Making a melee/spellcaster combo and need help

[Shin Okada]

I don' t have Unearthed Arcana and thus don't know exact wording of Battle Sorcerer.

But usually, similar abilities (like armored mage which has many newer classes) sets the condition which the character can ignore spell failure chance. And Battlecaster feat only change the type of armer he can wear without problem. If he violate the shied part of the original ability, that ability is gone.

 

[Thurbane]

That is a little ambiguous in the wording.

My point of view is that if a class feature or feat allows you to ignore ASF from armor but not shield, then only the shields ASF would apply.

I'll admit that the wording on this isn't ironclad, you could read it either way I suppose.

The exact wording of Battle Sorcerer is as follows:

A battle sorcerer can cast sorcerer spells derived from her class levels of battle sorcerer while in light armor without the normal arcane spell failure chance.

 

[rgard]

Thats a pretty different interpretation from mine.

The combination of Battle Sorcerer with the Battle Caster feat means he can use medium armor with no ASF. This does not extend to shields, obviously. I see no reason why using a shield would suddenly mean that his medium armor is treated as anything other than medium armor. AFAIK, the ASF for the shield would be treated completely separately.

I read it that way as well. The Battle Caster feat and the Spellsword reduced ASF are two different and separate ways of being able to cast in armor. They don't stack well mechanically so I'm thinking to use the 10% reduction with the shield.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[rgard]

I don' t have Unearthed Arcana and thus don't know exact wording of Battle Sorcerer.

Hi Shin, we treat the Battlesorcerer light amored casting as Bard's and Beguiler's. Also, the Battlesorcerer is in the SRD. You can download it and most of UA.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Shin Okada]

Hi Shin, we treat the Battlesorcerer light amored casting as Bard's and Beguiler's. Also, the Battlesorcerer is in the SRD. You can download it and most of UA.

Thanks,
Rich

You mean in 3.5e SRD? I still can't find it.

Anyway, if the Battlecaster's ability is treated as it's of Bard's and Beguiler's, I say when he is using some type of shield, the entire ability stop functioning, as it violates the required condition for the ability. So Battlecaster feat is also suppressed, too (as now prerequisite cannot be used).

 

[brehobit]

Non-arcane caster, requires the "adaption" section to a god with war as a domain.

Cleric 4, Crusader 1, Ruby Knight Vindicator 8.

Cast as a 10th level cleric (that's fairly generic). Take the war and good domains if you can manage it. For feats, you really want holy warrior (+5 on all weapon damage rolls), and imbued healing from complete champion.

This gives you a LOT of casting options, a +12 BAB, maneuvers and stances at level 11 initiator level, and a lot of crazy buffs (such as mass cure light wounds given DR 3/evil or +1 attack to 10 people in addition to the healing. Darn handy in a fight.) Not to mention full plate (that you can hide in!) and lots of hit points. Keep close wounds close at hand for those extra hit points and fun buffs.

It's pretty powerful and generically useful, but lacks the "blasting" of an arcane caster. Frankly, you don't need it.

Mark

 

[Nifft]

You mean in 3.5e SRD? I still can't find it.

Here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererVariantBattleSorcerer

Cheers, -- N

 

[Shin Okada]

Here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererVariantBattleSorcerer

Cheers, -- N

Thanks. Hmm. VERY ambiguous in the wording indeed. Saying nothing about the shield.

With this wording, some may even argue that if the battle sorcerer is wearing a light armor, he can also automatically ignore spell failure chance from shield.

But again, I think it is better to apply the same rule as Bard. Then, use of a buckler breakes the required condition for the ability and thus ability itself will stop working.

 

[Thurbane]

But again, I think it is better to apply the same rule as Bard. Then, use of a buckler breakes the required condition for the ability and thus ability itself will stop working.

FWIW, and with all due respect, I still contest your interpretation on the Bard rules. I honestly don't read it the same way you do - even with the Bard, so long as his armor is light, the ASF from the shield should be treated completely separately. Using a shield should in no way make his light armor "illegal" IMHO...

I think it will be academic for the particular build I described anyway, since the Abjurant Champion levels make such effective use of the Shield spell, the character won't be likely to be using a physical shield anyway.

 

[Nifft]

Thanks. Hmm. VERY ambiguous in the wording indeed. Saying nothing about the shield.

Exactly.

But IMHO it's implied, given that the Battle Sorcerer does not even get proficiency with shields.

Cheers, -- N