Magic Clothes

[Conaill]

But it's not a problem. It wouldn't stack. With the exception of shields, armor bonuses do not stack.

Since armor bonuses don't stack (except in the case of shields and physical armor), the total armor bonus of wearing a +2 Hawaiian Shirt and Leather Armor is +2.

The armor and shield stacking is a specific rule exception....otherwise the rule of no like enhancements stacking would fall into play.

Guess I didn't express myself clearly enough. Yes, Armor bonuses are already covered by the normal stacking rules. The problem is in all those other "Special Abilities" you can put on armor or shields. Things like Bashing, Blinding, Fortification, etc. (That is what the original poster specifically asked for, right?)

For example, you could wear a shirt of Heavy Fortification underneath your +5 chainmail. Price: 36,000 gp for the shirt (+6 total), 25,000 gp for the +5 armor. MUCH cheaper than a +5 Heavy Fortified armor (100,000 gp).

My reference to shield and armor stacking was very confusing. I meant to say you could already have something like a Heavy Fortified shield and +5 armor, which would also be much cheaper than +5 Heavy Fortified armor. But in the standard rules there's only two such item slots (shield and armor) and which you can put these "Craft Magic Arms and Armor" special abilities. Adding a third would unbalance things.

On the other hand, I have little against the kind of magical clothing tensen suggested, which are entirely analogous with other Wondrous Items.

 

[AuraSeer]

I would rule that any clothes holding an armor ability would take up the Armor magic item slot. You could physically wear a puffy shirt +1 of heavy fortification underneath your chain shirt +5, but they wouldn't both function. (Just like you can physically put at least ten magic rings on your hands, but only one per hand will work.)

That takes care of all the stacking issues, I think.

 

[LokiDR]

The mythical "armor clothing" takes the armor slot on a character. No +5 chainmail over +1 shirt of fortification. The "armor clothing" is armor, not vestment, despite what you might think of it as. You want "vestment of fortification" you would need craft wonderous.

 

[Zhure]

Nice use of obdurate! Have to add this one to my from-the-hip vocab!

Thanks. I blame Gary Gygax.

Greg

 

[tensen]

For example, you could wear a shirt of Heavy Fortification underneath your +5 chainmail. Price: 36,000 gp for the shirt (+6 total), 25,000 gp for the +5 armor. MUCH cheaper than a +5 Heavy Fortified armor (100,000 gp).

My reference to shield and armor stacking was very confusing. I meant to say you could already have something like a Heavy Fortified shield and +5 armor, which would also be much cheaper than +5 Heavy Fortified armor. But in the standard rules there's only two such item slots (shield and armor) and which you can put these "Craft Magic Arms and Armor" special abilities. Adding a third would unbalance things.

Yes... this is known in the system. Or else they would have specifically dealt with it regards to say someone with +1 chainmail, and a +1 Heavy Fortifide Shield. Yes it is cheaper to have two items in the case of armor. Which is very interesting considering with most magic item types it gets cheaper to have multiple effects on the same item, instead of having two items.
Obviously someone decided that taking up the multiple slots balanced out the cheaper costs.

However the stacking of shield and armor bonuses specifically apply to the armor bonus, which is contrary to the rule of none of the same bonuses stacking. Stacking a deflection bonus with a natural armor bonus, with an armor bonus are all fine and dandy. Which actually doesn't deny granting of the armor special abilities from any armor devices.

I'd probably have to test it a while, but I think the only time when it would really fall into play is if the individual hand multiple magic armor type items with total special abilities bonuses that were stacking above the +10 allowed for Shield and +10 for armor. Aka, it could break the system at higher levels when the characters have a lot of magic items and a lot of gold. But there are other ways to break the system at that point.

 

[kreynolds]

Which is very interesting considering with most magic item types it gets cheaper to have multiple effects on the same item, instead of having two items.

