Please identify my wizard's armour!

[Jalkain]

Hi folks,

I've found the perfect portrait for my elven wizard character - but he's wearing armour. I've decided I like the look, so my wizard is going to start wearing armour! There is actually a role-playing justification for this sudden change, by the way...

Anyway, can anyone tell me what sort of armour is being worn in the picture?

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/dragonriders_005.jpg

And, since I don't want to totally sacrifice my usefulness to the party, any handy tips on avoiding arcane spell failure? I've got a ring of spell storing, and a number of my favourite spells are verbal only, but anything else? I realise that a level of fighter will be necessary too.

 

[hong]

Looks like some sort of plate armour to me (full plate, half plate, banded, breastplate). These are seriously heavy and not good for a wizard. In terms of arcane spell failure, you'd be best to aim for mithral armour and/or take the spellsword PrC.

 

[James McMurray]

Without seeing the chest, it could be anything from leather to a breastplate, since all we can really see is the shoulder guards, and the armor's material is impossible to determine.

About all it couldn't be is padded leather or a chain shirt, but it could even be those with shoulder gaurds added.

 

[Jeremy]

The dragonriders (from where that picture comes) were described in the Dragon they premiered in as wearing ornate suits of full plate armor. While there are some feats and class abilities that would allow a wizard to cast in full plate (still spell and some prestige class abilities) they won't generally help for actual full plate. That's just too much spell failure. Why not instead of describing it as armor explain it as a really ornate mantle with a large and impressive cloak.

Lemme see if I can find you an example of a similarly ornate mantle.

 

[Jeremy]

Here's a rather evil looking cleric with a massive mantle that could be similar in design to the shoulder armor of the elf picture you chose.

One could argue that this one is in breastplate armor, but as he has a cloth shirt on, cloth sleeves, and normal breeches this could also just be a really ornate mantle as opposed to armor. So go with your picture and don't actually call it armor or award an armor bonus for it...

Besides, wizards are best when they focus on their strengths, not when they try to improve their weaknesses. Losing feats for armor and spell failure or for a class that will allow the same might not be the best decision.

 

[elbandit]

Cooool!

Which anime series did these images come from? They look familar to me.

 

[Jeremy]

While they look similar to Lodoss to me, they are listed as being from Legend of Langrisser.

 

[Mordekai]

Looks like...

full plate or half plate. Could be a breastplate, though. The good news is that a 3rd level Spellsword (from Tome and Blood) could ignore the spell failure caused by a mithral breastplate (which would also be considered light armor, by the way). For that matter, a 7th level Spellsword can ignore the spell failure imposed by a suit of mithral full plate, and a 9th level Spellsword could ignore the full plate and a large mithral shield. Of course, you'd be giving up caster levels.

 

[Jalkain]

Thanks guys,

Jeremy: I was wondering if I could get away with some kind of decorative 'armour substitute'. Your pictures make me think that this might be the right way to go. Maybe some kind of elven ceremonial armour with no actual AC bonus, since the character is quite martially inclined for a wizard.

I even considered illusory armour - what a pity that happens to be my barred school!

James McMurray: Interesting point - I suppose that a pair of heavy shoulder guards could be added to much lighter armour. Not sure how that would affect AC/arcane spell failure...

 

[hong]

James McMurray: Interesting point - I suppose that a pair of heavy shoulder guards could be added to much lighter armour. Not sure how that would affect AC/arcane spell failure...

If it doesn't improve AC, it doesn't affect spell failure. In general, purely cosmetic effects should not have game-mechanical consequences.