SRD:Magic Armor
| This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Magic Armor
In general, magic armor protects the wearer to a greater extent than nonmagical armor. Magic armor bonuses are enhancement bonuses, never rise above +5, and stack with regular armor bonuses (and with shield and magic shield enhancement bonuses). All magic armor is also masterwork armor, reducing armor check penalties by 1.
In addition to an enhancement bonus, armor may have special abilities. Special abilities usually count as additional bonuses for determining the market value of an item, but do not improve AC. A suit of armor cannot have an effective bonus (enhancement plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A suit of armor with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.
A suit of armor or a shield may be made of an unusual material. Roll d%: 01–95 indicates that the item is of a standard sort, and 96–100 indicates that it is made of a special material.
Armor is always created so that even if the type of armor comes with boots or gauntlets, these pieces can be switched for other magic boots or gauntlets.
| Minor | Medium | Major | Item | Base Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01–60 | 01–05 | — | +1 shield | 1,000 gp |
| 61–80 | 06–10 | — | +1 armor | 1,000 gp |
| 81–85 | 11–20 | — | +2 shield | 4,000 gp |
| 86–87 | 21–30 | — | +2 armor | 4,000 gp |
| — | 31–40 | 01–08 | +3 shield | 9,000 gp |
| — | 41–50 | 09–16 | +3 armor | 9,000 gp |
| — | 51–55 | 17–27 | +4 shield | 16,000 gp |
| — | 56–57 | 28–38 | +4 armor | 16,000 gp |
| — | — | 39–49 | +5 shield | 25,000 gp |
| — | — | 50–57 | +5 armor | 25,000 gp |
| — | — | — | +6 armor/shield1 | 36,000 gp |
| — | — | — | +7 armor/shield1 | 49,000 gp |
| — | — | — | +8 armor/shield1 | 64,000 gp |
| — | — | — | +9 armor/shield1 | 81,000 gp |
| — | — | — | +10 armor/shield1 | 100,000 gp |
| 88–89 | 58–60 | 58–60 | Specific armor2 | — |
| 90–91 | 61–63 | 61–63 | Specific shield3 | — |
| 92–100 | 64–100 | 64–100 | Special ability and roll again4 | — |
| ||||
| d% | Armor | Armor Cost1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Padded | +155 gp |
| 02 | Leather | +160 gp |
| 03–17 | Studded leather | +175 gp |
| 18–32 | Chain shirt | +250 gp |
| 33–42 | Hide | +165 gp |
| 43 | Scale mail | +200 gp |
| 44 | Chainmail | +300 gp |
| 45–57 | Breastplate | +350 gp |
| 58 | Splint mail | +350 gp |
| 59 | Banded mail | +400 gp |
| 60 | Half-plate | +750 gp |
| 61–100 | Full plate | +1,650 gp |
All magic armor is masterwork armor (with an armor check penalty 1 less than normal). | ||
| d% | Shield | Shield Cost1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01–10 | Buckler | +165 gp |
| 11–15 | Shield, light, wooden | +153 gp |
| 16–20 | Shield, light, steel | +159 gp |
| 21–30 | Shield, heavy, wooden | +157 gp |
| 31–95 | Shield, heavy, steel | +170 gp |
| 96–100 | Shield, tower | +180 gp |
All magic shields are masterwork shields (with an armor check penalty 1 less than normal). | ||
Caster Level for Armor and Shields
The caster level of a magic shield or magic armor with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.
Shields
Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses. Shield enhancement bonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuses when the shield is used in a bash. The bashing special ability, however, does grant a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls (see the special ability description).
A shield could be built that also acted as a magic weapon, but the cost of the enhancement bonus on attack rolls would need to be added into the cost of the shield and its enhancement bonus to AC.
As with armor, special abilities built into the shield add to the market value in the form of additions to the bonus of the shield, although they do not improve AC. A shield cannot have an effective bonus (enhancement plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.
Shield Hardness and Hit Points
Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to a shield’s hardness and +10 to its hit points.
Activation
Usually a character benefits from magic armor and shields in exactly the way a character benefits from nonmagical armor and shields—by wearing them. If armor or a shield has a special ability that the user needs to activate then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).
Armor for Unusual Creatures
The cost of armor for nonhumanoid creatures, as well as for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium, varies. The cost of the masterwork quality and any magical enhancement remains the same.
