Any armor enchantment that makes one proficient with said armor?

[Max Caysey]

Yir so like on the tin, are there any enchantments that renders the wearer of said armor proficient with it, so as to not need armor proficiency from class abilities or feats?

I'm aware that decreasing the armor check penalty to 0 will effectively be better than having proficiency, but I can't reduce the ACP enough on this particular armor, but I have gold to spare, so I might get it enchanted...

Cheers!

[Silly Name]

A sidebar in Arms and Equipment Guide (pg. 128) presents the possibility of making magic items that grant feats, and rough guidelines for pricing.

You could very well make an armor that grants you the Armor Proficiency (light/medium/heavy) and be done with it.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Is there a way to enhance armor as a weapon, aside from the item ability combination rules in the MIC? If there is (or you use said MIC rules), make it a +1 skillful weapon. Anyone wearing it will be proficient.

[Max Caysey]

A sidebar in Arms and Equipment Guide (pg. 128) presents the possibility of making magic items that grant feats, and rough guidelines for pricing.

You could very well make an armor that grants you the Armor Proficiency (light/medium/heavy) and be done with it.

I had totally forgotten about that... Might work, depending on price!



Is there a way to enhance armor as a weapon, aside from the item ability combination rules in the MIC? If there is (or you use said MIC rules), make it a +1 skillful weapon. Anyone wearing it will be proficient.

Yeah it was excactly something like that I was after... I wonder if having armor spikes would be enough... What does the combined wisdom of the forum say?


Cheers everybody!

[Thurbane]

Yeah it was excactly something like that I was after... I wonder if having armor spikes would be enough... What does the combined wisdom of the forum say?

I'd probably guess that by RAW, you are proficient with use of the spikes only.

Another thing worth noting: if you can get the ACP down to 0, effectively there is no issues using the armor without proficiency.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Another thing worth noting: if you can get the ACP down to 0, effectively there is no issues using the armor without proficiency.Except when a feat or class feature is dependent upon being proficient with the armor, like being able to cast in anything you're proficient in.

However, I do use that when my psions wear mithral chain shirts.

Do note that all classes except wizards, sorcerers, and monks gain the Light Armor Proficiency feat. (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#armorProficiencyLight) So unless you're one of those classes, you gain the feat even if you're not otherwise proficient. And that's in 3.5, after many other classes had been written in 3.0, so there was no reason to leave that in if they didn't mean it.

[Darrin]

I'm aware that decreasing the armor check penalty to 0 will effectively be better than having proficiency, but I can't reduce the ACP enough on this particular armor, but I have gold to spare, so I might get it enchanted...


Could you be more specific about the armor properties and special materials you're using? What's the ACP you're trying to reduce?

Mithral/Glassteel/Firebrass improves ACP by 3. Darkleaf only improves by 2, but can be combined with masterwork for the same 3-point reduction.

Nimbleness property (MIC p. 13) improves ACP by 2.
Dragoncraft material (Draconomicon p. 117) improves ACP by 2 (including masterwork -1). Only works for scale/half/full plate. Not compatible with other materials.
Hellforged template (DMGII p. 278) improves ACP by 1 (minimum -1).

The feats Guerrilla Warrior (Heroes of Battle, light/medium armor) and Heavy Armor Optimization/Greater Heavy Armor Optimization can be used to reduce ACP. Although I suppose if it comes down to taking a feat, "Exotic Armor Proficiency" kinda covers that pretty well.

There might be a few PrCs that grant proficiency with "all armors", which technically includes exotic, but I can't recall any specific PrCs off the top of my head.

[Thurbane]

There might be a few PrCs that grant proficiency with "all armors", which technically includes exotic, but I can't recall any specific PrCs off the top of my head.


Bone Knight
Citadel Elite
Fleet Runner of Ehlonna
Knight of the Sacred Seal
Occult Slayer
Radiant Servant of Pelor
Shining Blade of Heironeous
Singh Rager
Witch Hunter

...there's probably others.

[Max Caysey]

Could you be more specific about the armor properties and special materials you're using? What's the ACP you're trying to reduce?

Mithral/Glassteel/Firebrass improves ACP by 3. Darkleaf only improves by 2, but can be combined with masterwork for the same 3-point reduction.

Nimbleness property (MIC p. 13) improves ACP by 2.
Dragoncraft material (Draconomicon p. 117) improves ACP by 2 (including masterwork -1). Only works for scale/half/full plate. Not compatible with other materials.
Hellforged template (DMGII p. 278) improves ACP by 1 (minimum -1).

The feats Guerrilla Warrior (Heroes of Battle, light/medium armor) and Heavy Armor Optimization/Greater Heavy Armor Optimization can be used to reduce ACP. Although I suppose if it comes down to taking a feat, "Exotic Armor Proficiency" kinda covers that pretty well.

