found in game was the ability to Command your Shardplate to move to someone else as Kaladin did in RoW.

 

If dead plate is still feeling too OP, you could consider making your players replace one or more of the 10 large gemstones that power the plate if it is significantly damaged during a fight. In book canon, I don't believe those grow back. They would be expensive and hard to find if you need to temporarily bench the plate from play. I'd only suggest this for tables that are into that kind of reality-heavy feature, though. Hiding their cool armor behind a paywall could be seen as unfun to some.

[earthexile]

On 8/5/2025 at 2:19 PM, Jult said:

To add to this, Syl describes the feelings projected by Shardplate as "contentment". As opposed to the "pain" she felt from Shardblades (RoW I-1).

I suppose it's probably much easier to be armor than a weapon. Armor protects, glorifies, strengthens. Weapons destroy. If you know what you're being used for, being a weapon for some random person seems like it'd be much worse than being armor. 

[RookCramer]

Regular shard plate grants a plus 2 to strength and a plus 2 to speed, radiant shard plate does not. You can have you radiant shard plate surround someone else, regular shard plate you cannot.  Raw stat wise that is the big difference.

[Erremin]

4 hours ago, RookCramer said:

radiant shard plate does not

It absolutely does. Page 255 states that the radiant shardplate "otherwise functions as normal shardplate", meaning it does get all the features of normal shardplate, unless stated otherwise. So it explicitly states " Your Radiant Shardplate doesn’t have the Dangerous trait of other Shardplate, and it doesn’t add a disadvantage to your Invested tests." meaning that that is different, but it doesn't state anything about not having the +2