When your spellslinger wants some armor...

[ElvishBard]

The feat still spell eliminates spell failure chance for a 1 level higher slot for when he doesn't want to chance the spell getting messed up. Otherwise get natural armor amulets, mage armor, and any dex increasing items that you can.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Mage Armor.

This is my advice too. You might consider some levels in Spellsword too, if you want to get yourself some serious armor later.

 

[Klaus]

The feat still spell eliminates spell failure chance for a 1 level higher slot for when he doesn't want to chance the spell getting messed up. Otherwise get natural armor amulets, mage armor, and any dex increasing items that you can.

Agree here. The easiest way is to take Still Spell and prepare all spells as Still ones. Sure, your spellcasting will lag behind a bit, but you'll be parading around in full plate + heavy shield, so it's a trade-off.

 

[Corsair]

Twilight. Check the BoED for what this armor ability does.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

1 Level in spellsword and a mithral chain shirt? Think that works out?


Otherwise, like the others - Mage Armour.

Mithral Bucklers - have a 0% ASF and a -0 check penalty. Mage can use one unskilled with no penalty. But it's very cheesy IMO.

I'd consider allowing a wizard to take the feat from Complete Arcane - one that increases the category of armour you can wear without failure. IIRC, it has a prequisite of being able to cast in armour. I'd waive that... but we're solidly in house rules territory here?

 

[Klaus]

Make a Battle Sorceror (Sorceror variant from Unearthed Arcana), who can cast in light armor. Take the CAr feat (iirc, Armored Mage or Battle Caster or somesuch). And you got yourself a mighty spellslinger who can waltz around in mihtril full plate without worrying about ASF.

 

[JimAde]

Go to this site:

http://www.geocities.com/cayzle/

On the left navigation menu choose "Mage Tank 1" and start reading. Excellent advice for building an armored mage with core rules. And Complete Arcane has a feat that reduces ASF (by 5 or 10% I don't remember which) if you have access to it.

 

[kanithardm]

A level in Warmage lets you cast with no check penalty while in light armor. ANd when you get to a high enough level Epic Mage Armor

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

IIRC that's only for warmage spells, though.

There's a feat in CArc called Battlecaster, that increases the category of armor you can cast in by one. You have to be able to cast in some kind of armor first, though. Personally I'd let someone with light armor prof. just take the feat for casting in light armor.