Warrior-Mage Prestige Classes: which are viable & which are not

[wildstarsreach]

With my Drow LA+0 Ninja3/F2/W2/Abjurant Champion5/Drow +1/EK7, this will give a +17 BA, 7th level spells.

It going to be a good trade. I don't get 8th and 9th level spells but this is within what me and my DM are working on.

 

[DreadArchon]

After three pages of discussion, much of it mentioning armor, I'm surprised that I'm the first to point out that a Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt costs only 9100 gp and has no ASF chance, and I'm only going off of the SRD and PHB II so far. Throw on the Feycraft template and you even can use Breastplate with impunity, or Full Plate with only a 5% ASF chance (up to only three books). Even traditional mages need not be unarmored (and there might be good options in books I don't have, too, what with me only owning four books). Shields would be a problem, but that "free hand" thing means that I, personally, wouldn't consider one in most cases regardless.

 

[charlesatan]

After three pages of discussion, much of it mentioning armor, I'm surprised that I'm the first to point out that a Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt costs only 9100 gp and has no ASF chance, and I'm only going off of the SRD and PHB II so far. Throw on the Feycraft template and you even can use Breastplate with impunity, or Full Plate with only a 5% ASF chance (up to only three books). Even traditional mages need not be unarmored (and there might be good options in books I don't have, too, what with me only owning four books). Shields would be a problem, but that "free hand" thing means that I, personally, wouldn't consider one in most cases regardless.

On the WotC boards there was a way, after lots of enhancements and miscellaneous additions (there's the material in Races of the Wild too that reduces ASF by 5% and it's an add-on), to give a Wizard a breastplate. The armor check penalty was reduced to 0 so he didn't need proficiency (FYI you get penalties equal to the armor check penalty but -0 to everything isn't so bad...)

 

[Felon]

After three pages of discussion, much of it mentioning armor, I'm surprised that I'm the first to point out that a Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt costs only 9100 gp and has no ASF chance, and I'm only going off of the SRD and PHB II so far.

It might have something to do with twilight armor being presented not in a magic items section, but as a sidebar in the duskblade's entry--a class that has no use for twilight armor's properties whatsoever. Bizarre, untuitive placements are unconscious disincentive.

 

[charlesatan]

It's also present in the Book of Exalted Deed where it first appeared.

 

[Felon]

Hehe, in my mind BoED is registered as a third-party book.

But now twilight's also in the Magic Item Compendium, which hopefully increases its presence.

 

[charlesatan]

Thistledown (armor modification) from Races of the Wild also reduces ASF by 5% although it increases ACP by 1.

 

[starwed]

Thistledown (armor modification) from Races of the Wild also reduces ASF by 5% although it increases ACP by 1.

Which is just bizarre; it makes it easier to gesture in your armor, but the penalty is that it's harder to move in it? How, exactly, does that work?

 

[charlesatan]

The explanation is that the Thistledown modification applies to the undergarment of the armor (since you usually wear padding beneath the armor). The padding is more maneuverable for somatic gestures but it has added weight. (Think of it has wearing multiple layers of t-shirts... it's maneuverable but it's far from comfty.) ACP after all applies to movement with regards to the whole body while ASF is usually limited the arms/hands (or whatever appendage you use to cast spells).

Game mechanics wise, it's a balancing factor (you increase one factor but decrease another).

 

[Pazu]

Arcane Strike synergizes sooo nicely with flurry.

Indeed, and I've noticed something else interesting (for those who like monk/sorcerer combos):

Activating Arcane Strike is a free action that adds an unnamed bonus to your attack and damage rolls.

Ascetic Mage allows you to use a swift action to add an unnamed bonus to your attack and damage rolls.

Assuming you burn a separate spell slot for each feat, is there any reason these two feats couldn't be activated in the same round, and is there any reason to think the bonuses wouldn't stack?