Mage Armor question

[Belares]

This may have been answered more than once (if so sorry). We had a discussion in the last game about does Mage armor stack with anyone wearing armor? Eg. mage armor+fighter in chain mail. Also if it did stack does it matter if magical armor or not. I know that it wont stack with bracers of armor(or you take the better of the 2). It will stack will barkskin and necklace of natural armor as they are 2 different things.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Here's the answer: NO

Mage Armor does NOT stack with any other armor bonus, period, nor does armor stack with Bracers of Armor, nor do Bracers of Armor stack with Mage Armor. Repeat ad infinitum.

 

[Wolf72]

It provides an armor bonus ... so it will not stack with any type of actual armor or shields.

it does stack with a deflection or dodge or natural ... (etc) bonus.

 

[dcollins]

No. It explicitly says that mage armor does not stack with normal armor on PH p. 104, under the heading of "Armor Bonus".

If you're unfamiliar with the general D&D stacking rules, you may wish to read this page on the subject, here: www.superdan.net/dndfaq1.html

 

[Belares]

Whew thanks all for the answers and NOT flaming me. I missed the rule on Pg. 104 in PHB I guess because I was looking in DMG. BTW we all know things others don't and vica-versa so post knowing that. Thanks for the information all, it was what I thought.

 

[ThomasBJJ]

What about "Armor" bonus' and "Natural Armor" bonus' ??? Do these stack??

 

[gamecat]

*Yes, they have diffrent names!*

 

[mzsylver]

Whew thanks all for the answers and NOT flaming me. I missed the rule on Pg. 104 in PHB I guess because I was looking in DMG. BTW we all know things others don't and vica-versa so post knowing that. Thanks for the information all, it was what I thought.

anytime.

just one thing to keep in mind. that big beefy fighter in heavy platemail may want a Mage Armor up because they help against incorporeal touch attacks unlike real armor. undead are scary scary things.

 

[milo]

I thought mage armor would stack with shields. I look at mage armor like weraing a chain shirt with no penalties. A shield bonus stacks with an armor bonus, I thought. Our group used to let mage armor stack with normal armor, our favorite spell was mage armor, it made us all unhitable.

 

[Artoomis]

I thought mage armor would stack with shields. I look at mage armor like weraing a chain shirt with no penalties. A shield bonus stacks with an armor bonus, I thought. Our group used to let mage armor stack with normal armor, our favorite spell was mage armor, it made us all unhitable.

I'm not sure what you are saying is your current understanding, so I thought I'd restate the rules to be super-clear.

A shield's armor bonus stacks only with an actual suit of armor and no other armor bonuses from any source.

A suit of armor's armor bonus stacks only with an actual shield's armor bonus and no other armor bonuses from any source.

A Mage Armor spell's armor bonus does not stack with a shield's armor bonus or a suit of armor's armor bonus.

A natural armor bonus is not an armor bonus, it is a "natural armor" bonus and thus stacks normally with any armor bonus.