# Vest of Resistance - am I crazy?



## Malin Genie (Feb 2, 2003)

I was sure that an item (the _vest of resistance_) that gave save bonuses like a _cloak of resistance_ but took up the vest slot instead of the cloak slot existed.  

I thouht it was in Masters of the Wild, but looked through there without finding it.

Am I crazy?  Did I just make this item up?


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 2, 2003)

IDHTBIFOM, but I think it's Tome and Blood...

-Hyp.


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## MadScientist (Feb 2, 2003)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> *IDHTBIFOM*



Erm I thought I had gotten the board speek around here down pretty well.  I need some help with this one though.


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 2, 2003)

- -on't -ave -he -ook(s) -n -ront -f -e.

-Hyp.


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## Sixchan (Feb 2, 2003)

I always thought it was IDHMBIFOMRN.


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 2, 2003)

> *I always thought it was IDHMBIFOMRN. *




That works too.

-Hyp.


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## Malin Genie (Feb 2, 2003)

Hypersmurf - YYRTFTH !!

(I'll leave you guys to work that out  )


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 2, 2003)

> *Hypersmurf - YYRTFTH !!
> 
> (I'll leave you guys to work that out  ) *




I'm guessing 'Yup, you're right, thanks for the help'... 

-Hyp.


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## hong (Feb 3, 2003)

If you play with fungible slots (as I think a lot of people do), then just about any item could give a resistance bonus to saves.


Hong "behold my +5 codpiece of Charisma" Ooi


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 3, 2003)

> *Hong "behold my +5 codpiece of Charisma" Ooi *




You know, that's a mental image I really, really didn't need right after reading Gargantua and Pantagruel...

-Hyp.


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## RigaMortus (Feb 3, 2003)

Ha!  Magic items that grant ability score increases go by 2's up to +6.  So you could have a +2, +4 or +6 codpiece of Charisma, but not a +5 one.


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## magnas_veritas (Feb 3, 2003)

RigaMortus said:
			
		

> *Ha!  Magic items that grant ability score increases go by 2's up to +6.  So you could have a +2, +4 or +6 codpiece of Charisma, but not a +5 one. *




Technically, that's not necessarily true.  There's nothing stopping me from making a +5 Codpiece of Charisma...for ability score enhancement bonuses, it's bonus^2*1000, so that would fill the Belt slot and have a +5 to Charisma, for 25k gp.

Granted, there's no particularly reason to do so, as the user has a very good chance to not get full utility out of it (unless they start out with an odd score in the first place).  But it is possible.

Brad


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## Hypersmurf (Feb 3, 2003)

> *There's nothing stopping me from making a +5 Codpiece of Charisma...*




... except possibly your DM, who has to exercise judgement over any item not mapped out already.

(And over some of those that are, if he feels like it.)

-Hyp.


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## Sir Hawkeye (Feb 3, 2003)

hong said:
			
		

> *If you play with fungible slots (as I think a lot of people do), then just about any item could give a resistance bonus to saves.
> 
> 
> Hong "behold my +5 codpiece of Charisma" Ooi *




Ewww, fungible codpiece...

Note: as I have just discovered, fungible does not, in fact, mean "able to be covered with fungi." It apparently means ~"interchangeable".


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## magnas_veritas (Feb 3, 2003)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> *
> 
> ... except possibly your DM, who has to exercise judgement over any item not mapped out already.
> 
> ...




Well, yes.  But there's no specific rule stating that ability score enhancements have to be even numbers.

Brad


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## Darklone (Feb 3, 2003)

I think there is.


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## Zhure (Feb 3, 2003)

DMG, page 176

"...usually comes in multiples of 2."


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## magnas_veritas (Feb 4, 2003)

Zhure said:
			
		

> *DMG, page 176
> 
> "...usually comes in multiples of 2." *




Usually.  Not "must come in multiples of 2."  Not "always comes in multiples of 2."  Usually.  Unless the DM rules otherwise, there's no reason I can't custom-build an item for myself that gives an odd enhancement bonus to a stat (so long as it's below 6).

Of course, it's really only especially useful if the wielder has an odd score in the stat in question.  Otherwise it performs as the one-lower bonus item.  A caster can also take the time to make it in stages...like the cleric making his Wis item starting at +1 and jacking it all the way up.

Brad


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## WattsHumphrey (Feb 4, 2003)

Sir Hawkeye said:
			
		

> *
> Note: as I have just discovered, fungible does not, in fact, mean "able to be covered with fungi." It apparently means ~"interchangeable". *




ROFLMAO!!!!


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## Ogrork the Mighty (Jul 9, 2011)

_Complete Arcane_ and then _Magic Item Compendium_.


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## domino (Jul 10, 2011)

There could literally be people on this board that weren't even _born _when the question was first asked.


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## Arkhandus (Jul 13, 2011)

Yes the Vest of Resistance was in the 3.0 D&D supplement Tome & Blood.  Identical to a Cloak of Resistance in all but name and slot.

And I prefer having magic items with specific slots based on their effect, to reduce powergaming on item slots to get all the best or most directly-useful bonuses and effects simultaneously by just choosing whatever slot you want each one to occupy.


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## Dandu (Jul 13, 2011)

While I agree in general, denying a sorcerer any resistance bonus to saves because he has to wear a Cloak of Charisma seems rather cruel.


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## Jackinthegreen (Jul 13, 2011)

Dandu said:


> While I agree in general, denying a sorcerer any resistance bonus to saves because he has to wear a Cloak of Charisma seems rather cruel.



