Magical Armor properties for Unarmored Character

[Yogibear41]

What options exist for a character who does not wear armor, such as a monk (but not necessarily either of those) to gain magical armor properties normally added on to armor.

For example how could one of those characters gain Fortification or similar +X equivalent ability when they do not wear armor at all.

[Kayblis]

You can enchant normal clothes as if they were armor. They work as effectively +0 AC armor with no penalties or max Dex to AC.

[Yogibear41]

I thought you could only do that with Magic Vestment, not actual permanent enchants.

[Falontani]

Bracers of armor work by RAW. Some magic robes work as well.

[Kalkra]

With Sculpt Self and enough xp spent, you could probably do it.

[Ruethgar]

With Sculpt Self and enough xp spent, you could probably do it.

For example, get all Sanctum Cantrips at will for -1*1*2000=-2000xp per cantrip. Or more if you maximize the CL(40 is easy enough for a net gain of 80000xp per cantrip)

But seriously, considering magic robes are a thing, I would allow clothes to be enchanted even though it’s not technically allowed. Or just import the PF feats Dragon Tattoos and Zodiac Tattoos. If you allow the BoEF it lets you enchant pants for your body slot which is the big enchant you’re missing without armor.

[liquidformat]

I thought you could only do that with Magic Vestment, not actual permanent enchants.

Nope take a reading of Magical Vestments it sets precedence for adding any armor ability onto normal clothes at normal armor costs.


You imbue a suit of armor or a shield with an enhancement bonus of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5 at 20th level).

An outfit of regular clothing counts as armor that grants no AC bonus for the purpose of this spell.

[KillianHawkeye]

"for the purpose of this spell", not for any other purpose.

[liquidformat]

Magical vestment is the base spell to craft magical armor as it gives them their enhancement bonus, given that clothes are treated as armor for that spell and that spell is used to create magical armor I am not seeing an argument against clothes gaining any other magical properties as armor does...

[Kelb_Panthera]

Magical vestment is the base spell to craft magical armor as it gives them their enhancement bonus, given that clothes are treated as armor for that spell and that spell is used to create magical armor I am not seeing an argument against clothes gaining any other magical properties as armor does...

Not sure where you got that idea. Basic enhancement bonuses don't require any spell as their base on weapons or armor. Not that it's super relevant given the following.

As was mentioned, there are explicit rules that say you can add armor properties to a set of bracers of armor (way better use of the device than actual AC buffing, most of the time). The robe/armour slot has universal affinity so making a set of robes of armor, effectively reslotting the bracers, is absolutely trivial.

There you go: robes with armor properties. Still eating the +1 before special abilities though.

[Uncle Pine]

There's also an actual robe with AC enhancement bonus that is a printed reslotted bracers of armor in one of the FR books. I'm away from books now, but I'll come back and post more info in the weekend unless someone finds them before I do.

[liquidformat]

Not sure where you got that idea. Basic enhancement bonuses don't require any spell as their base on weapons or armor. Not that it's super relevant given the following.

As was mentioned, there are explicit rules that say you can add armor properties to a set of bracers of armor (way better use of the device than actual AC buffing, most of the time). The robe/armour slot has universal affinity so making a set of robes of armor, effectively reslotting the bracers, is absolutely trivial.

There you go: robes with armor properties. Still eating the +1 before special abilities though.

hum I thought you had to have magic weapon and magical vestment to add enhancements to weapons and armor but ya not seeing that called out anywhere. Though ti would make sense you are right RAW doesn't say anything about either spell being needed.

[Thurbane]

Magical vestment is the base spell to craft magical armor as it gives them their enhancement bonus, given that clothes are treated as armor for that spell and that spell is used to create magical armor I am not seeing an argument against clothes gaining any other magical properties as armor does...

Magical armor needs to be masterwork before you can start enchanting it. AFAIK, there are no rules for "masterwork" clothing, in that usage of the term...

[daremetoidareyo]

Can you use a buckler?

[liquidformat]

Magical armor needs to be masterwork before you can start enchanting it. AFAIK, there are no rules for "masterwork" clothing, in that usage of the term...

AFB but doesn't the arms and equipment guide give masterwork clothes in the clothes section? I thought they did but might be wrong...

