Wizards, Armour and the Collective Consciousness

[Eccles]

Marvel's Dr Doom...

 

[RangerWickett]

*cough*

Sauron.

*cough*

 

[Nellisir]

Don't some of the spellcasters in the Black Company books wear armour? I've only read about half of one random one, but I vaguely recall that being the case.

Some of the Taken probably do; I think it's pretty much a personal preference.
Pretty much anyone in Amber, though given the flexibility of the setting you're probably setting up for a "it's not really magic" argument.

I think the problem is that, in looking for examples in media, you're sort of conflating two things. Wizards in literature generally don't wear armor because they're not soldiers, not because it interferes. Heck, in alot of books, fighters don't wear armor. you can probably list the number of major characters in novels that routinely wear plate mail on one hand. Most characters, if they wear armor, wear padded or some kind of leather; maybe chain, and then it's almost always just the "combat" character, not the sidekick or the arcanist or the love interest.

 

[Shades of Green]

Shadowrun allows - even encourages (armor is usually pretty cheap and quite helpful against bullets) - mages to use armor; there are IIRC several depictions of mages in Shadowrun's archetypal "Lined Coat" in the books. Hell, Shadowrun mages - sample characters included - usually carry guns as well.

 

[garyh]

Sparhawk and the rest of the knights of the Elene Church in David Eddings' the Elenium and Tamuli all cast their Styric magic while in full armor. While that magic did come from gods, it was presented as much more like arcane magic, especially since it came from gods outside of the one actually served by the knights. It was more like all arcane magic coming from Mystra or Boccob or Ioun.

 

[mach1.9pants]

D'oh RTFOP

 

[Roger]

Merlin, in the Excalibur movie, wears a steel hat.

 

[Engilbrand]

Richard Rahl- Sword of Truth
Rand al'Thor- Wheel of Time
I'm pretty sure.
If he's a DM and you want to play a Wizard in armor, just tell him to stop being a douche because that's now how the rules of 4th edition work. Or, follow his lead and demand a case of Druids changing in to animals.

 

[TerraDave]

Clerics in (O/A/B&X)D&D
Elves in (O/A/B&X)D&D

 

[Plane Sailing]

Start by reminding your friend that magic isn't real, so game physics for magic are totally contrived according to the particular group's tastes and preferences.

Nothing personal against Chainsaw in this instance, but I have to say -

I'm afraid this kind of comment is pretty pointless in every circumstance where someone is tempted to use it. It manages dismissiveness with uselessness in a compact package.

I hope that everyone will resist the urge to trot it out.

Thanks