Is there a way to don heavy armor (full bonus) without a second creature or magic?

[47948201]

Like the title says. Normally you can only don heavy armor hastily unless someone else helps get you in it. Is there, like, a certain kind of armor (mundane only, so no called, though that would otherwise solve the issue quite nicely) that waives this restriction that 99% of people probably don't even care about? So that, for example, someone can travel alone for a few days/weeks in a massive area of anti-/dead magic and not need to decide between getting fatigued from sleeping in armor or taking -1 to AC from being unable to put the armor back on properly?

[Darg]

Mithril heavy armor is treated as medium armor. Combine with endurance and you don't suffer from fatigue for sleeping in it.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The Create Device feat (from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) allows you to make nonmagical called armor.

The psychoactive skin of ectoplasmic armor (CPsi) is basically full plate that weighs 1 lb that can be donned as a standard action.

A soul crystal (MoI) of inertial armor (a power from the XPH) can grant an armor bonus to AC that scales depending on the level of the manifester who created it, and anyone can use it. +4 AC at level 1, with an additional +1 every 2 levels after that -- and significantly more can be garnered with ML boosts and cost reductions. So with even basic optimization, you should be able to get +15 AC at mid-to-high levels pretty easily. It lasts 1 hour per ML, has no real drawbacks aside from dispellability and getting knocked out in an AMF, and it can be used with regular light armor for the special armor abilities (although the AC bonuses don't stack).

[the_tick_rules]

In the magic item compendium there is a 2k property named called that summons it. there is also the ring of arming that does basically the same thing. i know they are all magic but it is the best i can find.

[Troacctid]

Fast-donning straps from Races of Stone let you don armor hastily without increasing its armor check penalty, although it still gives less AC.

That said—plate armor is actually the only armor that can't be donned without help. Just use a different type of heavy armor, like splint or banded mail. I would recommend sectioned armor, from Planar Handbook.

[Crake]

Fast-donning straps from Races of Stone let you don armor hastily without increasing its armor check penalty, although it still gives less AC.

That said—plate armor is actually the only armor that can't be donned without help. Just use a different type of heavy armor, like splint or banded mail. I would recommend sectioned armor, from Planar Handbook.

Technically sectioned plate is "Specially constructed masterwork full plate", so it would follow the same issues when trying to don.

[GrayDeath]

I know of none, which is why my heavy armor people always have it either inbuilt or add Summoning to it.

its after all only 2k.

[Remuko]

The Create Device feat (from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) allows you to make nonmagical called armor.

this immediately made me think of Gizmo Duck from Ducktales

[Batcathat]

this immediately made me think of Gizmo Duck from Ducktales

Aww, I remember fantasizing about building my own functioning Gizmo Duck suit when I was little. I wish someone had told me all I needed was that Create Device feat...

[Crichton]

The Create Device feat (from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) allows you to make nonmagical called armor.


Which costs at least 3000gp more than just using the regular called armor, since Ravenloft's Devices require bulky power sources, and the cheapest one costs 3000gp. It also requires your DM to allow a 3rd party supplement to a 3rd party campaign setting (licensed, but still 3rd party, as Sword and Sorcery/WhiteWolf publishing isn't WotC).

Just don't want those two caveats being glossed over, if we're suggesting that as a solution to the OP's question.

[nijineko]

Combine the Create Device with the Machine spell to create a non-magical device which dresses you in the armor. Kinda side-stepping the magic and creating a THING which helps you don the armor but doesn't count as a person.... Not sure if it meets the intent of the OP, but it's the closest I can think of.

[Psyren]

Mithril heavy armor is treated as medium armor. Combine with endurance and you don't suffer from fatigue for sleeping in it.



That said—plate armor is actually the only armor that can't be donned without help. Just use a different type of heavy armor, like splint or banded mail.

I vote for one of these two.

I'm definitely not a fan of the Ravenloft thing - though on the other hand, I'm not really a fan of being forced to spend weeks in a dead magic area either.

[Elkad]

I swear I remember an "arming rack" in some module which did this. Hell if I know where though. Probably not even 3.5.

[ShurikVch]

Vengeance Knight PrC (Champions of Ruin) at 10th level "can don half-plate or plate mail without assistance, although it takes twice the indicated time."

[Rebel7284]

Various sidesteps:
- Initiate of Mystra and Invoke Magic allow you to use magic in a dead magic zone.
- Dweomerkeeper allows you to use magic as a supernatural ability.
- There are approximately 1001 ways of getting minions. Including hiring them for pennies. How often do you expect to actually be alone?
- In addition to Mithral, there is also Half-Weight armor special ability in one of the Drow books that makes any armor light.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I believe there's a ring that allows you to store sets of clothes and/or armor within it and swap them out quickly. It's magic, but it could be added to a graft (to prevent theft) and/or crafted as a Device (as mentioned earlier).

[Feldar]

Like the title says. Normally you can only don heavy armor hastily unless someone else helps get you in it. Is there, like, a certain kind of armor (mundane only, so no called, though that would otherwise solve the issue quite nicely) that waives this restriction that 99% of people probably don't even care about? So that, for example, someone can travel alone for a few days/weeks in a massive area of anti-/dead magic and not need to decide between getting fatigued from sleeping in armor or taking -1 to AC from being unable to put the armor back on properly?

Sure, I think there is.

If you've seen The Martian, the way the astronauts get into spacesuits is dropping into assembled legs from above, then pulling down the top half onto them from below. If you were a skilled craftsman, you could probably rig such a thing but it would probably also require some adjustments to the armor for it to sit/hang the way you need.

That's the best I got :)

I bet the solution doesn't travel well, but if you're willing to carry the weight I would allow you to do this in my game.

[Firebug]

I swear I remember an "arming rack" in some module which did this. Hell if I know where though. Probably not even 3.5.
Armor Truss (https://aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Armor%20truss) from Pathfinder might be what you are thinking about. 30gp.

[nijineko]

I'm not really a fan of being forced to spend weeks in a dead magic area either.

Dead magic zones are my favorite. Especially since I'm always Psionics-are-different. Spread the zones, let psionics rule all multi-omni-verses! ^^