Can u wear two sets of armor?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can u wear two sets of armor?? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Daemyn
12-15-07, 06:18 PM I haven't seen anyone actually ask this question before. Can U wear two sets of armor. Like chainmail under your breastplate. Does it stack for AC? Can u wear chainmail under halfplate. Does it stack? etc......
I have not seen any rules on this. Does anyone know the rules on this or is it just supposed to be taken as u can only wear 1 set of armor.
Nebo
12-15-07, 06:20 PM The armour check penalties stack, but not the bonuses.
Sigma34561
12-15-07, 06:38 PM yes, the armour stacks... but not the bonus.

if someone hacks through your full plate.. is your padded leather gonna stop it?

Most armour already has more armour under it anway. Full plate in D&D is basically leather armour fortified with metal plates in vital areas and joints. If you were just wearing metal under there it would be FREEZing cold.

for future reference, if you have a question that requires someone to look ridiculous, assume that its not possible.

See - Can I use two shields.
runestar
12-15-07, 09:15 PM Well, in theory, I suppose you could make 1 set of armour slotless...

Since armour bonuses do not stack, while armour check penalties accrue, the only purpose would be to combine misc armour properties.

Say I could wear a +5 mithral fullplate of heavy fortification. Then I have a +1 padded armour with +9 of other misc armour enchantments. These enchantments would stack.

But I guess no one would ever allow it. It is also prohibitively expensive though.:P
Saiyamantis
12-16-07, 02:35 AM The magical enhancements won't stack either. Armor is a body slot item, and you can only have one magic item per slot. You could, however, wear +8 bracers of armor and +1 greater blurring padded armor of ectoplasmic feedback and heavy fortification, and get the armor bonus along with all the abilities.
aelryinth
12-16-07, 09:19 PM It is an Epic Feat to wear two sets of armor at once. this basically allows two suits of armor to use the same body slot.

The armor bonuses won't stack...the higher one prevails.

However, ALL of the other special effects of the suit DO stack, if they aren't obviated by the other suit (nimbleness, for instance, won't mean much if you are still restricted by the dex limit of the other armor).

Normally, instead of buying a whole new suit of armor and wasting an Epic Feat, armored guys put all the extra armor features on a set of bracers +1, saving themselves mucho dinero as they do so.

Thus, they can confidently get the +5 Armor of Heavy Fortification, and then stick +9 other armor effects (like Soulforge) on a set of bracers for the cheap.

==Aelryinth
groveborn
12-17-07, 06:16 AM Everyone has answered admirably, but didn't give you the rule for it.

Check the DMG, page 21.

This goes through the various types of bonuses. One of those bonuses is the Armor Bonus. There's several others, but basically, if you have two bonuses of the same type, they generally don't stack. You always get the highest value from the sources. So, yes you may wear two sets of armor, but if you do, you'll just get penalties.

Speaking of penalties, most of them don't stack either. In fact, I don't remember it saying anywhere that armor check penalties stack outside of the ones provided by 1 shield, and 1 suit of armor. Still, try putting on two sets of Full Plate and try to walk around. Or really, try to wear two suits of any type of armor, as they generally have to be made for your body to work right. They won't be the right size if you have another suit underneath.

I think there should be rules against a character of low strength being able to mount a horse, or stand up from a prone position in plate. Oh well.
Tema69
12-17-07, 06:28 AM Well, of course, as the rules are written, you can't.
I've always ruled that if you're wearing a chainmail and grab a breastplate (not the armor as written in PHB, but the item itself) and some greaves and braces from someone, your armor bonus (and ACP, SF, etc. etc...) increase. From a roleplaying point of view it wouldn't make sense. An armor isn't just an entry in a statblock, but pieces that, collectively make the armor they represent. One could, for example, (with my houserules anyway) grab the breast- and backplate and the braces/greaves from ones Fullplate armor to only get the Breastplate armor bonuses/penalties. But that's just me and my rationalized thinking. ;)

And to Sigma - of course you can use two shields. You just only get shield bonuses from one of them. If you have a hugely expensive offensive shield (spiked, bashing, etc) and a hugely expensive defensive shield, you could use one of them as a weapon and the later as a shield.