With the exception of similar spells on staffs, having multiple effects on a single item is more expensive. Not the other way around.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Stacking clothing with armor has always been a bit touchy in campaigns I've been in. You're wandering through the dungeons, killing monsters, and you find a robe that has some magical effect, and yet the tanks want it to wear over their +5 platemail? I mean first of all, how many pieces of clothing do you know that fit over spikey plate armor?

[HOUSE RULE]

Personally, I think of clothing as similar to Psychoactive Skins (PsiHB). You can wear several layers, but only the outermost one will actually have its effect. So, it doesn't matter that there are several slots listed here (shirt/vest/armor/robe), only one will apply, and the "Armor" slot is the outermost one.

In regards to the original question, I'd rule that you could use Craft Arms & Armor (NOT Wondrous) to enchant a Masterwork robe as if it were armor (requires +1 Enhancement before adding other specials, and everything increases the Market Price modifier.) However, it would now occupy the armor slot, not the robe slot. And, to be consistent with armor, it'd have to cover the majority of your body (long sleeves, hem extends to your feet). Note the Masterwork part.

If you wanted to use Craft Wondrous, you follow a different set of rules. No Armor AC bonus, and the usual +100% pricing instead of the Market Price modifiers. No need for Masterwork, either.

Robes of the Archmagi are a special case, and IMC require both Craft Wondrous (for the special abilities) and Craft Armor (for the armor bonus and SR)

[/HOUSE RULE]

Now, you could always argue that ANY slot could be given an Armor AC bonus, like Bracers of Armor have, but then you've really nerfed the Craft Arms & Armor Feat. The same applies for practically any sort of attribute Enhancement bonus. But, we've covered that in other threads.

 

[tensen]

Now, you could always argue that ANY slot could be given an Armor AC bonus, like Bracers of Armor have, but then you've really nerfed the Craft Arms & Armor Feat. The same applies for practically any sort of attribute Enhancement bonus. But, we've covered that in other threads. [/B]

Not true. I don't believe it will nerf the Craft Arms & Armor feat.. since that is for working with armor. The shirt would provide an armor enhancement bonus, but doesn't provide any defensive ability by itself. Although truthfully if there was a lot more vest, robes, shirts in the game, I would require a Create Clothing Object feat instead. This would cut back on the wide variety that Craft Wonderous Objects would do but wouldn't negate the need for the arms and armor feat.. only for those working with it.

A Tailor that does magical items is going to have a Craft Clothing Object. and not really a craft Wonderous Object feat. It doesn't really do much for game balance either way, but it would then stop them from being able to create all the other wonderous objects.

But as for the magic clothing needing Craft Magic Arms & Armor.. I would like to point you to Bracers of Archery... and then to Bracers of Armor. Archery requires both Craft Arms/Armor & Craft Wonderous Objects, which Bracers of Armor only requires Craft Wonderous Objects. Was it needed for any sort of game balance there?

As for the arguing that any slot can be used for I would indeed argue in that favor. Slots are defined for the type of object in them... not the ability of the item in them.

I could use Forge Ring to give a skill bonus to a ring.
Or Craft Wonderous Object to give a skill bonus to an amulet.
Or Craft Magic Arms & Armor to give a skill bonus to a shield.
Or Craft Wonderous Objects to give a skill bonus to boots.

"A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do this is the same as if the item was not magical."

 

[dcollins]

Um, as per the DMG those are robes +1 glamored. 4000 gp for 1 ac and change self. Hat of disguise: 2000 gp. Since most mages will use bracers of armor or the armor spell, I don't think the AC will count most often. How is this amazingly broken?

Glamered armor does not provide the change self ability... all it does is appear as "a normal set of clothing". Since robes already are a normal set of clothing (by their very nature), you're getting an armor special ability for free... total price 1,000 gp, per your example.

 

[AuraSeer]

Fine, you get an armor ability "for free", but you lose out on the actual nonmagical armor bonus. Full plate +5 gives AC 23, while a shirt of armor +5 gives only AC 15.