Magic Armor and Shield Special Ability Descriptions
Most magic armor and shields only have enhancement bonuses. Such items can also have one or more of the special abilities detailed below. Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.
| Minor | Medium | Major | Special Ability | Base Price Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01–25 | 01–05 | 01–03 | Glamered | +2,700 gp |
| 26–32 | 06–08 | 04 | Fortification, light | +1 bonus1 |
| 33–52 | 09–11 | — | Slick | +3,750 gp |
| 53–72 | 12–14 | — | Shadow | +3,750 gp |
| 73–92 | 15–17 | — | Silent moves | +3,750 gp |
| 93–96 | 18–19 | — | Spell resistance (13) | +2 bonus1 |
| 97 | 20–29 | 05–07 | Slick, improved | +15,000 gp |
| 98 | 30–39 | 08–10 | Shadow, improved | +15,000 gp |
| 99 | 40–49 | 11–13 | Silent moves, improved | +15,000 gp |
| — | 50–54 | 14–16 | Acid resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 55–59 | 17–19 | Cold resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 60–64 | 20–22 | Electricity resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 65–69 | 23–25 | Fire resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 70–74 | 26–28 | Sonic resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 75–79 | 29–33 | Ghost touch | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 80–84 | 34–35 | Invulnerability | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 85–89 | 36–40 | Fortification, moderate | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 90–94 | 41–42 | Spell resistance (15) | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 95–99 | 43 | Wild | +3 bonus1 |
| — | — | 44–48 | Slick, greater | +33,750 gp |
| — | — | 49–53 | Shadow, greater | +33,750 gp |
| — | — | 54–58 | Silent moves, greater | +33,750 gp |
| — | — | 59–63 | Acid resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 64–68 | Cold resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 69–73 | Electricity resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 74–78 | Fire resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 79–83 | Sonic resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 84–88 | Spell resistance (17) | +4 bonus1 |
| — | — | 89 | Etherealness | +49,000 gp |
| — | — | 90 | Undead controlling | +49,000 gp |
| — | — | 91–92 | Fortification, heavy | +5 bonus1 |
| — | — | 93–94 | Spell resistance (19) | +5 bonus1 |
| — | — | 95 | Acid resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 96 | Cold resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 97 | Electricity resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 98 | Fire resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 99 | Sonic resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | Roll twice again2 | — |
| ||||
| Minor | Medium | Major | Special Ability | Base Price Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01–20 | 01–10 | 01–05 | Arrow catching | +1 bonus1 |
| 21–40 | 11–20 | 06–08 | Bashing | +1 bonus1 |
| 41–50 | 21–25 | 09–10 | Blinding | +1 bonus1 |
| 51–75 | 26–40 | 11–15 | Fortification, light | +1 bonus1 |
| 76–92 | 41–50 | 16–20 | Arrow deflection | +2 bonus1 |
| 93–97 | 51–57 | 21–25 | Animated | +2 bonus1 |
| 98–99 | 58–59 | — | Spell resistance (13) | +2 bonus1 |
| — | 60–63 | 26–28 | Acid resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 64–67 | 29–31 | Cold resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 68–71 | 32–34 | Electricity resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 72–75 | 35–37 | Fire resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 76–79 | 38–40 | Sonic resistance | +18,000 gp |
| — | 80–85 | 41–46 | Ghost touch | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 86–95 | 47–56 | Fortification, moderate | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 96–98 | 57–58 | Spell resistance (15) | +3 bonus1 |
| — | 99 | 59 | Wild | +3 bonus1 |
| — | — | 60–64 | Acid resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 65–69 | Cold resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 70–74 | Electricity resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 75–79 | Fire resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 80–84 | Sonic resistance, improved | +42,000 gp |
| — | — | 85–86 | Spell resistance (17) | +4 bonus1 |
| — | — | 87 | Undead controlling | +49,000 gp |
| — | — | 88–91 | Fortification, heavy | +5 bonus1 |
| — | — | 92–93 | Reflecting | +5 bonus1 |
| — | — | 94 | Spell resistance (19) | +5 bonus1 |
| — | — | 95 | Acid resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 96 | Cold resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 97 | Electricity resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 98 | Fire resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| — | — | 99 | Sonic resistance, greater | +66,000 gp |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | Roll twice again2 | — |
| ||||
Specific Armors
The following specific suits of armor usually are preconstructed with exactly the qualities described here.
