Let's Hear it for Wizard in Armor!

[BASHMAN]

Yeah! It was recently posted to the News that Wizards no longer have casting penalties in armor, and that with the right feats (or multiclass) they could wear armor while casting. Yay! Something that always never felt right to me in D&D was why Clerics & Druids could cast in armor, but wizard's couldn't.

I plan to make myself an Elf Fighter / Wizard casting spells in chainmail at 1st level, just like in Basic D&D!

 

[Green Knight]

Nice. Guess we don't need the Spellsword Prestige Class, anymore.

 

[Voss]

I suspect the abilities of the eventual swordmage class will be quite distinct from a wizard who uses a sword or fighter with a couple wizard abilities.

As for an armored mage... I'm not that excited about it. Bumping the strength score up to handle the weight of the armor isn't necessarily going to be an good choice. What this will really be useful for is other classes that pick up a few wizard powers along the way.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I love this change to death. If a wizard wants to spend the training time and resources (however the system is going to represent that), he should be able to cast in armor. Not "for free", but i like my elven wizards in elaborate plate mail.

 

[Eric Tolle]

I like it in that the difference between a wizard and an armored wizard will probably be the equivalent of that between a cloistered cleric and a cleric. As the Warmage shows, armor won't make that miuch of a difference- +4 AC is the equivalent of a 1st. level spell, after all.

 

[Imban]

Of the Wizard changes, yeah, this is the only one I really care for. Of course, it's also a "change" that's been around in some people's games since probably shortly after D&D started, so it's only its codification that's really new.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I've always dumped ASF in my games, in 1e, in what 2e I played and in 3e. Just didn't make any sense that clerics could cast in armor and druids had a feat that let them cast while animals but nooo, not wizards they never wear armor. Still nice to see they've codified it.

 

[KingCrab]

I've always hated the "A wizard wouldn't want to wear armor excuse" some people gave for the restriction. This sounds like an overall good move, though the ability should come at a enough of a cost. Every wizard tanking around in full plate would seem kind of screwey to me.

 

[Grimstaff]

Its about time.

 

[Wormwood]

D&D essentially invented "armor interferes with magic"---which is not the least of its sins.

I welcome this long overdue correction.