Dwarven Runesmith: Armor Spell Failure?

[eXodus]

i am playing a dwarven wizard in a game right now and i am concidering the runesmith prestige class from races of stone.

the requirements include heavy armor proficiency. i can pick up a level of fighter and take care of that.

the text does not say anything about casting from runes if that still has a chance of spell failure in armor. can i then have an armored arcane caster? the book neither says it works or does not work. the picture on page 119 has a dwarf in plate casting a rune. and he does not look worried about spell failure.

so what is the rule on this???

 

[Scharlata]

the text does not say anything about casting from runes if that still has a chance of spell failure in armor. can i then have an armored arcane caster?

Hi!

The rules say this:

A runesmith who cast a spell prepared in rune form can cast it without any somatic component. However, all spells cast from rune form automatically have a material component (the rune itself).
AND
A runesmith can still prepare and cast his spells in the regular fashion if he so desires, subject to the normal arcane spell failure chances for any armor worn.

Arcane Spell Failure Chance is checked whenever a spell with somatic component is cast (for all classes with ASFC). So, the runesmith can cast spells he prepared on a rune without checking for ASFC. All spells prepared in the normal fashion are subject to ASFC as usual.

Hope that helps. Enjoy!

 

[griff_goodbeard]

I don't have my books with me but IIRC the runes take the place of the somatic component in your spells, and as such you would then be able to cast your spells in armor without risking ASF.

 

[Unkabear]

The PrC is poorly written, there are hints in the Desc of the PrC that say that you are casting in full plate. Top of the page in the second paragraph of the PrC.

While becoming a runesmith is difficult many wizards and sorcerers flock to the class to boaden thier understanding of magic-and get the chance to cast spells in armor without an arcane spell failure chance.

And the whole casting from the slabs/shield/sword whatever you scribe your rune to(though a number of tablets would be easier to carry than a dozen shields). And a careful choice for the permanent rune can be a great benefit. Lose a fourth level slot and gain fireball twice per day without having to prepare it. Or Teleport or Dimension step or other emergency spell.

 

[eXodus]

more runesmith questions...

thank you all for your answers. amazing. i could have just read the text again and figured it all out on my own.

ok.

here is a new question.

i can get this prestige class at level five. i would have one level of arcane casting, heavy armor proficiency, 8 ranks in stonecraft and 5 in concentration.

my question is this, the prestige class is only five levels long. after level 10 what do i do? can i still apply the runecasting to new spells learned as a regular wizard? or do i find myself semi-boned by having some spells i can cast in armor and some i cannot?

 

[Hellefire]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't keep casting spells as rune spells, even ones you learn later. I think I'd demand it actually. I think I'd personally wait until later to take the class, or at least to get the last level for that permanent one. 8th level spell like ability twice a day is a nice idea.

Aaron

 

[Hellefire]

Hm, looking at it in the book, I notice something, well, odd. It mentions that some take the heavy armor proficiency feat instead of 'weasting' a level on fighter class, and the example runesmith they have did that. But, he didn't take light or medium armor feats. Last I checked, I 'thought' it said those were pre-reqs, and that you needed to take the feats in order (light-medium-heavy). Did I miss something?

Aaron

 

[Scharlata]

Did I miss something?

No, you didn't miss anything - on the contrary, you found something!

The Runesmith in my campaign is a fighter 1st/evoker 6th, so I didn't check the example in the book.

Kind regards

 

[boolean]

The really cheesy build is Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Runecaster 1/Mystic Theurge. Lets you cast all your spells in armor.

 

[eXodus]

it really is a powerful prestige class. you lose nothing except metamagic feats as wizard. you gain armor and a nice fort save. and to make it even more cheesetastic that fighter level that is needed, make it the dwarven replacement level listed on pages 146-147. that way you get a d12 hit die effectively weapon focus with all axes and dungeoneering as a class skill. you only lose that bonus fighter feat. wow. there really is no reason not to take that replacement level to fill the fighter need.

at the end of the day, you have good fort and will saves, sporting armor and no armor check penalties.

not a bad deal at all. unbalanced?