Post by David on Apr 14, 2006 14:54:41 GMT -5
First off, I'd like to say
[glow=red,2,300]SORRY, I MADE A MISTAKE[/glow] Thank you, Paul, for catching it.
I've been running the way magical items of protection stack incorrectly for some time now. Here are, summed up, ALL of the rules for ALL items of protection. Please go over your PCs to make sure they're right.
The Basics
ALL items which change AC or saves fall into one of four catagories: armor, jewelry (hard non-armor), clothing (soft non-armor), or base AC (bracers usually). I'll cover each below in detail.
Armor
If it would protect you even in an anti-magic shell, then it's armor. Naturally, you CANNOT wear a full suit of armor with piecemeal armor (unless otherwise specified, so no +1 shoulder-guards of the griffon with +2 studded leather, but maybe you can add your breatsplate of the lion to your +2 chainmail IF THE DM SAYS SO).
For instance, a farmer in +2 plate, with a +1 shield and a +2 helm would have an AC of -3 (everything adds just fine).
NO form of magical armor works with magical jewelry (of protection) -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry). So unless the farmer in the above example was wearing a +6 ring of protection, no ring of protection would do him ANY good for AC. As always, however, jewelry of protection DOES stack with armor for saving throws (ONLY).
NO form of magical armor works with magical clothing (of protection) -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry). So unless the farmer in the above example was wearing a +6 cloak of protection, no cloak of protection would do him ANY good for AC. Clothing of protection DOES NOT stack with armor for saving throws either. Please note, a cloak of displacment is NOT protection, but functions via an effect, which is different (it's alteration not enchantment).
NO form of magical armor works with any form of base AC item. Base AC due to natural effects (or dragon's blood) is a special case (and too complex and special-case for this summary!)
Jewelry
If it is made out of a hard material and gives plus to AC, then it's protective jewelry. Only the SINGLE highest plus of jewelry items of protection work -- they do NOT otherwise stack.
For instance, a farmer wears a +3 ring and a +1 ring. Only the +3 ring functions for AC -or- saving throws. The other ring (+1) is totally useless.
Another example, a farmer wears a +4/+2 saves armband and a +3 protection nose-ring. Both are considered jewelry (since they're basically made of hard stuff). The famer would get +4 AC (the armband) but +3 to saves (the nose-ring).
NO form of magical jewelry works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry).
ALL forms of magical jewelry stack with magical clothing (of protection). So if the second farmer was wearing a +3 cloak of protection, he'd have +7 AC and +6 saves.
ALL forms of magical jewelry stack with any form of base AC item.
Clothing
If it is made out of a soft material (usually cloth, but also possibly leather non-armor items) and gives plus to AC, then it's protective clothing. Only the SINGLE highest plus of clothing items of protection work -- they do NOT otherwise stack.
For instance, a farmer wears a +3 cloak and a +1 shirt. Only the +3 cloak functions for AC -or- saving throws. The other shirt (+1) is totally useless.
NO form of magical clothing works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry).
ALL forms of magical clothing stack with magical jewelry (of protection).
ALL forms of magical clothing stack with any form of base AC item.
Base AC
If the item grants a base AC, then it falls into this category, REGARDLESS of what it looks like or is made of. These items are almost always bracers, but there have been shirts, cloaks, etc, which also fall into this category. Only the SINGLE highest base AC item works -- they do NOT stack at all.
NO form of base AC item works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL AC is better (either all the armor or the bracers).
ALL base AC items stack with magical jewelry (of protection).
ALL base AC items stack with magical clothing (of protection)
[glow=red,2,300]SORRY, I MADE A MISTAKE[/glow] Thank you, Paul, for catching it.
I've been running the way magical items of protection stack incorrectly for some time now. Here are, summed up, ALL of the rules for ALL items of protection. Please go over your PCs to make sure they're right.
The Basics
ALL items which change AC or saves fall into one of four catagories: armor, jewelry (hard non-armor), clothing (soft non-armor), or base AC (bracers usually). I'll cover each below in detail.
Armor
If it would protect you even in an anti-magic shell, then it's armor. Naturally, you CANNOT wear a full suit of armor with piecemeal armor (unless otherwise specified, so no +1 shoulder-guards of the griffon with +2 studded leather, but maybe you can add your breatsplate of the lion to your +2 chainmail IF THE DM SAYS SO).
For instance, a farmer in +2 plate, with a +1 shield and a +2 helm would have an AC of -3 (everything adds just fine).
NO form of magical armor works with magical jewelry (of protection) -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry). So unless the farmer in the above example was wearing a +6 ring of protection, no ring of protection would do him ANY good for AC. As always, however, jewelry of protection DOES stack with armor for saving throws (ONLY).
NO form of magical armor works with magical clothing (of protection) -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry). So unless the farmer in the above example was wearing a +6 cloak of protection, no cloak of protection would do him ANY good for AC. Clothing of protection DOES NOT stack with armor for saving throws either. Please note, a cloak of displacment is NOT protection, but functions via an effect, which is different (it's alteration not enchantment).
NO form of magical armor works with any form of base AC item. Base AC due to natural effects (or dragon's blood) is a special case (and too complex and special-case for this summary!)
Jewelry
If it is made out of a hard material and gives plus to AC, then it's protective jewelry. Only the SINGLE highest plus of jewelry items of protection work -- they do NOT otherwise stack.
For instance, a farmer wears a +3 ring and a +1 ring. Only the +3 ring functions for AC -or- saving throws. The other ring (+1) is totally useless.
Another example, a farmer wears a +4/+2 saves armband and a +3 protection nose-ring. Both are considered jewelry (since they're basically made of hard stuff). The famer would get +4 AC (the armband) but +3 to saves (the nose-ring).
NO form of magical jewelry works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry).
ALL forms of magical jewelry stack with magical clothing (of protection). So if the second farmer was wearing a +3 cloak of protection, he'd have +7 AC and +6 saves.
ALL forms of magical jewelry stack with any form of base AC item.
Clothing
If it is made out of a soft material (usually cloth, but also possibly leather non-armor items) and gives plus to AC, then it's protective clothing. Only the SINGLE highest plus of clothing items of protection work -- they do NOT otherwise stack.
For instance, a farmer wears a +3 cloak and a +1 shirt. Only the +3 cloak functions for AC -or- saving throws. The other shirt (+1) is totally useless.
NO form of magical clothing works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL plus is better (either all the armor or the jewelry).
ALL forms of magical clothing stack with magical jewelry (of protection).
ALL forms of magical clothing stack with any form of base AC item.
Base AC
If the item grants a base AC, then it falls into this category, REGARDLESS of what it looks like or is made of. These items are almost always bracers, but there have been shirts, cloaks, etc, which also fall into this category. Only the SINGLE highest base AC item works -- they do NOT stack at all.
NO form of base AC item works with magical armor -- you get ONLY whichever TOTAL AC is better (either all the armor or the bracers).
ALL base AC items stack with magical jewelry (of protection).
ALL base AC items stack with magical clothing (of protection)
