Armor of Etherealness
Armor of Etherealness lets its wearer step onto the Ethereal Plane. Both 5e rulesets have an official Plate Armor of Etherealness, while Pathfinder 1E and D&D 3.5e use the older once-per-day armour property.
Explore: Magic Armour & Shields · Ethereal Plane · Ethereal Jaunt
At a Glance
| Magic item | Armour that carries its wearer into the Ethereal Plane |
|---|---|
| Greatest strength | Entering otherwise inaccessible spaces, escaping barriers and scouting hidden routes |
| Essential limitation | The wearer remains subject to planar creatures, magical barriers and the rules for returning to a safe space |
| How it plays | Infiltration, exploration and high-level problem-solving rather than a simple increase to Armour Class |
5.5e / 2024
Half Plate Armor or Plate Armor, Legendary; requires Attunement. While wearing it, you can take a Magic action and speak its command word to gain the effect of the Etherealness spell. The spell ends immediately if you remove the armour or take a Magic action to repeat the command word. This property cannot be used again until the next dawn.
5e / 2014
Plate, Legendary; requires attunement. While wearing it, you can speak the command word as an action to gain the effect of the etherealness spell. The effect lasts for 10 minutes or until you remove the armour or use an action to repeat the command word. This property cannot be used again until the next dawn.
Pathfinder 1E
Price: +49,000 gp · Aura: strong transmutation · CL: 13th.
Once per day on command, the wearer becomes ethereal as ethereal jaunt. The wearer can remain ethereal until choosing to return; once the effect ends, it cannot be used again that day.
Construction: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ethereal jaunt.
D&D 3.5e
Price: +49,000 gp · Aura: strong transmutation · CL: 13th.
Once per day on command, the wearer becomes ethereal as ethereal jaunt. The wearer can remain ethereal until choosing to return; once the effect ends, it cannot be used again that day.
Construction: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ethereal jaunt.
Why Armor of Etherealness Matters
This is not primarily a defensive AC upgrade. Its real power is access: walls, locked doors, ambush positions, prisons and many ordinary physical barriers stop being absolute obstacles once the wearer can step into the Ethereal Plane.
That makes the armour equally useful in exploration and combat. A wearer can escape a sealed chamber, bypass a defended passage, scout from an unexpected angle or disengage from a situation where ordinary movement is impossible.
Run It at the Table
- 2024: the official item can be Half Plate or Plate and uses the 2024 Etherealness effect. The wearer can end it by removing the armour or repeating the command with a Magic action.
- 2014: the core item is Plate and the effect lasts up to 10 minutes. Keep that duration separate from the 2024 version.
- Pathfinder / 3.5e: use ethereal jaunt and the edition’s own rules for ethereal movement, perception and interaction.
- Planar limits still matter: the Ethereal Plane is not simply invisibility. Use the correct edition’s planar rules for what the wearer can see, pass through or interact with.
Adventure Pressure
Armor of Etherealness changes how a party approaches secure places, so adventures work best when the world reacts intelligently. Ethereal guardians, planar wards, watched return points and objectives that cannot simply be carried through a barrier can all matter without invalidating the armour’s signature ability.
The item also makes excellent high-level treasure because its value is obvious outside combat. A character may prize it as much for reaching the impossible room as for surviving the fight inside it.
Related Planar Gear
Ethereal Plane · Ethereal Jaunt · Ghost Touch Armour · Glamered Armour · Magic Armour & Shields
Rules and Sources
The 2024 and 2014 forms follow the published 2024 Basic Rules and 2014 Basic Rules. Pathfinder 1e uses the Etherealness armour special ability; D&D 3.5e follows its corresponding armour property. The campaign-use guidance is original.
SRD 5.1 and SRD 5.2 materials are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence; Pathfinder and 3.5e Open Game Content is used under the applicable Open Game License.
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