In such cases, I usually just make a point to nab wild talent and go for Fist of Zuoken. Besides, wasn't shield personal range only?
Yes.
I'm sorry - why don't you monks already have a mage armor spell permanently cast on your robes? It's possible, and it's cheap and it's permanent.
If you mean a permanent mage armor for 2k gold, thats not how the magic item creation rules work. Since the only benefit of such an item is an armor bonus to AC, you're supposed to use the rules for an armor bonus to AC: bonus^2*1000gp, or 16000gp in this case.
Bracers of Armor: These items appear to be wrist or arm guards. They surround the wearer with an invisible but tangible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of +1 to +8, just as though he were wearing armor. Both bracers must be worn for the magic to be effective.
Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, mage armor, creator’s caster level must be at least two times that of the bonus placed in the bracers; Price 1,000 gp (+1), 4,000 gp (+2), 9,000 gp (+3), 16,000 gp (+4), 25,000 gp (+5), 36,000 gp (+6), 49,000 gp (+7), 64,000 gp (+8);Weight 1 lb.
:D
why not just buy these:
:D
Of course, only buy the ones that give at least a +4 bonus. +1-+3 are useless compared to a good, ol' Wand of Mage Armor, Momento Magica, or Pearl of Power I.
why not just buy these:
:D
Because they're way too freakin' expensive.
If you mean a permanent mage armor for 2k gold, thats not how the magic item creation rules work. Since the only benefit of such an item is an armor bonus to AC, you're supposed to use the rules for an armor bonus to AC: bonus^2*1000gp, or 16000gp in this case.
Wrong, that's exactly how the magic item creation rules work - if you use them. However, it also says to compare to similarly priced items. The problem here is that WOTC didn't take the time to think about REAL rules for creating magic items. They just went and done what they thought was right, without thinking about the consequences, or at least calculating it through. They also went and invented lots of strange effects that don't have a spell that does the same thing.
Look at it this way: The item to CAST mage armour upon hearing a command word at will, unlimited times/day for one hour costs only 1800 gold - strictly going by the rules printed, and ignoring the paragraph about judging a price based on capabilities instead of the investment going into it. (Which is also a stupid rule, because COST should never be judged by performance, only ever by investment. It's also no use discussing it, since the game was broken from the get-go, you just have to work with your DM to make things balanced.) Looking at that price I've never understood why anyone uses wands.
This is the trouble with the scaling system in Dnd. Items enchanted with high level spells are RIDICULOUSLY expensive, while items with low level spells - strictly by the guidelines - are of negligable cost.
Look at it this way:
To get +4 armour class 24 hours a day that doesn't stack with armour, you could buy:
Bracers of armour +4 for 16000
A permanent Mage Armour for 2000
An at will command word item of Mage Armour for 1800
Be a lvl 1 wizard and buy 23 Pearls of Power using one spell slot for 23000
Face it, the crafting rules just don't make sense at all. However, there are seriously worse ways of breaking your game than allowing a monk to buy a Mage Armour item for 1800 or 2000 gold. The monk will still suck. You could, for instance, allow Druids, Wizards or Clerics in your game, including all the possibilities they have.
stuff
<--- all the more reply deserved.Fine, whatever. I'm not going to get into an argument about DM Fiat because thats not what we deal with on these boards (unless we know exactly what we're dealing with). If your DM lets you buy Bracers of Armor +4 for 2k, more power to you. Don't suggest it to other posters, because you yourself say the rules suck that badly.
This is madness? This is CHAROP, it's all about finding ways to get things cheaper.
Well, the thing is, it IS RAW, just as much as saying it's up to DM judgement is RAW. But RAW is sometimes just not relevant, since RAW can easily break your game.
This is madness? This is CHAROP, it's all about finding ways to get things cheaper.
No, it isn't. Those are guidelines, not rules. Did you read the sidebar that says they're guidelines, it's right there.
No, it isn't. Those are guidelines, not rules. Did you read the sidebar that says they're guidelines, it's right there.
I know they are guidelines, but there is nothing else to go by. There are no rules, just those guidelines. Also, the SRD, which is widely accepted as RAW , too, is much less adamant about the guideline character. All it says is this:
Many factors must be considered when determining the price of new magic items. The easiest way to come up with a price is to match the new item to an item that is already priced that price as a guide. Otherwise, use the guidelines summarized on Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.
Bracers of Armour +4 are not the same thing as a permanent Mage Armour. Mage armour can never be upgraded. You cannot put armour enchantments on a Mage Armour item, but you CAN (by MiC) on Bracers of Armour. Which is why there is a use for both.
