AC Bonus 0ther - Luck, Profane, Sacred and insight

[incog64]

Most armor enhancements are based on a spell of some sort, what would be the relevant spell if any for luck, profane, sacred and insight bonuses for Armor as referenced in the DMG p 285?

Thanks in advance.

[Doctor Despair]

Artificers can use Item Alteration to produce those temporarily.

[Inevitability]

Shield of Warding (Spell Compendium version) is probably the most straightforward way to get a sacred bonus to AC: it even gets cast on defensive equipment by default.

The lowest-level effect I could find that gives an insight bonus to AC is True Prayer of the Chosen (Tome of Magic), which grants +3 insight to saves and AC and is a fourth-level cleric spell, but has a truename component. Glimpse of the Prophecy (Magic of Eberron) and Eyes of the Oracle (Dragon Magic) are other ways to get it, but both are 6th-level spells. In the PHB, there is of course Foresight also, but that's a 9th-level spell. A lot of the spells that give an insight bonus to AC do so incidentally, with their main effect located elsewhere, it seems.

[incog64]

As I think about the spell Barkskin (PHB p 203 ) is used to create an Amulet of natural armor. Furthermore, mage armor (PHB 249) is used to create a ring of protection.

Could the logic below make sense?
- Protection from Evil could craft a Sacred bonus to AC
- Protection from Good could craft a Profane bonus to AC
- Protection from Chaos could craft a Luck bonus to AC
- Protection from Law could craft an Insight bonus to AC

Thoughts?

[JNAProductions]

As I think about the spell Barkskin (PHB p 203 ) is used to create an Amulet of natural armor. Furthermore, mage armor (PHB 249) is used to create a ring of protection.

Could the logic below make sense?
- Protection from Evil could craft a Sacred bonus to AC
- Protection from Good could craft a Profane bonus to AC
- Protection from Chaos could craft a Luck bonus to AC
- Protection from Law could craft an Insight bonus to AC

Thoughts?

It'd be a cheap way to boost a player's AC. Whether or not that's good/desirable depends on your table.

[sleepyphoenixx]

It'd be a cheap way to boost a player's AC. Whether or not that's good/desirable depends on your table.
According to the rules for custom magic items (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) a non-enhancement, non-deflection bonus to AC costs bonus squared x 2,500gp, so it's the exact opposite of cheap.
And you already don't have enough money to buy all the non-custom (and generally cheaper) AC boosts if you're sticking reasonably close to WBL.

[incog64]

It'd be a cheap way to boost a player's AC. Whether or not that's good/desirable depends on your table.

Luck, Profane, Sacred and insight AC Bonues are definitely from the DMG , RAW and RAI.

[JNAProductions]

According to the rules for custom magic items (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) a non-enhancement, non-deflection bonus to AC costs bonus squared x 2,500gp, so it's the exact opposite of cheap.
And you already don't have enough money to buy all the non-custom (and generally cheaper) AC boosts if you're sticking reasonably close to WBL.

Ah, fair point. I was working under the assumption it'd be modeled as a continuous item of Protection From, which WOULD be a lot cheaper.

[Khedrac]

Ah, fair point. I was working under the assumption it'd be modeled as a continuous item of Protection From, which WOULD be a lot cheaper.

Doubly no as a permanent protetion from X effect would be a deflection bonus as per the spells.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Psionics grants easy access to insight bonuses, since most of the bonuses that aren't armor/shield/enhancement bonuses that it grants tend to be insight.

[Chronos]

Quoth sleepyphoenixx:


According to the rules for custom magic items a non-enhancement, non-deflection bonus to AC costs bonus squared x 2,500gp, so it's the exact opposite of cheap.
It's a separate bonus type, so yes, it is cheap. With most bonuses having a cost proportional to the bonus squared, there comes a point where it's cheaper to add a +1 of a new type than to add another +1 of the common type. And if you have enough uncommon types available, once you get to that point you can just make every new +1 a different type, and so the cost only goes up linearly, instead of quadratically like the game designers intended.

If we just use enhancement bonuses, then a shield +1 costs 1000, a shield +2 costs 4000, a shield +3 costs 9000, and a shield +4 costs 16000. If we're also using other kinds of bonuses, then a shield +2 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck) costs 3500, a shield +3 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale) costs 6000, and a shield +4 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale, +1 insight) costs 8500.

