There is any way to my sorc wears a Mithral chain shirt without Arcane Spell Failure?

[Haco]

Hi all,

I have a Sorcerer level 2 and i multiclassing with bard for light armor proficiency and take the Arcane Armor Training to use a Mithral Chain Shirt without Arcane Spell Failure, but i need to be a Caster Level 3 and now i am a caster level 2 as a bard and caster level 1 as a bard, isn't?

There is any other way to reduce my arcane spell failure to wear a mithral chain shirt that has 10% arcane spell failure?

Thabks for all.

[AndIMustMask]

Well, to start: bards 'no asf in light armor' ONLY applies to the bard spells, so would be completely unhelpful for you there.

As for caster level, in hat sotuation youd be cl 2 for sorc and cl 1 for bard.

Arcane armor training feats arent much worth it since you have to use a swift action to activate the training, meaning no quickened spells and suchlike, though youre a bit too low level for that to be a huge issue yet.

If you need ac, cast shield and/or mage armor. Try wearing a haramaki, silken ceremonial armor, or an armored kilt for no asf stuff, tack mithral buckler on for no asf too.

[Vod Canockers]

Don't cast spells?

[Chemlak]

Also, since a mithral shirt has no armour check penalty, there's precisely zero downside to wearing one while non-proficient, so take that 3rd level in Sorcerer, pick up Arcane Armour Training, and be resigned to never having a swift action available.

[nate lange]

you need light armor proficiency to take the arcane armor training feat.

i'm always skeptical about multiclassing a caster (particularly a sorc, who is already gaining new spell levels 1 class level behind prepared casters) but if you want to do it think about taking the Magician archetype as it has better synergy for a character thats primarily a caster.

as for getting the feat @3rd: what race are you? spell-like abilities can be used to satisfy requirements for feats and prestige classes... if you have a racial SLA the caster level for it is almost always equal to total level/HD, that would mean you qualify as CL 3 (and so could take the feat) even as a Sorc 2/Bard 1. if that's a no go think about a wand of mage armor- same bonus as mithril chainshirt with no penalties (except that you may have to waste a round to use it if caught unprepared; and they cost 750g for 50 uses instead of 1,000 for unlimited use).

[darkwarriorkarg]

If it's a home game, there's some 3.5 material you could ask your GM about.

But, really... mage armour is a "spell tax" on a sorcerer or wizard. Pick up a pearl of power (if you have the spell) or a wand of mage armor until you get the spell.

[Haco]

Chemlak you cannot pick Arcane Armour Training if you don't have Light Armour Proficiency, the sorcerer don't have any type of armor proficiency. Mithral shirt has a 10% arcane spell failure, because a normal chain shirt has 20% less 10% of the mithral properties then Mithral Shirt has 10% arcane spell failure.

AndIMustMask, i know that i am a low level character, for this reason i ask if exists any way to reduce the arcane spell failure because you need to be casted before enemies attack you Mage Armour for this reason i wan't wear a light armour.

My character is an elf and is a character of PFS then i cannot make some of your tips.

Thanks for help

[Chemlak]

That'll teach me not to re-read a feat before posting. You'd think I'd have learned by now. Bard or Magus dip sounds like a fair bet, or, as others have said, Wand of Mage Armour is a very useful stand-in.

[LazarX]

Haco wrote:

Chemlak you cannot pick Arcane Armour Training if you don't have Light Armour Proficiency, the sorcerer don't have any type of armor proficiency. Mithral shirt has a 10% arcane spell failure, because a normal chain shirt has 20% less 10% of the mithral properties then Mithral Shirt has 10% arcane spell failure.

AndIMustMask, i know that i am a low level character, for this reason i ask if exists any way to reduce the arcane spell failure because you need to be casted before enemies attack you Mage Armour for this reason i wan't wear a light armour.

My character is an elf and is a character of PFS then i cannot make some of your tips.

Thanks for help

Or just concentrate on not making yourself a target. That's how I survived first level in every wizard or sorcerer I've ever played. If you're an Elf, buy a bow. At first level you stand a fair chance of downing your enemies at range before they can even think about melee. There is no practical way of reducing ASF at first level.

[nate lange]

depending on your stats (and whether or not you already took a bard level) 1 level of monk might be better... 1 level of Sohei (a monk archetype) will grant you light armor proficiency (in case you decide to take AAT later) and will also let you add you Wis mod to AC when unarmored (including while using mage armor); it also gives you improved unarmed strike, so you'll never be without an option in combat (and can even give your melee buddies a flank when they're trying to get an enemy off you)- plus a bonus feat!

[ryric]

I wouldn't recommend a sorc/bard multiclass just to wear armor. If your sorcerer knows mage armor, do realize that the duration is 1 hour/level, so at level 3 it lasts 3 hours. This is not a spell you cast just before a fight, this a "fire and forget" spell you use at the beginning of a dungeon.

Is there a trait that reduces ASF? I seem to think there may be one that drops it by 5% - that would give you only a 1/20 chance of flubbing a spell, and you could take Additional Traits to pick it up at 3rd level. I may just be making it up though.

[Dragonchess Player]

You can cast any spell without somatic components (daze, spark, featherfall, true strike, etc.) or any spell using Still Spell while wearing armor and not suffer a chance of arcane spell failure.

[Ferious Thune]

ryric wrote:

I wouldn't recommend a sorc/bard multiclass just to wear armor. If your sorcerer knows mage armor, do realize that the duration is 1 hour/level, so at level 3 it lasts 3 hours. This is not a spell you cast just before a fight, this a "fire and forget" spell you use at the beginning of a dungeon.

