Bonuses from Magic
Bonus Type | Improves | Sample Spells | Sample Magic Items |
Armor/Enhancment | AC* | Mage Armor (+4); Magic Vestment (+1 to +5) | +1 to +5 Armor; Bracers of Armor (+1 to +8) |
Circumstance | Attacks, checks | -- | -- |
Competence | Attacks, saves, checks | Transformation** (+5 on Fortitude saves) | Circlet of Persuasion (+3 on Charisma-based checks); Ioun Stone - Pale green (+1 on attacks, saves, skill checks & ability checks; 30,000gp); Robe of Blending (+10 on Hide checks) |
Damage Reduction | Damage | Righteous Might**** (damage reduction of 3, 6 or 9 per round vs evil) | -- |
Deflection | AC | Cloak of Chaos (+4); Protection from C/E/G/L (+2 vs opposite type); Shield of Faith (+2) | Ring of Protection (+1 to +5) |
Dodge | AC & Reflex* | Haste (+1 to AC & Reflex saves) | Boots of Speed (see Haste spell) |
Enhancement*** | Attacks, damage | Magic Weapon/Magic Weapon, Greater (+1 to +5 on attacks & damage) | +1 to + 5 Weapon |
Enhancement | Ability scores | Bear’s Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendor, Fox’s Cunning, Owl’s Wisdom (+4 to the respective ability type); Transformation** (+4 to Str, Dex, and Con) | Amulet of Health, Cloak of Charisma, Gauntlets of Ogre Power/Belt of Giant Strength, Gloves of Dexterity, Headband of Intellect, Periapt of Wisdom (+2, +4 or +6; 4,000/16,000/36,000gp); Ioun Stones (+2; 8,000gp) |
Haste | Attacks | Haste (one extra attack with any weapon, +1 on attack rolls) | Boots of Speed (see Haste spell) |
Inherent***** | Ability scores | Wish (+1 to +5 per ability) | Manual of Bodily Health (+1 to +5 Con); Manual of Gainful Exercise (+1 to +5 Str); Manual of Quickness of Action (+1 to +5 Dex); Tome of Clear Thought (+1 to +5 Int); Tome of Leadership and Influence (+1 to +5 Chr); Tome of Understanding (+1 to +5 Wis) |
Insight | Attacks, AC, saves, checks | Find Traps (max +10 on Search checks made to find traps); Foresight (+2 to AC & Reflex saves); Moment of Prescience (max +25 on any single attack roll, opposed ability or skill check, save, or AC vs a single attack); True Strike (Your next single attack roll gains +20) | Ioun Stone - Dusty rose (+1 to AC; 5,000gp) |
Luck | Attacks, AC, saves, checks, weapon damage | Divine Favor (+1 to +3 on attack and weapon damage rolls) | Stone of Good Luck (+1 on saves, ability checks & skill checks) |
Morale | Attacks, checks, saves, weapon damage | Aid (+1 on attacks & saves against fear effects); Bless (+1 on attacks & on saves against fear effects); Good Hope (+2 on saves, attacks, ability checks, skill checks & weapon damage); Heroes’ Feast (+1 on attacks, Will saves & immunity to fear effects for 12 hours); Heroism/Heroism, Greater (+2 or +4 on attacks, saves, & skill checks); Rage (+2 to Str and Con, +1 on Will saves, & -2 penalty to AC); Remove Fear (+4 against fear effects) | Ring of Elemental Command (+4 on all attack rolls against certain elemental creatures) |
Natural Armor | AC* | Barkskin (+1 to +5), Righteous Might (+2), Transformation** (+4) | Amulet of Natural Armor (+1 to +5) |
Other | AC, unarmed damage | -- | Monk's Belt (AC & unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher) |
Profane (Evil) | Checks | Desecrate (-3 or -6 to each Chr check made to turn undead within this area); Unhallow (-4 to all turning checks made to turn undead, and +4 to all turning checks to rebuke undead) | -- |
Resistance | Saves | Cloak of Chaos (+4); Protection from C/E/G/L (+2 vs opposite type only); Resistance (+1) | Cloak of Resistance (+1 to +5); Ring of Elemental Command (+2 from the extraplanar creature’s attacks) |
Sacred | Checks | Consecrate (+3 or +6 to each Chr check made to turn undead within this area), Hallow (+4 to all turning checks made to turn undead, and -4 to all Chr checks to command undead) | -- |
Sheild/Enhancement | AC* | Magic Vestment (+1 to +5), Sheild (+4) | +1 to +5 Sheild, Ring of Force (+2) |
Size | Str, Con | Enlarge Person (+2 to Str, -2 to Dex); Righteous Might**** (+4 to Str & +2 to Con) | -- |
*Doesn't apply against touch attacks.
**However, you lose any spellcasting ability.
***An enhancement bonus does not stack with a masterwork weapon’s +1 bonus on attack rolls.
****Your size modifier for AC and attacks changes as appropriate to your new size category.
*****An inherent bonus may not exceed +5 for a single ability score, and inherent bonuses to a particular ability score do not stack, so only the best one applies.
Magic Items On The Body
Many magic items need to be donned by a character who wants to employ them or benefit from their abilities. It’s possible for a creature with a humanoid-shaped body to wear as many as twelve magic items at the same time. However, each of those items must be worn on (or over) a particular part of the body.
A humanoid-shaped body can be decked out in magic gear consisting of one item from each of the following groups, keyed to which place on the body the item is worn.
* One headband, hat, helmet, or phylactery on the head* One pair of eye lenses or goggles on or over the eyes
* One amulet, brooch, medallion, necklace, periapt, or scarab around the neck
* One vest, vestment, or shirt on the torso
* One robe or suit of armor on the body (over a vest, vestment, or shirt)
* One belt around the waist (over a robe or suit of armor)
* One cloak, cape, or mantle around the shoulders (over a robe or suit of armor)
* One pair of bracers or bracelets on the arms or wrists
* One glove, pair of gloves, or pair of gauntlets on the hands
* One ring on each hand (or two rings on one hand)
* One pair of boots or shoes on the feet
Of course, a character may carry or possess as many items of the same type as he wishes. However, additional items beyond those listed above have no effect.
Some items can be worn or carried without taking up space on a character’s body. The description of an item indicates when an item has this property.
Acknowledgement: Many thanks to dnd.steinhour.net for creating the 3.0 version of this table, which served as my template.