To the OP, remember that custom magic items are entirely up to the DM. If an item with those bonuses exists, then the DMG gives guidelines to what it should cost... but it might not exist. And in particular, sacred and profane bonuses are supposed to be incredibly rare, and only associated with extreme devotion to an alignment or deity.

[incog64]

It's a separate bonus type, so yes, it is cheap. With most bonuses having a cost proportional to the bonus squared, there comes a point where it's cheaper to add a +1 of a new type than to add another +1 of the common type. And if you have enough uncommon types available, once you get to that point you can just make every new +1 a different type, and so the cost only goes up linearly, instead of quadratically like the game designers intended.

If we just use enhancement bonuses, then a shield +1 costs 1000, a shield +2 costs 4000, a shield +3 costs 9000, and a shield +4 costs 16000. If we're also using other kinds of bonuses, then a shield +2 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck) costs 3500, a shield +3 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale) costs 6000, and a shield +4 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale, +1 insight) costs 8500.

To the OP, remember that custom magic items are entirely up to the DM. If an item with those bonuses exists, then the DMG gives guidelines to what it should cost... but it might not exist. And in particular, sacred and profane bonuses are supposed to be incredibly rare, and only associated with extreme devotion to an alignment or deity.

Good point on the sacred and profane bonuses. I also agree all thing are subject to the DM.

[sleepyphoenixx]

It's a separate bonus type, so yes, it is cheap. With most bonuses having a cost proportional to the bonus squared, there comes a point where it's cheaper to add a +1 of a new type than to add another +1 of the common type. And if you have enough uncommon types available, once you get to that point you can just make every new +1 a different type, and so the cost only goes up linearly, instead of quadratically like the game designers intended.

If we just use enhancement bonuses, then a shield +1 costs 1000, a shield +2 costs 4000, a shield +3 costs 9000, and a shield +4 costs 16000. If we're also using other kinds of bonuses, then a shield +2 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck) costs 3500, a shield +3 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale) costs 6000, and a shield +4 (+1 enhancement, +1 luck, +1 morale, +1 insight) costs 8500.

Cheap compared to buying an enhancement bonus, but not cheap in terms of keeping your AC relevant with level-appropriate wealth. AC on items is absurdly overpriced.
There's a reason nobody buys an enhancement bonus over +1 if they can at all avoid it.

Also spellcasters can generally stack AC like crazy with a few low level spell slots, so if anything giving mundanes with no buffer a discount is a good thing.

[Clause]

If a artifice can put a DODGE bonus in the armor?

[Inevitability]

If a artifice can put a DODGE bonus in the armor?

Item Alteration, a 4th-level infusion, says:


You alter an item that provides a certain type of bonus so that it provides a different type of bonus to the same value or roll. For example, you could change a ring of protection +1 so that it provided a natural armor bonus to Armor Class instead of a deflection bonus, or you could change a cloak of resistance so that it provided a circumstance bonus on saves instead of a resistance bonus. You cannot use this infusion to change an item so that it provides a sacred or profane bonus, nor can you change an item that already does so to make it provide a different kind of bonus. You also cannot make an item provide a dodge bonus to Armor Class.


So no dodge bonus to AC, but if you had an item that granted a +2 insight bonus to Reflex saves, you could make that a dodge bonus to Reflex saves.

[Tiktakkat]

Sacred: Glorious Raiment (Glory Domain 2, Apostle of Peace 2; Book of Exalted Deeds)
Sacred: Sacred Haven (Paladin 4, Spell Compendium)
Insight: Insignia of Warding (Cleric 3, Paladin 3; Races of Destiny)
Dodge: Haste (Bard 3, Sor/Wiz 3, others; Player's Handbook)
Morale: Divine Protection (Cleric 2, Paladin 2; Spell Compendium)
Luck: Recitation (Cleric 4, Purification Domain 3; Spell Compendium)
Competence: None or Heroism (Bard 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Player's Handbook)

The Heroism spell does not give a competence bonus to AC, it grants Morale bonuses to other things. However, the Amulet of Teamwork in the Magic Item Compendium does, and to craft that item requires the Heroism spell, so theoretically it would serve for a custom item that grants a Competence bonus to AC.

All of the other spells grant that specific type of bonus to AC.
There are a few others that grant such bonuses, but those were the lowest level ones I could find.