Topic: Amulet of Armour and its ilk

[munchy]

I was wondering whether those magic items from the HARP books gave only a bonus on DB but also a armour damage adjustment as per Martial Law? Only DB would be interesting but not really that great (basically only a bless spell in an item), having it reduce the damage also, thus working like the various armour spells would make them really magical and great.
How do you handle this?

[Right Wing Wacko]

I suppose the same way you houserule the benefits from Steelskin or Treeskin...
Some say it acts as armor because it changes the casters skin and thus grants damage reduction per armor... others argue that the bonus applies only to DB... Tim has definitely and irrevocably ruled... both ways actually
So, it is really up to you, but I am sure more people will opine...

[Mattiyaho]

We always played that spells that say they protect as a specific armor reduces damage as that armor. I have ruled that if the item says it protects the wearer like an armor it reduces, or if it gives a db that coresponds to a specific armor. If you play that reductions also apply then you may need a rule that says you get only one reduction not both for a magic item and armor. One Gm made a spell like steelskin but it didn't add to db. It just made you reduce damage like you wearing armor.

[Right Wing Wacko]

I agree... I treat the spells as though it protects as the armor scaled to, but I use HB 11 combat and it kinda already has damage adjustment built in (sorta).
 PS. I also adjust the DB of the spell armor as HB 11 suggests for the actual armor.

[pming]

Hiya.

  Personally, IMC, nope. Magical "DB armor spells" only give you the basic 'deflective' aspects of DB...kinda like Qu and Ag. This, IMHO, prevents the desire for fighter types to seek out these types of protection over actual armor. If I didn't do this, visually, things would start to look like 'high-level play' in That Other Game That Shall Not Be Named...where wearing actual armor is pretty much pointless once you reach level 8 to 12 or higher.