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Mistmail is from page 285 of the APG
Slot armor; Price 2,250 gp; Weight 25 lbs.
Description
The fine links of this +1 chain shirt form a pattern of roiling clouds. On command once per day, the wearer can transform it into thick fog that fills his space and provides concealment (20% miss chance). This mist moves with the character. Effects that disperse the mist or destroy it cause the armor to reform into its solid shape on the character's body, as does speaking the command word or entering a place where the fog-magic doesn't function (such as underwater). If the character tries to don another suit of armor while the mistmail is in fog form, it reforms at the character's feet.
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, obscuring mist; Cost 1,250 gp
It doesn't actually say how long it can remain in fog form, just once per day.
My first impulse is it is based off the obscuring mist spell and is caster level 3, so duration is 3 minutes.
Is that reasonable, should it be infinite, or something in between?
My take was that it ends when the mist is dispersed. There's no real time limit on it, as far as I can tell, but I'm not 100% convinced on the intent.
That said, the spell used to make the item has no effect on the item itself, unless the item actually casts that spell.
That said, this question comes up often enough that a FAQ might be in order.
... That said, the spell used to make the item has no effect on the item itself, unless the item actually casts that spell.
Agreed. But the effect is very similar to the spell and that's all I see to go on.
Based on the fact that it has "Obscuring Mist" as prerequisite, and produces effect similar to Obscuring Mist, and item itself is CL3, I'd treat it as CL3 Obscuring Mist, for duration of (up to) 3 minutes (unless dispersed/countered prematurely)
~Andro
Agreed.
So on what would you base the duration since there is no other information?
The effect lasts until the command word is spoken, the effect is dispelled, or the wearer enters water. Otherwise, it can be transformed 1/day. The transformation has no duration. I buy this on rogues all the time.
We actually kept mistmail in mind when designing the Mist subdomain, making sure that a simple suit of mistmail wouldn't facilitate the use of that ability.
Of course, mistmail is no substitute for actual armor and the Improved Feint feat. "Move action to hide" is opposed by Perception (a common skill for which racial and feat bonuses are also common). "Move action to feint" is opposed by base attack bonus or Sense Motive (a less common skill for which racial and feat bonuses are less common). And having armor is better than not having armor.
Sorry to resurrect this, but has this question ever been definitively answered from on high? I had a DM tell me today that mistmail only stays misty for 3 minutes while at another recent table another allowed it the entire time. Could we please get a FAQ on this or, failing that, a consensus?
Few things are more frustrating than table variations on these sort of ambiguous elements.
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Sorry to resurrect this, but has this question ever been definitively answered from on high? I had a DM tell me today that mistmail only stays misty for 3 minutes while at another recent table another allowed it the entire time. Could we please get a FAQ on this or, failing that, a consensus?
The post from Abandoned Arts is phrased as though he had some hand in designing something...?
But as far as Pathfinder Design Team commentary, there's been none that I'm aware of.
If a GM takes a moment to give it some thought, it becomes obvious that you don't port in qualities of the contruction requirements by default (check out the spells involved in crafting some weapon enhancements, like flaming).
If a GM takes a moment to give it some thought.
Another question on the subject of Mistmail (slightly off-topic, but I'm not sure this question deserves an independent topic.) Is there anything preventing someone from combining Mistmail with Mage Armor?
No, for the armor turns into mist, no longer giving you AC benefits. You're not donning another suit of armor; force is being cast on to you.
Also, nothing prevents you from wearing regular armor and mage armor. You just get the better of the two.
Considering the recent FAQ on Rings of Invisibility and such, does that mean this should last 3 minutes?
Considering the recent FAQ on Rings of Invisibility and such, does that mean this should last 3 minutes?
No. The FAQ applies to items that function "as the spell". Mist mail does not function "as obscuring mist"; it has a unique effect with the spell as a thematic requirement, much like the above-mentioned flaming weapon property has a thematic requirement but does not have the properties of any of its requisite spells.