Does a ring of protection bonus to AC apply when wearing magic armor?

[Numenorean]

This is an easy question but right now I'm unable to find the answer in my DMG.

Does a +1 ring of protection stack with someone wearing +2 chain mail in terms of bonus to AC?

I know he gets the +1 to saves ... but does it also stack with his AC when he is wearingh magical armor?



Thanks

 

[Crothian]

yes, the ring is a deflection bonus and stacks with armor bonus. the ring does not give bonuses to saves, that was second edition I think.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My 1E DMG says that the AC bonus doesn't apply if you're wearing magic armor, but yeah, you keep the save bonus.

Rather than magic armor, you'd be better off with Bracers of Protection, AC4.

-Hyp.

 

[Khur]

To be a little clearer, a ring of protection +1 offers its wearer a +1 deflection bonus to AC. The chainmail offers a +5 armor bonus to AC with a +2 enhancement bonus to AC due to its magic. All of these bonuses stack for a total of +8 to AC. (See page 21 in the DMG for bonus stacking.) The ring offers no bonus on any saving throw.

Hope that helps.



All this assumes 3.5 Edition, of course.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The chainmail offers a +5 armor bonus to AC with a +2 enhancement bonus to AC due to its magic.

Not quite right. The chainmail doesn't give a +2 enhancement bonus to AC. Rather, the enhancement bonus is a bonus to the armor bonus of the chainmail, and the chainmail gives a total armor bonus of +7.

This is important if someone's wearing +1 leather armor and has a Mage Armor spell cast. The way you described it, the +2 armor bonus of the leather armor and the +4 armor bonus of the spell don't stack with each other, but the +1 enhancement bonus to AC does, for a total of +5 to AC.

However, the actual situation is that the +3 armor bonus of the leather (+2, with a +1 enhancement bonus) and the +4 armor bonus of the spell don't stack, for a total of +4 to AC.

-Hyp.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Not quite right. The chainmail doesn't give a +2 enhancement bonus to AC. Rather, the enhancement bonus is a bonus to the armor bonus of the chainmail, and the chainmail gives a total armor bonus of +7.

-Hyp.

The poster above broke it down to try to make it simple..... the basic armor bonus + the magical enhancement bonus. Which equals +7. He was just clarifying the DIFFERENT types of armor bonuses you can have.

 

[Hypersmurf]

He was just clarifying the DIFFERENT types of armor bonuses you can have.

It's not an enhancement bonus to AC. It's an enhancement bonus to the bonus of the armor.

Important distinction.

-Hyp.

 

[Silveras]

The poster above broke it down to try to make it simple..... the basic armor bonus + the magical enhancement bonus. Which equals +7. He was just clarifying the DIFFERENT types of armor bonuses you can have.

Except that breaking it down is an error. They are *not* different bonuses you can have. As Hyp pointed out, the enhancement bonus changes the armor bonus of the armor, and is not a separate bonus to count.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The poster above broke it down to try to make it simple..... the basic armor bonus + the magical enhancement bonus. Which equals +7. He was just clarifying the DIFFERENT types of armor bonuses you can have.

Except, of course, that using his method would cause problems if the person in question also had a magic shield, because you'd have a +5 Armor bonus, a +2 Enhancement bonus, a +1 Shield bonus, and a +1 Enhancement bonus, for a total of ... Oops! Enhancement bonuses don't stack!

 

[3d6]

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.

Shield enhancement bonuses stack with armor enhancement bonuses.

Sure they do.

Also, re: magic armor not giving an enhancement bonus to AC:

Rhino Hide: This +2 hide armor is made from rhinoceros hide. In addition to granting a +2 enhancement bonus to AC, it has a –1 armor check penalty and deals an additional 2d6 points of damage on any successful charge attack made by the wearer, including a mounted charge.

Magic armor (including shields offers imporved, magical protection to the wearer. Some of these items confer abilities beyond a benefit to Armor Class. For instance, a character wearing a +2 breastplate of etherealness is not only protected by this magically enhanced armor (+2 enhancement bonus to AC) but can transform her body into an ethereal form.