Runesmith and Scribe Scroll

[Waytraveler]

I am playing in a 3.5 game (pretty much any book allowed). The game is a wizard game, so all players are at least half levels of wizard or equivalent prestige class (not spontaneous caster). But I really wanted to play a melee character.

So my build is dwarf paragon 3/wizard 2/Runesmith.

Not really looking for overall build advice, just an answer to this dilemma. If I wear full plate, I get a 35% arcane spell failure chance. With Runesmith that goes to 0% with cast spells. But it doesn't help casting from scrolls. I want some options for how to overcome spell failure for scrolls.

The only options I have so far, while keeping the full plate, are:

1. Twilight mithril full plate (reduces it to 15%).
2. Forget about scrolls and just hit them more often with my axe.

Ideas?

[Thurbane]

You could get a Ring of Arming (MIC), and swap to a lighter suit of armor when you know you're going to be using scrolls. It's 5000gp, and is likely to cost you action economy when you are activating the ring.

Otherwise, I'd recommend not worrying too much about scrolls - stick with wands (although you'll be limited to 4th level spells or lower).

[Pilo]

You can cast from a spell from a scroll without any risk of arcane spell failure because reading a scroll does not implies somatic components.

[Zombimode]

You can cast from a spell from a scroll without any risk of arcane spell failure because reading a scroll does not implies somatic components.

Except it does:


Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance.

[Thurbane]

Indeed - spell trigger items (like wands) have no ASF; spell completion items (like scrolls) have the same ASF as casting a spell.

[Andorax]

Perhaps talk to your DM about a campaign-custom feat you can take at 6th level?

Runic Scrollcasting

PRQ: Scribe Scroll, Runecaster 1+

Benefit: Scrolls you create are simpler runic forms. Casting spells from scrolls that you create no longer requires a somatic component.

[Waytraveler]

I asked my DM and he didn't really want to create a new feat.

But I did find a solution: Still Spell feat. I asked the DM and he said I could use that feat to scribe a stilled spell into a scroll. So I take a spell level adjustment of 1 level, which is fine for the less-used spells I would scroll anyway.

Thanks for the feat idea. I hadn't thought about feats, so that was really helpful.