Armor Magic Properties
Introduction
Magic armor properties grant the wearer special abilities while wearing the armor. These abilities vary greatly, but often bear a resemblance to spell effects. Note that Spell Effects cannot be applied to armor.
Those magic armor properties which provide a permanent bonus must be worn for 24 hours in order to attune to the item and get its benefits. Once attuned, the item provides the bonus any time the magic item is worn. When taken off, the magic item does not provide any bonuses but the attunement stays intact (if there are exceptions to this rule, the magic armor property will specifically state that the effect continues even if the armor is taken off). An attunement is lost if someone else wears the item for 24 hours and becomes attuned, at which point the previous attunement is disrupted. The original character can, of course, re-attune to the item with a new 24-hour attunement.
Magic armor cannot have any magic armor properties applied to it unless it has at least a +1 Enhancement bonus also applied to it. For example, you cannot make a suit of Studded Leather armor with the +2 magic armor property of Expeditious unless it has at least a +1 enhancement bonus (and therefore an Absolute Bonus of +3). No armor may be enchanted with Epic magic armor properties unless they have an Enhancement bonus of at least +6.
Important Note: If a character has more than one item equipped which provides magic armor properties, only the item with the highest enhancement bonus actually provides benefits to the wearer (in the event they are the same, the wearer may choose which item functions and which is dormant). The lesser item's magic armor properties provide no benefits whatsoever, even if they are 'always on' abilities, unless the greater item is taken off.
Magic Armor Costs
To determine the cost of a suit of armor, three elements must be added together:
- The cost of the suit of armor.
- The cost of any special materials used to create the armor (e.g. mithril, adamantine, etc.).
- The cost of the Absolute Bonus (the sum of the magic properties and the enhancement bonus).
Absolute Bonus
The Absolute Bonus is determined by adding together the plus values of the armor's Enhancement Bonus and any Magical Properties it will be enchanted with. For example, a +2 Expeditious Breastplate has a +4 Absolute Bonus, since the Expeditious property has a +2 cost associated with it.
Dweomermetals
Dweomermetals, such as mithril, argent and bloodgold, can grant the armor special qualities, as well as improved hardness and durability. The prices and special qualities of each dweomermetal are described in detail on the Dweomermetals page.
Dweomermetals do not alter the Absolute Bonus of armor, though the cost for armor made with a dweomermetal is added to the overall cost of the armor.
Note that special materials cannot be added to an existing suit of armor. The armor must be built from the special material before it can be enchanted. If a character already has a +3 chain shirt, and wants it to be a +3 mithril chain shirt, he would have to sell his old chain shirt and buy a mithril one. He cannot simply upgrade it. (This rule can be broken, at GM discretion, in cases where the suit of armor is a family heirloom, an artifact, or any sort of magic item that is meant to grow with the player, where replacing it with a new suit of armor would disrupt the story continuity for the character. In these cases, the item may have always been made from the special material, but only exhibits its qualities when the character reaches a high enough level to appreciate it, or perhaps it acquires the special materials qualities after some event transpires (like the character gets splashed with molten mithril).)
Campaign Level
Heroic tier characters (characters from level 1 to level 20) can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +5, and can have up to +5 pluses worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor, though there must always be at least +1 Enhancement bonus on the armor before any magic armor properties can be applied. As a result, heroic tier characters can wear armor with an absolute bonus of anything from +1 to +10.
Epic tier characters (characters level 21 to level 35) can wear armor with an enhancement bonus up to +9, and can have a total of up to +9 pluses-worth of Magic Armor properties applied to their armor (resulting in an Absolute Bonus as high as +18). However, the enhancement bonus of the armor must be raised to at least +6 before it can have any Epic magic armor properties applied to it.
Any attempt to wear armor more magically enchanted than your level allows results in the character taking a non-proficiency penalty with the armor (-4 to attack rolls), and the possibility of even more dire consequences (such as insanity, or being controlled by the armor).
At level 36 and higher (apotheosis) all restrictions on enhancement bonuses and the magic item properties are lifted, at which point the armor may be enchanted in any way the characters can afford.
Upgrading and Changing Magic Armor Properties
Magic armor properties can be removed from a suit of magic armor, replaced with altogether new properties, or upgraded to a higher version of the existing magic armor property (when applicable). The cost to do so is the difference in cost between the old Absolute Bonus and the new Absolute Bonus. However, if the Absolute Bonus goes down, there is no refund of money unless you can convince the craftsman performing the alterations why he should actually pay you for the privilege of doing that work. Performing magic armor property swaps and upgrades takes one full day of work per change in the Absolute Bonus, with a minimum of 1 full day. Even if this work isn't performed by a player, the player must wait for the alterations to be performed, and they cannot make use of the armor while the craftsman is working on it. Some craftsmen might offer to lend or rent out a suit of armor while their customers wait, though they would expect the loaner armor to return to them in good condition.
Enhancement bonuses cannot be removed from magic armor once applied, but the enhancement bonus can be increased. If the armor is made from a dweomermetal that offers an alternate way of allocating the enhancement bonus, this can also be changed by a craftsman (or a character with the Creator feat), but performing this work also takes one full day of work per change in the Absolute Bonus, with a minimum of 1 full day.
Magic Armor which is altered in such a way as to violate the limitations of the campaign level will inflict a non-proficiency penalty on the wearer, or worse.
