Brancers of Armor

[iamtheend]

Arms and Equipment Guide is a 3.0 book

It allows bracers of armor to "somehow" go beyond the +8 bonus with something called "heavy fortification" (???)... up to +13...

I don't know of such a thing in 3.5...

I'm looking in my 3.5 DMG and on pg. 218 and pg. 219 there is clearly "Heavy Fortification".

Are you trying to insult me?

 

[Vespucci]

That controversial "effective" ceiling of +13 means: no more than a +8 enhancement bonus to the Armor bonus granted by the Bracers, with an additional window of +5 for special abilities.

 

[Jimlock]

Bracers of Armor should be considered a kind of Armor with an AC bonus of 0, no dex check penalty, no maximum dexterity modifier, and no arcane spell failure. Enchanted Bracers have an enhancement bonus to armor, and special abilities that increase the effective bonus can be added as normal for magic armor.

Does that make sense?

Not really...

Bracers of armor provide armor bonus, can go up to +8, require Craft Wondrous Item (+ the mage armor spell).

One cannot treat bracers as a kind of armor with AC 0 because:

Craft Magic Arms And Armor

You can create any magic weapon, armor, or shield whose prerequisites you meet. Enhancing a weapon, suit of armor, or shield takes one day for each 1,000 gp in the price of its magical features. To enhance a weapon, suit of armor, or shield, you must spend 1/25 of its features’ total price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-half of this total price.


Even if you house ruled to treat them as "armor/suit of armor":
they would provide enhancement bonus (max +5), and would require Craft Magic Arms And Armor.

 

[iamtheend]

Vespucci I understand now from you separating the +8 and then the additional +5 can only be abilities.

For the longest time my DM has always told me that Bracers of Armor are the way to go for a Monk. If I understand what you wrote correctly then in 3.5 a Monk would lose his wisdom bonus plus his armor bonus he gains every 5 levels if he wears bracers?

 

[Jimlock]

I'm looking in my 3.5 DMG and on pg. 218 and pg. 219 there is clearly "Heavy Fortification".

Correct. I missed that

Are you trying to insult me?

No. But you should know that this not possible in 3.5

Heavy fortification is possible for armor and shields only. Not wondrous items.

Perhaps you should clarify your system, rather than confusing people by mixing 3.0 and 3.5 rules/books.

 

[iamtheend]

Again it seems like you're trying to be rude to me. Originally I wrote specifically a 3.0 book. You then assumed that this thread was about 3.5 and then I pointed out that you were wrong while being insulting.

So with that pointed out explain how I am at fault for causing any confusion you might have?

I would just appreciate a discussion and straight forward answers rather than being talked down to.

 

[Vespucci]

Not really...

Bracers of armor provide armor bonus, can go up to +8, require Craft Wondrous Item (+ the mage armor spell).

One cannot treat bracers as a kind of armor with AC 0...

You're lying, it does make sense. I understand that you disagree, but that's beside the point. My post was an attempt to clarify how the Arms & Equipment interpretation of Bracers of Armor works. Now, if you think that interpretation is SHATTERINGLY BROKEN, count me as surprised and intrigued...


iamtheend, I don't think you should try to talk your ref into nerfing Monks using Bracers of Armor. Combining the bracers with the monk's AC bonuses is balanced. In fact, it's kinda weak - you are generally going to be better off using mage armor (a wand is worth thinking about). If the ref allows the A&E interpretation, consider getting +1 Bracers for special abilities.

 

[Jimlock]

Again it seems like you're trying to be rude to me. Originally I wrote specifically a 3.0 book. You then assumed that this thread was about 3.5 and then I pointed out that you were wrong while being insulting.

I'm not trying to be rude to you.
Without clarifying whether you are in 3.0 or 3.5, ppl assume that ppl are talking about 3.5 because its the updated version.
Also ppl do not instantly remember that Arms & Equipment Guide is a 3.0 book. Therefore the confusion. As you can see from the posts in this thread i wasn't the only one confused.

back to business now:

In 3.0 it is possible. You can enchant the bracers with magic armor special abilities up to +5, as in A&EG. This can be done by using the craft magic armor feat.
The +5 cannot be used for armor bonus just for special abilities.

In 3.5 it is not possible.
However, since there is no 3.5 A&EG, a DM might allow this, even though in the 3.5 DMG there is no such option.

 

[iamtheend]

Thanks. I just want to be thorough with my DM and allow him to make the decisions of what he will and will not allow and I greatly appreciate the detail of your last message because it will help me to explain it.

 

[Vespucci]

In 3.0 it is possible. You can enchant the bracers with magic armor special abilities up to +5, as in A&EG. This can be done by using the craft magic armor feat.
The +5 cannot be used for armor bonus just for special abilities.

In 3.5 it is not possible.
However, since there is no 3.5 A&EG, a DM might allow this, even though in the 3.5 DMG there is no such option.

That's really misleading. The 3.0 DMG is no more flexible than the 3.5 version. A&E is not core to either version: it's a product put out by WotC to be compatible with 3.0. The correct answer is that this is possible if the ref allows the rules from A&E, or at least this specific rule (regardless of edition - i.e. you could graft this sort of thing backwards into 2e).

Taking the Wizards trademark and their say-so on compatibility as an indication of something being core leads to an absurd level of player entitlement.