WF Casters: What armor do you have?

[oronisi]

I have a quick question for all you WF Casters out there; what armor do you have? Did you bother with mithril and the enhancements to negate ASF? Does the innate +2 armor stack with +5/6 armor bracers?

[The_Silver_Griffon]

Plain old composite plating and just the first level of the enhancement since it completely negates the ASF for composite plating.

[Tenkari_Rozahas]

hmmm. depends. if you want a caster that might beable to take a few hits caster, I'd wait till you get one of those Arcane Sigil docents and go for an addy wearing caster, that with the third level of the inscribed armor series of enhancements would either take out, or reduce it to like 5-10%.

[FrodoCorleone]

I had Mithral Body on my sorc until the level increase (i.e. lvl 12). After that I switched to Composite Body because I wanted my item slots for attributes that improved my spellcasting, not my AC. Also the ASF enhancements were expensive. BTW, innate armor does not stack.

[Rooks]

Composite plus lv 1 of the ASF enhancement.

But I have 222 hps, so I can take a few hits.

[RemoJr]

I took the mithral body feat. I can get my AC high enough to throw off some of the attacks that come my way.

10 base
5 mithral plating
5 +5 docent
4 dex
5 +4 mith light sheild
5 +5 protection cloak (deflection bonus)
2 chaosguard
1 haste
3 barkskin potion
----------------------------
40 AC base ATM
4 paladin aura
2 barkskin from a ranger
------------------------------
46 AC max ATM
3 if i can get the chattering ring
1 if i can find a +1 dex tome
1 if i can find a +5 mith light sheild
----------------------------------
51 AC max possible

Mix this AC with a displacment and 200 base hit points and i find that i rarly die. Without mithral plating it wouldn't be possible for me to break 50AC.

[rimble]

Currently at level 5 with Mithril Body and 10% ASF. Even at 10% I don't fail enough to get frustrated, but I'm still just casting buffs then going into melee combat--an offensive caster might be mroe problematic. Trying to cast a mid-combat Wall of Fire and failing may test my patience, we'll see.

I'm ultimately going to try Adamantine Plating, but not until I find an Arcane Sigil docent. I started with an 8 Dex.

[Talengaard]

Mithral body and a 13 starting dex will get you 10 AC with a +1 tome and +6 item, very doable. Adamantine body will get you only 9 AC, and the damage reduction will likely be overwrit by other items/spells. You also need a special docent to get to a low arcane failure, and can't have 0 percent. So you are losing a affix on your docent, 1 AC(that dex with mithril is good for reflex saves/ranged too, not a waste), and will have arcane failure if you go adamantine. If you just go composite, you get a feat, but most who care about AC consider dodge(+1 AC) a decent feat, so mithril is great in comparison.

[rimble]

Mithral body and a 13 starting dex will get you 10 AC with a +1 tome and +6 item, very doable. Adamantine body will get you only 9 AC, and the damage reduction will likely be overwrit by other items/spells. You also need a special docent to get to a low arcane failure, and can't have 0 percent. So you are losing a affix on your docent, 1 AC(that dex with mithril is good for reflex saves/ranged too, not a waste), and will have arcane failure if you go adamantine. If you just go composite, you get a feat, but most who care about AC consider dodge(+1 AC) a decent feat, so mithril is great in comparison.

Well sure, but then I couldn't have started with an 18 Strength and an 18 Con...wheeeee! But actually, you make much sense.

I started Str 18, Dex 8, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 6...with the ultimate goal of trying out Adamantine armor (being tied to Arcane Sigil Docent's and still having 5% ASF).

But, really, since I'm not casting offensive spells with saving throws, the 14 Int isn't really buying me a whole bunch. Maybe I should reroll like Str 18, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 6. A Puzzle Cap and Wizard's Intelligence I will allow me to cast spells starting out and I should still be able to ultimately reach a 19 Int for 9th level spells. Will need a +6 Item and +2 Tome to hit 20 Dex, but that's okay, it'll happen...eventually...

