Clothes and armor bonuses [Archive] - Wizards Community

Clothes and armor bonuses [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
T.rex
03-23-05, 04:09 PM Can you enchant normal clothes (effectivly really light armor) with armor bonuses? not the AC pluses mind you, but the other stuff like 'stealth' or 'swimming'. I cannot see where the DMG specifically disallows it.
Sinon
03-23-05, 04:13 PM I can't imagine why you couldn't give clothing a magical enhancement.
chocobochicken
03-23-05, 04:18 PM Just remember... they would have to be masterwork clothes. ;)
Nuntius128
03-23-05, 04:22 PM Would those clothes grant a bonus to a Monk's AC? Doesn't sound like it would, but I do love to get the general consensus.

EDIT: A good way to grant Spellcasters an AC bonus. +5 Pantaloons.
Tony Vargas
03-23-05, 05:00 PM Clothes aren't armor, pre se, they'd be wonderous items (a robe, for instance, is a wonderous item that takes the same 'slot' as armor, but cloaks, vests and shirts also have specific slots). Some armor special abilities are perfectly reasonable to put in an item of clothing ('shadows' in a cloak, elemental restance: cold in a fur robe, etc) others, like invulnerability or fortification would make little or no sense.
Sinon
03-23-05, 05:14 PM I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did.
Was that correct?
If so, then it would seem reasonable to place those mosidifications on a shirt. At worst it would involve the additional cost for a-typical slotting.
cainblueriver76
03-23-05, 06:44 PM I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did.
Was that correct?
If so, then it would seem reasonable to place those mosidifications on a shirt. At worst it would involve the additional cost for a-typical slotting.

I think that was either in the Epic Level Handbook, or in Tome and Blood, but I am not sure.
twad
03-23-05, 10:28 PM never heard of "glamered" armor? DMG p219
Hot Rod
03-24-05, 07:48 AM This is one of those topics that keep coming around, so here's my take.

Masterword silk shirt takes the armor slot and has the stats +0 AC, ASF 0%, Max dex: unlimited Weight:1 lb Price: 200gp + MW armor component. You can enhance this with regular + to AC, or any other normal armor enhancement. The only real difference, well, there is no difference. This is what I've allowed since 3.0 came out.

Races of the Wild has Elven Thistledown Padded armor which has +1 AC, +10 max dex, 0% ASF, Wt:5lb Price: Buy Races of the Wild! (a great book)

Which makes me feel I've been on the right track all this time. :P
Sinon
03-24-05, 10:11 AM never heard of "glamered" armor? DMG p219
Glamered armor just looks like clothing. It retains all of its properties. Those properties include armor check, spell failure, weight, etc.
Monks still couldn't wear a glamered suit of armor, nor druids if it were metal. Not the same as an enhanced shirt at all.
Finarin Panjoro
03-24-05, 11:35 AM In last months Dungeon magazine there was a npc monk villian named Harbinger who wore robes of armor +2. The only notation they had with them was "as bracers of armor".

That tells me that enchanted clothes would be priced by the wondrous item guidlines rather than the armor guidelines. So I'd say you should add "stealthy" and "swimming" style bonuses as though they were a cloak of elvenkind, etc, rather than pricing them at the flat rates granted to armor.
DigitalSoul
03-24-05, 11:42 AM I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did.

You can find the referance in the A&EG for Bracer of Armor prices going up to +13 bonus, higher than that is then epic.
Tony Vargas
03-24-05, 11:45 AM Masterword silk shirt takes the armor slot ... except it's robes that take the armor slot. A shirt can be worn under armor.
Gloriam Etriae
03-24-05, 01:19 PM Sure, clothes can be worn under armor, but if you give the clothes an armor bonus, then it wouldn't stack with the armor it's worn under.

I had a player in my last campaign who was a fighter/mage. He had a number of the magic item creation feats, and used his clothing as preparation tools for combat.

For example, he had a silk shirt that had Mage Armor 2/day (at caster level 5), a +1 shield bonus built into his cloak, a ring of protection he purchased, as well as cat's grace thrice/day built into his magical sword (which he paid out the nose for). I believe his leggings had bull's strength thrice/day built into them (this was before 3.5), and his boots were boots of striding and springing.

The object was so that he could avoid arcane spell failure penalties while still retaining a measure of personal protection. It worked remarkably well, and even after we switched over to 3.5, it was pretty effective.
mvincent
03-24-05, 04:26 PM Can you enchant normal clothes (effectivly really light armor) with armor bonuses? not the AC pluses mind you, but the other stuff like 'stealth' or 'swimming'.Note that the rules say:"Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus."

Besides that; clothing isn't actually armor, and so (by the standard rules) are not suitable for armor enchantments, as it would present balance issues with monks and wizards.

Masterwork padded (or even leather) armor has no armor check penalty... so that might be a good alternative... even a commoner would not be a hindered that. But if masterwork padded armor hinders your character, there is probably a balance reason.

