Mage Armor: Armor Bonus or Enchantment Bonus?

[AdamBank]

This is the question that hurt my players' brains:

Does the enhancement bonus from a suit of armor stack with Mage Armor? For example, X is wearing leather armor +2, and casts Mage Armor on herself. Does her AC go up at all?

Nope.

The DMG states that an enhancement bonus to armor is a bonus to the armor's armor bonus, not a bonus straight to the character's Armor Class. So wearing a suit of leather armor +2 gives your AC a +4 armor bonus, rather than a +2 armor bonus and a +2 enhancement bonus. So neither the leather's "mundane" armor bonus nor its magical enhancement bonus stack with Magic Armor.

 

[AdamBank]

The shield spell will also provide a Shield Bonus. It will also probably be reduced to a +4 AC bonus from all directions. (No re-orienting your shield.)

So it looks like mage armor will still stack with (mage) shield for a total +8 to AC.

 

[Caliban]

So it looks like mage armor will still stack with (mage) shield for a total +8 to AC.

Most likely. Nothing is set in stone yet, but that's the impression I got when I listened to them at the Judges meeting at Winter Fantasy.

 

[rhammer2]

I am hoping that the bonus for the Shield spell either remains a cover bonus or becomes an un-named defensive bonus.

IMC I have been calling the armor bonus from shields a shield bonus and allowing it to stack with Mage Armor or Bracers of Armor since 3E came out.

Don't worry, this will most likely be changing with 3.5


A shield will then provide a Shield Bonus that will stack with any other AC bonus, except for other shield bonuses.

The shield spell will also provide a Shield Bonus. It will also probably be reduced to a +4 AC bonus from all directions. (No re-orienting your shield.)

 

[Christian]

My DM uses a house rule that shields (not just the shield spell) give a cover bonus to AC. Makes sense to me. (BTW, by extension, a large shield gives a +1 to reflex saves vs. area effect spells. You can crouch behind your large shield as the dragon's breath scorches you, you see ...)