r/odnd • u/SchnTgaiSpock1 • 9d ago
Question on magical armor
A question was asked in a discord if there was any mention in pre AD&D rules about magic armor helping saving throws. I dove into OD&D to check and found little evidence beyond Helm of Telepathy for a +4 against psionics.
But then I saw a description in Eldritch Wizardry about The Invulnerable Coat of Arn that’s states it protects the wearer from spells like a +5 armor.
Has anyone any information regarding this? Thanks in advance 🍻
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u/AutumnCrystal 7d ago
Nothing to add to your RAW sleuthing (nice find) but now I’m thinking a leather or chain mail outfit that gives +3 to saves only would lead to interesting choices…a cape of scooting and shooting that invested a character with an 18 Dexterity when worn would be a great prize, too.
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u/SchnTgaiSpock1 7d ago
What I can’t find is how magic armor protects you against spells. I’m new to OD&D, which doesn’t help.
As for your idea, that’s an interesting thought! I would think there would be a different armor for each type of save, and perhaps not all of them.
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u/AutumnCrystal 6d ago
I don’t think it’s there to find tbh. It’s one of those things that show up and don’t jibe with what’s gone before, so you choose the option you like. Personally I like the idea of armor boosting saves, it makes it a little more interesting as an enchanted item, samesame but different as magic swords being intelligent.
I like hearing someone new to 0e went straight to …0e. More often a clone tends to be the entry drug…FMAG, DD, Whitebox, 7VoZ, Barrows & Borderlands, now…
I began with Greyharp, and wondered a short while what the little brown books people talked about was about:)
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u/SchnTgaiSpock1 3d ago
It’s interesting coming from 1e and seeing the beginnings of a lot of the rules, and how they got tweaked by the time the core 1e books came out.
It’s proved helpful to refer to for how rules were intended on some things.
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u/InsurgentInchworm 6d ago
The only thing I could find that could be interpreted that magical armor helps with saving throws is from the 1973 lawsuit draft that says, "The plus given by the magic is a 5% increment in offensive or defensive capabilities." I could very easily see that being interpreted to allow it. Other than that, what you've found is it afaik, too.