[KillianHawkeye]

AFB but doesn't the arms and equipment guide give masterwork clothes in the clothes section? I thought they did but might be wrong...

Nope, nothing there.

[liquidformat]

Nope, nothing there.

oh ya it just has that goofy thing about fancier versions of clothing not master work...

[ezekielraiden]

Magical armor needs to be masterwork before you can start enchanting it. AFAIK, there are no rules for "masterwork" clothing, in that usage of the term...

Sure there is: the same rule as for all other armor. We even have some degree of precedent in the case of a masterwork quarterstaff; quarterstaves have no price, but masterwork ones have a price of 150 gp, because even though the price is listed as "--," it's treated as 0.

We have no reason not to believe that a suit of clothing cannot be treated the same way. Its armor bonus would be treated as +0, its armor check penalty would be 0, its maximum dexterity bonus would be unlimited, and it would induce no arcane spell failure chance. Making such a piece of "armor" masterwork would reduce its ACP by 1 (presumably to a minimum of 0, but that isn't actually specified in the SRD...) and increase its cost by 150 gp, presumably over the cost of the clothing as listed here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#clothing) (so a masterwork monk's outfit would be 155 gp).

[Thurbane]

Just as an FYI, here's a couple of previous topic about enchanting clothes as armor:
enchanting clothing (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?198570)
Enchanted Clothing (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?186199)

[sleepyphoenixx]

There's a Bracers of Armor variant for the body slot in LEoF.
As per the rules in A&EG you can add armor properties to BoA so you don't have to make the clothing masterwork.
It's only really worth it for splitting up the armor enhancements on two slots to keep costs down though or if you want to wear something else on your arms.

[Florian]

Magical vestment is the base spell to craft magical armor as it gives them their enhancement bonus, given that clothes are treated as armor for that spell and that spell is used to create magical armor I am not seeing an argument against clothes gaining any other magical properties as armor does...

Base spell used in crafting and the spell itself only share a thematic connection, nothing else.

Please, try to avoid the error and trying to turn a specific into a general. It only hurts.

[Khedrac]

Doesn't the MIC include rules for putting special armor properties onto Bracers of Defence?

[Kelb_Panthera]

There's a Bracers of Armor variant for the body slot in LEoF.
As per the rules in A&EG you can add armor properties to BoA so you don't have to make the clothing masterwork.
It's only really worth it for splitting up the armor enhancements on two slots to keep costs down though or if you want to wear something else on your arms.

Using the robe instead of the bracers is advantageous because that slot is normally used for armor and would likely go empty otherwise. There aren't that many robes and only a few of them are actually particularly useful but not exactly cheap.

[Thurbane]

Doesn't the MIC include rules for putting special armor properties onto Bracers of Defence?

I believe those rules are in a sidebar of the Arms & Equipment Guide (p.130) "Bracers of Armor and Armor Special Abilities". I don't think it was updated in any 3.5 source.

[Khedrac]

I believe those rules are in a sidebar of the Arms & Equipment Guide (p.130) "Bracers of Armor and Armor Special Abilities". I don't think it was updated in any 3.5 source.

Thank-you - I knew I had seen it somewhere but wasn't sure where.

[Âmesang]

Don't the robes of the archmage granted an armor bonus?

[KillianHawkeye]

Don't the robes of the archmage granted an armor bonus?

I'm pretty sure there are several robes which grant an armor bonus to AC, but since robes take up the same magic item slot as armor does, this seems like a natural outcome.

Robes do not, however, use the same mechanics as magical armor does, so I'm not sure how this is relevant.

[Uncle Pine]

There's also an actual robe with AC enhancement bonus that is a printed reslotted bracers of armor in one of the FR books. I'm away from books now, but I'll come back and post more info in the weekend unless someone finds them before I do.
Kind of late to the party, but I was thinking about the harness of armor from Lost Empires of Faerun: it costs 50% more than the equivalent bracers of armor (ranging from 1,500 gp for +1 AC to 96,000 gp for +8), but it occupies the robe slot.

[Thurbane]

Kind of late to the party, but I was thinking about the harness of armor from Lost Empires of Faerun: it costs 50% more than the equivalent bracers of armor (ranging from 1,500 gp for +1 AC to 96,000 gp for +8), but it occupies the robe slot.

Definitely good to know, thanks for the update.