silk shirt

[S'mon]

Why a deflection bonus if you consider it an armor it's an armor bonus and you don't get an extra slot since you could wear a better armor instead of the shirt. If I follow your logic I could have a PlateArmor of deflection +5 and wear bracer of armor and they would add up??

Exactly - an armour enhancement bonus (+1 silk shirt) is still an Armour bonus, just like a bonus from bracers of armour is. Neither are defelection bonuses.

 

[andargor]

Not unless you paid double for the shirt. If you expected a normal shirt to give you a magical bonus, it would take up the same slot as armor, unless you paid extra. There's no "extra item slot" for it to give you.

Anyway, a +1 shirt of Heavy Fortification isn't overpowered for wizards, considering they can make Bracers of Armor that do the exact same thing for the exact same price.

Agreed. I'm not debating whether or not a silk shirt with enhancements is allowed or not, but if it is then it takes up the armor slot. You could still wear a magical shirt under magical armor, but only one would work. Same thing as wearing 10 magical rings, only 2 would work.

Andargor

 

[andargor]

Exactly - an armour enhancement bonus (+1 silk shirt) is still an Armour bonus, just like a bonus from bracers of armour is. Neither are defelection bonuses.

Maybe your eyes are better than mine, but where does it say that you cannot add enhancements to deflection (or dodge, or natural armor) to a piece of armor? A Silk Shirt of Natural Armor +2 is possible, unless you have a reference where this is prohibited?

Andargor

 

[irdeggman]

Maybe your eyes are better than mine, but where does it say that you cannot add enhancements to deflection (or dodge, or natural armor) to a piece of armor? A Silk Shirt of Natural Armor +2 is possible, unless you have a reference where this is prohibited?

Andargor

It doesn't.

But these would have to be special properties with various prerequisites. Something you would have to make up to apply since the published rules don't do a good job of describing how to create your own special properties. There are no spells associated with creating a suit of magical armor anymore (unless you add special properties) only a feat and a caster level. The resultant item has an enhancement bonus to AC (based on caster level and desire - you can always make it less). Now this bonus is either an armor bonus for a suit of armor or in this case a silk shirt) or a shield bonus for a shield. Bracers are not armors for this purpose, as I recall they are wonderous items - which have their own set of rules.

So a silk shirt of natural armor +2 would by logic have to be at least a +3 magic item (+2 for the enhancement bonus and at least a +1 for the special property of natural armor)

 

[Feliks]

I dont have an opinion as far as game mechanics go, but the warriors of the eastern steppes wore silk shirts under their chain due to the fact that barbed arrows were being shot at/into them. The barbs would get caught up in the silk and not grab into flesh thereby making it easier and less damaging to remove them from ones parts.

Discovery Channel 101

 

[Darklone]

IIRC, that's indeed the only benefit of the silk shirt in Quint Fighter... it makes it easier to pull out arrows.

 

[Sejs]

I don't see how a silk shirt gives you an extra item slot. Vest / Vestament / Shirt is one of the limited magic item slots listed in the DMG.

 

[andargor]

I don't see how a silk shirt gives you an extra item slot. Vest / Vestament / Shirt is one of the limited magic item slots listed in the DMG.

Hey! You're right!

• One vest, vestment, or shirt on the torso
• One robe or suit of armor on the body (over a vest, vestment, or shirt)

That'll teach me!

Never mind me, nothing to see here, please move on.

Andargor

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Slightly-related side note:

There was a magical item called a silk shirt in the 2nd ed. AD&D historical campaigns supplement, The Vikings. IIRC, it provided an AC value (like bracers of defense back then), plus 1 additional magical ability.

Others here have already pointed out a 3.X version of the silk shirt, but I'd thought I'd just bring this up.