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I'm done venting, do what you want.Good.
Arcane armor training is very useful for the lower levels where armor is your primary defense and you don't have access to a lot of polymorph options yet. It's also useful for when you are crushing mooks or getting surprised. Believe it or not, the adventuring day is not always measured in minutes.
Vital strike wonderfully combos with polymorph effects. Being a dragon is not when you are trying to pump vital strike damage, but the 6-8d8+base damage shows that the feats are still useful for those turns you are getting into full attack range.
If you do have a druid in the party laughing at you, she could also cast strong jaws on you, doubling or nearly doubling that vital strike damage.As far as being a universal wizard goes, that is just so I don't write off any schools at the start. As an EK you aren't specializing, so it seemed a little odd to me specialize to a school. (Heroism is enchantment, false life is necromancy, evocation might be a decent ban but then no fireballs, illusion has many nice buffs and other uses, transmutation and conjuration speak for themselves, divination is always useful).
I think the problem with Arcane Armor Training is that it doesn't go nearly far enough to do what you're saying. It doesn't negate ASF, it only reduces it by 10%. Looking at the list of Armor available to your character, Armor with 10% ASF normally gives only a +2 AC bonus. With Arcane Armor Mastery, you can reduce ASF by 20%, but that only gives you access to Armor with a +4 AC bonus.
In this respect, Mage Armor is far superior to either, giving a +4 AC bonus with no ASF, while being available from 1st level, unlike Arcane Armor Mastery, which requires caster level 7. Even when you take into account a mithral option (-10% ASF), you are only looking at Armor with a +6 bonus at most, lest you risk Arcane Spell Failure. Note that this occurs at a level where you would already have access to Mage Armor 2, or better yet, spells like Mirror Image, blur, etc.
Now of course, the ability to enhance armor and use armor special abilities skews this slightly, but then we run into the fact that you could have chosen an Armor with zero ASF in the first place, like a mithral buckler and a Haramaki/Silken Ceremonial Armor, or even an Armored Kilt. So in general, you are trading 2 feats and your swift action (which along with it comes the opportunity cost of Quickened Spells) for about +4 AC.
Do you really think that is worth the cost?
If the GM allows piecemeal armor, things could be pretty good, actually, though I'm loath to go for the asf-armors mostly because I have a deep seated annoyance as acp and those two go hand-in-hand most of the time.
Do you really think that is worth the cost?
Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.
Do you really think that is worth the cost?Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.
Just FYI - that's an item from a 3.5 AP, not PFRPG.
c) You take still spell at 19th level well past the time it would actually be useful in your build. It's also unnecessary on a polymorph chassis and you shouldn't be in heavy armour to begin with anyway.** spoiler omitted **
This is actually looking pretty sexy. I may run this next campaign.
I just wanted something to combo with the universalist ability I get at that level.
But yeah, that is not a fixed feat.a) I disagree
b) A valid point. Why not just cast and move? I think it is worth it because when you switch into damage mode it is because damage needs to be done. There may not be spells you want to burn.
d) I know people don't like this school but it has abilities.
e) I disagree, except for mutagen warrior. That is a strait upgrade. You would take a hit to int when using it. But yes completely free.
f) I disagree
g) I take the most useful crafting feat one level late
EKs are not very synergistic by their very nature. The whole point is to be versatile and flexible.
Clawhand Shield + Haramaki cover base armor without the feat. Myself, I don't find the bonus high enough to go with the feat. Even an armored coat is a better option IMO over the feat.
Do you really think that is worth the cost?Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.
This is an exception to the above. If the proposed character didn't have multiple demands on swift actions, it would be a fine option. If you don't want to use Transformation because "you can't cast spells should the situation call for it", it seems odd to take extra option that will force a 20% chance to do the same if you use the option.
Just FYI - that's an item from a 3.5 AP, not PFRPG.Do you really think that is worth the cost?Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.
Clawhand Shield + Haramaki cover base armor without the feat. Myself, I don't find the bonus high enough to go with the feat. Even an armored coat is a better option IMO over the feat.
This is an exception to the above. If the proposed character didn't have multiple demands on swift actions, it would be a fine option. If you don't want to use Transformation because "you can't cast spells should the situation call for it", it seems odd to take extra option that will force a 20% chance to do the same if you use the option.Do you really think that is worth the cost?Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.
I assume people think there is swift action gate because of quicken spell and spell critical?
Because arcane strike and arcane armor training should not be interfering.
I guess using rods of quicken could be an issue while wearing armor.
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Clawhand Shield + Haramaki cover base armor without the feat. Myself, I don't find the bonus high enough to go with the feat. Even an armored coat is a better option IMO over the feat.