Is there a trait that reduces ASF? I seem to think there may be one that drops it by 5% - that would give you only a 1/20 chance of flubbing a spell, and you could take Additional Traits to pick it up at 3rd level. I may just be making it up though.

Ryric is correct to recommend Mage Armor. It's much more efficient than trying to make wearing armor work. A 3 hour duration is more than enough for a large number of PFS scenarios. Sometimes even 1 hour is enough. A wand of Mage Armor would get you through low levels for much less of a cost than mitral armor. Or, my personal preference is to just cast it out of a spell slot, unless you just don't have room for it as a known spell.

If you're worried about your AC if you get caught without Mage armor up, a Haramaki has no ASF chance. It's not as good as a mithral chain shirt, but as a sorcerer, AC isn't going to be that important in the long run. It's just not worth a class dip, a feat, and the cost of the armor.

Now, if you're building a melee sorcerer, it might be worth it to be more heavily armored. It would depend on the build. A dip into fighter or another full BAB class would give Light Armor proficiency and help offset the Sorcerer's Low BAB. In that case, spell selection and eventually Still Spell would help minimize the chance of failure.

[FLite]

Failing that, you could take darkleaf studded leather, AC +3, ASF 5%. Then if you can find the trait that drops ASF 5%, you are good to go.

But yeah, mage armor is there for a reason.

[Pan]

Just roll with it. 10% will hardly come up.

[zylphryx]

Mage armor and a pearl of power is a good combo if you want that added armor bonus. you don't slow your spell progression for sorcerer with the bard dip as an added bonus.

Or just run with bracers of armor and keeping upping the modifier as you can afford to do so.

[FLite]

Pan, sadly, murphy's law says it will only come up the one time that failing to get your spell off will get the whole part killed.

[Mofisto]

I had a sorc I was playing wear Leather armor just for the heck of it. 10% is technically the same chance as crit threating with a long sword, and it only caused him to lose a spell once in the ten or so fights I went through with that char. I'd say, if you're not going to pick up Mage Armor and/or Shield, just take the 10%, and don't bother dipping into another class or taking a feat to reduce that. "Time to roll the dice." As Mat Cauthon would say.

[The Vulture]

Add an armored kilt to silken ceremonial armor (or to a haramaki) and get a wand of mage armor. Costs less gold, won't stunt your sorcerer progression, doesn't use up a feat, has 0 ASF and check penalty, and it doesn't use your swift action every round.

[Zhayne]

Ask your GM if you can import the Twilight enchantment from D&D. +1 equivalent modifier, reduces ASF by 10% for that armor.

[MrSin]

Zhayne wrote:

Ask your GM if you can import the Twilight enchantment from D&D. +1 equivalent modifier, reduces ASF by 10% for that armor.

PFS character it looks like, in which case that's definitely not going to happen.

Mage armor is the armor of mages if you don't want to take arcane armor training(buy a wand with maybe?). You can wear silken ceremonial armor or a haramaki under and use that for magical armor qualities if you want. You can also use a mithral light shield of any sort and that will have 0 acp and spellcasting failure.

[Azothath]

Zhayne wrote:

Ask your GM if you can import the Twilight enchantment from D&D. +1 equivalent modifier, reduces ASF by 10% for that armor.

yes - if you are in a home game and want to wear some light armor... consult Forgotten Realms 3.5 and work with your GM.

You could house rule in a feat, like Armor training.

In PFS Organized play - shoot off all/most your spells then don the armor of your choice. Since you won't be spellcasting it's a moot point. Armor Proficiency is... so with chain shirt you'll be at -2 on attacks.
This is a viable option for low level sor/wiz with good Dex, skip Mage Armor and take another color spray or sleep. After encounter #2 (or #1 lol) don your armor and load your crossbow to Atk at -2.

In PFS Organized play it's really a toss up for Sor/Wiz to level dip into rogue, fighter, monk, bard. Normally losing a spellcasting level is a big hit for the gained versatility. Organized play is a more combat intense & focused arena with no player item creation feats or custom magic creations. So with no discounts on items or scrolls, and custom items gone, it becomes a more viable option to level dip. Buying multiple pearls/runestones of power can help cover the missed slots.

[James0235]

darkwarriorkarg wrote:

If it's a home game, there's some 3.5 material you could ask your GM about.

what do you have in mind?

[FLite]

Azathoth, mithral chain has an Armor check penalty of 0. so acp is a non issue.

[FLite]

also, for pfs, armored kilt is illegal. Have to check about hanakimi

[Thanis Kartaleon]

Dragonchess Player wrote:

You can cast any spell without somatic components (daze, spark, featherfall, true strike, etc.) or any spell using Still Spell while wearing armor and not suffer a chance of arcane spell failure.

Daze has a somatic component.

Sorcerer Spells without Somatic Components
cantrips - flare, light, spark
1st-level - feather fall, flare burst, hold portal, jury-rig*, liberating command, true strike, ventriloquism
2nd-level - blindness/deafness, blur, darkness, knock, steal voice
3rd-level - displacement, suggestion, tongues, vision of hell
4th-level - dimension door, geas (lesser), shout
5th-level - contact other plane, teleport, truespeak
6th-level - geas/quest, suggestion (mass)
7th-level - phase door, power word (blind), teleport (greater), teleport object
8th-level - charm monster (mass), irresistible dance, power word (stun), shout (greater)
9th-level - interplanetary teleport, mage's disjunction, power word (kill), prismatic sphere, teleportation circle, time stop, wail of the banshee

*this spell does not list its components