| Minor | Medium | Major | Specific Armor | Market Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01–50 | 01–25 | — | Mithral shirt | 1,100 gp |
| 51–80 | 26–45 | — | Dragonhide plate | 3,300 gp |
| 81–100 | 46–57 | — | Elven chain | 4,150 gp |
| — | 58–67 | — | Rhino hide | 5,165 gp |
| — | 68–82 | 01–10 | Adamantine breastplate | 10,200 gp |
| — | 83–97 | 11–20 | Dwarven plate | 16,500 gp |
| — | 98–100 | 21–32 | Banded mail of luck | 18,900 gp |
| — | — | 33–50 | Celestial armor | 22,400 gp |
| — | — | 51–60 | Plate armor of the deep | 24,650 gp |
| — | — | 61–75 | Breastplate of command | 25,400 gp |
| — | — | 76–90 | Mithral full plate of speed | 26,500 gp |
| — | — | 91–100 | Demon armor | 52,260 gp |
Specific Shields
The following specific shields usually are preconstructed with exactly the qualities described here.
| Minor | Medium | Major | Specific Shield | Market Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01–30 | 01–20 | — | Darkwood buckler | 205 gp |
| 31–80 | 21–45 | — | Darkwood shield | 257 gp |
| 81–95 | 46–70 | — | Mithral heavy shield | 1,020 gp |
| 96–100 | 71–85 | 01–20 | Caster’s shield | 3,153 gp |
| — | 86–90 | 21–40 | Spined shield | 5,580 gp |
| — | 91–95 | 41–60 | Lion’s shield | 9,170 gp |
| — | 96–100 | 61–90 | Winged shield | 17,257 gp |
| — | — | 91–100 | Absorbing shield | 50,170 gp |
Epic Armor
Except when otherwise stated, epic magic armor and shields follow the rules for nonepic magic armor and shields.
There is no limit to the enhancement bonus of epic magic armor or shields, to the market price modifier of epic magic armor or shield special abilities, or to the total enhancement bonus and market price modifier of epic magic armor or shields.
Epic Armor and Shield Base Price
To find the base price of an epic suit of magic armor or an epic magic shield, roll on Table: Armor and Shields. Note that the +6 to +10 rows apply only to armor and shields that provide an enhancement bonus of +6 to +10 or armor and shields with a single special ability whose market price modifier is +6 to +10. Magic armor and shields with a total effective bonus of +6 to +10 but that have an enhancement bonus of +5 or less and special abilities whose individual market price modifiers are +5 or less use the table for nonepic magic armor to determine price.
| d% | Enhancement Bonus | Market Price |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | +1 shield1 | +1,000 gp |
| 02 | +1 armor2 | +1,000 gp |
| 03 | +2 shield1 | +4,000 gp |
| 04 | +2 armor2 | +4,000 gp |
| 05–06 | +3 shield1 | +9,000 gp |
| 07–08 | +3 armor2 | +9,000 gp |
| 09–12 | +4 shield1 | +16,000 gp |
| 13–16 | +4 armor2 | +16,000 gp |
| 17–21 | +5 shield1 | +25,000 gp |
| 22–26 | +5 armor2 | +25,000 gp |
| 27–30 | +6 shield | +360,000 gp |
| 31–34 | +6 armor | +360,000 gp |
| 35–38 | +7 shield | +490,000 gp |
| 39–42 | +7 armor | +490,000 gp |
| 43–45 | +8 shield | +640,000 gp |
| 46–48 | +8 armor | +640,000 gp |
| 49–50 | +9 shield | +810,000 gp |
| 51–52 | +9 armor | +810,000 gp |
| 53–54 | +10 shield | +1,000,000 gp |
| 55–56 | +10 armor | +1,000,000 gp |
| 57–62 | Specific armor or shield3 | |
| 63–75 | Armor with special ability and roll again4 | |
| 76–98 | Shield with special ability and roll again4 | |
| 99 | Epic shield5 | |
| 100 | Epic armor5 | |
| ||
| d% | Enhancement Bonus | Market Price |
|---|---|---|
| 01–21 | +11 | +1,210,000 gp |
| 22–39 | +12 | +1,440,000 gp |
| 40–54 | +13 | +1,690,000 gp |
| 55–66 | +14 | +1,960,000 gp |
| 67–76 | +15 | +2,250,000 gp |
| 77–84 | +16 | +2,560,000 gp |
| 85–90 | +17 | +2,890,000 gp |
| 91–94 | +18 | +3,240,000 gp |
| 95–97 | +19 | +3,610,000 gp |
| 98–99 | +20 | +4,000,000 gp |
| 100 | Roll again and add +10 to bonus1 | 2 |
| ||
| d% | Armor | Armor Cost1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Padded | +155 gp |
| 02 | Leather | +160 gp |
| 03–12 | Hide | +165 gp |
| 13–27 | Studded leather | +175 gp |
| 28–42 | Chain shirt2 | +250 gp |
| 43 | Scale mail2 | +200 gp |
| 44 | Chainmail2 | +300 gp |
| 45–57 | Breastplate2 | +350 gp |
| 58 | Splint mail2 | +350 gp |
| 59 | Banded mail2 | +400 gp |
| 60 | Half-plate2 | +750 gp |
| 61–100 | Full plate2 | +1,650 gp |
All magic armor is masterwork armor (with an armor check penalty 1 lower than normal).