Another alternative (for wizards) is using a mithral buckler: no armor check penalty or spell failure chance.
critical life
03-24-05, 05:02 PM i agree with your sentiments .. there has to be game balance some where .. and if an arcane caster cant put up with the 5gp, +1 to ac, +8 max dex, 0 acp, and only 5% asfc and the mithral buckler?? hell make it a caster sheild but outa mitheral and their you go.. uber bonuses for only minimal spell failur.... a grand total of 5% .. and thats outta core .. if you wanna whine about 5% then dont be a caster and join the tanks.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
T.rex 03-23-05, 04:09 PM	Can you enchant normal clothes (effectivly really light armor) with armor bonuses? not the AC pluses mind you, but the other stuff like 'stealth' or 'swimming'. I cannot see where the DMG specifically disallows it.
Sinon 03-23-05, 04:13 PM	I can't imagine why you couldn't give clothing a magical enhancement.
chocobochicken 03-23-05, 04:18 PM	Just remember... they would have to be masterwork clothes. ;)
Nuntius128 03-23-05, 04:22 PM	Would those clothes grant a bonus to a Monk's AC? Doesn't sound like it would, but I do love to get the general consensus. EDIT: A good way to grant Spellcasters an AC bonus. +5 Pantaloons.
Tony Vargas 03-23-05, 05:00 PM	Clothes aren't armor, pre se, they'd be wonderous items (a robe, for instance, is a wonderous item that takes the same 'slot' as armor, but cloaks, vests and shirts also have specific slots). Some armor special abilities are perfectly reasonable to put in an item of clothing ('shadows' in a cloak, elemental restance: cold in a fur robe, etc) others, like invulnerability or fortification would make little or no sense.
Sinon 03-23-05, 05:14 PM	I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did. Was that correct? If so, then it would seem reasonable to place those mosidifications on a shirt. At worst it would involve the additional cost for a-typical slotting.
cainblueriver76 03-23-05, 06:44 PM	I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did. Was that correct? If so, then it would seem reasonable to place those mosidifications on a shirt. At worst it would involve the additional cost for a-typical slotting. I think that was either in the Epic Level Handbook, or in Tome and Blood, but I am not sure.
twad 03-23-05, 10:28 PM	never heard of "glamered" armor? DMG p219
Hot Rod 03-24-05, 07:48 AM	This is one of those topics that keep coming around, so here's my take. Masterword silk shirt takes the armor slot and has the stats +0 AC, ASF 0%, Max dex: unlimited Weight:1 lb Price: 200gp + MW armor component. You can enhance this with regular + to AC, or any other normal armor enhancement. The only real difference, well, there is no difference. This is what I've allowed since 3.0 came out. Races of the Wild has Elven Thistledown Padded armor which has +1 AC, +10 max dex, 0% ASF, Wt:5lb Price: Buy Races of the Wild! (a great book) Which makes me feel I've been on the right track all this time. :P
Sinon 03-24-05, 10:11 AM	never heard of "glamered" armor? DMG p219 Glamered armor just looks like clothing. It retains all of its properties. Those properties include armor check, spell failure, weight, etc. Monks still couldn't wear a glamered suit of armor, nor druids if it were metal. Not the same as an enhanced shirt at all.
Finarin Panjoro 03-24-05, 11:35 AM	In last months Dungeon magazine there was a npc monk villian named Harbinger who wore robes of armor +2. The only notation they had with them was "as bracers of armor". That tells me that enchanted clothes would be priced by the wondrous item guidlines rather than the armor guidelines. So I'd say you should add "stealthy" and "swimming" style bonuses as though they were a cloak of elvenkind, etc, rather than pricing them at the flat rates granted to armor.
DigitalSoul 03-24-05, 11:42 AM	I thought that I had read somewhere that the armor special features, such as invulnerability, could be placed on Bracers of Armor. Now I cannot remember where I saw that, or if I actually did. You can find the referance in the A&EG for Bracer of Armor prices going up to +13 bonus, higher than that is then epic.
Tony Vargas 03-24-05, 11:45 AM	Masterword silk shirt takes the armor slot ... except it's robes that take the armor slot. A shirt can be worn under armor.
Gloriam Etriae 03-24-05, 01:19 PM	Sure, clothes can be worn under armor, but if you give the clothes an armor bonus, then it wouldn't stack with the armor it's worn under. I had a player in my last campaign who was a fighter/mage. He had a number of the magic item creation feats, and used his clothing as preparation tools for combat. For example, he had a silk shirt that had Mage Armor 2/day (at caster level 5), a +1 shield bonus built into his cloak, a ring of protection he purchased, as well as cat's grace thrice/day built into his magical sword (which he paid out the nose for). I believe his leggings had bull's strength thrice/day built into them (this was before 3.5), and his boots were boots of striding and springing. The object was so that he could avoid arcane spell failure penalties while still retaining a measure of personal protection. It worked remarkably well, and even after we switched over to 3.5, it was pretty effective.
mvincent 03-24-05, 04:26 PM	Can you enchant normal clothes (effectivly really light armor) with armor bonuses? not the AC pluses mind you, but the other stuff like 'stealth' or 'swimming'.Note that the rules say:"Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus." Besides that; clothing isn't actually armor, and so (by the standard rules) are not suitable for armor enchantments, as it would present balance issues with monks and wizards. Masterwork padded (or even leather) armor has no armor check penalty... so that might be a good alternative... even a commoner would not be a hindered that. But if masterwork padded armor hinders your character, there is probably a balance reason. Another alternative (for wizards) is using a mithral buckler: no armor check penalty or spell failure chance.
critical life 03-24-05, 05:02 PM	i agree with your sentiments .. there has to be game balance some where .. and if an arcane caster cant put up with the 5gp, +1 to ac, +8 max dex, 0 acp, and only 5% asfc and the mithral buckler?? hell make it a caster sheild but outa mitheral and their you go.. uber bonuses for only minimal spell failur.... a grand total of 5% .. and thats outta core .. if you wanna whine about 5% then dont be a caster and join the tanks.