2 esoteric questions about armors


Rules Questions


2 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

The questions here are an off-shoot of those asked in this other thread because the substance of the questions in the op have been answered (somewhat) and the issues had changed over the course of the thread. The refined questions now are:

1. Suppose a character is wearing, say, +1 a slick brawling [haramaki/silk ceremonial armor/mithral armored jacket] under or over a non-magical set of full plate (mithral full plate in the case of the armored jacket), thus only having 1 set of magic armor in his 'armor' magic item slot despite physically wearing 2 pieces of armor.

Can/does he get the benefit of the slick and brawling properties from the light magic armor on top of the regular benefits and penalties of wearing the full plate (or other heavier armor)?

2. From tables 5-3 and 5-6 on pages 118 and 119 of the gamemastery guide, it is confirmed that you can make mithril/adamantine studded leather, presumably on the basis that it is the metal studs on the armor that are predominantly providing the protection. Would this extend to the haramaki, which is described as "a simple silken sash lined with chainmail or articulated metal plates"? Specifically, could you make an adamantine haramaki (to the rejoicing of arcane casters across Golarion)?


1. As DM I would deny this because you can only wear one suite of armor.
2. Here I would also say NO, because a studded leather has no metal parts which adds real protection.

"Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine"
"Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral"


I believe that studded leather is specifically called out as being able to be made out of mithral in a FAQ. Can't find it, though, but I remember it being mentioned in the other thread.


The studded part of studded leather seems to be refering to metal studs, i think.
1. Only the armored jacket seem to give rules for putting it on top of others. And there i think i would allow it.
2. I also think the haramaki is made mostly of metal so yes here as well.


About Question 1:

d20pfsrd on magic items wrote:


Many magic items need to be donned by a character who wants to employ them or benefit from their abilities. It's possible for a creature with a humanoid-shaped body to wear as many as 15 magic items at the same time. However, each of those items must be worn on (or over) a particular part of the body, known as a “slot.”

A humanoid-shaped body can be decked out in magic gear consisting of one item from each of the following groups, keyed to which slot on the body the item is worn.

Of course, a character may carry or possess as many items of the same type as he wishes. However, additional items beyond those in the slots listed above have no effect.

Depends on how you read the last sentence.

Since that part of the rules talks about magic items, it should be understood as talking specifically about magic items when it mentions 'items' in that last sentence, and their magical effects when it talks about 'effects'. Otherwise, you could use it to argue things like "my eyes and face item slots were already used by magic items before I was blindfolded, so the blindfold has no effect and I can see through it" or "I'm wearing a bracelet, so the manacles that the guards put on me have no effect" (both manacles and bracelets occupy the wrist slot).

The sensible ruling is that magic items work only if worn in the right slot, and any magic item worn in a slot already filled by another magic does not give its magical properties, but non-magical items always work as long as they are used in the right way. That's what I think anyway.

About Question 2:
I've seen people talking about their adamantine haramakis on the message boards. You wouldn't be the first one to have thought about it, and since the haramaki's defensive properties almost certainly come from the chainmail or metal plates, I think it makes sense.


Tryn wrote:

1. As DM I would deny this because you can only wear one suite of armor.

2. Here I would also say NO, because a studded leather has no metal parts which adds real protection.

"Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine"
"Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral"

1. This came up in the previous thread. At the very least the armored coat can, and very likely the silk armor as well. Haramaki is the only controversial one.

2. Also discussed in previous thread. Gamemastery guide specifically allows mithral and adamantine studded leathers. Look up the pages in mentioned in the OP.

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