D&D General Reasons to prefer magical armor to more effective non-magical one

[GMMichael]

What are some good reasons, house rules, fluff etc, to prefer e.g. a leather armor +1 to studded leather or even more protective ones? Or +1 scale from the dawn of the Orc Wars vis-a-vis that boring new fangled field plate just developed?

Knight: what the blazes is this?

Squire: it's a gift of magical armor, my lord!

Knight: ringmail. RINGMAIL? The tilt begins shortly, fool. Fetch my plate.

Squire: really, sire, try it. It will protect you from the most vicious of blows!

Knight: (groans) a lance will go straight through ringmail. Bloomin' kids...

Squire: yes, but this ringmail is enchanted thrice over! You will be invincible...

Knight: get my plate before I enchant your head with my mace!

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

In 2E the magic armor enhcantment bonus also applied to some saving throws. I wonder why they abandoned that.

 

[J.Quondam]

Obviously one should always choose magic armor for awesome-- yet practical-- shoulder protection.

 

[billd91]

In 2E the magic armor enhcantment bonus also applied to some saving throws. I wonder why they abandoned that.

Because it could get ridiculously complicated. AD&D saves were already a weird hodgepodge of inconsistent effects, adding more conditional save bonuses just added more suck.