AC question [Archive] - Wizards Community

AC question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
someonelse812
05-25-07, 10:56 AM I cant find the answer in my PHB or DMG. does the bonus from Bracers of Armor stack with regular armor? I know same name bonuses do not usually stack, but in this case it seems like it should.
can you please cite book and page number?
ieattrollsforbreakfast
05-25-07, 11:04 AM They do not stack. Bracers of armour provide an 'armour bonus' as mentioned in their description. Armour bonuses from different sources do not stack, and no exception is mentioned in the item description, so the items don't stack with regular armour.
DMG pg 21 for information about stacking bonuses.
someonelse812
05-25-07, 11:05 AM thank you
someonelse812
05-25-07, 11:09 AM so as a follow up question what should I buy instead of Bracers of Armor +2 that will add to my AC? I already have a deflection bonus but no shield bonus. ring of force shield is more than twice the price. is there maybe something in the magic item compendium that would grant a shield bonus for around 4,000 gold? I just bought that book but I havent had a chance to read much of it yet.
Stardust
05-25-07, 11:12 AM You could go for an amulet of natural armor?

A natural armor bonus is different from an armor bonus, so the two stack.
someonelse812
05-25-07, 11:19 AM an excellent suggestion, I should have mentioned that the character also has natural armor.
this is a ghaele Lv6, gestalt fighter/dervish, so he cant carry a shield but he could have a magical shield bonus. he just leveled up to six and took on the dervish prestige class. he has exactly 4,008 gold pieces to spend. he currently wears a leather coat (from monte cook's ptolus setting) that is enchanted with Ghost Ward (magic item compendium) for a total of +5 armor bonus, he has a +2 natural armor, +4 deflection from his magic circle ability, +1 from the dervish and +2 dex. a respectable AC for 6th level, but it could be better.
Stardust
05-25-07, 11:26 AM The nifty thing about Amulets of Natural Armor is that they improve your natural armor by the stated amount, as an enhancement bonus. Characters such as humans are treated as having Natural Armor +0 which is then enhanced by the amount the amulet provides.

So, if you bought an amulet of natural armor, using 2000 of your available gold pieces, it would improve your existing natural armor to +3 whilst worn. Of course two amulets wouldn't stack with each other, but they do stack with natural armor that the character possesses racially :)

Other than that... consider feats. The one that springs to mind is two-weapon defence (dervishes use two weapons, right? I can't be bothered to get the book off the shelf, lazy as I am), which gives +1 whilst holding two weapons.

That AC is pretty good as a 6th level character, I think. Our game isn't particularly optimized, I'll admit, but the Cleric and the Fighter only have about 23/24 AC unbuffed at level 8. They do pretty well, though :)

Anywho, hope the suggestions help, have fun :D
someonelse812
05-25-07, 11:35 AM that does help thank you.
this character uses a falchion, in fact he has spent most of the money he has to have his falchion enchanted to be Keen, all of his feats are focused towards being good with the falchion. right now he crits on a 15 with a minimum of 12 (non critical) damage. I think I will drop 2,000 on the nat armor amulet and then save the rest of his money for enchanting the sword again to make it Vorpal.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
someonelse812 05-25-07, 10:56 AM	I cant find the answer in my PHB or DMG. does the bonus from Bracers of Armor stack with regular armor? I know same name bonuses do not usually stack, but in this case it seems like it should. can you please cite book and page number?
ieattrollsforbreakfast 05-25-07, 11:04 AM	They do not stack. Bracers of armour provide an 'armour bonus' as mentioned in their description. Armour bonuses from different sources do not stack, and no exception is mentioned in the item description, so the items don't stack with regular armour. DMG pg 21 for information about stacking bonuses.
someonelse812 05-25-07, 11:05 AM	thank you
someonelse812 05-25-07, 11:09 AM	so as a follow up question what should I buy instead of Bracers of Armor +2 that will add to my AC? I already have a deflection bonus but no shield bonus. ring of force shield is more than twice the price. is there maybe something in the magic item compendium that would grant a shield bonus for around 4,000 gold? I just bought that book but I havent had a chance to read much of it yet.
Stardust 05-25-07, 11:12 AM	You could go for an amulet of natural armor? A natural armor bonus is different from an armor bonus, so the two stack.
someonelse812 05-25-07, 11:19 AM	an excellent suggestion, I should have mentioned that the character also has natural armor. this is a ghaele Lv6, gestalt fighter/dervish, so he cant carry a shield but he could have a magical shield bonus. he just leveled up to six and took on the dervish prestige class. he has exactly 4,008 gold pieces to spend. he currently wears a leather coat (from monte cook's ptolus setting) that is enchanted with Ghost Ward (magic item compendium) for a total of +5 armor bonus, he has a +2 natural armor, +4 deflection from his magic circle ability, +1 from the dervish and +2 dex. a respectable AC for 6th level, but it could be better.
Stardust 05-25-07, 11:26 AM	The nifty thing about Amulets of Natural Armor is that they improve your natural armor by the stated amount, as an enhancement bonus. Characters such as humans are treated as having Natural Armor +0 which is then enhanced by the amount the amulet provides. So, if you bought an amulet of natural armor, using 2000 of your available gold pieces, it would improve your existing natural armor to +3 whilst worn. Of course two amulets wouldn't stack with each other, but they do stack with natural armor that the character possesses racially :) Other than that... consider feats. The one that springs to mind is two-weapon defence (dervishes use two weapons, right? I can't be bothered to get the book off the shelf, lazy as I am), which gives +1 whilst holding two weapons. That AC is pretty good as a 6th level character, I think. Our game isn't particularly optimized, I'll admit, but the Cleric and the Fighter only have about 23/24 AC unbuffed at level 8. They do pretty well, though :) Anywho, hope the suggestions help, have fun :D
someonelse812 05-25-07, 11:35 AM	that does help thank you. this character uses a falchion, in fact he has spent most of the money he has to have his falchion enchanted to be Keen, all of his feats are focused towards being good with the falchion. right now he crits on a 15 with a minimum of 12 (non critical) damage. I think I will drop 2,000 on the nat armor amulet and then save the rest of his money for enchanting the sword again to make it Vorpal.