Mage Armor, incorporeal creatures and unarmed attacks

[Caliban]

Since Mage Armor only gives +4 armor bonus to AC, it seems clear that it doesn't completely cover your body or your limbs.

It only covers enough of your body to give you a +4 to your AC. So it covers about as much as a chain shirt does, and a chain shirt only covers your torso and upper thighs.

Therefore, I don't believe that Mage Armor covers your limbs in a force effect, and doesn't give you any special advantage when attacking incorporeal creatures with unarmed attacks.

I could see a higher level version of the spell (i.e. Mage Plate) that totally covers your body and has the added effect of giving your unarmed attacks the [Force] descriptor, but that would be a new spell, and effectively a house rule.

 

[Corwin]

Whoa! Down boy! Like I said, I just thought it was cute.

I'm not upset. I was just clarifying my point. Things are:

I'm sure you'll know when they aren't.

At 1st level force effect that only gives a bonus to AC? Nope. Just a difference of opinon.

Fair enough. I'm sure there are plenty of DMs that would have ruled both less than and more than what ours did. It's all style and preference at that point, since it really isn't covered in the rules. That's why DM's get paid the "Big Bucks (tm)".

 

[IceBear]

I AM SUPPOSED TO GET PAID!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

Man, with all the interest on my backpay I might be able to retire

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

I'm sure you'll know when they aren't.

 

[Corwin]

Since Mage Armor only gives +4 armor bonus to AC, it seems clear that it doesn't completely cover your body or your limbs.

It only covers enough of your body to give you a +4 to your AC. So it covers about as much as a chain shirt does, and a chain shirt only covers your torso and upper thighs.

Therefore, I don't believe that Mage Armor covers your limbs in a force effect, and doesn't give you any special advantage when attacking incorporeal creatures with unarmed attacks.

From the SRD:

"An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of mage armor, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC. Unlike mundane armor, mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor."

I don't see any evidence that it only partially covers the subject or acts like "energy chain shirt".

[shrug]

 

[kreynolds]

Then picture it as a really thin field of force that takes little effort to push through, say an attack roll about +4 higher than usual?

 

[IceBear]

I think what he's getting at is that the "forcefield" isn't as "tight" as that from a wall of force and it's through these "gaps" that the failure could come about. I don't think he meant that it only produces a force field in the shape of a chain shirt.

IceBear

 

[Caliban]

From the SRD:

"An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of mage armor, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC. Unlike mundane armor, mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor."

I don't see any evidence that it only partially covers the subject or acts like "energy chain shirt".

[shrug]

It doesn't say it surrounds you completely. It may only surround your torso.


I also don't see any evidence that will extend to cover your limbs or weapons when you move them away from your body.

And most of all, the spell doesn't say that it allows you to attack incorporeal creatures with an unarmed attack, therefore it doesn't allow you to. And that's the by the rules answer.

 

[Taren Seeker]

OK, so how about instead of Mage Armor you're wearing Bracers of Armor +8? Would that give you a chance to grapple? I like the 50% miss chance on the grapple ad hoc ruling.

BTW, I agree that Mage Armor covers the whole body, just weakly. A Wall of Force is the Grandaddy of force effects, and not all forces are created equal.

Look at Magic Missile, it can't even affect solid (inanimate) objects.

 

[Caliban]

OK, so how about instead of Mage Armor you're wearing Bracers of Armor +8? Would that give you a chance to grapple? I like the 50% miss chance on the grapple ad hoc ruling.

Does the item description say that it gives you the ability to attack incorporeal creatures with your bare fists?