Edit: And as it has been said above, most medium and heavy armors include either padding, chain, or both. A Fullplate Armor, for example, consists of a Padded Armor, a Chainmail Armor, and a Breastplate Armor, and additional metal plates and protection.
Tony Vargas
12-17-07, 02:49 PM I haven't seen anyone actually ask this question before. Can U wear two sets of armor. Like chainmail under your breastplate. In theory, and to the limit of your encumbrance, yes. Only one would function magically, because they take up the same body 'slot,' but you coud wear them. Actually, many armors are 'layered' anyway. Chainmail includes padding that's not that different from padded armor, and Half-Plate is basically some plates over Chainmail (over padding).

It'd be up to your DM to decide if he'd impose penalties over and above the normal. For instance, if you were wearing two or more suits of light armor, he might rule that you're effectively wearing medium or heavy armor, and impose the movement restrictions thereof, regardless of encumbrance. But there's not specific rules on that.

Does it stack for AC?No, all armor gives armor bonuses, and like bonuses don't stack. Similarly, magical armors give enhancement bonuses that increase thier armor bonuses, so if you wore, say, +5 padded armor (total armor bonus 1 + 5 = 6) under +1 breastplate (armor bonus 5+1=6), you'd have an armor bonus of 6, not the higher of the respective armor and enhancement bonuses.

Can u wear chainmail under halfplate.In effect, you already do. Halfplate is a combination of plate and mail.