That's why there's the rule allowing additional stats on the same item.  It's a higher price of course, but that's balanced because it's condensed into one slot.


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## Sekhmet (Jul 13, 2011)

I seem to recall a mention of an increased cost when attaching modifiers to slots without that affinity, IE: a Codpiece of Charisma would be more expensive than the typical Cloak of Charisma, although it wasn't much.

 Anyone happen to remember/know what I'm talking about?

 I just noticed how old this thread is. I wonder why it was necromancied.


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## Patryn of Elvenshae (Jul 13, 2011)

Sekhmet said:


> I seem to recall a mention of an increased cost when attaching modifiers to slots without that affinity, IE: a Codpiece of Charisma would be more expensive than the typical Cloak of Charisma, although it wasn't much.
> 
> Anyone happen to remember/know what I'm talking about?.




It's a 50% upcharge if the ability you are adding does not match the slot's "affinity."


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## Magesmiley (Jul 13, 2011)

Malin Genie said:


> I was sure that an item (the _vest of resistance_) that gave save bonuses like a _cloak of resistance_ but took up the vest slot instead of the cloak slot existed.
> 
> I thouht it was in Masters of the Wild, but looked through there without finding it.
> 
> Am I crazy?  Did I just make this item up?




I was looking at this not long ago, I believe that I saw it in the Magic Item Compendium.


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## Wyvernhand (Jul 14, 2011)

Arkhandus said:


> And I prefer having magic items with specific slots based on their effect, to reduce powergaming on item slots to get all the best or most directly-useful bonuses and effects simultaneously by just choosing whatever slot you want each one to occupy.




Yea, because punishing folks for the retardedness of the Devs is REALLY cool.  Guess who gets screwed the most?  Mundanes, especially those who try to "tank", the most maligned melee role of all.  What shall I put in my neck slot?  Hmmm....Natural Armor?  Or +Con?  Or maybe I should get something to help protect me from poisons?  Nope...pick one.

And monks....wow, monks get SCREWED!  Cause they don't get crapped on enough.

Amulet of Mighty Fists? Neck.
Periept of Wisdom? Neck.
Amulet of Health? Neck.
Amulet of Natural Armor? Neck.

Now, as a monk, the most MAD class in the game who is arguably the MOST item dependant class in the game...which do you pick?

No.  Screw that.  MIC's affinity rules fix this problem, and for a reason.  They allow you to get your "meat and potatoes" enhancements, something ALL characters need to stay relevant against appropriate ELs while still allowing them to pick up "fun" items like Heartseeker Amulet or Bolt Vests or Gloves of Fortunate Striking.

Certain classes shouldn't be punished because their required stats are on a "legacy item".


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## Arkhandus (Jul 17, 2011)

Wyvernhand said:


> Yea, because punishing folks for the retardedness of the Devs is REALLY cool.  Guess who gets screwed the most?  Mundanes, especially those who try to "tank", the most maligned melee role of all.  What shall I put in my neck slot?  Hmmm....Natural Armor?  Or +Con?  Or maybe I should get something to help protect me from poisons?  Nope...pick one.
> 
> And monks....wow, monks get SCREWED!  Cause they don't get crapped on enough.
> 
> ...



Hey, there are tradeoffs to be made sometimes.  And it's not like I'm against custom magic items in general.  I wouldn't ban something like a gauntlet or bracer that enhanced unarmed strikes instead of the Amulet of Mighty Fists, for example, because those other slots make more sense.  A Vest of Natural Armor also would make sense enough.  I just don't think folks should be able to powergame their magic items to get everything they want to maximize their characters while eliminating all of those characters' weaknesses to make them virtually invincible against anything of regular CR for their level.  They should need to make some tradeoffs in their choice of items, prioritizing some aspects of their character over others.

And besides, in my games I just interpret the rules on gauntlets as meaning that since they simply convert unarmed strikes to normal/lethal damage, then a monk can wear a magic gauntlet to empower his or her unarmed strikes with that hand.

Besides, the problems you bring up have more to do with the CLASSES needing rebalancing, not so much the magic items they would equip.  I beef up monks and fighters and such in most of my games with a few houserules.  I don't believe in making them more dependant on "stuff" instead of their own martial prowess.


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## Wyvernhand (Jul 18, 2011)

Just because you can treat the symptom doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist.

And allowing a player to have both +Con and +NA on a necklace is HARDLY counts as "powergame their magic items to get everything they want to maximize their characters while eliminating all of those characters' weaknesses to make them virtually invincible against anything of regular CR for their level".

All thats doing is forcing the player to cover their bases while ignoring cool, yet less vital treasure.  Oh, look, a set of bracers that give you strike an extra time in a round, 3/day, similar to haste.  Oh wait...you can't wear em, since you have to wear your Bracers of Armor so that you don't DIE.

MIC, next to ToB, is one of the best things to happen to D&D.  It, all of it, from the cheaper charges/day magic trinkets to the body slot affinity rules, make the game a lot more interesting.  They don't increase power dramatically, but what they do is increase options, which makes combat more interesting.  Always having to get +x Belt of Ogre Power because its the "best in slot" item is BORING.  Being able to cover your +Str and still get something interesting, something active?  Thats good.  The upper limit of what you CAN do is still capped by how close your DM holds to WBL (which isn't obligatory for the players, but rather simply a useful metric for determining party power compared to the CR system), MIC just gives you more options.


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