Armor + Mage Armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Armor + Mage Armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Oof GruumshNoLike
10-16-05, 02:49 PM This is going to sound dumb but I'm trying to prove a point to a friend of mine.

If a PC is wearing armor, say, breastplate, and a spellcaster casts "mage armor" on him, the effects over-lap instead of stack, right?

My friend says that they are differing types of bonuses but I say not. Who's right?
Kendrick
10-16-05, 02:52 PM The mage armor spell specifies that it provides an armor bonus to AC. Because the bonus types have the same name, the armor bonus to AC from actual armor and the armor bonus to AC from the Mage armor spell do not stack - only the larger bonus counts.
Plothos
10-16-05, 04:30 PM Same with bracers of armor. If you have all three, you get only the largest bonus.
primemover003
10-16-05, 05:06 PM But they do overlap... if you're wearing a breastplate (armor bonus +5) and have a mage armor spell in effect (Armor bonus +4) you would normally use the better of the two... however if said character is attacked by a shadow then his AC would be determined from the mage armor, not the breastplate...
StormCrow42
10-16-05, 05:08 PM The only real benefit you can gain from having bracers of armor or mage armor if you're wearing regular armor as well (assuming of course that the spell isn't providing the better AC bonus) is that both the bracers and mage armor count against incorporial touch attacks (not regular touch attacks, just those made by ghosts and other beings that ignore normal armor).
Plothos
10-16-05, 06:15 PM Another way to put the point is that you get the largest of the relevant or applicable bonuses. The armor bonus for a breastplate is irrelevant against an incoporeal attack, so you'd take the highest bonus from any force effects that give an armor bonus, like bracers or mage armor. Against a normal attack, all are relevant, so you take the highest of the three.
warlockco
10-16-05, 06:40 PM This series of Articles will answer questions about Stacking: http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040120a
Oof GruumshNoLike
10-17-05, 06:47 AM Thanks all! That's what I thought but one of my players had me doubting!

I'm such a push-over!

Oof!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Oof GruumshNoLike 10-16-05, 02:49 PM	This is going to sound dumb but I'm trying to prove a point to a friend of mine. If a PC is wearing armor, say, breastplate, and a spellcaster casts "mage armor" on him, the effects over-lap instead of stack, right? My friend says that they are differing types of bonuses but I say not. Who's right?
Kendrick 10-16-05, 02:52 PM	The mage armor spell specifies that it provides an armor bonus to AC. Because the bonus types have the same name, the armor bonus to AC from actual armor and the armor bonus to AC from the Mage armor spell do not stack - only the larger bonus counts.
Plothos 10-16-05, 04:30 PM	Same with bracers of armor. If you have all three, you get only the largest bonus.
primemover003 10-16-05, 05:06 PM	But they do overlap... if you're wearing a breastplate (armor bonus +5) and have a mage armor spell in effect (Armor bonus +4) you would normally use the better of the two... however if said character is attacked by a shadow then his AC would be determined from the mage armor, not the breastplate...
StormCrow42 10-16-05, 05:08 PM	The only real benefit you can gain from having bracers of armor or mage armor if you're wearing regular armor as well (assuming of course that the spell isn't providing the better AC bonus) is that both the bracers and mage armor count against incorporial touch attacks (not regular touch attacks, just those made by ghosts and other beings that ignore normal armor).
Plothos 10-16-05, 06:15 PM	Another way to put the point is that you get the largest of the relevant or applicable bonuses. The armor bonus for a breastplate is irrelevant against an incoporeal attack, so you'd take the highest bonus from any force effects that give an armor bonus, like bracers or mage armor. Against a normal attack, all are relevant, so you take the highest of the three.
warlockco 10-16-05, 06:40 PM	This series of Articles will answer questions about Stacking: http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040120a
Oof GruumshNoLike 10-17-05, 06:47 AM	Thanks all! That's what I thought but one of my players had me doubting! I'm such a push-over! Oof!