QuoteBracers of Armor

These items appear to be wrist or arm guards. They surround the wearer with an invisible but tangible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of +1 to +8, just as though he were wearing armor. Both bracers must be worn for the magic to be effective.

Do you keep the armor bonus against touch attacks?

I'd say no because it's an armour bonus.  If it was some other sort of defensive bonus like dodge for example then it would apply.

Quote from: YigDo you keep the armor bonus against touch attacks?

Nope...

Quote from: SRDTouch Attacks: Some attacks disregard armor, including shields and natural armor. In these cases, the attacker makes a touch attack roll (either ranged or melee). When you are the target of a touch attack, your AC doesn't include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. All other modifiers, such as your size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) apply normally.

Bracers of Armor provide an armor bonus to AC, therefore it doesn't help with touch attacks.

OK, this is what I tought.

Friend said that because it is a field of force, you get it on your touch AC. Look like it is just fluff.

I would say that it does for this reason:

QuoteArmor Bonus

An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or magical effect that mimics armor. Armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to Armor Class (even with natural armor bonuses) except other armor bonuses. An armor bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks, except for armor bonuses granted by force effects (such as the mage armor spell) which apply against incorporeal touch attacks, such as that of a shadow.

QuoteBracers of Armor

These items appear to be wrist or arm guards. They surround the wearer with an invisible but tangible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of +1 to +8, just as though he were wearing armor. Both bracers must be worn for the magic to be effective.

The Bracers of Armor creates a Force armor so it does work. And by the way I am "Friend said"

Quote from: SarekThe Bracers of Armor creates a Force armor so it does work.

That's a very good point, Sarek.  I'd forgotten about Force effect loophole.  

That, and I'd just never condered that bit of sentience anything more than fluff, and the magic item's description doesn't really specifiy that it's a Force effect the way the Mage Armor -- "Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can't bypass it the way they do normal armor." -- and Shield -- "This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect." -- spells do. Would've been nice if they had been more clear about it.

In light of that, and the fact you need Mage Armor to make the thing, I'll probably revise my stance.

For what it's worth, the Wizards gurus consider the bonus from Bracers of Armor to be a Force effect.

"Force Effects:A force effect that completely surrounds the user's body, such as the mage armor spell or bracers of armor, prevents an incorporeal creature from occupying the user's space and vice versa, though two creatures' relative sizes might still allow them to share the same space, as noted above."

Works against incorporial attacks fine.
 
Does not work against touch attacks of other sorts.  If it did, it'd be a deflection bonus, not armor bonus.  Rationalize that however you want.  Spell slots make no sense, either.
 
Myself, I'd just say that the force effect must be against the skin of the wearer, so touching the force, touches the wearer.

Sorry, Sarek...  I was right in the first instance.  I found what I had been looking for...

QuoteArmor Bonus
 
 An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or magical effect that mimics armor. Armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to Armor Class (even with natural armor bonuses) except other armor bonuses. An armor bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks, except for armor bonuses granted by force effects (such as the mage armor spell) which apply against incorporeal touch attacks, such as that of a shadow.

Now, if you peek into the 3.5 FAQ file...

QuoteIncorporeal touch attacks and touch attacks aren’t the same thing. If they were, they would not have different names.

An incorporeal touch attack actually resembles a slam attack (battering the foe with a fist or other appendage), except that it passes through physical armor or shields. The term incorporeal touch attack simply serves as a reminder that most armor bonuses aren’t effective against these attacks. Armor and shield bonuses from force effects, such as the mage armor spell, shield spell, and bracers of armor are effective against incorporeal touch attacks, as is ghost touch armor or a ghost touch shield.

In other words, AC bonuses from Force effects protect you from incorporeal touch attacks... Such as the attack from a spectre, or the Corrupting Touch attack of a ghost... but it does not protect you from ordinary touch attacks.

Quote from: CyclotronSorry, Sarek...  I was right in the first instance.  I found what I had been looking for...

 
Now, if you peek into the 3.5 FAQ file...

 
In other words, AC bonuses from Force effects protect you from incorporeal touch attacks... Such as the attack from a spectre, or the Corrupting Touch attack of a ghost... but it does not protect you from ordinary touch attacks.

You're right! Can't say anything against this

Damn, beaten to the punch by quite a bit.  

They do protect against incorporeal attacks, but not against other types of touch attacks.  Just the sort of thing to make you go stark raving MAD when you're DMing and trying to keep all this shit straight.  

Quote from: CyberzombieDamn, beaten to the punch by quite a bit.  

They do protect against incorporeal attacks, but not against other types of touch attacks.  Just the sort of thing to make you go stark raving MAD when you're DMing and trying to keep all this shit straight.  

nope. I simply rule "no" early in the whole argument and bypass it. if they want to prove it to me later, that's fine. It's not worth disrupting my game time to argue over the rules, though.

Quote from: Aelfinnnope. I simply rule "no" early in the whole argument and bypass it. if they want to prove it to me later, that's fine. It's not worth disrupting my game time to argue over the rules, though.

I find my philosophy running more and more to this mode as I continue to DM.

"Incorporeal Touch" attacks is one of the three "bad names" in 3e, together with "Monstrous Humanoid" and "Natural Armor." These three all sound like they're related to some other thing, when they're really something completely different.

to KISS, i say bracers of armor function mechanically the exact same way as actual armor.  if it's an effect that works one way because of chain mail, then it would happen the exact same way with bracers +5 .

DM ruling is the final ruling, continued arguement can often lead to character death.