Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Notes: Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure

Eldritch knights and eldritch hunters have a constant problem as a class that both casts powerful arcane spells and wears armor; arcane spell failure. There are many ways to overcome this, but all are costly and some inefficient.

• Spells Without Somatic Components There are a few of these, and you could make it your specialty to dig them out and use them. Unfortunately, the spell tables do not mention components, so finding them is a hassle. Here is a short list of candidates:
  Cantrips: Flare, Light

1. Feather Fall, Hold Portal, True Strike, Ventriloquism
2. Blindness/deafness, Blur, Knock
3. Displacement, Suggestion, Tongues
4. Dimension Door, Geas (lesser), Shout
5. Contact Other Plane, Teleport
6. Geas/Quest, Suggestion (Mass)
7. Phase Door, Power Word Blind, Teleport (Greater), Teleport Object,
8. Charm Monster (Mass), Irresistible Dance, Power Word Stun, Shout (Greater)
9. Mage’s Disjunction, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Sphere, Teleportation Circle, Time Stop, Wail of the Banshee

• Live With It To a point, it is possible to simply accept a chance of arcane spell failure. A breastplate with no shield gives a +6 armor bonus for 25% chance of spell failure - acceptable at lower levels.
• Take Off Your Shield A heavy shield adds 15% to arcane spell failure. A tower shield adds an amazing 50%. Both can be gotten rid of by the simple expedient of putting down (or even stowing, check with your GM) your shield. For an eldritch knight that focuses on pre-combat buffs and other non-combat spellcasting, this is an attractive extra, but not a solution in itself. As an aside, the reason to bother with shields at higher levels is not the shield bonus itself, but that it gives an additional place to put the cheap armor enhancement bonuses. This means that ar first level, a buckler feels like it is behind a heavy shield, but at 10th level, the difference is negligible next to the enhancement bonuses. You are an arcane spellcaster, any defenses you can muster are good.
• Force Armor Mage armor is a superb first level spell, and competes well with other low-level options such as a chain shirt. Bracers of armor not so much; they are as costly as magic armor, so any armor bonus that actually comes from armor is a freebie compared to bracers of armor.
• Armored Kilt There is actually a set of armor with no chance of arcane spell failure. This is a superior option to force armor, as a magic armored kilt will always give one more armor class for the same cost. However, force armor does protect against incorporeal touch attacks, so if you are worried about spectral unded, stay with your bracers.
• Mithral is your best friend. Remember that both the shield and armor can be made of mithral with cumulative benefits.
• Feats Arcane Armor Training offer considerable benefits. Arcane Armor Mastery less so - because of how arcane spell failure is divided between shields and armor, you can generally only use half of this bonus unless you are willing to accept some actual chance of spell failure. Still Spell is another option, but it is costly, and unlike a normal spellcaster you do not want to hold a metamagic rod in your hand when fighting. Note that Quicken Spell is no help at all here - you may not trigger attacks of opportunity, but arcane spell failure is something else entirely. There is also a conflict between Arcane Armor Training and Quicken Spell, because both require your swift action - at higher levels this makes armor a more costly option.
• Very Light Option Using a mithral buckler and darkleaf leather armor, you have an armor bonus of +3 without arcane spell failure, and that is before enchantment bonuses to armor.
• Light Option Using a mithral buckler, mithral chain shirt, and with Arcane Armor Training, you have an armor bonus of +5 without arcane spell failure. Without the shield, you still get a solid +4.
• Heavy Option Using a heavy mithral sheild, mithral breastplate, and with both Arcane Armor Training and Arcane Armor Mastery, you have an armor bonus of +8 without arcane spell failure. If you are ready to accept 5% spell failure, mithral full plate gives an armor bonus of +9 and a heavy mithral shield can add another +2.
• Free Hand Also remember that you need a free hand for gestures. Wielding a two-handed weapon, this is not a problem; it is a free action to shift the grip on the weapon from one to two hands. Staff-wielding spellcasters do this all the time. A weapon cord lets you release and then pick up your weapon, but spending move actions redrawing the weapon cuts down on your full attacks. If you wield a buckler in your off-hand, you can presumably shift your weapon from one hand to another, but it is not explicitly said in the rules if this is a free action. If your GM rules that is not, you have to cast the spell using the shield arm, which makes you lose your shield bonus until your next turn. The ultimate solution is the glove of storing, but it is both expensive and occupies a valuable item slot.