Revised mage armor

[Filatus]

If I'm not mistaken the spell mage armor in Layo gives an bonus of 1 to armor-, 1 to dodge-, 1 to deflection- and 1 to shieldbonus.

I'd like to suggest to change that to +4 armor bonus. I think it makes much more sense then the version being used. The only bonus that stacks is dodge and this is where I wonder why one gets a bonus to dodging because of a spell like mage armor.

Mages have been powered down a lot in Layo. Especially the lewlevel ones. I think that this change at least makes it a bit easier for the lowlevel mages.

[vgn]

Mage armor is a function on both Helmets of Armor. That would give everyone a much more powerful item.

[IDii]

It used to be +4 armor for a while in some version long ago here...

Not good though. Kills the need for having special armor as you can just have MA cast on you.

Beside the point of just the dodge stacking is that it's a lvl1 spell after all. Actually +1ac is still pretty good for a lvl1 spell if you think about it.

[Talan Va'lash]

The problem with this is in the PnP spell its a +4 armor class, as in you're now wearing the magical equivalent of mundane scale mail w/o any of the penalties.  It is not the same as wearing +4 clothing or bracers of armor +4.

Imagine that the wizard picks up a shield that gives +4 to his AC.  Its not "armor modifer."  This way it wouldnt really help to cast the spell on the fighter, since his 8 AC from full plate is much better than the 4 for mage armor.  Basically the spell replaces armor, but any +1 or +2 on clothing or bracers will still stack.  Only good for the mage and maybe a light armor wearing companion, and not overpowering.

However, the only way to do the spell in NWN would be to give a +4 "armor modifer" effectively making the spell an overpowered magic vestment.  Thats why its the way it is in NWN.  Personally I like it, it starts out strong, a major help at lower levels, while at higher levels its effectiveness is minimized (likely down to only a net +1 AC) but it isnt useless.  Its still +1 AC.

-TV

[Thunder Pants]

it's exactly as IDii stated, it used to be like that, but we changed it back because it made armors with ac bonesus pointless, why should i bother trying to get a suit of mithral plate mail (+3 ac) when i have a helm that casts a 1st level spell that does better then that

as talan said it's a compromise, yse in PnP it gives +4 armor bonus, but that bonus also doesn't stack with any armor being worn, so if i cast it on a fighter in plate mail it doesn't do anything

[Filatus]

The point is that mages don't wear armor. This spell is designed for mages, no to help fighters. And yes, since it benefits low level mages more then high level mages I think it is justified.

And well, the helmet, that's complicated. I think it's actually quite amazing that every fighter has a helemt that can cast that spell anyway. Maybe change it to a shield spell?