Armor penalties for wrong size?

[Dusto]

Could someone be so kind as to point out where this might be found in the rules for 3.5 please? We die A LOT in our game, and recently an elf was reincarnated into a kobold, which changes him from medium to small. We can not locate anywhere in the rules for him if he can still use his armor or not now. Appreciate any help, thanks!

[Shloogorgh]

My group uses the rule that magic armor resizes to fit the wearer, but I think that's a house rule.

[Curmudgeon]

The penalties are: you get no armor bonus until you either get new armor or have the old armor reworked to fit.

[Dusto]

I should clarify a bit more. The rules for small, medium and large weapons( use, penalties, etc.) are very clear, but we can not find any rules like this for armor.

[Dusto]

The penalties are: you get no armor bonus until you either get new armor or have the old armor reworked to fit.

Any idea where that is in the rules? Our DM is ridiculously 'by the book'.

[JaronK]

Simple: Armor is sized to the user (PHB, in the equipment section) and there's no rules for using armor that isn't sized for you. So you can't use it if it's not your size.

JaronK

[Morgarion]

Simple: Armor is sized to the user (PHB, in the equipment section) and there's no rules for using armor that isn't sized for you. So you can't use it if it's not your size.

JaronK

It only explicitly says that in relation to full plate, which must be fitted for a specific individual (or refitted, as the case may be).

[Curmudgeon]

It only explicitly says that in relation to full plate, which must be fitted for a specific individual (or refitted, as the case may be).
That's an additional restriction, even if the full plate armor is the right size.

[Dusto]

I also only see that restriction listed for full-plate.

[Morgarion]

That's an additional restriction, even if the full plate armor is the right size.

My bad. I misread the 'armor is sized to the user' line in your post.

[Dusto]

Simple: Armor is sized to the user (PHB, in the equipment section) and there's no rules for using armor that isn't sized for you. So you can't use it if it's not your size.

JaronK

Not trying to be a pain, but could you be more specific? Not finding it in there.

[Doug Lampert]

My group uses the rule that magic armor resizes to fit the wearer, but I think that's a house rule.

That was the rulebook rule in 3.0, from the 3.0 SRD:

Armor is always created so that even if the type of armor comes with boots or gauntlets, these pieces can be switched for other magic boots or gauntlets. Magic armor, like almost all magic items, resizes itself to fit the wearer.

I can't find anything equivalent in 3.5, and the 3.5 SRD includes:

Size And Magic Items

When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn’t be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. Size should not keep characters of various kinds from using magic items.

There may be rare exceptions, especially with racial specific items.

Armor and Weapon Sizes

Armor and weapons that are found at random have a 30% chance of being Small (01-30), a 60% chance of being Medium (31-90), and a 10% chance of being any other size (91-100).
Not much point to the roll for size and the separate subheading for weapons and armor if weapons and armor resized. It looks like in 3.5 almost everything BUT arms and armor resize.


Not trying to be a pain, but could you be more specific? Not finding it in there.

There are references to size all through the armor rules.


Cost

The cost of the armor for Small or Medium humanoid creatures. See Armor for Unusual Creatures, below, for armor prices for other creatures.


Weight

This column gives the weight of the armor sized for a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.

Since small character's armor weighs half as much as a medium creature's armor it is plainly different armor.

Thus there's no question that kobold and elf armor are NOT the same things or usable completely interchangeably given that they have different weights.

The lack of an enabling rule isn't something I can quote, it's present in the fact that there simply is no enabling rule. Except for weapons there are no enabling rules for using miss-sized gear, so your elf wizard can't carry a spell-book sized for a small creature and save on weight nor can your giant warrior wear armor sized for a small creature and save money and weight.

Edited to add: NINJA'D! But since I edited my message to add the above it might look like I was first, double ninja power!

[Curmudgeon]

Not trying to be a pain, but could you be more specific? Not finding it in there.
It's only stated indirectly. For instance:
When selecting your character’s armor, keep in mind the following factors (given as column headings on Table 7–6: Armor and Shields).

Cost: The cost of the armor for Small or Medium humanoid creatures.

Weight: This column gives the weight of the armor sized for a Medium wearer. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor for Large characters weighs twice as much.

ARMOR FOR UNUSUAL CREATURES
Armor and shields for unusually big creatures, unusually little creatures, and nonhumanoid creatures have different costs and weights from those given on Table 7–6: Armor and Shields. To get the listed benefit, you need to pay the listed cost. If your armor isn't of the correct size for you, it has a different cost. Ergo, only the right size armor provides the specified AC benefit.

[JaronK]

PHB Page 123, "Armor for Unusual Creatures". PHB 122, under the heading "Cost".

JaronK

[Dusto]

I appreciate everyone's responses. It's unfortunate that the weapons are so clearly listed how different sizes work, but armor isn't. Our DM just ruled he can't use his armor until its resized or he dies again(which is more likely).

[Scow2]

I appreciate everyone's responses. It's unfortunate that the weapons are so clearly listed how different sizes work, but armor isn't. Our DM just ruled he can't use his armor until its resized or he dies again(which is more likely).Your DM ruled correctly. It's impossible to wear armor of a different size category than you (It flat out doesn't and cannot fit).

Full plate means that you need the armor fitted to you even if you are the same size as the original wearer: Each suit is custom-fit to the one it was crafted or last resized for, and impossible for anyone else to wear.