| ||
| d% | Shield | Shield Cost1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01–10 | Buckler | +165 gp |
| 11–15 | Shield, light wooden2 | +153 gp |
| 16–20 | Shield, light steel3 | +159 gp |
| 21–30 | Shield, heavy wooden2 | +157 gp |
| 31–95 | Shield, heavy steel3 | +170 gp |
| 96–100 | Shield, tower2 | +180 gp |
All magic shields are masterwork shields (with an armor check penalty 1 lower than normal).
| ||
Epic Armor and Shield Special Ability Descriptions
Most magic armor and shields only have enhancement bonuses. Such items can also have special abilities, such as those detailed below and nonepic abilities. Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.
| d% | Special Ability | Market Price Modifier1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01–06 | Great invulnerability (10/magic) | +4 bonus |
| 07–11 | Great invulnerability (15/magic) | +5 bonus |
| 12–19 | Negating | +5 bonus |
| 20–26 | Acid warding | +6 bonus |
| 27–33 | Cold warding | +6 bonus |
| 34–40 | Fire warding | +6 bonus |
| 41–44 | Great invulnerability (5/epic) | +6 bonus |
| 45–50 | Great spell resistance (SR 21) | +6 bonus |
| 51–57 | Lightning warding | +6 bonus |
| 58–64 | Sonic warding | +6 bonus |
| 65–67 | Great invulnerability (10/epic) | +7 bonus |
| 68–72 | Great spell resistance (SR 23) | +7 bonus |
| 73–76 | Great spell resistance (SR 25) | +8 bonus |
| 77–79 | Great spell resistance (SR 27) | +9 bonus |
| 80–87 | Roll on nonepic magic item Table: Armor Special Abilities, then roll again on this table. | |
| 88–95 | Roll twice on nonepic magic item Table: Armor Special Abilities. | |
| 96–100 | Roll twice again2 | |
| ||
| d% | Shield Special Ability | Market Price Modifier1 |
|---|---|---|
| 01–06 | Great invulnerability (10/magic) | +4 bonus |
| 07–12 | Great invulnerability (15/magic) | +5 bonus |
| 13–19 | Acid warding | +6 bonus |
| 20–26 | Cold warding | +6 bonus |
| 27–33 | Fire warding | +6 bonus |
| 34–37 | Great invulnerability (5/epic) | +6 bonus |
| 38–43 | Great spell resistance (SR 21) | +6 bonus |
| 44–46 | Infinite arrow deflection | +6 bonus |
| 47–53 | Lightning warding | +6 bonus |
| 54–60 | Sonic warding | +6 bonus |
| 61–63 | Great invulnerability (10/epic) | +7 bonus |
| 64–68 | Great spell resistance (SR 23) | +7 bonus |
| 69–71 | Exceptional arrow deflection | +8 bonus |
| 72–75 | Great spell resistance (SR 25) | +8 bonus |
| 76–78 | Great spell resistance (SR 27) | +9 bonus |
| 79 | Great reflection | +10 bonus |
| 80–87 | Roll on nonepic magic item Table: Shield Special Abilities, then roll again on this table. | |
| 88–95 | Roll twice on nonepic magic item Table: Shield Special Abilities. | |
| 96–100 | Roll twice again2 | |
| ||
Specific Epic Armors
| d% | Specific Armor or Shield | Market Price |
|---|---|---|
| 01–20 | Shapeshifter’s armor | 400,165 gp |
| 21–40 | Warlord’s breastplate | 416,200 gp |
| 41–57 | Dragonskin armor | 564,550 gp |
| 58–71 | Armor of the celestial battalion | 616,300 gp |
| 72–82 | Armor of the abyssal horde | 768,260 gp |
| 83–93 | Antimagic armor | 871,500 gp |
| 94–100 | Bulwark of the great dragon | 1,612,980 gp |
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