[RemoJr]

you can have adamantine armor without arcain failute. here:

35% adamantine plating
-15% inscribed armor
-10% arcain sigil docent (so far the best i've found is a +4 arcain sigil of acid resist, so +5 arcain sigl must be possible)
-10% 7 fingured glove (titan reward)
----------------------------------
0% arcain failure

[oronisi]

you can have adamantine armor without arcain failute. here:

35% adamantine plating
-15% inscribed armor
-10% arcain sigil docent (so far the best i've found is a +4 arcain sigil of acid resist, so +5 arcain sigl must be possible)
-10% 7 fingured glove (titan reward)
----------------------------------
0% arcain failure


Well now, once I loot a +5 arcane sigil docent and win the 7 fingered gloves, I would seriously consider respecing a feat. Until then....I'll stick with composite. But that would be pretty cool.

[RemoJr]

Well now, once I loot a +5 arcane sigil docent and win the 7 fingered gloves, I would seriously consider respecing a feat. Until then....I'll stick with composite. But that would be pretty cool.

I know, it's more for a "check me out, i have adamantine plating and I'm a wizard" thing. Braggin rights. i have found (and am currently holding) a +4 arcain sigil docent of acid resist, so +5 is a very defenent possibilty.

[Karethon]

My sorcerer has composite plating and the first rank of inscribed armor. At 2nd level you can equip a +2 docent and be just as well off as a fleshie caster for AC. At 14th level I have the Invaders! Docent of Defense, which gives me the equivalent of +7 armor bracers, Heavy Fort, and a +2 deflection bonus - awesome for a single slot.

[VonBek]

Plain old composite plating and just the first level of the enhancement since it completely negates the ASF for composite plating.

What he said.

AC is pretty low, but I've a good stock of Docents. IIRC, the game treats composite plating as armor bonus, and Armored Bracers as armor bonus. Armored Bracers should not count unless they are +3, or better.

[MasterofDungeons]

Just started messing around with a few WF caster builds so I'm no authority but it seems that until you can respec based on uber loots you are best off with composite + the one enhancement.

Where's Ghoste? What is he using?

[Ghoste]

There's an interesting balance to find with wf caster's and armor. There are enhancements to overcome the ASF on the heavier ones (with the help of the right docent) but those are not available at the levels where having that armor makes a difference. Most builds, not all, would be getting hit just as much at the upper levels whether they're wearing composite or adamantine. The DR is nice, but you can get better dr with a good docent anyways (axeblock, spearblock, etc.) or just carry wands of stoneskin. And most importantly, look out for fearsome docents.

Meh, just learn how to use your crowd control spells, both enchantment and necro focussed casters get great ones. And dont neglect your con ability score; might as well make a freakin drow if you're gonna ignore con.

[JosephKell]

I noticed a very strange event yesterday on my new 32 pt WF Wizard when it hit level 3.

One of the feat options for level 3 was Adamantine Body. I guess they changed the "Special: Only selectable at level 1" requirement of the feat to make it possible for Fred to respec feats.

Just something to put out there.

Also, the Invader's Docent is pretty sweet looking. But after seeing the White Dragon Scale Docent I am wondering if it is worth running Invaders the 10 or so times to get the 20 tokens. But then again, assuming it takes 90 or so Gianthold Tor's to get the scales, perhaps it is worth it.

[Hedd]

I roll with Mith body and the large door shield from Gianthold (the one with no spell failure. I can stand at around 36 AC and can easily buff higher if needed (I've sheild tanked the white dragon on occasion while the party was roping in the giant). A guildmate is going the oposite way with comp body and more hp, in the end its about the same really, just depends on how deep you wanna be in combat and if you have quicken.

For an adendem to the AC casters, a +5 Lesser Arcane sigil docent will cover the spell failure from a Mith Large sheild for an extra 2 or 3 AC over the traditional light.

