DEX-Based Magus Equips

[bellabiased]

Hello! I'm running kensai DEX-based magus, and my DM has said she will ignore arcane spell failure if it is 10% or less (so treat anything with 10% or less as though it is 0% ASF), which opens up quite a few options for me armor-wise. I'd like the usual things, high max-DEX bonus, high armor bonus without incurring too many penalties. I'm thinking of going chain shirt made of mithral, but if there's like, secretly another option I'm missing that would be way more suited for my build, I'd love any insights! Thank you.

[Azothath]

bellabiased wrote:

Hello! I'm running kensai DEX-based magus, and my DM has said she will ignore arcane spell failure if it is 10% or less (so treat anything with 10% or less as though it is 0% ASF), which opens up quite a few options...

very generous.

so you're exploring the boundaries...
Magus - Kensai archetype
kensai is proficient in simple weapons and in a single martial or exotic melee weapon of his choice. A kensai is not proficient with armor or shields and suffers normal arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while armored. ooooFF DAH!
from Lgt Armr Prfc feat
Normal: A character who is wearing armor with which he is not proficient applies its armor check penalty to attack rolls and to all skill checks that involve moving.
I don't think I need to amplify that bad news so you need to keep the armor check to 0 (like a wizard).

lgt Armor
Special Materials

darkleaf cloth
WpnSz:n/a, WpnType:n/a, WpnFnss:n/a, MaxDex:+2, ArmrChk:+3(min 0), ASF:-10%(min 5%), Hrd:10{wood 5}, HP:20{*2 wood}, wt/2, MovRate:(not discussed). Note that mwk is included. Lgt Armr +$750, Med Armr +$1500.

mithral lowers penalties, it does not alter the proficiency (lgt/med armor) needed to wear the armor or shield (many people miss that).
WpnSz:n/a, WpnType:n/a, WpnFnss:n/a, MaxDex:+2, ArmrChk:+3(min 0), ASF:-10%, Hrd:15, HP:30{same as std steel/iron}, wt/2, MovRate:-1 category, counts as Ag for DR. Note that mwk is included. Lgt Armr +$1000, Med Armr +$4000.

Singing Steel is for bards and rather expensive.

Sun Silk lining for DR is good at higher levels...

for Light armor you have a lot of choices; usual is studded leather $25 going with darkleaf cloth. Spidersilk $850 is also good if your Dex is super high.

for Medium armor, Kikko $250 is highest metallic with Armr Chk:-3 & ASF:20%.

IF your GM allows chain shirt to be upgraded into heavier armor, then a mithral chain shirt into kikko makes sense. TBH it's a small step from $1100 to $4250 so you could skip it.

at first level - haramaki, it's cheap and +1 AC.
at 3rd or so level go mwk darkleaf cloth studded leather armor $775.
at 6th+ go mwk mithral kikko armor $4250.
your last will be celestial armor with Lgt Armr Prfc feat.

[zza ni]

If you can get your dex bonus to +8 (or higher).
then getting a drow with the weapon familiarity racial trait (or half-elf's 'Drow-Trained' if the GM allow it to work the same) will let you use a spider-silk bodysuit with +8 dex bonus and the armor's +3 ac.
A +5 suit would then be a total of +16 ac, 10% fail and no acp since it's -1 would be negated by the masterwork.

I think the only armor to top that would be a mithral full plate (which would cost a ton and be more then 10% arcane fail and have acp)

[Tom Sampson]

Mithral kikko is, price aside, strictly better than a chain shirt. It also has 10% arcane spell failure, becomes light armor, and the armor check penalty goes to zero, making your lack of proficiency a nonissue. You could add the nimble property on top and your max dex bonus would become 8 (but the armor bonus would drop by 1, unless you have the Armor Adept feat, but if you do you may as well add the vitalguard property).