9.6 Magic Armor

Magic body armor must be worn to gain its effects, while magic shields must be wielded. You cannot imbue magic body armor effects on ordinary clothing, even if that clothing is worn on the body instead of armor.

9.6.1 Magic Armor Damage Resistance

While you are attuned to magical body armor, that armor gains a multiplier to the damage resistance it provides. This multiplier does not apply to any special properties the armor might have, such as an enhancement bonus to your damage resistance. It only applies to the normal damage resistance normally provided by body armor of that type. The magnitude of the multiplier is based on the magic item’s rank, as listed below.

Table 9.12: Magic Armor

Name

Type

Description

Rank (Cost)

Page

Armor of Scuttling

Body armor

Move at full speed while prone

1 (40 gp)

here

Featherlight Armor

Body armor

Reduces encumbrance by 1

1 (40 gp)

here

Hidden Armor

Body armor

Can look like normal clothing

1 (40 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Catching

Shield

Redirects nearby projectiles to hit you

1 (40 gp)

here

Grafted Armor

Body armor

Grants HP instead of damage resistance

2 (200 gp)

here

Resistant Armor

Body armor

Grants +6 damage resistance

2 (200 gp)

here

Stonebody Armor

Body armor

Grants +12 damage resistance, but slower and heavier

2 (200 gp)

here

Trimmed Armor

Body armor

Reduces Dex penalty from non-light armor

2 (200 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Deflection

Shield

Grants +2 defenses vs ranged strikes

2 (200 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Reflection

Shield

Reflects missed ranged strikes

2 (200 gp)

here

Armor of Scuttling+

Body armor

Move at full speed and defend normally while prone

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Crumpling Armor

Body armor

Reduces physical damage from two attacks by 10

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Featherlight Armor+

Body armor

Reduces encumbrance by 2

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Fortified Armor

Body armor

Reduces critical hits from strikes

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Hidden Armor+

Body armor

Can look and sound like normal clothing

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Lifeweave Armor

Body armor

Grants +16 damage resistance, but -8 hit points

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Soulweave Armor

Body armor

Grants +12 damage resistance, but -2 power

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Covering Shield

Shield

Grants +2 Armor during total defense

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Hardblock Shield

Shield

Imposes -1 Armor penalty when creatures miss you

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Shield of Medusa

Shield

Can slow viewers

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Soulguard Shield

Shield

Grants 25% chance to avoid conditions

3 (1,000 gp)

here

Grafted Armor+

Body armor

Grants bonus HP instead of damage resistance

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Lithe Armor

Body armor

Grants +1 AD if you have 3 Dex

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Resistant Armor+

Body armor

Grants +12 damage resistance

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Stonebody Armor+

Body armor

Grants +24 damage resistance, but slower and heavier

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Swiftstep Armor

Body armor

Removes armor speed penalty

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Trimmed Armor+

Body armor

Greatly reduces Dex penalty from non-light armor

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Catching+

Shield

Redirects projectiles to hit you

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Shield of Mystic Reflection

Shield

Can reflect magical attacks

4 (5,000 gp)

here

Crumpling Armor+

Body armor

Reduces physical damage from two attacks by 20

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Featherlight Armor++

Body armor

Reduces encumbrance by 3

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Lifeweave Armor+

Body armor

Grants +32 damage resistance, but -16 hit points

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Soulweave Armor+

Body armor

Grants +24 damage resistance, but -3 power

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Voidsoul Armor

Body armor

Immune to conditions, but hit points are halved

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Defender’s Shield

Shield

Grants +1 Armor defense

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Reflection+

Shield

Precisely reflects missed ranged strikes

5 (25,000 gp)

here

Fortified Armor+

Body armor

Reduces critical hits from strikes

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Grafted Armor++

Body armor

Grants bonus HP instead of damage resistance

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Resistant Armor++

Body armor

Grants +24 damage resistance

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Stonebody Armor++

Body armor

Grants +48 damage resistance, but slower and heavier

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Hardblock Shield+

Shield

Imposes -1 Armor penalty when creatures miss you

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Shield of Arrow Deflection+

Shield

Grants +4 defenses vs ranged strikes

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Soulguard Shield+

Shield

Grants 50% chance to avoid conditions

6 (125,000 gp)

here

Crumpling Armor++

Body armor

Reduces physical damage from two attacks by 40

7 (625,000 gp)

here

Lifeweave Armor++

Body armor

Grants +64 damage resistance, but -32 hit points

7 (625,000 gp)

here

Lithe Armor+

Body armor

Grants +2 AD if you have 5 Dex

7 (625,000 gp)

here

Soulweave Armor++

Body armor

Grants +48 damage resistance, but -4 power

7 (625,000 gp)

here

Shield of Medusa+

Shield

Can slow and deal 5d8 damage over time to viewers

7 (625,000 gp)

here

Armor of Scuttling

Rank 1 (40 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Being prone (half speed, -2 Armor and Ref) does not reduce your movement speed. _______________________________________ Rank 3 (1,000 gp): Being prone also does not reduce your defenses.

Covering Shield

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ When you take the total defense action, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor defense in addition to the normal bonuses from taking that action (see Total Defense). This property cannot be applied to tower shields.

Crumpling Armor

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune (deep)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever you would take physical damage, your armor crumples under the attack, reducing that damage by 10. After damage is reduced twice in this way, this has no effect until you finish a short rest. _____________________________________________________________ Rank 5 (25,000 gp): The damage reduction improves to 20. Rank 7 (625,000 gp): The damage reduction improves to 40.

Defender’s Shield

Rank 5 (25,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your Armor defense.

