Bracers that stack?

[WaroftheSendros]

I found a similar problem with Psychic warriors, at a decent level just equipping a good bit of armour (+5 Full Plate) a shield (+5 H S Shield) then Bracers of armour 5 and finally going big balls on an inert defence. suddenly hitting close to 50 AC, that's then added to by mage armour etc. Then he just runs through, with a decent weapon he can do some damage and never get hurt.

The last time this came up, the guy was a bit of a douche and was laughing and joking about how nothing could take him, in came the rust monsters and traps. he very quickly learned that trying to outsmart the guy who controls the universe he's playing in is not a smart move.

 

[delericho]

I'm also in the school that multiple Defending weapons don't stack. But even if they do:

From the SRD:

A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn.

(Emphasis mine)

So, in order to gain the benefit of multiple such weapons, the character has to make use of those weapons - he would need a minimum of 4 attacks to get the bonus. And, of course, that also means giving up his entire turn to a full attack that's probably going to be hugely ineffectual.

 

[Greenfield]

I found a similar problem with Psychic warriors, at a decent level just equipping a good bit of armour (+5 Full Plate) a shield (+5 H S Shield) then Bracers of armour 5 and finally going big balls on an inert defence. suddenly hitting close to 50 AC, that's then added to by mage armour etc. Then he just runs through, with a decent weapon he can do some damage and never get hurt.

The last time this came up, the guy was a bit of a douche and was laughing and joking about how nothing could take him, in came the rust monsters and traps. he very quickly learned that trying to outsmart the guy who controls the universe he's playing in is not a smart move.

Bracers of Armor don't stack with regular armor. They're both Armor bonuses.

That's what struck me about the Dastana, they're bracers that *do* stack with regular armor.

 

[WaroftheSendros]

Bracers of Armor don't stack with regular armor. They're both Armor bonuses.

That's what struck me about the Dastana, they're bracers that *do* stack with regular armor.

Surely in that sense, a shield would not stack with armour either as they are both armour bonuses?

War of the Sendros

 

[ImperatorK]

Shields give shield bonus.

 

[the Jester]

I found a similar problem with Psychic warriors, at a decent level just equipping a good bit of armour (+5 Full Plate) a shield (+5 H S Shield) then Bracers of armour 5 and finally going big balls on an inert defence. suddenly hitting close to 50 AC, that's then added to by mage armour etc. Then he just runs through, with a decent weapon he can do some damage and never get hurt.

Uh, bracers of armor provide an armor bonus, which doesn't stack with actual armor.

You might want to look him over for more stacking rules violations.

 

[Empirate]

I'm also in the school that multiple Defending weapons don't stack. But even if they do:

A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn.

So, in order to gain the benefit of multiple such weapons, the character has to make use of those weapons - he would need a minimum of 4 attacks to get the bonus. And, of course, that also means giving up his entire turn to a full attack that's probably going to be hugely ineffectual.

Doesn't state you actually have to use the weapon in question. Just that you have to allocate bonuses before you'd do so.

And before you go on to say that the "before using the weapon" bit implies you actually have to go on and use it, let me throw you this curveball: if that is indeed what is implied, it can be argued that it is similarly implied that "using the weapon" would still be part of the same free action...

But as I said earlier, even though I do consider this trick rules legal, I'd never allow it for the silly, anyway.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

I found a similar problem with Psychic warriors, at a decent level just equipping a good bit of armour (+5 Full Plate) a shield (+5 H S Shield) then Bracers of armour 5 and finally going big balls on an inert defence. suddenly hitting close to 50 AC, that's then added to by mage armour etc. Then he just runs through, with a decent weapon he can do some damage and never get hurt.

As mentioned already, the Bracers of Armor and the actual armor don't stack since they're both an armor bonus to AC. Mage Armor likewise does not stack with either the bracers or the full plate because it too is an armor bonus though since it's a force effect it would grant that bonus against incorporeal attacks, unlike normal full plate. And finally, Inertial Armor is also an armor bonus and the power itself explicitly says it doesn't stack with regular armor, but like Mage Armor it would protect against incorporeal attacks.

Did you actually read the rules for all those effects before letting them stack? As per the normal rules, they definitely don't.

As for the discussion about Defending, one can argue that the wording "stacks will all others" means it stacks with everything other than itself. Even if the players don't interpret it that way, that's almost certainly exactly what the designers intended it to be because it stacking with itself is nonsensical and could very well become broken. Note that it can be applied to shuriken, and since they're enhanced as ammunition it would be relatively cheap to get 50 of them (since 50 of them at +5, or technically +6 for defending) costs the same as a single +6 regular weapon, and stack all of them for a +250 AC boost.

 

[Greenfield]

... Note that it can be applied to shuriken, and since they're enhanced as ammunition it would be relatively cheap to get 50 of them (since 50 of them at +5, or technically +6 for defending) costs the same as a single +6 regular weapon, and stack all of them for a +250 AC boost.

Per the SRD, Defending is on the "Melee Weapon Special Abilities" table, but not the "Ranged Weapons Special Ability Table". So I don't think you can add it to Shuriken, or darts, or arrows, or even caltrops (which aren't listed as a weapon of any kind).

Can you think of a nastier mine field than Caltrops of Spell Storing, scattered behind you in a chase?

 

[Nezkrul]

...with enervation in them >