Does anyone know if this stacks with mage armor?
Magic vestment says its an enhancement bonus while mage armor says its an armor bonus so I believe they stack?
No. Magic vestment is cast on an existing suit of armor or shield. Its enhancement bonus works exactly the same as normal magic items enhancement bonus. It improves the base armors armor bonus. For example, a suit of leather armor (+2 armor bonus) that recieves a +! enhancement bonus now grants a total of a +3 armor bonus to AC, not +2 armor and +1enhancement. Mage armor does not stack with normal armor.
Mage armor also doesn't create a suit of armor, so isn't a valid target for magic vestment.
Here is the rule Jeraa is referencing:
Enhancement Bonuses: Enhancement bonuses apply to your armor to increase the armor bonus it provides.
Does anyone know if this stacks with mage armor?
Magic vestment says its an enhancement bonus while mage armor says its an armor bonus so I believe they stack?
No. Magic vestment is cast on an existing suit of armor or shield. Its enhancement bonus works exactly the same as normal magic items enhancement bonus. It improves the base armors armor bonus. For example, a suit of leather armor (+2 armor bonus) that recieves a +! enhancement bonus now grants a total of a +3 armor bonus to AC, not +2 armor and +1enhancement. Mage armor does not stack with normal armor.
Mage armor also doesn't create a suit of armor, so isn't a valid target for magic vestment.
Magic vestment allows the caster to enhance clothing as if it was +0 armor. If you put magic vestment on clothing first to make it +0 armor, +1 enhancement bonus to armor, then cast mage armor, would it then go to +4 armor (replacing the +0 clothing), +1 enhancement?
Magic vestment allows the caster to enhance clothing as if it was +0 armor. If you put magic vestment on clothing first to make it +0 armor, +1 enhancement bonus to armor, then cast mage armor, would it then go to +4 armor (replacing the +0 clothing), +1 enhancement?
No. The +1 enhancement enhances the armor rating of the clothing, raising it by +1 (it becomes clothing with an armor rating of 1). The +1 enhancement does NOT *directly* enhance your AC, the clothing is doing that. The +1 enhancement is not 'floating', it is associated to the suit of armor, clothing or shield it is cast on. Mage Armor has an armor rating of +4. It is not a legal target for Magic Vestment.
So you take the better of
1) the enhanced (by Magic Vestment) value of the clothing
2) the Mage Armor spell
So what is Magic Vestment good for? Wouldn't Mage Armor always be preferable? (Yes, I realize you might not have access to it, but that seems like the only situation where it would be worth bothering with.)
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Magic Vestment is good for a lot. My clerics regularly use it on their armor instead of purchasing an enhancement bonus (saves money).
Heavy Plate (my clerics get Heavy Armor proficiency) + level 12 Magic Vestment = 9+3 = 12armor bonus to AC.
If my cleric had Mage Armor cast upon him it would be:
Heavy Plate = 9+3 = 12 armor bonus to AC which is greater than Mage Armor = 4 armor bonus to AC.
Does anyone know if this stacks with mage armor?
Magic vestment says its an enhancement bonus while mage armor says its an armor bonus so I believe they stack?
No. Magic vestment is cast on an existing suit of armor or shield. Its enhancement bonus works exactly the same as normal magic items enhancement bonus. It improves the base armors armor bonus. For example, a suit of leather armor (+2 armor bonus) that recieves a +! enhancement bonus now grants a total of a +3 armor bonus to AC, not +2 armor and +1enhancement. Mage armor does not stack with normal armor.
Mage armor also doesn't create a suit of armor, so isn't a valid target for magic vestment.
Magic vestment allows the caster to enhance clothing as if it was +0 armor. If you put magic vestment on clothing first to make it +0 armor, +1 enhancement bonus to armor, then cast mage armor, would it then go to +4 armor (replacing the +0 clothing), +1 enhancement?
No.
As I said, the enhancement bonus isn't separate - it boosts the armors current armor bonus. Normal clothing (for the purposes of the spell) is armor with a +0 armor bonus. Adding in a +1 enhancement bonus to that does not make clothing with a +0 armor and +1 enhancement bonus. It makes clothing with a +1 armor bonus.
Enhancement bonuses are not added directly into your Armor Class. They are added into an existing form of armor first (like regular armor/clothing or natural armor), which are then added to your AC. Look at any of the monsters that have magic armor. My go-to example is the solar angel. He has +5full plate. If you look at how his AC is calculated, it has a +14 armor bonus. Not a +9 armor bonus and a +5 enhancement bonus.
As you said, you may not have access to mage armor--this is traditionally a cleric spell, while the other is traditionally a wizard spell. Also, magic vestment enhances actual armor, so a cleric wearing nonmagical armor can get quite a boost out of this.
I'll just point out your character could be wielding a buckler shield (Mithral recommended for a 0 ASF) and Magic Vestment can target the shield while the Mage Armor targets your clothing as per normal.
There are a couple things wrong with your statement.
1) Magic Vestment targeting your shield is giving you an enhancement bonus to your shield bonus.
As such, it does not conflict with Mage Armor because Mage Armor is providing an armor bonus.
2) Mage Armor does not 'target your clothing as per normal'.
It does not target your clothing, does not target your armor, does not target anything you are wearing or not wearing.
It provides an armor bonus.
It does not provide a buff to an existing armor bonus.
Target creature touched
contrast that with...
Target armor or shield touched
There is still a (limited) benefit when using mage armor if you have already applied magic vestment to your armor. When attacked by incorporeal creatures, regular armor (and therefore magic vestment) is ignored. But the mage armor would still be in effect and apply against the attack.
While I can use Magic Vestment on my shield and Mage Armor, I get better if I use MV on shield and on armor. That is twice the bonus from MV vs. a non-stacking +4 armor bonus. At 8th level, two 3rd level spells give as much bonus as MA, but stack with existing armor, while MA does not stack.
There are also ways to transfer that bonus to saves or other stuff, so twice the bonus gets twice the transfer benefit.
/cevah
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Many groups, like PFS, don't allow the Enhancement Bonuses of specific magic armor and shields to be permanently upgraded. Magical Vestment can be really nice when you like features of a specific item but it has a low Enhancement Bonus.
Many groups, like PFS, don't allow the Enhancement Bonuses of specific magic armor and shields to be permanently upgraded. Magical Vestment can be really nice when you like features of a specific item but it has a low Enhancement Bonus.My Wizard while he didn't have Magic Vestment often did memorize Greater Magic Weapon for this reason, some perculiar material was needed to bypass DR or if something ugly happened to the groups melee experts favored (read multiple feats sunk into) weapon. Disjunction is a thing :)
My Living City archer had a +1 Bow plus 'stuff' and frequently had it boosted similarly.
It must be noted, however, that greater magic weapon will not help overcome damage reduction beyond DR/Magic. It says so in the spell. So a weapon boosted to +4 through GMW will not overcome adamantine, cold iron, or silver damage reduction while a normal +4 weapon will.