Bracers of Armor

[sineater]

Do bracers of armor stack with normal armor and are they armor to start with, incuring an armor penalty for spells, etc? On the original character generator CD with the PHB they had an arcane spell failure of 5%. They require the Mage Armor spell to create so I think that like the spell, they cannot be stacked with normal armor.

 

[Xarlen]

No, and no.

PHB page 104 says that shields and armor do not stack wiht Bracers of Armor or Mage Armor.

Bracers of Armor, like Mage Armor, provides an Armor bonus. The only time an Armor bonus stacks, is when you have a shield.

Bracers of Armor do not cause spell failure/armor check penalties.

 

[sineater]

Thanks for the help.

 

[Xarlen]

Note, that Mage Armor and a Shield do not stack. Only regular armor and shields.

 

[Shadeus]

Note, that Mage Armor and a Shield do not stack. Only regular armor and shields.

Just to be crystal clear, Mage Armor and a Shield spell do stack. Mage Armor and a shield (that steel metal thing you can buy for 20 gp) do not.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

I have found it helpful to think of it like this. Like bonuses do not stack. This includes all armor bonuses such as mage armor, bracers of armor, full plate armor, shields, etc. The only exception to this rule is that the armor bonuses from suits of armor and shields do stack.

Think of the rule first, then the exception. If you do this, your question about bracers of armor is answered. It grants an armor bonus to AC, hence it does not stack with other armor bonuses (general rule). It is neither a suit of armor or a shield, so it does not qualify for the exception to the rule.

 

[Darkness]

I have found it helpful to think of it like this. Like bonuses do not stack. This includes all armor bonuses such as mage armor, bracers of armor, full plate armor, shields, etc. The only exception to this rule is that the armor bonuses from suits of armor and shields do stack.

There's another type of like bonuses that stack: Dodge bonuses stack with other Dodge bonuses just fine (e.g., a dwarf with the Dodge feat who's fighting a giant).

 

[poilbrun]

Don't Luck bonus also stack?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Yeah, I know. Perhaps I worded it poorly, but I was just thinking about armor bonuses. With them, there is one exception to the no stacking rule.

Dodge, synergy, some circumstance bonuses, and ranged and ammunition enhancement bonuses all stack, too, as other exceptions to the general stacking rules.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Don't Luck bonus also stack?

No.