SRD v MIC: Bracers of Armor

[Hypersmurf]

So I think you could argue that the enhancement bonus stacks with the better armor bonus (provided by the bracers).

It doesn't. Magic Vestment targets the padded armor, and provides an enhancement bonus to the padded armor, increasing its armor bonus from +1 to +5, say. So you end up with padded armor (+5 armor bonus) and bracers of armor (+4 armor bonus), for two non-stacking armor bonuses, and you come away with +5 total.

An enhancement bonus on armor affects the armor bonus of that armor.

-Hyp.

 

[irdeggman]

I think you could argue that it does. Not the whole value of the magical plate armor, but the enhancement bonus. In your example, the bracers are lower value than the base armor, so it's irrelevant. But in my example, the bracers are better "armor" than the padded armor. So I think you could argue that the enhancement bonus stacks with the better armor bonus (provided by the bracers).

So if you had +3 padded armor and bracers of armor +3, you'd have a grand total of +6 to AC (the +1 from the padded armor itself is lost because it doesn't stack with the bracers).

So would a a +3 suit of full plate armor stack with +3 bracers of armor then?

Or mage armor and a suit of +2 padded armor?

DMG pg 21 under stacking bonuses specifically prevents mage armor and the suit of magic armor from "stacking". Mage armor gives an armor bonus (not enhancement) but since it is an "armor" bonus it does not stack with the armor bonus from the magical padded armor.

 

[Ilium]

DMG pg 21 under stacking bonuses specifically prevents mage armor and the suit of magic armor from "stacking". Mage armor gives an armor bonus (not enhancement) but since it is an "armor" bonus it does not stack with the armor bonus from the magical padded armor.

Right. And my point was that while the two armor bonuses would not stack, the enhancement bonus should be tacked onto the greater of the two.

However, after reading Hypersmurf's post, I went and re-read the SRD on both the Magic Vestment spell and the definition of an enhancement bonus:

An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the sturdiness and/or effectiveness of armor or natural armor, or the effectiveness of a weapon, or a general bonus to an ability score. Multiple enhancement bonuses on the same object (in the case of armor and weapons), creature (in the case of natural armor), or ability score do not stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies. Since enhancement bonuses to armor or natural armor effectively increase the armor or natural armor's bonus to AC, they don't apply against touch attacks.

This makes it pretty clear that the spell (and enhancement bonuses to armor in general) actually improve the equipment, rather than just generically boosting your AC. It's a subtle difference, but I'm willing to concede that this won't work by the RAW.

 

[LonePaladin]

Something else to keep in mind. An armor bonus based on a force effect, from bracers of armor or the mage armor spell for instance, apply to incorporeal touch attacks. Since normal armor doesn't apply (unless it has the ghost touch property), consider getting said bracers if you have to deal with spectres and shadows somewhat regularly.

 

[Jhaelen]

Something else to keep in mind. An armor bonus based on a force effect, from bracers of armor or the mage armor spell for instance, apply to incorporeal touch attacks. Since normal armor doesn't apply (unless it has the ghost touch property), consider getting said bracers if you have to deal with spectres and shadows somewhat regularly.

Umm? Where does it say that the armor bonus provided by bracers of armor is a force effect?
The spells required to create a magic item don't have any effect on the item's abilities unless the item's description mentions them.

 

[Legildur]

Where does it say that the armor bonus provided by bracers of armor is a force effect?

From the Bracers of Armor description in the SRD: "...They surround the wearer with an invisible but tangible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of +1 to +8, just as though he were wearing armor..."

And the key spell to create the wondrous item is Mage Armor, which is a Conjuration (Creation) [Force] spell.