Hello everyone I'm new to paizo but have been playing pathfinder for over a year I was just wondering if in your opinion I should take the arcane armour training feat for my arcane trickster. (By the way I am currently a Lv 2 rogue and my party is primarily composed of ranged characters, also I have read both arcane trickster guides I just would like some more opinions) thanks
It's hard to give good advice with such little information. What is your Dexterity score? What will it be by max level? Is this character for PFS or a home game? What will be the maximum level for this character? Is your game heavy with optimized characters or full of casual players? Are you doing Rogue Wizard Arcane Trickster or another arcane casting class?
As a most basic answer, since Arcane Armor Training is a feat, the cost of taking it is that you cannot take a different feat instead. What other feat would you take instead of Arcane Armor Training? Also, with Arcane Armor Training your swift action is spent in a round that you cast a spell. That sucks a bit, but neither the Rogue, Wizard, or Arcane Trickster really spend swift actions much, so it's probably ok. (Sure, quicken spell is nice at high levels, but Arcane Trickster is already behind on spells, so quicken is less likely to be used.)
In general, unless I had huge plans for my swift actions (and I'd avoid quicken spells unless a one or two encounter adventuring day was the normal) or a sky high dex score (and was therefore using bracers of armor), I'd probably take Arcane Armor Training about 7th or 9th level to switch from using Mage Armor (+4 AC) to a Mithril Chainshirt +2 (+6 AC for 5k gp).
No.
Wand of Mage Armor, a Pearl of Power with Mage Armor and/or Haramaki armor works just fine.
I would say no. You don't get a lot of feats, and investing in one that you won't use much is not a good idea. There are other options available to you, because of your spells: Mage Armour and vanish are first level spells, 2nd level spells include Mirror Image and invisibility, then we get blur, displacement, Improved Invisibility, etc. (But Mage Armour alone is better than any light armour until you can afford magically enhanced ones and has no max DEX or armour penalties) In addition to all this, you can use alter self to get a natural armor bonus. On top of this, you will have a high DEX ( because you are a Rogue-type), so you shouldn't need to go down the armour route. (I am assuming you are taking sorcerer, wizard or arcanist as you're source of spells).
If you did opt for armour, you have would have to invest in the feat, accept the penalties to your main skills and accept that you will be using a swift action just to cast most spells. There are so many other things you can use that swift action for, though. Many Rogue talents and Ninja tricks require a swift action, as does Metamagic, Rods and quickened spells. All are a better investment of your swift action.
As well as arcane trickster, I would also look at the Eldritch Knight guide. They face a similar question and could potentially get more out of Aat, but conclude it is a second rate option even for a class designed to be in combat. You might even find it discussed in arcane archer or dragon disciple (though DD gets Natural armour so it's less of a problem for them anyway).
Thank you everyone for the advice. You have helped me a lot with this particular conundrum (also my stats are Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 19 Wis 14 Cha 15: I rolled very well. Also I am playing up to Lv 16-18 and playing the reign of winter campaign/ snows of summer) also planning on going Rogue 2 Internal Mindchemist vivesectionist alchemist 1 admixture wizard 3 arcane trickster 10 Loremaster 2. My party is made of casual gamers with a caster Druid, support cleric, "god" wizard and a switch hitter ranger. Thanks again everyone for your quick replies and helpful advice.
I have yet to find a build I would actually recommend arcane armor training with that doesn't require very convoluted circumstances.
planning on going Rogue 2 Internal Mindchemist vivesectionist alchemist 1 admixture wizard 3 arcane trickster 10 Loremaster 2. My party is made of casual gamers with a caster Druid, support cleric, "god" wizard and a switch hitter ranger. Thanks again everyone for your quick replies and helpful advice.
Too much multi-classing in my opinion. BAB and Fortitude saves are going to be horrible.
I would strongly recommend keeping it to two classes plus PrCs. Since the two PrC you list can add to the same caster you should be fine there assuming you're getting a worthwhile return on the levels.
