Armor for wizards

[Rystil Arden]

No I'll just propose one or the other. But should the 10% bonus stack with the 20% bonus?

Ohhhhh, that's what you meant. I would say definitely not. It's a like bonus. You can't buy Lesser Fire Resist and Fire Resist and add them together, or Lesser Silent Moves and Silent Moves, or Lesser Fortification and Fortification, etc.

 

[Erekose13]

thats the way i wrote it, just checking that came across. if we did want it to stack, i'd state it explicitly.

 

[Velmont]

I would rather pu the 10% at higher level, +2, or maybe even +3. Spell failure is the only way to prevent a wizard or a sorcerer to not wear an armor, so I would expect an armor without spell failure to cost around the same as the bracer of armor of the same value.

A mithral chainshirt +1 of lesser casting would cost only 5100gp to offer the same protection of a bracer of armor +5, and that, without spell failure or any other kind of penalty.

A mithral Breastplate +1 of greater casting would cost only 29 200gp to offer the same protection of a bracer of armor +6 (36 000 gp), and that, without spell failure or any other kind of penalty. A bit more reasonnable, but following that logic, I think it would be better to have that:

Casting, Lesser: reduce the arcane spell failure chance by 10%.
Faint Transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, haste; Price +3 bonus.
Casting: reduce the arcane spell failure chance by 20%.
Faint Transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, haste; Price +5 bonus.

Now, if we want to offer to our spellcaster cheaper AC armor bonus, that's another thing, but I don't like much that idea. For higher cost, I don't mind. And it would worth the cost, as you can put other enchantment on your armor that the bracer cannot have (like Shadow or Fire Protection) and free the bracer slot (if you want to do an arcane archer with greater barcer of archery).

 

[Erekose13]

Armor also has other penalties to spellcasters. The armor check penalty applies to all attacks (and damage?) if you are not proficient in the armor type. So it generally costs either a feat or at least 1 non-caster class level to get rid of that side of things.

 

[Velmont]

Armor also has other penalties to spellcasters. The armor check penalty applies to all attacks (and damage?) if you are not proficient in the armor type. So it generally costs either a feat or at least 1 non-caster class level to get rid of that side of things.

True for the mithral breastplate, who would give a 1 point penalty, but the mithral chainshirt have no armor check penalty.

 

[Erekose13]

Of note is that Monte Cook has created a similar armor enhancement in the Book of Eldritch Might 2. Note one of the big limitations on these are the spell requirements.

Spellcasting: This armor or shield bears a special ensorcellment
to make it easier to use while casting spells. Reduce
arcane spell failure chances by 15 percent when using this
armor or shield.
Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Magical Arms
and Armor, mage armor, limited wish; Market Price: +2 bonus

Superior Spellcasting: The magic within this armor or
shield is so potent, arcane spellcasters can use it with no
spell-failure chance.
Caster Level: 17th; Prerequisites: Craft Magical Arms
and Armor, mage armor, wish; Market Price: +4 bonus

 

[Velmont]

Honestly, I favor the feat over the enchantment, as the feat have an idea of training behind it. If you take that feat, and the two prerequisit feat that you suggest, it show you have trained so long with ligth armor that it doesn't affect any more you casting. I like that flavor idea, rather than a cheaper and more powerfull version of bracer of armor (only bad side of the armor, it is the weight, as many wizard have low strenght, but a mithral chain sgirt is light enough for even a Str 8 character.) I fear that we will see many wizard in armor when they reach higher level, when i would rather see mainly Eldritch Knight type caster with armors.

If it was me, go for the feat rather than the armor enchantment.

 

[Rystil Arden]

True for the mithral breastplate, who would give a 1 point penalty, but the mithral chainshirt have no armor check penalty.

All my casters who can afford them get mithral bucklers for just this reason.

These light armour optimisation feats that already exist are actually pretty crazy in that way too though though. Why would anyone ever take Dodge again? Light Armour Optimisation + Mithral Chain Shirt == +1 AC for sure and possibly +2 AC once you raise your Dex enough.

 

[Velmont]

These light armour optimisation feats that already exist are actually pretty crazy in that way too though though. Why would anyone ever take Dodge again? Light Armour Optimisation + Mithral Chain Shirt == +1 AC for sure and possibly +2 AC once you raise your Dex enough.

Because dodge is a pre-requisit of some other feats.
Because dodge stack with armor optimisation
Because you can use dodge with another type of armor

But it is true that dodge become obsolete for most ligth armor wearer, like rogue and rangers.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Because dodge is a pre-requisit of some other feats.
Because dodge stack with armor optimisation
Because you can use dodge with another type of armor

But it is true that dodge become obsolete for most ligth armor wearer, like rogue and rangers.

And Rogues and Rangers, the light armour wearers, are often the intended users of the Dodge feat to begin with (as it has a Dex prereq). And while its true that Dodge stacks with Armour Optimisation, there's another second Armour Optimisation feat which also stacks, so unless you plan on spending three feats on the matter, you would just take the two of those for at least +2 and possibly +4 AC.

The problem is that light armour is already more powerful than all the other types of armour over all, in the long term (though obviously it isn't the only answer for all builds, just in general). These feats exacerbate this problem