Ways to cast in armor

[CrimsonWineGlass]

I've tried warmage but it doesn't really go with what I'm looking for. My goal is actually more of a versatile spellcaster who uses a combination of quite a few different spells creatively. More of a strategist than a blaster.

 

[rgard]

I've tried warmage but it doesn't really go with what I'm looking for. My goal is actually more of a versatile spellcaster who uses a combination of quite a few different spells creatively. More of a strategist than a blaster.

Battle Sorcerer may not fit the bill either then. Your spells known number is one less than a normal Sorcerer.

My suggestion then is to go Urban Savant at some time.

thanks,
Rich

 

[Jack Simth]

So you want something more like a Bard-5/Mage of the Arcane Order-5/Sublime Chord-1/Mage of the Arcane Order-9.

Mage of the Arcane Order lets you get any PHB Sor/Wiz spell on a round's notice. Bard lets you cast in light armor (feats exist to make that better). Sublime Chord gets you up to 9th level spells (you can mix and match the levels in the build somewhat).

 

[Nifft]

Dragonslayer 1 + Spellsword 1: requires BAB +5 (10th level), Combat Casting (for Spellsword), Dodge + Iron Will (for Dragonslayer).

You'll be 12th level and you can ignore 10% arcane spell failure. Hello mithral chain shirt.

You'll also be qualified for Abjurant Champion, I think. That'll take you through 17th level.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nifft]

Ooooo, one more.

If you're in Eberron: Knight Phantom. You'll get to ignore ASF in Light armor. It'll cost you at least one level of spellcasting, but it's usually worth it. Very superior gish class.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Fifth Element]

I'm currently rolling up a wizard and I would like to be able to cast in light armor. Are there any feats, alternate class abilities, items, enchantments, spells or similar that would allow this?

No one has mentioned Still Spell (PHB) and Sudden Still (CArc) as feats yet. If a spell has no somatic component, ASF does not apply.

Sudden Still has no prerequisites, and allows you to cast a spell as stilled without increasing its level, but only once per day. Still Spell is most useless at 1st level, of course, since it increases the level of the spell by 1. If you take it at 3rd level wizard, you can then cast stilled 1st-level spells by using 2nd-level slots.

Here's a partial list of 1st-level Wiz spells with no somatic component. No guarantees it's complete. There might be a couple more in the Spell Compendium.

PHB: feather fall, hold portal, true strike, ventriloquism.
CArc: low-light vision.
CAdv: critical strike, swift expeditious retreat, golem strike, guided shot, insightful feint, master's touch.
PHBII: lesser deflect.

At 1st level (if you're specializing), you should have 3 1st-level spells. If you can content yourself with 2 of the above, you can use your Sudden Still on any spell of your choice.

If you multiclass into a spontaneous casting class (like sorcerer) and then take some levels in Ultimate Magus (CMage), you can use spell slots from one class to spontaneously Still spells from the other without increasing the level of the spell. This applies only to lower-level spells (maximum of 5th at 10th level of Ultimate Magus), and can be done a limited number of times per day.

 

[Avatar of the North]

Casting cold spells in armor made of Blue Ice (from frostburn) is one way. To expound on this further. Snow casting feat (frostburn) and eschew materials togather give all your spells the cold descriptor if your willing to length the casting.

Blended quartz (arms and equipment) reduces ASF by 20%

 

[Kat']

People... you don't need Light Armor Proficiency with a Wizard. What happens if you are not proficient with the armor you're wearing? You suffer its ACP on all attack rolls and skill checks involving movement. Meaning, if you use an armor with 0 ACP, you suffer absolutely no penalty. Now, depending on your resources, you could use:
- Thistledown padded armor (RotW) 405 gp (+1 AC, no spell failure, go and add some enhancements)
- Wand of Mage Armor 750 gp
- Several minor AC boosters: bracers of armor, ring of protection, amulet of natural armor...
- +1 twilight mithral chain shirt 5100 gp (quite expensive, but hey...)
- Extend spell + Mage Armor, once you hit CL12 your armor lasts the whole day!

 

[Diirk]

People... you don't need Light Armor Proficiency with a Wizard. What happens if you are not proficient with the armor you're wearing? You suffer its ACP on all attack rolls and skill checks involving movement. Meaning, if you use an armor with 0 ACP, you suffer absolutely no penalty. Now, depending on your resources, you could use:
- Thistledown padded armor (RotW) 405 gp (+1 AC, no spell failure, go and add some enhancements)
- Wand of Mage Armor 750 gp
- Several minor AC boosters: bracers of armor, ring of protection, amulet of natural armor...
- +1 twilight mithral chain shirt 5100 gp (quite expensive, but hey...)
- Extend spell + Mage Armor, once you hit CL12 your armor lasts the whole day!

Hands down agree with this, but boggle at thinking the chain shirt is expensive. A +1 twilight mithral chain shirt is 5ac for 5100gp... as compared to bracers of armour which are 25000 for the 5ac version. Now granted you can just cast mage armour, of greater mage armour, but those don't scale at all; +5 twilight mithral chain shirt will be quite affordable at later levels for 36k total, and give +9 armour (vs 81000 for +9 bracers of armour). Every little bit helps.

 

[notjer]

Iron bones ftw in the Spell compendium. Grants you +6 natural armor.

Enchant a Robe - no spell failure (I guess).

I heard of a feat which make a spell last for a whole day which costed 2 spell slots extra or something like that. Could work very well with mage armor or greater mage armor.