For whatever reason, the WOTC writers didn't want to come up with crafting rules that work for everything. So either we use the guidelines as RAW, or we are all fully in DM-mercy-land. DM-mercy-land sucks. Self-restriction-land is much better.
This is a game that people play together, it's best to come up with a way to deal with these things as a group. Either you use the crafting guidelines as rules, or you don't. It's up to every group to decide that on their own. If I were to play a wizard who dabbles in crafting I'd pretty much demand a suitable general ruling from my DM, simply because I want to be able to argue RAW, or if that doesn't exist HouseRAW. If the DM doesn't give me that and expects me to beg every time I want to enchant an item with a spell effect, well, then I'll leave. But that's just me.
Guess what, bracers of armor +4 (or any variant thereof) actually STACKS with Mage armor *gasp*. So if you have mage armor permanently on your +4 robes guess what? That's 8 ac. And that's 20,000 gp, but that's life.
You can't be more wrong: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#bracersofArmor
For whatever reason, the WOTC writers didn't want to come up with crafting rules that work for everything. So either we use the guidelines as RAW, or we are all fully in DM-mercy-land. DM-mercy-land sucks. Self-restriction-land is much better.
This is a game that people play together, it's best to come up with a way to deal with these things as a group. Either you use the crafting guidelines as rules, or you don't. It's up to every group to decide that on their own. If I were to play a wizard who dabbles in crafting I'd pretty much demand a suitable general ruling from my DM, simply because I want to be able to argue RAW, or if that doesn't exist HouseRAW. If the DM doesn't give me that and expects me to beg every time I want to enchant an item with a spell effect, well, then I'll leave. But that's just me.
We're not a D&D group, and there is no DM. As such, your argument is completely moot. Also, the guidelines aren't there for the player, they're there for the DM. It is, afterall, the Dungeon Master's guide.
Look, all I'm saying is to have the spell mage armor cast on, say, some friggan robes (masterwork robes, none the less) it only costs like 2000. Arguing that it costs as much as bracers of armor +4 is different, that's an enhancement bonus to AC, not an ARMOR bonus to AC, which is what mage armor gives.
Guess what, bracers of armor +4 (or any variant thereof) actually STACKS with Mage armor *gasp*. So if you have mage armor permanently on your +4 robes guess what? That's 8 ac. And that's 20,000 gp, but that's life.
the Spell Mage Armor .... and Bracers of Armor ... dont Stack, they overlap since both give "Armor" bonuses... however, Magic Vestment would Stack with Bracers of Armor, since Magic Vestment gives an "Enhancement" bonus to Armor
:D
the Spell Mage Armor .... and Bracers of Armor ... dont Stack, they overlap since both give "Armor" bonuses... however, Magic Vestment would Stack with Bracers of Armor, since Magic Vestment gives an "Enhancement" bonus to Armor
:D
Thats arguable, seeing as Magic Vestment must target either a Shield or Armor.
In the DMG, they weren't listed under armor, but rather Wonderous Items.
In the MIC, if they were reprinted, they would likely not be listed under Armor but rather Clothing.
1)wear Bracers of Mage Armor .... gain Armor bonus(overlaps Armor bonus from Clothing(+0 Armor))
2)cast magic Vestment on Clothing... gaining Enhancement Bonus to Armor that will stack with the Armor bonus from Mage Armor
:D
im not saying to cast magic vestment on Bracers of Mage Armor... this is what you do:
1)wear Bracers of Mage Armor .... gain Armor bonus(overlaps Armor bonus from Clothing(+0 Armor))
2)cast magic Vestment on Clothing... gaining Enhancement Bonus to Armor that will stack with the Armor bonus from Mage Armor
:D
Unfortunately the Magic Vestment spell gives an enhancement bonus to armour bonuses or shield bonuses, not a bonus directly to your AC.
This is good in one way, as it allows you to use it on both your armour and shield. However, this prevents it being used in the way you suggest, as in this case it would merely increase the (+0) armour bonus of your clothes to +(1-5) depending on your level. Thus your (up to) +5 Armour bonus from your
clothes would not stack with the +4 armour bonus from the mage armour spell.
Proof?
Enhancement Bonus
An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the sturdiness and/or effectiveness of armor or natural armor, or the effectiveness of a weapon, or a general bonus to an ability score. Multiple enhancement bonuses on the same object (in the case of armor and weapons), creature (in the case of natural armor), or ability score do not stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies. Since enhancement bonuses to armor or natural armor effectively increase the armor or natural armor's bonus to AC, they don't apply against touch attacks
:D