Once again, I don't want the armour for protection. At our current level (8th) most fighting monsters are going to be able to hit me anyway, mage armour or otherwise.
However I like the look of elven chain in the DMG on the female elf. It has a sleek, I'm important look.
As for Books of Eldritch Might ... we have an unwritten "avoid the Mote" rule.
My character is an elf wizard who was not born into nobility but has strived and made his own path in elvish society and has been accepted as Ruathar (Elf Friend) by the nobility. You get a gift from them and the only one that made a big "look at me I'm important" impact was the armour.
My DM agreed to let me take a Mithral Chain Shirt+1 instead of Mithral Chain Mail (this allows me to use my full +5 Dex bonus, has no Armour Check Penalty). I spent money on making it fortified 25% however I may be allowed to change this to Twighlight.
It is all an image thing. In addition I like armour because
1. As mentioned I don't look like a wizard - I wear two Quivers (one at my back, one at the hip) and draw a bow from one of them in combat (of Ehlonna). The bow in question is a Swordbow thus in combat it changes as required. It makes me look like some kind of light-armoured skirmisher / minor noble.
2. Armour can have enhancements placed on it. Being a wizard I can add spells to the armour, make it better, give myself effects (like adding a mage armour effect to it just in case) and so forth.
3. I don't like to play stereotypes. I always do something that changes the concept. The characters favourite spell is Enlarge Person (normal and Mass) which is great in a party that has 3 hand to hand characters (Dervish, Barbarian, Ranger), followed closely by Grease to stop retreating monsters or cover our own retreat. One of these things is spell lists.
D
