Basically, I'm working out a build for a psychic bloodline sorcerer, and I came up to the point where I was deciding what, if anything, to wear for armor.
The thing is, a mithral chain shirt has an AC of 4, a maximum dex bonus of 6, an arcane spell failure of 10%, and no armor check penalty.
Being a psychic caster, I can ignore the arcane spell failure. I won't have 22 dex anytime soon since I'm focusing mainly charisma, and as far as I can tell the only penalty for non-proficiency in armor is that the armor check penalty is extended to all attack rolls and all skills that require movement, rather than just the usual ACP skills.
So basically, it seems that there is literally no downside so wearing a mithral chain shirt for this character (or, in fact, any non-arcane caster) even if they do not have proficiency.
Am I reading into this right? Anything I missed?
Psychic bloodline sorcerers don't suffer Arcane Spell failure chance anymore since they're spells become psychic (IIRC).
You could wear full-plate and aside from the armor check penalty to attack rolls and skills you wouldn't care. Depending on the type of character you're building, neither of those matter.
If nothing else, you should wear mithral kikko armor which has 0 ACP and a max dex of 6 or 7.
So yes, you're right. But you can go even heavier armor than you're already considering.
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0 armor check penalty? I guess you're right - no downside, even without proficiency!
Even so, you might want to consider taking the Armor Proficiency feats. It's not every day your enemies will run into a sorcerer in full plate!
EDIT: AAAH! It's a heavily-armored ninja!
You are correct. While armor you are not proficient with applies its armor check penality to a lot of stuff (most notably attack rolls and initiative), this doesn't matter when there is no armor check penality to begin with.
As it doesn't stack with mage armor its nice but nothing too crazy.
As it doesn't stack with mage armor its nice but nothing too crazy.
I've got a specific build in mind with a crossblooded sorcerer, so being able to drop mage armor in place of some other more valuable spell slot is, well, valuable.
If nothing else, you should wear mithral kikko armor which has 0 ACP and a max dex of 6 or 7.
Holy crap... I never knew this existed. Who would ever wear a chain shirt anymore? jesus. It even fits the campaign theme better.
You could wear full-plate and aside from the armor check penalty to attack rolls and skills you wouldn't care.
unfortunately, this particular kitsune has 7 strength and the DM does loosely enforce carry weight.
Even so, you might want to consider taking the Armor Proficiency feats. It's not every day your enemies will run into a sorcerer in full plate!
feats are pretty much planned out to 20, unfortunately!
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If nothing else, you should wear mithral kikko armor which has 0 ACP and a max dex of 6 or 7.Holy crap... I never knew this existed. Who would ever wear a chain shirt anymore? jesus. It even fits the campaign theme better.
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The chainshirt is initially cheaper. Because of how enhancement bonus scaling works that advantage eventually goes away, but there is an enormous difference between a 2kgp +1 chainshirt and a 5kgp Kikko armor.
If you are going to be high level enough and are willing to put enough gold into it, I would consider springing for a Comfort Mithril Breastplate. +3 Mithril Kikko costs the same as +2 Mithril Comfort Breastplate, but from there on out the Breastplate is substantially cheaper, with a higher max AC.
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If nothing else, you should wear mithral kikko armor which has 0 ACP and a max dex of 6 or 7.Holy crap... I never knew this existed. Who would ever wear a chain shirt anymore? jesus. It even fits the campaign theme better.
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The chainshirt is initially cheaper. Because of how enhancement bonus scaling works that advantage eventually goes away, but there is an enormous difference between a 2kgp +1 chainshirt and a 5kgp Kikko armor.
If you are going to be high level enough and are willing to put enough gold into it, I would consider springing for a Comfort Mithril Breastplate. +3 Mithril Kikko costs the same as +2 Mithril Comfort Breastplate, but from there on out the Breastplate is substantially cheaper, with a higher max AC.
Mithral kikko and mithral breastplate have the same max AC, assuming you have sufficient dex to hit the cap. Kikko is 1 less armor bonus and 1 higher max dex.
You've tanked your strength to 5 or less and have to watch each ounce of encumbrance.
And then you realized that mage armor gives the same AC, has no weight, and protects against attacks that your mithril chain does nothing against.
Then you also realied that you were dirt poor at first level and couldn't afford the armor anyway.