Ways to cast in armor

[Storme]

Yes, you can enchant robes. But they aren't armor.

They are wonderous items. And if you want to make a Shirt with +5 ac...go for it. It would cost exactly the same to make a bracers of +5 ac.

You can't make +2 mithril ROBE of frost resistance by conventional methods...unless of course, you calculate it out as properties for your unnecessarily expensive new wonderous item (and spend a bunch of money getting mithril thread made even though it's heavier than cloth...hehe).

 

[Corsair]

I like Abjurant Champion and (Greater) Luminous Armor. It isn't easy to get into until higher level if you're a straight wizard though.

 

[eamon]

One thing the bracers have over the chain shirt is that they are force effects, and therefore are useful against incorporeal touch attacks (which may be more or less useful depending on your DM's predilections).

That's a nice point! I'd probably forget that detail if it ever comes up. Well, knowing the player in my group, they'd probably be most vociferous in fixing that particular oversight ;-).

 

[B4cchus]

Here's a nice little list of no (or almost no) ASF armor:

+1 Twilight leather armor(4010 gp, AC +2)
+1 Mithral Twilight chainshirt (5100 gp, +5 ac)
+1 Mithral Twilight breastplate (ASF 5%, 9500 gp,+6 ac)
Mithral buckler (1015 gp, +1 ac)
Mithral light shield (1009 gp, +1 ac)
+1 Mithral Twilight heavy shield (5020 gp, +3 ac)

Compared to bracers of armor:
+1 ac: 1000 gp
+2 ac: 4000 gp
+3 ac: 9000 gp
+4 ac: 16000 gp
+5 ac: 25000 gp
+6 ac: 36000 gp
+7 ac: 49000 gp
+8 ac: 64000 gp