Ring of Evasion

[Beorn the Bear]

Does the ring of evasion give you the ability to evade in medium and heavy armor, even though the class ability does not?

[FarmerBob]

Beorn the Bear wrote:

Does the ring of evasion give you the ability to evade in medium and heavy armor, even though the class ability does not?

The ring doesn't mention anything about armor restrictions, unlike the various class abilities that grant evasion. So, I'd say yes.

[Abraham spalding]

The best you could fandangle is using it in medium armor since the ranger's version works in medium armor.

[AvalonXQ]

I agree with FarmerBob. No armor restriction listed; no reason it wouldn't work in heavy armor.

[Jiggy]

PRD: Ring of Evasion wrote:

This ring continually grants the wearer the ability to avoid damage as if she had evasion. Whenever she makes a Reflex saving throw to determine whether she takes half damage, a successful save results in no damage.

So it says "as if she had evasion", so that seems to imply that it functions the same as the class ability with the same name. So I went and looked at the rogue to verify, and it does say that it only functions in light armor.

Case closed, right?

Wait a second. Don't monks also get evasion, and doesn't most of their stuff turn off if they wear ANY armor? Better have a look.

Turns out, though, that the monk's evasion also functions in light armor. So I guess that means that's a universal restriction, right?

Wait a second.

Don't rangers get evasion too? But they're proficient with medium armor (unlike rogues and monks). Wouldn't it be a little silly to have a great class feature not work in one of your proficient armors? Better have a look.

Turns out rangers' evasion also functions in medium armor - and the description doesn't call this out as being some kind of special exception.

This means that the armor restriction can't be part of the definition of evasion. When you consider this, and then go back and read the rest of that ring's description - where instead of leaving you to look up the ability yourself, it tells you how it works - it seems that it goes by its own description rather than that of any particular class. If you try to say it's identical to the class feature, suddenly you have to decide which class, and you have no means of doing so.

Thus, I see no logical alternative to either allowing it in any armor, or just houseruling it.

EDIT: Multi-ninja'd, but glad to see people reading carefully.

[thepuregamer]

Animal companions and eidolons can get evasion as well and their evasion makes no mention of armor restrictions. Note that eidolons cannot wear armor and thus this is less relevant but animal companions can wear armor and still benefit from evasion. A animal companion in heavy armor could still use evasion.

So, if the ring makes no mention of armor restrictions, then there are none.

[Abraham spalding]

thepuregamer wrote:

Animal companions and eidolons can get evasion as well and their evasion makes no mention of armor restrictions. Note that eidolons cannot wear armor and thus this is less relevant but animal companions can wear armor and still benefit from evasion. A animal companion in heavy armor could still use evasion.

So, if the ring makes no mention of armor restrictions, then there are none.

Good point forgot about the AC's evasion ability.

[Maxximilius]

Quote:

Wouldn't it be a little silly to have a great class feature not work in one of your proficient armors? Better have a look.

Off-topic, gunslingers get medium armors proficiency but cannot use their Gunslinger's Dodge in them (and don't really benefit from wielding armors limiting their mobility and dexterity bonus to AC).

[Hazzard]

Has there been a ruling made for this?

If Armor doesn't apply I would like to get a ring of evasion for my 13th lvl Fighter / Ranger wearing mithril full plate +2

[Mike Franke]

Logical twistings aside, no evasion ability of any class that I know of allows for evasion in heavy armor so I definitely would not allow for the ring to work with heavy armor. I would allow it for light and medium armor since specific classes specifically allow it.

Characters are not animal companions so in my opinion it does not matter what animal companion rules say.

Considering Paizo's general feelings about magic items imitating class abilities, it certainly makes sense that they would not create a magic item that not only imitates a class ability but creates a super version of that ability.

[Hazzard]

Thank you Mike, in the 'Special Materials' section of 'Equipment' in the core rule book under Mithral:

"Heavy armors are treated as medium, medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light."

CRB 1st edition p154 last sentence on the page, carrying over to p.155

So if I bought a ring of evasion, then would it simply be a Ring of "Rangers" evasion?