Casting Verbal spells in armour

Dausuul · Mar 11, 2019

BluejayJunior said:
Agreed. It would probably rarely come up. Even if you specifically built a caster around this, I don't think there would be enough V only spells to be effective.

Agreed. Someone earlier proposed building a sorcerer who used Subtle Spell to get around that limit, but that's costing you a sorcery point for every single somatic spell you cast, as well as preventing you from using any other metamagic. Plus you have disadvantage on Dex saves, which is not great when you have a caster's hit points; and the best armors will cripple your speed unless you meet a very high Strength requirement.

All in all, I can't see building a caster who routinely wears heavy armor even if this change were in place. There are just too many penalties.

TaranTheWanderer · Mar 11, 2019

The best way to imprison a sorcerer who employs subtle spell and Wish is to shackle him in heavy armour.

cbwjm · Mar 11, 2019

If it actually came up, I'd let a caster wearing armour they aren't proficient in to cast spells that don't have somatic components. Pretty sure that used to be a rule in earlier editions that non-somatic spells could be cast without restriction if the arcane spellcaster somehow gained armour proficiency.

This thread reminds me that it was ages before I realised that even clerics have the "can't cast in non-proficient armour" restriction. A light or knowledge cleric is just as hampered as a wizard if they wear heavy armour.

The Crimson Binome · Mar 11, 2019

For the sake of consistency, I ruled that all spells possess both verbal and somatic components.

ClaytonCross · Mar 12, 2019

Player: "GM why can't I misty step out of these ropes because I not proficient in chain mail"

GM: "I don't know. Your the Wizard, why don't you know? Shouldn't you be explaining that to me?"

Player: "I don't see why I can't … so I cast misty step and teleport out of these binds"

GM: "Strange... it didn't work again... make sure you mark off that second level 2 spell slot you just used after it failed the first time and if you figure out why that doesn't work let me know, ok? It is a mystery to us non-wizards"

Edit: GM: "Also, is it cross dressing if your fighter dresses like a wizard and your wizard like a fighter? No judgements, just trying to figure out what the NPC villagers are going to address you as after you escape"

Enevhar Aldarion · Mar 12, 2019

You are not proficient, so you must have put your helmet on incorrectly, thereby muffling your mouth enough that you cannot properly pronounce the syllables of the spell.

jasper · Mar 12, 2019

MechaTarrasque said:
I think I have it in four steps:

1) Even light armor is somewhat restrictive

2) Verbal components are loud, you need a lot of air for volume

3) Obviously training in armor proficiency involves a lot of cardio and breathing deeply even while lugging armor around

4) Since the wizard didn't get this training, he/she can't get enough air to bellow out verbal components while in armor

Obviously an ability of the School of Aerobics Wizard will be to use verbal only spells with armor.

and here is your instructor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA

ThePlanarDM · Mar 13, 2019

Why the focus only on verbal components and not somatic? A wizard in breastplate out to have full use of her hands, no? Why would one need training to cast magic wearing one if one doesn't need training to speak using one?

Originally, there were probably fluff reasons why wizards couldn't use armor. Now, there's also a crunch reaspm--armor proficiency rules were designed to cripple anyone not proficient in the armor (I just started a reddit thread challenging people to come up with a build that is not proficient in one's armor. So far, not looking good). So because the crunch reason is there, the fluff doesn't have to be all that convincing. I like the "too distracting" reason and think it's enough.

Enevhar Aldarion · Mar 13, 2019

ThePlanarDM said:
Why the focus only on verbal components and not somatic? A wizard in breastplate out to have full use of her hands, no? Why would one need training to cast magic wearing one if one doesn't need training to speak using one?

Because 5E does not do piecemeal armor? So most full sets of armor, especially the heavier stuff, would include a pair of gloves/gauntlets that are worn with the armor.

Stalker0 · Mar 13, 2019

Confucius say: “if you can speak, you can spell”

Casting Verbal spells in armour

Dausuul

Legend

TaranTheWanderer

Legend

cbwjm

Seb-wejem

The Crimson Binome

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ClaytonCross

Kinder reader Inflection wanted

Enevhar Aldarion

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jasper

Rotten DM

ThePlanarDM

First Post

Enevhar Aldarion

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Stalker0

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