D20:Arcane Spells and Armor Rules

[top]Arcane Spells and Armor

Wizards and sorcerers do not know how to wear armor effectively.
If desired, they can wear armor anyway (though they?ll be clumsy in it), or they can gain training in the proper use of armor (with the various Armor Proficiency feats?light, medium, and heavy?and the Shield Proficiency feat), or they can multiclass to add a class that grants them armor proficiency. Even if a wizard or sorcerer is wearing armor with which he or she is proficient, however, it might still interfere with spellcasting.
Armor restricts the complicated gestures that a wizards or sorcerer must make while casting any spell that has a somatic component (most do). The armor and shield descriptions list the arcane spell failure chance for different armors and shields.
By contrast, bards not only know how to wear light armor effectively, but they can also ignore the arcane spell failure chance for such armor. A bard wearing armor heavier than light or using any type of shield incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance, even if he becomes proficient with that armor.
If a spell doesn?t have a somatic component, an arcane spellcaster can cast it with no problem while wearing armor. Such spells can also be cast even if the caster?s hands are bound or if he or she is grappling (although Concentration checks still apply normally). Also, the metamagic feat Still Spell allows a spellcaster to prepare or cast a spell at one spell level higher than normal without the somatic component. This also provides a way to cast a spell while wearing armor without risking arcane spell failure.

Back to System Reference Document ? Spells.
 
This article is a D20 reference page
The System Reference Document is a comprehensive toolbox consisting of rules, races, classes, feats, skills, various systems, spells, magic items, and monsters compatible with the d20 System version of Dungeons & Dragons and various other roleplaying games from Wizards of the Coast.
 

Tags for this Page

Similar Pages

  1. Armor Descriptions (SRD Rules)
    By Arjan in forum Main
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 05-15-2007, 11:53 AM
  2. Divine Spells (Rules)
    By Arjan in forum D20 system reference document
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-02-2007, 03:57 PM
  3. Casting Spells (Rules)
    By Arjan in forum D20 system reference document
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-02-2007, 03:56 PM
  4. Arcane Spells (Rules)
    By Arjan in forum D20 system reference document
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 04-02-2007, 03:56 PM
  5. Masterwork Armor (Rules)
    By Arjan in forum D20 system reference document
    Comments: 0
    Last Post: 02-21-2007, 07:25 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

Posting Permissions
  • You may not create new articles
  • You may not edit articles
  • You may not protect articles
  • You may not post comments
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your comments
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.