Featherlight Armor

Rank 1 (40 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ This armor’s encumbrance is reduced by 1. ______________________________________________________________________ Rank 3 (1,000 gp): The encumbrance reduction improves to 2. Rank 5 (25,000 gp): The encumbrance reduction improves to 3.

Fortified Armor

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +4 bonus to your defenses when determining whether a strike gets a critical hit against you instead of a normal hit. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The bonus applies against all attacks, not just strikes.

Grafted Armor

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ This armor does not increase your damage resistance. Instead, you gain a bonus to your hit points equal to the damage resistance the armor would normally provide. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Rank 4 (5,000 gp): The armor also grants you a +8 enhancement bonus to your hit points. Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The hit point bonus increases to +16.

Hardblock Shield

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever a creature misses or glances you with a melee strike, it briefly takes a -1 penalty to Armor defense. As normal, this bonus does not stack with itself, even if the same creature misses you with multiple melee attacks. ________________________________________ Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The penalty increases to -2.

Hidden Armor

Rank 1 (40 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You can activate this armor as a standard action. If you do, it appears to change shape and form to assume the shape of a normal set of clothing. You may choose the design of the clothing. The item retains all of its properties, including weight and sound, while disguised in this way. Only its visual appearance is altered. This effect lasts until you revert it as a standard action. ________________________________________ Rank 3 (1,000 gp): The armor also makes sound appropriate to its disguised form while disguised.

Lifeweave Armor

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +16 enhancement bonus to your damage resistance. However, you take a -8 penalty to your hit points. ______________ Rank 5 (25,000 gp): The damage resistance bonus increases to +32, but the hit point penalty increases to -16. Rank 7 (625,000 gp): The damage resistance bonus increases to +64, but the hit point penalty increases to -32.

Lithe Armor

Rank 4 (5,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ If your Dexterity is at least 3, you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your Armor defense. ___________________________________ Rank 7 (625,000 gp): The bonus increases to +2 if your Dexterity is at least 5.

Resistant Armor

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +6 enhancement bonus to your damage resistance. ______________________________________________________ Rank 4 (5,000 gp): The bonus increases to +12. Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The bonus increases to +24.

Shield of Arrow Catching

Rank 1 (40 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever an ally within a Small (15 ft.) radius emanation from you is targeted by ranged strike, the attack is redirected to target you instead. Resolve the attack as if it had initially targeted you, except that the attack is not affected by cover or any miss chance. _____________ Rank 4 (5,000 gp): The area increases to a Large (60 ft.) radius.

Shield of Arrow Deflection

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +2 enhancement bonus to your defenses against ranged strikes. _____________________________________________ Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The bonus increases to +4.

Shield of Arrow Reflection

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever a creature within Long (90 ft.) range of you misses or glances you with a ranged strike, it treats itself as a target of that attack in addition to any other targets. _________________________________________________________________________________ Rank 5 (25,000 gp): The attacker takes a -4 penalty to all defenses against attacks reflected in this way.

Shield of Medusa

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Visual
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ This shield normally has a cloth covering its face. As a standard action, you can pull the cloth back and reveal the horrifying face emblazoned on the shield. If the cloth is prematurely pulled back, allowing creatures to see the shield without a dramatic reveal, the shield has no effect on them. When you activate the shield, make an attack vs. Fortitude against all creatures within a Medium (30 ft.) cone. Your minimum accuracy is +5. Whether you hit or miss, each creature who can see the face is immune to this ability until it finishes a short rest. Hit: Each target is slowed (half speed, -2 Armor and Ref) as a condition. During this condition, if it takes a vital wound that leaves it unconscious, it immediately dies. When a creature dies in this way, its body is petrified in the form of a stone statue. Critical hit: The condition must be removed an additional time before the effect ends. ______________________________________ Rank 7 (625,000 gp): Your minimum accuracy increases to +12, and the condition also causes each target to take 5d8 physical damage during each of your subsequent actions.

Shield of Mystic Reflection

Rank 4 (5,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever you use the total defense ability, you can activate this shield. When you do, any targeted magical ✨ abilities that target you this round also target the creature using that ability in addition to you. It cannot choose to reduce its accuracy or damage against itself. Any other targets of the ability are affected normally.

Soulguard Shield

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Shield – Craft (bone, metal, or wood)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whenever you would be affected by a condition, you have a 25% chance to avoid gaining that condition. This does not prevent any other effects of the attack. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The chance increases to 50%.

Soulweave Armor

Rank 3 (1,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +12 enhancement bonus to your damage resistance. However, you take a -2 penalty to your power with all abilities. ____ Rank 5 (25,000 gp): The damage resistance bonus increases to +24, but the power penalty increases to -3. Rank 7 (625,000 gp): The damage resistance bonus increases to +48, but the power penalty increases to -4.

Stonebody Armor

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ You gain a +12 enhancement bonus to your damage resistance. However, you take a -10 foot penalty to your speed with all movement modes. In addition, this armor’s encumbrance is increased by 2. ______________________________________________________________ Rank 4 (5,000 gp): The bonus increases to +24. Rank 6 (125,000 gp): The bonus increases to +48.

Swiftstep Armor

Rank 4 (5,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ This armor does not penalize your movement speed for being heavy (see Armor Usage Classes). If the armor is not heavy armor, this has no effect.

Trimmed Armor

Rank 2 (200 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ If your Dexterity bonus to your Armor is reduced by at least 2 due to your body armor, you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your Armor defense. This typically requires a Dexterity of 3. _________________________________________________________________________ Rank 4 (5,000 gp): The Armor defense bonus increases to +2 if your Dexterity bonus to Armor is reduced by at least 3.

Voidsoul Armor

Rank 5 (25,000 gp)

Body armor – Craft (bone, leather, or metal)

Attune
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your maximum hit points are halved. However, you are immune to conditions.