Magical armor bonuses to AC

[3d6]

I always see people on this board claming that the enhancement bonus from a magic armor is a bonus to the armor's armor bonus (much in the same fashion as barkskin provides an enhancement bonus to a creature's natural armor bonus).

Is there any support at all for this in the rules? It seems to me that the enhancement bonus from a magic suit of armor is an enhancement bonus to AC.

In general, magic armor protects the wearer to a greater extent than nonmagical armor. Magic armor bonuses are enhancement bonuses, never rise above +5, and stack with regular armor bonuses (and with shield and magic shield enhancement bonuses). All magic armor is also masterwork armor, reducing armor check penalties by 1.

Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses. Shield enhancement bonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuses when the shield is used in a bash. The bashing special ability, however, does grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls (see the special ability description).

This is from the MagicItemsII.rtf section of the SRD. Notice that it states that armor enhancement bonuses stack with shield enhancement bonuses. If, as people claim, magic armor enhancement bonuses are a bonus to the armor’s armor bonus to AC, this statement is redundant and nonsensical, as a suit of armor’s enhancement bonus and a shield’s enhancement bonus are bonuses to different attributes. It would be analogous to a statement that a magic weapon’s enhancement bonus does not stack with a belt of giant strength’s enhancement bonus. The only way these sentences make sense is if the enhancement bonus of a suit of armor or a shield is an enhancement bonus to the bearer’s Armor Class.

Also in that section is rhino hide armor.

Rhino Hide: This +2 hide armor is made from rhinoceros hide. In addition to granting a +2 enhancement bonus to AC, it has a –1 armor check penalty and deals an additional 2d6 points of damage on any successful charge attack made by the wearer, including a mounted charge.
Moderate transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bull’s strength; Price 5,165 gp; Cost 2,665 gp + 200 XP.

Now one could argue that, as a specific armor, rhino hide does not reflect the rules for all armor. At least, until you look on page 211 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, which contains this:

Armor and Shields: Magic armor (including shields) offers improved, magical protection to the wearer. Some of these items confer abilities beyond a benefit to Armor Class. For instance, a character wearing a +2 breastplate of etherealness is not only protected by this magically enhanced armor (+2 enhancement bonus to AC) but can transform her body into ethereal form.

That’s two examples of magic armors that are specifically described as adding an enhancement bonus to AC, not an enhancement bonus to the armor’s armor bonus.

Are there any contrary examples?

 

[dcollins]

See the definition of "armor enhancement bonus" in the DMG. It says "Improves: armor's bonus".

You're correct that the "enhancement bonuses stack" language is redundant and could have been worded better, but they were trying to make it exceedingly clear that there's no stacking problem from magic armor used with magic shield.

 

[TheEvil]

I have to admit to not having put alot of thought into this, but what is your point? What does this change? I don't mean to denigrate what you've said, which looks pretty well researched.

 

[3d6]

Re: dcollins; page #?

I can find "armor bonus" and "enhancement bonus", but I can't find a definition for "armor enhancement bonus".

Armor: This is the bonus that nonmagical armor gives a character. A spell that gives an armor bonus typically creates an invisible, tangible field of force around the affected character.

Enhancement: An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the strength or effectiveness of a character's armor or weapon, as with the magic vestment and magic weapon spells, or a general bonus to an ability score, as with the cat's grace spell.

Re: TheEvil; in the core rules, bracers of armor, mage armor, etc. (Mage armor and magic vestment stack, for example.) There are also some interactions with non-core material, such as the dastana (OA, A&EG), and the psionic power thicken skin, which gives an enhancement bonus to AC.

 

[dcollins]

In the 3.0 DMG it's p. 177, in Table 8-1.

Don't have the 3.5 DMG here; in the last thread this was discussed, someone said they found it in 3.5 DMG text elsewhere, one of the earlier chapters. You'll have to ask someone else or check the prior thread.

 

[3d6]

As far as I can tell, Table 8--1 was cut in the revision. The text around it (the definitions of the various types and the Behind the Curtain sidebar) was moved to page 21.

 

[dcollins]

Yes, which is why someone said they found it moved onto the text on that page.

 

[reanjr]

I was just thinking about this and how many rules there are that are commonly known but know one can reference. Like dead characters can't take actions.

 

[isoChron]

Re: TheEvil; in the core rules, bracers of armor, mage armor, etc. (Mage armor and magic vestment stack, for example.) ...

I don't think so.
If you cast mage armor, you get a +4 armor bonus with no enhancement bonus.
If you cast Magic Vestment you get an enhancement bonus to your cloth. These cloth are treated as having an armor bonus of 0 enhanced by the spell to let's say +4 on 16th CL.
(If you wear no suit of armor already, just cloth.)

So you are wearing an armor and mage armor (an armor, too). They don't stack, they overlap.
You can't cast magic vestment on the spell mage armor. If this woould be possible, then the bonuses would stack. But it isn't.

Magic Vestment

Transmutation

Level: Clr 3, Strength 3, War 3 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Armor or shield touched Duration: 1 hour/level Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object) You imbue a suit of armor or a shield with an enhancement bonus of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5 at 20th level).

An outfit of regular clothing counts as armor that grants no AC bonus for the purpose of this spell.

Mage Armor

Conjuration (Creation) [Force]

Level: Sor/Wiz 1 Components: V, S, F Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Creature touched Duration: 1 hour/level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: No An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of a mage armor spell, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC.

Unlike mundane armor, mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor.

Focus: A piece of cured leather.

EDIT: spelling

 

[3d6]

The point of my thread is that armor with an enhancement bonus gives you an enhancement bonus to AC.

Thus, magic vestment gives you an enhancement bonus to AC, which stacks with the armor bonus to AC provided by mage armor. Different bonus types always stack.