Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Notes: Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure

The bane of the casters is the chance of arcane spell failure suffered by all spells with somatic components. Here are some tips on overcoming this situation.

First, there are some spells that lack somatic components. These are few and far between, but might get you through the first levels if you want to gear up like a warrior.

All arcane spellcasters can use armor that has no or very low chance of arcane spell failure. The armored kilt, and if eastern armor is allowed the haramaki is a good place to start, but once you can afford special materials, darkleaf and mithral armor become highly desirable. There is also the old stand-by mage armor.

For shields, the same general rules apply, but remember that you can remove the shield for noncombat spellcasting. You can use many buffs and divinations regardless of what shield you wear. Perhaps the best trick of all is to not use a shield, but go with a two-handed weapon instead. You need one hand free for somatic components anyway, and that is easily accomplished with a two-handed weapon (it is a free action to shift grip from one to two hands and back). Once special materials become available shields become more attractive, but considering the free hand requirement only bucklers really work out. Or you might give up your move actions for the weapon cord and use your weapon hand.

There are also feats for combining arcane spells and armor, Arcane Armor Training and Arcane Armor Mastery.

With a mitral buckler, mithral breastplate, and both arcane armor feats you can get an armor bonus of +7 with no arcane spell failure and an armor check penalty of only -2.

Finally, there is Still Spell. But it makes your spells more difficult to cast, and there is no metamagic rod for this.