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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Sigil" data-source="post: 224572" data-attributes="member: 2013">Two words... "Craft Wand"Two words for ya... "Craft Wand."  Take that instead of Silent Spell.If I want a sorcerer who is proficient in armor, I *don't* make him a Sor5/Ftr5, I make him a Sor9/Ftr1.  Assume for a moment he is a half-elf (to avoid an XP penalty).  Such a character has accumulated 5 Feats... 1 at levels 1, 3, 6, and 9, plus 1 bonus Fighter Feat at Ftr1.  I would suggest to you that this character has probably taken Still Spell as a Feat at some point... let's say level 1 for sake of argument... and if he's smart, has taken Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor and probably Craft Wand (3rd, 6th, and 9th level).  He's likely looking to take Craft Staff at 12th level.  For his bonus Fighter Feat, I would suggest that he take something like Lightning Reflexes (to up his crappy Reflex save) or perhaps Weapon Focus.Now, let's see what we have... a character who casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer (with the Still Spell Feat), giving him access to Fireballs and Lightning Bolts.  If he needs his "big-hitter" spells like Ice Storm or Polymorph Self, he pulls them from the wands he has crafted himself.  He has probably made himself magic armor and/or weapons.  The guy could create +3 armor for himself.Now let's look at him... +3 Full Plate and +3 Large Shield, ability to add Shield spell if needed, probably an Amulet of Natural Armor +3, with the help of his wands, has suffered no loss in casting ability.  We now have a sorcerer who has an AC of... um...+11 from Full Plate, +5 from the Shield, +3 from Natural Armor, +1 from Dex... AC 30!  And that's BEFORE he starts using spells to up it further... and the only thing he's lost is that he has to wait one more level before he can throw 4th-level spells spontaneously and 5th level spells with a wand.IOW, do not underestimate the ability of Craft Wand and Craft Staff to help out your Sorcerer in Plate Mail.  With these Feats, he loses no spellcasting ability whatsoever while in the heaviest of armor.Let's compare some of his other stuff to a 10th-level sorcerer...BAB... sameReflex save... sameWill save... worse (+6 vs. +7)Fort save... better (+5 vs. +3)Hit points... better (by about 2, on average)Spells... misses out on 5th-level spells... gets them in one more level and the 10th-level sorcerer has to gain two levels to get 6th-level spells.Explain to me exactly how the Sor9/Ftr1 suffers compared to his counterpart?Similarly, take a look at the Sor5/Ftr5.  Probably has Craft Wand (again, allows him his full range of spells even while armored).  Has a much better BAB than the Sor10 (+7/+2 vs. +5).  Has 2 more bonus Ftr Feats (Wpn Specialization)?  Has about 10-15 more hp.  Has a much better Fort Save (though Will Save is worse).  He's a better Sor than a Ftr10 and a better Ftr than a Sor10.  How exactly is that bad or a surprise?  He's chosen to progress much more slowly in magic in order to progress in martial combat efficacy.  That's the tradeoff you make by such a severe multiclass (severe defined as taking a lot of levels in a second or third class).  No way around that one.Seriously, IMO a sorcerer is better off grabbing Craft Wand than Still Spell if he wants to be an armored caster.  Again, the cost is a Feat.  You also have the risk of somebody sundering your wand.If you're still annoyed, check out the Netbook of Feats ( <a href="http://www.fancc.org" target="_blank">http://www.fancc.org</a> ) for the Armored Caster Feat (also appears in Interludes by Thunderhead Games) - reduces ASF while wearing armor by 10% and can be taken multiple times.  That means that using it once lets you cast easily in leather but plate may still be a problem.  But again, the cost is... a Feat.--The Sigil</blockquote>

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