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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 1623644" data-attributes="member: 3051">They're the cheapest AC-bestowing ITEMS in the game, not quite the same thing.  Spells are free.  If you're a light-armor type, and the Wizard in the party can cast Mage Armor, you have two options:1> Have him use one first-level slot to give you +4 for 1 hour per level2> Spend 16kI've got a high-level Psion with Ectoplasmic Armor (5th level, +10 Armor AC), and several people in my group ditched armor entirely in favor of this spell (a Bard and a Ranger).Anyway, I still stand by my earlier statement: physical armors need some direct combat benefit beyond simple +AC, to counteract their drawbacks.  I mean, compare drawbacks to Bracers of Armor:ARMOR:> Has an Armor Check Penalty> Has a Max DEX> Can slow movement> Fatigues you if you sleep in it> Doesn't affect incorporeal attacks> Is almost always visible, making it impossible to blend in in a city> Shields can be sundered, and tie up one of your arms (Bucklers are a special case)BRACERS:> Costs more> Uses up a Bracer slot, which prevents you from using such awe-inspiring items as the Bracers of Archery.> Are worthless in an anti-magic field, or when they're targetted with a dispel> Couldn't be enchanted with armor special abilities... although I've seen a lot of groups who house-ruled that, too, after the splatbooks started adding alternate rules for that.It's just not even close, in my opinion.  All the people I see who wear physical armor do so either for style purposes, or for some special ability built into the armor.</blockquote>

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