Oblivion:Bound Armor

	Bound Armor
School	Conjuration
Type	Defensive (No enchanting)
Effect ID	varies
Base Cost	varies
Barter Factor	0
Availability (Click on any item for details)
Spells Scrolls

Bound {Armor} for D seconds

Bound Armor spells equip you with a specified piece of armor. All Bound Armor pieces are weightless and look exactly like daedric armor. However, unlike daedric armor, most of the bound items have Light Armor type. Only the cuirass and greaves are Heavy Armor. The armor rating of all pieces is the same as the armor rating for Daedric Armor. Bound Armor will affect your Spell Effectiveness to the same degree as regular armor.

• PC Only This issue has been addressed by the Unofficial Oblivion Patch; the cuirass and greaves are changed into light armor.

When you cast Bound Armor spells, the conjured armor pieces replace those you are already wearing. This means that all replaced items are going to be temporarily unequipped. If you are wearing armor and are an expert of light or a master of heavy armor, the weight of those replaced items will be added to your overall level of encumbrance. Also, because replaced items are unequipped, you will lose any enchanted properties for the duration of the Bound Armor spell.

To unequip the bound armor before the effect expires, use a Dispel effect. This will make the bound armor vanish. There are also some glitches that allow bound armor to be unequipped without vanishing; these glitches allow permanent, weightless armor to be created. Such armor can then be reverse-pickpocketed onto NPCs.

Types of Bound Armor

	Effect Name	Armor Type	Armor Rating	Object ID	Spell Level	Effect ID	Effect Base Cost
	Bound Boots	Light	7.5	0002626A	Novice	BABO	12
	Bound Cuirass	Heavy	18.75	0002626B	Journeyman	BACU	12
	Bound Gauntlets	Light	7.5	0002626C	Novice	BAGA	8
	Bound Greaves	Heavy	11.25	00026270	Apprentice	BAGR	12
	Bound Helmet	Light	7.5	00026272	Novice	BAHE	12
	Bound Shield	Light	22.5	00026263	Expert	BASH	18

Notes

• Bound Armor can also be obtained from Runestones, specifically Bound Cuirass from Reman Rune Stones, Bound Helmet from Sidri-Ashak Rune Stones, and Bound Gauntlets from Hestra Rune Stones.
• Bound Armor effects are not available at the Enchanting Altar.
• This effect can be gained for spell making via spells only.
• In many cases, a Shield spell can be more useful than a bound armor spell. The advantages of a shield spell include:
  • The armor rating for a Shield spell does not depend upon the wearer's armor skill level, whereas the armor rating for Bound Armor does depend upon your skill. Therefore, if your Light Armor or Heavy Armor skill is less than 100, the armor rating for Bound Armor is significantly reduced relative to the tabulated values.
  • Shield spells do not reduce your spell effectiveness.
  • Shield spells do not replace any existing armor or clothing you are wearing, allowing you to still take advantage of any armor rating or enchantments provided by those items.
  • You cannot repair damaged items in battle, but shield spells cannot be damaged.
  • Shield spells often provide the same amount of protection as bound armor for less magicka cost. Bound armor is only cheaper magicka-wise for the large items (Bound Cuirass and Bound Shield), and then only if your armor skill is sufficiently high. However, bound armor can be better if your Conjuration skill is much better than your Alteration skill.
• Permanent bound armor can be reverse-pickpocketed onto casting NPCs to reduce their spell effectiveness (the only reason mage NPCs don't wear armor is because they don't have any in their inventory; if you give them some, they will automatically equip it per the Oblivion AI).

Bugs

• If you are sent to jail while wearing Bound Armor, the game may crash.
  • This bug is fixed by version 1.1.511 of the Official Oblivion Patch.
  • A simple work around is to resist arrest and wait for the bound armor to wear off, and then yield.
• If you save while wearing Bound Armor, after re-loading, the game may crash when the inventory is accessed or the game is saved.
  • Removing the armor that you were previously wearing from your inventory before the Bound Armor timer runs out may fix it. The armor you were wearing may exhibit strange qualities, such as falling through the environment. Removing it to a container may be safer than simply dropping it.
• If you attempt to cast Bound Helmet after equipping the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal the 500 gold bounty, 0 fame, and 100 infamy will be permanently attributed to you. An earlier save must be reloaded. This is related to the Permanent Enchantments glitch.

See also

Sections:

• Armor: All armor available in the game, and its effects

Related effects:

• Bound Weapon