This is an exception to the above. If the proposed character didn't have multiple demands on swift actions, it would be a fine option. If you don't want to use Transformation because "you can't cast spells should the situation call for it", it seems odd to take extra option that will force a 20% chance to do the same if you use the option.Do you really think that is worth the cost?Well yeah. Celestial fullplate is +12 AC for 25K. Arcane armor mastery negates the ASF. This EK can craft that item in 7 days.I assume people think there is swift action gate because of quicken spell and spell critical?
Because arcane strike and arcane armor training should not be interfering.
I guess using rods of quicken could be an issue while wearing armor.
Your character will NEVER get to use it's capstone ability. You are either casting a spell and using Arcane Armor Training or you're swinging a sword and using Arcane Strike. This also applies to quickened spells. You've made a character that's swift action is always taken and then piled on 2 extra options that use that already depleted resource.
Rods of quicken fall into the same trap. If you attack normally, you've already spend the swift action.
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I disagree
'I disagree' isn't really cutting it as a rebuttal at this point, especially when I point out illegal feat choices that aren't a matter of opinion.
Some of your disagreements are also frankly baffling. Are you honestly triyng to tell me that, at 20th level, you would rather have +1 BAB, +2HP, a situational feat that wasn't good four levels ago and bravery over an additional 9th level and 8th level spell slot? With those slots alone I could be preparing a quickened stoneskin, heroism, or greater false life in the 8th level slot for no loss of action economy and greater gains already, not to mention an extra time stop giving me 1d4+1 rounds of free buffing. This is moving beyond opinion disagreements and into the realm of clear advantage.
This tells me you really haven't put a lot of thought into the build, but people reacted so violently you now feel compelled to defend it.
I could be preparing a quickened stoneskin, heroism, or greater false life in the 8th level slot for no loss of action economy and greater gains already
To be fair, the build's already spent it's swift action at the start of any of it's rounds, so quickened anything is a bad idea.
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I could be preparing a quickened stoneskin, heroism, or greater false life in the 8th level slot for no loss of action economy and greater gains alreadyTo be fair, the build's already spent it's swift action at the start of any of it's rounds, so quickened anything is a bad idea.
I would argue that the spending of the swift action at the start of the round for AAT or AS is the bad idea more than the quickened spell per se - but I think you're agreeing with me here anyway. This just reinforces how much of a trap AAT really is.
I would argue that the spending of the swift action at the start of the round for AAT or AS is the bad idea more than the quickened spell per se - but I think you're agreeing with me here anyway.I could be preparing a quickened stoneskin, heroism, or greater false life in the 8th level slot for no loss of action economy and greater gains alreadyTo be fair, the build's already spent it's swift action at the start of any of it's rounds, so quickened anything is a bad idea.
LOL Yes, I agree that using those feats are a bad idea. Just working within the character idea. My feats would be... slightly different. At the very least, I'd do some retraining when the other swift action abilities came online. ;)
I disagree'I disagree' isn't really cutting it as a rebuttal at this point, especially when I point out illegal feat choices that aren't a matter of opinion.
This did not happen. I disregarded criticism that were inaccurate or a matter of opinion or already responded to up thread.
EDIT: In-case you were not aware metamagic mastery is not a feat in the build. It is a universal school ability.
I disagree'I disagree' isn't really cutting it as a rebuttal at this point, especially when I point out illegal feat choices that aren't a matter of opinion.
This did not happen. I disregarded criticism that were inaccurate or a matter of opinion or already responded to up thread.
EDIT: In-case you were not aware metamagic mastery is not a feat in the build. It is a universal school ability.
Linkified for you. However, if you go 10 levels of Eldritch Knight, you also end up delaying Metamagic Mastery (requires Wizard level 8, not caster level 8) for 10 levels (unless you go for super-late entry), and when you do get it, the limited uses per day will really hurt (as if they didn't hurt enough already for a normal Universalist Wizard).
I disagree'I disagree' isn't really cutting it as a rebuttal at this point, especially when I point out illegal feat choices that aren't a matter of opinion.
This did not happen. I disregarded criticism that were inaccurate or a matter of opinion or already responded to up thread.
EDIT: In-case you were not aware metamagic mastery is not a feat in the build. It is a universal school ability.
Linkified for you. However, if you go 10 levels of Eldritch Knight, you also end up delaying Metamagic Mastery (requires Wizard level 8, not caster level 8) for 10 levels (unless you go for super-late entry), and when you do get it, the limited uses per day will really hurt (as if they didn't hurt enough already for a normal Universalist Wizard).
So, going by the character given, once a day it get to add Still Spell for free? Seems a bit unexciting for 19th level but not totally useless I guess.
So, going by the character given, once a day it get to add Still Spell for free? Seems a bit unexciting for 19th level but not totally useless I guess.
Unexciting, but useful-ish. Actually the feat choice I thought was the weakest.