+1 Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| +1 | Bitter | This armor is yucky, making bite-grapples and swallow attacks more difficult | 5th |
| +1 | Deathless | Gain 10 ER against positive and negative energy, and a 25% chance to ignore negative levels | 7th |
| +1 | Fortification, Light | Gain a 25% chance to ignore critical hits | 13th |
| +1 | Grinding | Enemies grappling you take damage equal to the armor's enhancement bonus | 5th |
| +1 | Impervious | The armor is much harder to destroy | 7th |
| +1 | Spell Storing | store a single touch spell of up to 3rd level in your freaking armor! | 12th |
| +1 | Stanching | Reduce bleed effects by the armor's enhancement bonus | 7th |
+2 Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glamered (Magic Property) | Glamered | Glamered (Magic Property) | Glamered (Magic Property) | Glamered (Magic Property) |
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| +2 | Expeditious | Gain a 10 foot speed bonus for 1 round | 5th |
| +2 | Glamered | Change your armor to appear as clothing | 10th |
| +2 | Jousting | Gain a +5 on Ride skill checks | 5th |
| +2 | Shadow | Gain a +5 on Stealth skill checks | 5th |
| +2 | Slick | Gain a +5 on Escape Artist skill checks | 4th |
| +2 | Spell Resistance, Minor | Wearer gains spell resistance | 10th |
+3 Armor Magic Properties
| Radiant (Magic Property) | Radiant | Radiant (Magic Property) | Radiant (Magic Property) | Radiant (Magic Property) |
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| +3 | Adhesive | Wearer gains a climb speed of 20 feet for 10 rounds per day | 10th |
| +3 | Delving | Wearer gains a burrow speed of 10 feet | 5th |
| +3 | Fortification, Moderate | Gain a 50% chance to ignore critical hits | 13th |
| +3 | Hosteling | Store your familiar or animal companion as engraving on your armor | 9th |
| +3 | Invulnerability, Lesser | Gain DR 5/bludgeoning | 10th |
| +3 | Radiant | Armor gives off torchlight on command and Daylight once per day | 6th |
| +3 | Spell Resistance, Lesser | Wearer gains spell resistance | 10th |
| +3 | Titanic | Gain some of the benefits of being one size category larger | 7th |
+4 Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| +4 | Martyring | Heal your allies when you get critically hit | 9th |
| +4 | Shadow, Improved | Once per encounter, gain concealment for 1 round | 10th |
| +4 | Slick, Improved | Once per day, escape from a grapple | 10th |
| +4 | Spell Resistance, Improved | Wearer gains spell resistance | 15th |
+5 Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| +5 | Determination | Armor casts Breath of Life spell when you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points | 10th |
| +5 | Etherealness | Once per day, wearer can become ethereal | 13th |
| +5 | Fortification, Heavy | Gain a 75% chance to ignore critical hits | 13th |
| +5 | Righteous | Wearer can invoke Righteous Might spell (good aligned) for 10 rounds | 10th |
| +5 | Shadow, Greater | The wearer gains bonuses and a special shadow form | 15th |
| +5 | Slick, Greater | Wearer cannot be grappled | 15th |
| +5 | Spell Resistance, Greater | Wearer gains spell resistance | 15th |
+3 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Arcanist | Lowers the spell failure chance by fifteen percent. | 21st |
| 3 | Diving | Wearer gains a swim speed of 20 feet and can breathe underwater | 22nd |
| 3 | Graceful | Exquisitely made and decorated, has no armor check penalties. | 21st |
+4 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Fluid | Shimmering, semi-solid, and beautiful, no longer restricts the user as much. | 23rd |
| 4 | Innkeepers | Armor or shield functions as an instant fortress combined with mages magnificent mansion. | 24th |
| 4 | Invulnerability | The armor gains DR10/bludgeoning | 21st |
| 4 | Zephyr | Wearer gains a fly speed of 30 feet | 22nd |
+5 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Invulnerability, Improved | The armor gains DR15/Bludgeoning | 23rd |
| 5 | Reactive I | Adds +1 to skills, +5 feet movement. | 24th |
+6 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Aura | CL |
|---|
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Dimensional | Once per encounter (or once per minute) the wearer may use Dimension Door | 26th |
| 6 | Force Armor | The armor's AC bonus counts towards the wearer's Touch AC | 28th |
| 6 | Impenetrable | Grants wearer DR/cold iron and numerous life-supporting benefits | 30th |
| 6 | Invulnerability, Greater | The armor grants DR20/bludgeoning | 24th |
| 6 | Reactive II | Adds +2 to skills, +10 feet movement. | 25th |
+7 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Fortification, Absolute | The wearer is tremendously strengthened against critical and precision damage. | 26th |
| 7 | Invulnerability, Utter | The armor grants DR25/bludgeoning | 26th |
| 7 | Reactive III | Adds +3 to skills, +15 feet movement. | 26th |
| 7 | Shadows, Absolute | Enter a shadow form 10 rounds per day | 27th |
| 7 | Slick, Absolute | Slide to nearby squares as a swift action | 27th |
| 7 | Zoetic | The armor is alive, and the wearer uses the best stats of himself or the armor | 26th |
+8 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Etherealness, Epic | You may become ethereal at will, no more than once per encounter (or minute). | 28th |
| 8 | Invulnerability, Epic | The armor grants DR30/bludgeoning | 28th |
| 8 | Reactive IV | Adds +4 to skills, +20 feet movement. | 28th |
+9 Epic Armor Magic Properties
| Price | Name | Benefit | Craft CL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Changeless | The wearer is immune to energy drain, negative levels, and ability damage. | 25th |
| 9 | Invulnerability, True | The armor grants DR35/bludgeoning | 32nd |
| 9 | Obdurate | The wearer gains DR/cold iron and numerous life-supporting benefits | 32nd |
| 9 | Reactive V | Adds +5 to skills, +30 feet movement. | 30th |
| 9 | Traveler | Grants Dimension Door as move actions and Interplanetary Teleport, 1/day. | 34th |