Mithral bucklers: A Bard's/Rogue's/Sorcerer's/Wizard's best friend...

[Xarlen]

Pretty sure.

Would you allow Mage Armor and Bracers of Armor to stack? They both offer an armor bonus. Think of Mage Armor as a tangible force that takes the place that Armor would take up. Thus, you can't wear armor over or under it. HOWEVER, you *Can* cast it, and benefit from it when incorperal creatures try to get you, since your regular armor bonus from armor doesn't stack (except magical bonuses).

Page 104 PHB, top right hand collum.

Bonuses from armor and a shield stack. This bonus is an armor bonus, so it does not stack with other effects that increase your armor bonus, such as mage armor spell or braers of armor.

 

[Valicor]

Mage Armour is the requirment spell to make the item. Thats one reason why they can't stack. They both provide the same type bonus.

 

[Xarlen]

I know. I was trying to make a point.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Yeah but armor and shields both provide an armor bonus. Personally I think they just screwed up here. It is really lame that shields provide an armor bonus that stacks with some armor bonuses but not others. They should of either said shields provide a shield bonus, or some other ruling instead of this wierd excpetion to the rule thing.

 

[Caliban]

Yeah but armor and shields both provide an armor bonus. Personally I think they just screwed up here. It is really lame that shields provide an armor bonus that stacks with some armor bonuses but not others. They should of either said shields provide a shield bonus, or some other ruling instead of this wierd excpetion to the rule thing.

If they "screwed up" they did it on purpose. I went to great lengths to verify this during the first big debate, and we eventually heard from all the original game designers via e-mail, and they all agreed that that is how it works. (In the original huge debate about this, we eventually got confirmations from Sean Reynolds, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.)

 

[Iku Rex]

Mithral Buckler + Magic Vestment = High level goodness.

A 15th level Cleric can easily spare a couple of Magic Vestment spells. This spell can be cast on the Wizard's clothes and on the Wizard's buckler, for a total armor bonus of +11.

 

[Jens]

Even so, I have a wizard who eventually plans on getting a +1 Mithril Buckler of Heavy Fortification. It won't increase his AC any, but will still prevent crits and sneak attacks.

As Caliban suggested above, I think the enchanted mithril bucklers most useful to an arcane caster are the ones with special abilities. The AC is better provided by Bracers and some of the enchantments are hard to come by in other ways.

 

[Ziggy]

Mithral Buckler + Magic Vestment = High level goodness.

A 15th level Cleric can easily spare a couple of Magic Vestment spells. This spell can be cast on the Wizard's clothes and on the Wizard's buckler, for a total armor bonus of +11.

Or you could make your clothes magical using Craft Magic Arms and Armor. These clothes have (roughly) the same cost as Bracers of Armor, and most magi don't use the armor slot anyway.

.Ziggy

 

[Zhure]

I htink the only place where it mentions clothes as armor is in the Magic Vestment spell where it says "for purposes of this spell, clothes are treated as armor..." which weakly implies that the normal condition is the reverse and clothes aren't armor. For that reason I wouldn't allow Craft Magic Arms & Armor to be used for non-armor.

I don't think it'd be horribly overpowering though.
Greg

 

[jontherev]

As Caliban suggested above, I think the enchanted mithril bucklers most useful to an arcane caster are the ones with special abilities. The AC is better provided by Bracers and some of the enchantments are hard to come by in other ways.

I concur. For example, Animated shields are perfect for TWFing rogues/fighters or anyone who needs to use both hands in combat. Caliban's idea is a good one, though expensive.