There might be a few PrCs that grant proficiency with "all armors", which technically includes exotic, but I can't recall any specific PrCs off the top of my head.

Well, I was trying to get full plate. My idea was to use a: Mithral Fullplate of Nimbleness... I was hoping not needing to use feats on it, and I don't want to have to have a penalty to my attack... Its fairly easy solvable by simply taking a lesser restrictive armor, but my hope was to get full or battle plate...

[Gruftzwerg]

If you have enough gold, are Bracers of Armor not an option for you?
BOA + 8 (armor bonus)
Armor Spikes + defending (enhancement bonus to AC)

Up to 12AC pre epic(item) and it's a force effect = touch AC (works also against incorporeal).

Sure, they are expensive but they have some extra goodies as mentioned.

[Darrin]

Well, I was trying to get full plate. My idea was to use a: Mithral Fullplate of Nimbleness... I was hoping not needing to use feats on it, and I don't want to have to have a penalty to my attack... Its fairly easy solvable by simply taking a lesser restrictive armor, but my hope was to get full or battle plate...

Mithral Hellforged Fullplate of Nimbleness should work, although Masterwork Darkleaf is a bit cheaper.

1,500 GP, Fullplate
9,000 GP, Mithral
1,000 GP, Hellforged
4,000 GP, +2 enhancement (+1 base, +1 Nimbleness)
----------
15,500 GP


1,500 GP, Fullplate
3,150 GP, Masterwork Darkleaf
1,000 GP, Hellforged
4,000 GP, +2 enhancement (+1 base, +1 Nimbleness)
----------
9,650 GP


You could also try Sectioned Armor (Planar Handbook p. 69) instead. 3,000 GP, same AC +8 as full plate but ACP is only -5, so you wouldn't need Hellforged for that, just Mithral/Darkleaf with Nimbleness.


As for Battle Plate... I can't quite get that one down to zero.

[Halrax]

If you don't care about further enhancements and have light armor proficiency, then the Halfweight enhancement from Forgotten Realms: Underdark makes any armor be treated as light armor as a +3 enhancement. That means any further enhancements will be more expensive and it's more expensive than the options listed above (1.5k for armor, 150 for masterwork, 16k for +1 and Halfweight), but if the DM for some reason is restrictive with special materials but does allow campaign specific enhancements than you can think about it. Just wanted to make sure you knew it was available. It's mainly useful if you're a bard or warlock or whatever that can ignore spell failure for light armor but not for heavier types.

[Max Caysey]

If you have enough gold, are Bracers of Armor not an option for you?
BOA + 8 (armor bonus)
Armor Spikes + defending (enhancement bonus to AC)

Up to 12AC pre epic(item) and it's a force effect = touch AC (works also against incorporeal).

Sure, they are expensive but they have some extra goodies as mentioned.


Mithral Hellforged Fullplate of Nimbleness should work, although Masterwork Darkleaf is a bit cheaper.

1,500 GP, Fullplate
9,000 GP, Mithral
1,000 GP, Hellforged
4,000 GP, +2 enhancement (+1 base, +1 Nimbleness)
----------
15,500 GP


1,500 GP, Fullplate
3,150 GP, Masterwork Darkleaf
1,000 GP, Hellforged
4,000 GP, +2 enhancement (+1 base, +1 Nimbleness)
----------
9,650 GP


You could also try Sectioned Armor (Planar Handbook p. 69) instead. 3,000 GP, same AC +8 as full plate but ACP is only -5, so you wouldn't need Hellforged for that, just Mithral/Darkleaf with Nimbleness.


As for Battle Plate... I can't quite get that one down to zero.


If you don't care about further enhancements and have light armor proficiency, then the Halfweight enhancement from Forgotten Realms: Underdark makes any armor be treated as light armor as a +3 enhancement. That means any further enhancements will be more expensive and it's more expensive than the options listed above (1.5k for armor, 150 for masterwork, 16k for +1 and Halfweight), but if the DM for some reason is restrictive with special materials but does allow campaign specific enhancements than you can think about it. Just wanted to make sure you knew it was available. It's mainly useful if you're a bard or warlock or whatever that can ignore spell failure for light armor but not for heavier types.

Well my problem is the gold... I want to get as much armor as possible at the lowest possible price, and I do not have light armor proficiency... I actually have no armor proficiency at all... so its highest possible armor at the lowest possible price im going for... So with that im mind, im totally up for suggestions!

Cheers!

[Darrin]

Well my problem is the gold...

What's your budget?

Each additional bonus to AC costs more than the last, so sometimes it's better to invest in a different type of bonus (such as deflection or natural armor) than go all-in on a single type.

[rrwoods]

Never not recommending this: http://www.wdtaylor.net/calculator.html