Inherent Bonuses to Natural Armor?

[LordVyreth]

I have a player who's wondering if a wish could be used to boost one's natural armor bonus, and if so, would it be possible to buy some tome-style magic items similar to the ability score-improving ones. Does gaining a permanent magic bonus to AC from wish seem fair, or is it overpowered and open up what could be a massive can of worms? I'm inclinded to lean towards the latter, because as the nigh-unhittable Astral Deva in the party is demonstrating, getting your AC up isn't really that hard with the current rules, but the player in question is on the opposite end of the spectrum and I think he's getting frustrated with it. What are your suggestions? Should this be allowed?

 

[UltimaGabe]

Personally, I say let them do it. Unless you (the DM) are doing something wrong, Wish spells are not going to be easy to come by- so if a player wants to do something powerful with a Wish, let them. In my campaigns, I even allow players to get more than a +5 to an ability score- provided they somehow find a way to get more than six wishes at their disposal. If they get them through casting the spell themselves, that's an entire level they've just given up- and if they buy a manual that lets them do it, that's hundreds of thousands of GP they could have spent on something much more applicable.

I also allow Wish spells to stack, so if you find a +1 manual and use it, then find a +2 manual, your bonus becomes a +3. This not only fits my purpose, but formula-wise, it doesn't make any sense not to. A +2 manual costs exactly the same as two +1's, and so on- which goes against all of the other pricing/stacking precendents. After all, a +4 belt costs four times as much as a +2 belt, because they don't stack and higher bonuses should be harder to come by. With manuals, however, they don't- and yet they don't stack. In other words, any manual of +4 or lower is useless, because in the event that a +5 is found, the +4 has done nothing and won't serve any more purpose.

 

[dcollins]

I have a player who's wondering if a wish could be used to boost one's natural armor bonus, and if so, would it be possible to buy some tome-style magic items similar to the ability score-improving ones... What are your suggestions? Should this be allowed?

If you have any doubts whatsoever, you should say "no". In fact, since new magic items really count as House Rules, there should be some overwhelmingly compelling campaign-enhancing reason why you, the DM, introduce such new magic items.

http://superdan.net.home.comcast.net/dndfaq3.html

 

[smetzger]

I have a player who's wondering if a wish could be used to boost one's natural armor bonus, and if so, would it be possible to buy some tome-style magic items similar to the ability score-improving ones.

Whats wrong with an Amulet of Natural Armor?

If he already has an Amulet of another variety let him change what the slot is for an appropriate increase in price.

 

[Wrahn]

Were I running the game, I would allow it. With the same limitation as inherent bonuses to stats (maximum of +5). And the same cost as well (which is largely made up of the wishs XP cost).

Of course this would open such things up for further heightening of the Astral Deva's AC, but at gross expense. What kind of level and ACs are we talking about here?

 

[LordVyreth]

The players are level 21-22 and capable of plane-hopping to the traditional epic metropolis (a la Union,) so the money isn't that much of an issue any more. The deva has an AC around 54 (thanks mainly to that race's massive natural armor and a very nice dex modifier,) and the sorcerer/bard/dragon disciple in question has an AC of 37, apparently. You can see that balancing is going to be a problem as is, as anything that I want to stand a reasonable chance of hitting our high AC players will be guaranteed to hit the sorcerer/etc.

 

[hong]

Personally, I'd allow wish to grant a +1 natural armour bonus to AC. Note that this doesn't help someone who already has a natural armour bonus, as per the normal stacking rules. I'd also limit it to +1, although I might be convinced to allow it to go to +5, depending on what the characters were like.