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Bracers of Armor Question
- Thread starter Zephalon
- Start date
Demon Knight
First Post
This is how I interpret the rules, and it's how I handle it in my games.
Bracers of Armor provides an armor bonus similar to normal armor, like chain mail and studded leather. This stacks with shield armor bonuses. So you could, per se, put on Bracers of Armor +1 and still use a large steel shield, benefiting from +3 a armor bonus.
What other DMs use, I have no idea.
Bracers of Armor provides an armor bonus similar to normal armor, like chain mail and studded leather. This stacks with shield armor bonuses. So you could, per se, put on Bracers of Armor +1 and still use a large steel shield, benefiting from +3 a armor bonus.
What other DMs use, I have no idea.
No, magical armor bonuses (from bracers, or the Mage Armor spell) do not stack with any other armor bonuses. They don't even stack with a shield.
The only time an armor bonus ever stacks is when the bonus of one shield stacks with that of physical armor.
Note that a "natural armor bonus" (as from an amulet of natural armor) is a distinct bonus type, and does stack with an "armor bonus".
The only time an armor bonus ever stacks is when the bonus of one shield stacks with that of physical armor.
Note that a "natural armor bonus" (as from an amulet of natural armor) is a distinct bonus type, and does stack with an "armor bonus".
If the party mage already has good bracers, and they don't want to sell them for cash, then give them to the armored characters with the lowest Dex bonus. They'll be useful if the party is ever attacked by incorporeal undead.
Incorporeal touch attacks pass through all physical armor, but not the force armor created by the bracers. So even though the bracers' bonus overlaps the normal armor bonus most of the time, the normal armor bonus goes away for purposes of incorporeal touch, so the bracer bonus remains.
Example:
A fighter wearing full plate has AC 18. If he's attacked by a wraith, it can pass right through his armor, so his effective touch AC is 10.
Give the same fighter a set of bracers of armor +2. He still has AC 18 for purposes of normal combat. But when the wraith attacks, it can't pass through the bracers' force field, so the fighter's touch AC is 12.
This isn't much bonus, and the situation doesn't come up all that often, but it's better than just leaving the stuff to rust in a backpack.
Incorporeal touch attacks pass through all physical armor, but not the force armor created by the bracers. So even though the bracers' bonus overlaps the normal armor bonus most of the time, the normal armor bonus goes away for purposes of incorporeal touch, so the bracer bonus remains.
Example:
A fighter wearing full plate has AC 18. If he's attacked by a wraith, it can pass right through his armor, so his effective touch AC is 10.
Give the same fighter a set of bracers of armor +2. He still has AC 18 for purposes of normal combat. But when the wraith attacks, it can't pass through the bracers' force field, so the fighter's touch AC is 12.
This isn't much bonus, and the situation doesn't come up all that often, but it's better than just leaving the stuff to rust in a backpack.
dcollins
Explorer
By the rules, bracers of armor do not stack with normal armor. They don't stack with shields, either. The stacking of normal armor with a shield is a specific rules exception for that one combination.
Consider example #9 here: www.superdan.net/dndfaq1.html
Consider example #9 here: www.superdan.net/dndfaq1.html
Sir Whiskers
First Post
AuraSeer, great idea! It never occurred to me to have both bracers and plate on the same character. As you say, it's rare, but then I thought losing my +1 plate to a rust monster would never happen...
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Of course, the rumour is that in 3.5E, there will be an actual, honest-to-god, not-just-in-the-glossary Shield Bonus, and shields will stack with Mage Armor.
-Hyp.
-Hyp.
Wolf72
Explorer
Sir Whiskers said:AuraSeer, great idea! It never occurred to me to have both bracers and plate on the same character. As you say, it's rare, but then I thought losing my +1 plate to a rust monster would never happen...
LOL ... um, I'm not laughing at you ..... noooo ... I'm laughing with you!
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