Stacking Question

[Philip]

But the question remains, does Mage Armor count as an Armor for purposes of Magic Vestment targeting restrictions? Does the fact that it is made of force instead of steel/admantite/mithril make it an invalid target for the Magic Vestment spell?

My gut DM feeling says no, but I haven't found clear evidence to support this yet...

And since 3.5 you can ask the same question for the Shield spell.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But the question remains, does Mage Armor count as an Armor for purposes of Magic Vestment targeting restrictions? Does the fact that it is made of force instead of steel/admantite/mithril make it an invalid target for the Magic Vestment spell?

Is it "a suit of armor"?

-Hyp.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think there is one case where Magic Vestment stacks with Mage Armor (in the 3.5 rules, not the 3E rules).

If you cast Magic Vestment on a shield and use that shield while you have a Mage Armor spell up, it should stack in 3.5 since the enhancement bonus in this case adds to the Shield bonus. Shield bonus and Armor bonus stack in 3.5.

Correct me if I'm wrong on this Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Correct me if I'm wrong on this Hyp.

Looks fine to me.

-Hyp.

 

[Philip]

Is it "a suit of armor"?

-Hyp.

I have no idea, it isn't specified in the spell's description. But then again, it isn't specified for the armors in the equipment section as well. Is a chain shirt "a suit of armor"?

If the spell explicitily said it didn't count as a "suit of amor" then it would be clear. I always imagine mage armor like a suit of armor made of force. Balance wise it's obvious its shouldn't be possible.

Mage armor does seems to be 'armor' though. The spell says: (....), incorporeal creatures can't bypass it the way they do normal armor. Which implies to me that mage armor is "not-normal armor", or otherwise they could have left out the "normal" bit.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If the spell explicitily said it didn't count as a "suit of amor" then it would be clear. I always imagine mage armor like a suit of armor made of force. Balance wise it's obvious its shouldn't be possible.

I don't think that's obvious balance-wise, but I don't consider it to be a suit of armor, either.

In 3E, there was a distinction drawn between "worn armor" and Mage Armor. A shield's armor bonus stacked with "worn armor", but not with Mage Armor.

I consider "worn armor" to be a "suit of armor", and I don't consider Mage Armor to be either.

-Hyp.

 

[dcollins]

Most folks would think it's pretty obvious that you can't put magic vestment on a mage armor spell. Mage armor isn't really armor, it's a "field of force" that provides an armoir bonus. Magic vestment says "Target: Armor or shield touched" (not "Target: Armor or shield or magical field of force touched").

 

[Nail]

Interesting. So:

magical Force isn't an object, therefore it cannot be magically Enhanced?

 

[Hypersmurf]

magical Force isn't an object, therefore it cannot be magically Enhanced?

More precisely, Magical Force is neither a shield nor a suit of armor, and therefore cannot be the target of a Magic Vestment spell.

-Hyp.

 

[Nail]

More precisely, Magical Force is neither a shield nor a suit of armor, and therefore cannot be the target of a Magic Vestment spell.

-Hyp.

Quite right.

I was just pondering the larger question. That, and I'm up past my bed time, working like h311 to avoid writing that exam for tomorrow.

(Heh. He thought only students procrastinate......)