Does anyone know the rules on this or is it just supposed to be taken as u can only wear 1 set of armor.The only rules are those implied in the discussions of bonuses (like bonuses don't stack), encumbrance, and 'slotted' magic items (you can wear multiple items that take up the same slot, but only one functions magically). The assumption is that you'd only wear one set of armor.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Daemyn 12-15-07, 06:18 PM	I haven't seen anyone actually ask this question before. Can U wear two sets of armor. Like chainmail under your breastplate. Does it stack for AC? Can u wear chainmail under halfplate. Does it stack? etc...... I have not seen any rules on this. Does anyone know the rules on this or is it just supposed to be taken as u can only wear 1 set of armor.
Nebo 12-15-07, 06:20 PM	The armour check penalties stack, but not the bonuses.
Sigma34561 12-15-07, 06:38 PM	yes, the armour stacks... but not the bonus. if someone hacks through your full plate.. is your padded leather gonna stop it? Most armour already has more armour under it anway. Full plate in D&D is basically leather armour fortified with metal plates in vital areas and joints. If you were just wearing metal under there it would be FREEZing cold. for future reference, if you have a question that requires someone to look ridiculous, assume that its not possible. See - Can I use two shields.
runestar 12-15-07, 09:15 PM	Well, in theory, I suppose you could make 1 set of armour slotless... Since armour bonuses do not stack, while armour check penalties accrue, the only purpose would be to combine misc armour properties. Say I could wear a +5 mithral fullplate of heavy fortification. Then I have a +1 padded armour with +9 of other misc armour enchantments. These enchantments would stack. But I guess no one would ever allow it. It is also prohibitively expensive though.:P
Saiyamantis 12-16-07, 02:35 AM	The magical enhancements won't stack either. Armor is a body slot item, and you can only have one magic item per slot. You could, however, wear +8 bracers of armor and +1 greater blurring padded armor of ectoplasmic feedback and heavy fortification, and get the armor bonus along with all the abilities.
aelryinth 12-16-07, 09:19 PM	It is an Epic Feat to wear two sets of armor at once. this basically allows two suits of armor to use the same body slot. The armor bonuses won't stack...the higher one prevails. However, ALL of the other special effects of the suit DO stack, if they aren't obviated by the other suit (nimbleness, for instance, won't mean much if you are still restricted by the dex limit of the other armor). Normally, instead of buying a whole new suit of armor and wasting an Epic Feat, armored guys put all the extra armor features on a set of bracers +1, saving themselves mucho dinero as they do so. Thus, they can confidently get the +5 Armor of Heavy Fortification, and then stick +9 other armor effects (like Soulforge) on a set of bracers for the cheap. ==Aelryinth
groveborn 12-17-07, 06:16 AM	Everyone has answered admirably, but didn't give you the rule for it. Check the DMG, page 21. This goes through the various types of bonuses. One of those bonuses is the Armor Bonus. There's several others, but basically, if you have two bonuses of the same type, they generally don't stack. You always get the highest value from the sources. So, yes you may wear two sets of armor, but if you do, you'll just get penalties. Speaking of penalties, most of them don't stack either. In fact, I don't remember it saying anywhere that armor check penalties stack outside of the ones provided by 1 shield, and 1 suit of armor. Still, try putting on two sets of Full Plate and try to walk around. Or really, try to wear two suits of any type of armor, as they generally have to be made for your body to work right. They won't be the right size if you have another suit underneath. I think there should be rules against a character of low strength being able to mount a horse, or stand up from a prone position in plate. Oh well.
Tema69 12-17-07, 06:28 AM	Well, of course, as the rules are written, you can't. I've always ruled that if you're wearing a chainmail and grab a breastplate (not the armor as written in PHB, but the item itself) and some greaves and braces from someone, your armor bonus (and ACP, SF, etc. etc...) increase. From a roleplaying point of view it wouldn't make sense. An armor isn't just an entry in a statblock, but pieces that, collectively make the armor they represent. One could, for example, (with my houserules anyway) grab the breast- and backplate and the braces/greaves from ones Fullplate armor to only get the Breastplate armor bonuses/penalties. But that's just me and my rationalized thinking. ;) And to Sigma - of course you can use two shields. You just only get shield bonuses from one of them. If you have a hugely expensive offensive shield (spiked, bashing, etc) and a hugely expensive defensive shield, you could use one of them as a weapon and the later as a shield. Edit: And as it has been said above, most medium and heavy armors include either padding, chain, or both. A Fullplate Armor, for example, consists of a Padded Armor, a Chainmail Armor, and a Breastplate Armor, and additional metal plates and protection.
Tony Vargas 12-17-07, 02:49 PM	I haven't seen anyone actually ask this question before. Can U wear two sets of armor. Like chainmail under your breastplate. In theory, and to the limit of your encumbrance, yes. Only one would function magically, because they take up the same body 'slot,' but you coud wear them. Actually, many armors are 'layered' anyway. Chainmail includes padding that's not that different from padded armor, and Half-Plate is basically some plates over Chainmail (over padding). It'd be up to your DM to decide if he'd impose penalties over and above the normal. For instance, if you were wearing two or more suits of light armor, he might rule that you're effectively wearing medium or heavy armor, and impose the movement restrictions thereof, regardless of encumbrance. But there's not specific rules on that. Does it stack for AC?No, all armor gives armor bonuses, and like bonuses don't stack. Similarly, magical armors give enhancement bonuses that increase thier armor bonuses, so if you wore, say, +5 padded armor (total armor bonus 1 + 5 = 6) under +1 breastplate (armor bonus 5+1=6), you'd have an armor bonus of 6, not the higher of the respective armor and enhancement bonuses. Can u wear chainmail under halfplate.In effect, you already do. Halfplate is a combination of plate and mail. Does anyone know the rules on this or is it just supposed to be taken as u can only wear 1 set of armor.The only rules are those implied in the discussions of bonuses (like bonuses don't stack), encumbrance, and 'slotted' magic items (you can wear multiple items that take up the same slot, but only one functions magically). The assumption is that you'd only wear one set of armor.