Thanks everyone, I think that I'd just have to get by without AAT now, I was having a bit of trouble with it because I'd have to replace something that I usually fin necessary in my builds but I also find not dying very important to my builds. Also I'm building towards being able to do many things with this character because as the name suggests ever since the first time I've layed the rogue character I've never had enough skill points. I craft my characters to being able to deal with any situation put in front of them which is why I'm taking a dip In alchemist. By the way that thing that I'd have swapped it for is Craft wondrous item which I think I'd use quite a lot due to the very slow paced game that I'm in (Frostbite sucks majorly leaving nearly the entire party fatigued and I'm pretty sure soon that endure elements will stop being viable)
Thanks I'm never gonna look back, by the way is it "legal" to take the arcane bond from the wizard and take the familiar from Elderitch heritage?
Damn
How effective is your character? I hope you don't mind me asking something away from the threads purpose.
My thoughts is the trickster doesn't work too well if you have to take 3 levels of both rogue and arcane casting class. You lose 3 levels progression in each, base attack bonus suffers and then the prestige class tops out at 10 levels, so you stop the dual progression that is the main point of the PC.
But that is all from looking at things w/o playing them much.
Kinda what I thought. :(
I had the idea of swinging a character who could take one level of rogue, wizard or sorcerer and cleric and somehow meet the pre-reqs for both arcane trickster and mystic theurge.
At L20 you would have 18th level arcane spellcasting, 11th level divine and some rogue stuff.
It may work better with a cerebremancer theurge, as the drawbacks, including stuffed BaB matter a bit less. Characters with a very wide range of abilities at least.
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I've been enjoying the heck out of a Wizard 1/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster 7 in PFS, and most of the time that character simply isn't targeted - he's either invisible or with such a high stealth check that he's not seen.
What I WOULD recommend is a 2nd-level-caster wand of vanish (1500 GP), and some sort of escape route (dimension door, some way to earthglide, etc). Teaming up with someone who has a reliable way to blind enemies is a good idea too; think glitterdust or burst of radiance.
Other tips:
Focus on spells that don't have saving throws and don't have SR. I can't stress enough that acid splash should be one of your cantrips.
Consider investing in a lesser rod of persistence and a lesser rod of reach - a reach vampiric touch can be a lot of fun.
Magical Knack should be one of your traits.
At higher levels I'd recommend point blank and precise shot - you're going to want to never be in melee past 5th or 6th level.
Hello everyone I'm new to paizo but have been playing pathfinder for over a year I was just wondering if in your opinion I should take the arcane armour training feat for my arcane trickster. (By the way I am currently a Lv 2 rogue and my party is primarily composed of ranged characters, also I have read both arcane trickster guides I just would like some more opinions) thanks
no.
Last time i played AT i have not used armor.
Yes...10 percent isn´t a problem
I have not used because of skill penalities and max dex bonus too.
Alternatively, if you are in a higher level game you could build for early entry evangelist to keep your BAB, HP, and skill points up.
If I recall correctly it was something like
Race with lvl2 Arcane SLA (Tiefling)
Rogue 1
Snakebite Brawler 1
Scryer wizard 1 (lvl3 SLA, take deific obedience as a feat)
Evangelist 1
AT 1
Evangelist rest (you align AT at 2).
That looks to me like a well thought out plan.
Evengelists are very often a good option.
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Quicken essentially incorporates Still and Silent metamagic. If it's fast and effortless enough that it does not provoke, I'm going to assume that at the very least, it eliminates the need for a somatic component.
Spells without a somatic component don't figure into ASF.
It's fast, but it doesn't specifically state it functions as Still and Silent. If there is a faq or clarification you could provide then it would be great, but all the description of quicken spell does is make the cast time a swift action.
Alternatively, if you are in a higher level game you could build for early entry evangelist to keep your BAB, HP, and skill points up.
If I recall correctly it was something like
Race with lvl2 Arcane SLA (Tiefling)
Rogue 1
Snakebite Brawler 1
Scryer wizard 1 (lvl3 SLA, take deific obedience as a feat)
Evangelist 1
AT 1
Evangelist rest (you align AT at 2).
Somebody called? (Vivisectionist/Mindchemist Alchemist instead of Rogue, yeah, I know.)