OA spells: scales of the lizard, metal skin

[hong]

See, there are these two wu jen spells in OA: scales of the lizard, and metal skin.

Scales of the lizard is 1st level, lasts 2 rds/level, and gives a +1 to +5 natural armour bonus to AC.

Metal skin is 5th level, lasts 1 min/level, and increases your natural armour bonus to AC to +8.

As originally written, these don't stack. In the 3.5 update to OA, however, SotL was changed to give a +1 to +5 _enhancement bonus_ to your natural armour bonus to AC. This is much like the 3.5 barkskin spell, or the amulet of natural armour. So now, by my reading of the spells, they stack.

Is a total +13 natural armour bonus to AC, for the cost of a 1st and 5th level spell, over the top? It provoked some mutterings the one time I used it IMC.

 

[Sammael]

Enhancement bonus to natural AC only stacks with non-enhanced natural bonus to AC. Two enhancement bonuses (boni?) overlap.

I think.

 

[Sejs]

Right, what Hong is saying is that originally both spells provided a Natural Armor bonus, now one provides a Natural Armor bonus and one provides an Enhancement To Natural Armor bonus.

Like the difference between a suit of fullplate's +8 armor bonus, versus the +5 enhancement bonus from a suit of fullplate +5.


Anyway - no, I don't think it's over the top for a 1st and a 5th level spell. 5th level spells can pack quite a whallop and granting a +8 nat. armor bonus seems well within that range. You know, whallop-wise.

 

[hong]

Ta, guys!