Quick Question about the Spellsword

[NerdHut]

I recently was in a bit of a Spellsword mood, even going so far as to throw together a preliminary base class version of the PrC, only to be reminded that Duskblade exists. Duskblade is better designed by my reckoning, but Spellsword still allows for more utility spells (and different spells on your weapon), so it didn't quite get out of my head.

But I also noticed that it allows armor/shields by reducing the Arcane Spell Failure numerically, rather than gradually allowing light/medium/heavy armor.

Is there any other official WotC class that does that? The reason I ask is that I'm considering a homebrew that allows the two types of ignoring ASF to stack (or partially stack) by some method, and I want to know if I need to make it work for more than one class, or just build it into Spellsword.

[retaliation08]

Arcane heirophant reduces ASF if wearing nonmetal armor. Can't remember if it's a fixed % or not.

[NerdHut]

Arcane heirophant reduces ASF if wearing nonmetal armor. Can't remember if it's a fixed % or not.

It's specific to Light and Medium, not %.

I did find the Suel Arcanamach, which does reduce ASF by %. But it only applies to Arcanamach spells. So even if a character did multiclass as something like Battle Sorcerer/Suel Arcanamach, the two different "Ignore some ASF" features would technically apply to separate spell lists anyway (even if his Arcanamach spells are pulled from the same base list).

[Fouredged Sword]

There are things you can do with armor to decrease it by fixed amounts. The twilight ehancement, mithral, thistledown, and githcraft can give you another 30%

Considering full plate has only 35% failure it doesn't take much extra.

[SirNibbles]

There is also a Fighter ACF, Armored Savant from Dragon Magazine #355, page 92 that reduces ASF by half, increases your armour's Max Dex Bonus by +1, ignores your armour's weight for calculating encumbrance, and treats your armour as one category lighter for determining encumbrance.

[NerdHut]

There are things you can do with armor to decrease it by fixed amounts. The twilight ehancement, mithral, thistledown, and githcraft can give you another 30%

Considering full plate has only 35% failure it doesn't take much extra.

That's not what I had in mind. I'm aware of how to reduce the armor's ASF, but I'm trying to find out if there are other classes besides Spellsword that do it as a class feature.


There is also a Fighter ACF from Dragon Magazine #355 that reduces ASF and gives you other nice stuff in exchange for a feat.

That, and the other feats with it look interesting. I don't currently allow Dragon Magazine in my games, but I may adapt some of this into homebrew.

[Bavarian itP]

The reason I ask is that I'm considering a homebrew that allows the two types of ignoring ASF to stack (or partially stack) by some method

I don't get it, to be honest. Why would you need a homebrew to make them stack? They already stack by RAW, imo.

[NerdHut]

I don't get it, to be honest. Why would you need a homebrew to make them stack? They already stack by RAW, imo.

If I take a few levels in Battle Sorcerer, I can cast in light armor. If I take a level in Spellsword, I can ignore 10% of my armor's ASF. Those don't stack, they overlap.

I haven't settled on the exact numbers, but in concept what I had in mind would work like this:

Battle Sorcerers train to cast in light armor. Spellswords train to cast in gradually heavier armor. When a Battle Sorc starts taking Spellsword levels, either his original Ignore ASF ability should convert to an appropriate percentage he can ignore, or the Spellsword levels should gradually allow medium and heavy armors and shields (Personally, I prefer the percentage option because it's more versatile)

[Thurbane]

Is there any other official WotC class that does that?

Pale Master ("undead armor" only, 10% at 4th, 20% at 8th)
Rage Mage (light and medium armor only, 10% at 2nd).
Suel Arcanamach (already mentioned) (10% at 4th, 15% at 7th, 20% at 10th)

[NerdHut]

Pale Master ("undead armor" only, 10% at 4th, 20% at 8th)
Rage Mage (light and medium armor only, 10% at 2nd).
Suel Arcanamach (already mentioned) (10% at 4th, 15% at 7th, 20% at 10th)



Thank you. Seems like it's most likely to come up for Spellsword builds, then. But since there are other classes (PrCs at that), I think I'll make my homebrew applicable to multiple classes, just in case.