Any ability to summon armor?

[Dr.Samurai]

I'm thinking of an Astral Elf Artificer Armorer build to play a Bionoid, and I want to describe the armor as the Bionoid suit. Armorer lets me don/doff the armor as an action, which is great, but I'm wondering if there's any ability that lets you summon or conjure the armor. I really want to get that Guyver aesthetic, so being able to call the armor instead of lugging it around would be much better. That said, I don't think such an ability exists. Is there something however that would let me retrieve the armor as a Bonus Action?

Donning/Doffing as an action does a lot of what I want; but I don't want it to simply come off to be carried, but rather to vanish.

Thank you!

[Sigreid]

It's not really what you are looking for, but if I recall correctly the stealth armor can be undetectable when worn until you want it to be visible. That would let you have the illusion of a battle transformation.

[Dr.Samurai]

Actually that would suffice for the effect I'm going for honestly, as it's mostly cosmetic. But unfortunately I don't see where it says that in the subclass :smallfrown:.

[Sigreid]

Actually that would suffice for the effect I'm going for honestly, as it's mostly cosmetic. But unfortunately I don't see where it says that in the subclass :smallfrown:.

Looks like I was mildly misremembering what was in the Unearthed Arcana version. Still, talk to your DM. If it was me, I wouldn't really have an issue with having you spend an action or maybe just a bonus action to shift between looks normal and armored hero mode.

Failing that, see if he'll let you research/experiment a special version.

[Damon_Tor]

Sure, three levels of fighter (eldritch knight) for the weapon bond feature. An artificer's armor is also a weapon, and the weapon component of the armor isn't divisible from the rest of it, so you should be able to summon the whole thing using the bond. So you'd be able to summon it as a bonus action, don it as an action, all on one turn. Bonus points, eldritch knight is a nice dip for an artificer anyway.

[Dr.Samurai]

Looks like I was mildly misremembering what was in the Unearthed Arcana version. Still, talk to your DM. If it was me, I wouldn't really have an issue with having you spend an action or maybe just a bonus action to shift between looks normal and armored hero mode.

Failing that, see if he'll let you research/experiment a special version.
This was my thinking as well, thank you Sigreid.

Sure, three levels of fighter (eldritch knight) for the weapon bond feature. An artificer's armor is also a weapon, and the weapon component of the armor isn't divisible from the rest of it, so you should be able to summon the whole thing using the bond. So you'd be able to summon it as a bonus action, don it as an action, all on one turn. Bonus points, eldritch knight is a nice dip for an artificer anyway.
Dude... this is a great workaround. Thank you!

[Witty Username]

Sounds like this problem is solved, but I morn the loss of glamoured armor, it was so helpful for ascetics.

[Anonymouswizard]

The main balance 'issue' with summonable armour is that it essentially weighs nothing when you're not using it. Assuming you drop your pack/treasure sack at the beginning of battle it could potentially give you another 10-65lbs of carrying capacity, which either allows you to nab a significantly larger chunk of loot or bring more useful noncombat items with you.

Or it would matter if I'd played in even a single table that actually used the carrying capacity rules. IME it actually would have a negligible impact on the value of Strength, but other tables may vary.

Of course I'm also AFB and can't check if Armourer armour actually has weight. I'd also suggest that if you can't get summonable armour you might be able to get collapsible armour which becomes something like a large and unusually heavy belt buckle, particularly if you can already don/doff as an action.

[Sigreid]

The main balance 'issue' with summonable armour is that it essentially weighs nothing when you're not using it. Assuming you drop your pack/treasure sack at the beginning of battle it could potentially give you another 10-65lbs of carrying capacity, which either allows you to nab a significantly larger chunk of loot or bring more useful noncombat items with you.

Or it would matter if I'd played in even a single table that actually used the carrying capacity rules. IME it actually would have a negligible impact on the value of Strength, but other tables may vary.

Of course I'm also AFB and can't check if Armourer armour actually has weight. I'd also suggest that if you can't get summonable armour you might be able to get collapsible armour which becomes something like a large and unusually heavy belt buckle, particularly if you can already don/doff as an action.

Well, for my table it's not that I don't play with encumbrance, it's that I don't micro manage my players. It's on them to keep track of their characters.

[Unoriginal]

Wasn't there an old UA that gave the Warlock an Invocation to summon armor?

I seem to remember something like that, and I liked it, but it never resulted in anything.

[Anonymouswizard]

Well, for my table it's not that I don't play with encumbrance, it's that I don't micro manage my players. It's on them to keep track of their characters.

And in my experience if you don't check up on them you'll find they've somehow managed to acquire an invisible level TARDIS.

Two for archers.

[Sigreid]

And in my experience if you don't check up on them you'll find they've somehow managed to acquire an invisible level TARDIS.

Two for archers.
I don't worry much about the group I have played with fir decades, but even with strangers; I got other stuff to be thinking about.

[Kane0]

Wasn't there an old UA that gave the Warlock an Invocation to summon armor?

I seem to remember something like that, and I liked it, but it never resulted in anything.

Yep, Eldritch Armor from the Class Feature Variants UA in 2019

Eldritch Armor
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature
As an action, you can touch a suit of armor that isn’t being worn or carried by anyone and instantly don it, provided you aren’t wearing armor already. You are proficient with this suit of armor until it’s removed

[Talionis]

Sure, three levels of fighter (eldritch knight) for the weapon bond feature. An artificer's armor is also a weapon, and the weapon component of the armor isn't divisible from the rest of it, so you should be able to summon the whole thing using the bond. So you'd be able to summon it as a bonus action, don it as an action, all on one turn. Bonus points, eldritch knight is a nice dip for an artificer anyway.

I Think this same trick can be done with a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Eldritch Blast might be of interest on a Guyver.

[Damon_Tor]

I Think this same trick can be done with a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Eldritch Blast might be of interest on a Guyver.

True, but Pact of the Blade summons their weapon as an action, not a bonus action, so donning would take two turns. And there's the MAD issue of warlocks and artificers having different casting stats. And the goodies you get from the fighter class outweigh what you get from a warlock IMO.

[ToranIronfinder]

I think 2e had magic armor that had this effect. It always had the weight of armor, but it was otherwise clothing or had the illusion of clothing until the control roll was spoken. Or you could create something like a bag of holding with DM permission that you could wear on your belt. Because you can Don the armor by touching it, you reach you hand in to touch it and now you are armored. Reach in again and you place it back in the bag.