[MathGeek]

My WF Wizard uses Mithral Body. He has the enhancements to get rid of the ASF. He also uses (I'm lucky this way) a +5 Light Mithral Shield (0% ASF). Add in the Docent of Defense (+5, Heavy Fortification, +2 Protection) from Invaders (just turn in your pile of tokens) and a decent Dex (I think I'm running at 19, I should really eat a +1 Dex Tome or get a +6 Dex item), and you can get a mediocre AC around 40 (much better than most arcane casters.) Note also that blocking gives you DR and a +2 to AC. With my 244 HP (and no healer's friend :p ), I can stand in a Wall of Fire and shield block without dying.

My WF Sorcerer doesn't want to give up a feat for Mithral Body, so he's more interested in Invulnerability and Fearsome docents. He dual wields scepters (generally potency and lore), and survives with Displacement, Jump, and Maximize (I find that I get less aggro with Maximize :D .)

With either of my casters, I cast Displacement on myself whenever I think I'm going to grab aggro: when I throw down Walls of Fire, or when I use AoE damage spells.

If you're using a +5 docent, you should really consider running Invaders! until you get the 25 Outsider Tokens to trade for the Docent of Defense. :)


Does the innate +2 armor stack with +5/6 armor bracers?

Nope. Your armor bonus from body + docent will not stack with armor bracers; both are "armor" bonuses. Therefore, you get the better bonus (just like how the Shield spell doesn't stack with a shield.)

[Kalanth]

Composite Plating with a +4 Spearblock docent. Though, what I am hearing about Mod 5, I am starting to think I might want to buy my old Docent of Acid back.

[RemoJr]

Composite Plating with a +4 Spearblock docent. Though, what I am hearing about Mod 5, I am starting to think I might want to buy my old Docent of Acid back.

huh? what about mod 5 and docents? Are they changing something about them?

[Riorik]

I went with Mithral body on my WF-Wizard, currently exp capped. Early, things weren't fabulous but it really wasn't that significant a problem with the ASF - I merely waded in and whacked stuff with a blade half the time.

Currently, I'm sitting at:
AC40 HP237 100% Fortification using a +5 Lesser Arcane Sigil & -15% from enhancements (I'm using a +5 Heavy Mithral Shield) to hit 0% ASF - that's a "standing" AC, of course, no buffs, charges, auras or consumables and it could get 3 points higher with a Chattering Ring.

My experience has been that this is mostly sufficient. Most of the time, I can survive right smack in the middle of heavy combat - either standing in my own firewall or even playing off-tank and smacking stuff.

[Sadus]

Currently Phazer uses Mithril Body and White Dragon Docent (Nice to have +4 Protection and Mod Fort in one Slot) Have Titan Gloves since he's one lvl Rogue and just dumped the Tier 2 and 3 of Inscribed Armor and just redirected the Enhancements.. He also has Chattering Ring. Also has several Titan Docents for "I'm know I'm going to get Smacked" Situations

Current Standing AC

10 Base
10 Armor
5 Dex
5 Dodge (Chaosguards + Ring)
6 Shield (+5 Light Mith)
4 Protection
3 Bark
1 Haste

44 Self Buffed

+2 Ranger
+4 Pally
+2 Enervation
+2 Blocking

54 Max Buffed ATM

[Ghoste]

huh? what about mod 5 and docents? Are they changing something about them?
Hmmm...he could be talking about searing flesh, although im not sure whether or not that's even supposed to affect us non-fleshlings.

[Kalanth]

huh? what about mod 5 and docents? Are they changing something about them?

Actually, the reference is because the docent of Acid gives me some nice boosts to Acid damage, and considering how I built / play the character it would be a huge benefit to me. Most people are saying things like Acid Arrow and Burning Blood will be making a nice come back with Mod 5.

[oberon131313]

I'm currently leveling a 2 wiz / 1 fighter with mithril body. 10% ASF isn't all that noticeable, and when I get high enough level I'll be switching to addy body. Once I run titan a bunch I'll be getting the gloves and I'll be at 0%, but I think I can survive 10% till then.

[Hvymetal]

:cool:

[Gaermain]

I started with Mithril Body on my Sorc, and took the enhancements to get me down to 5% ASF.

Once I stumbled upon a pair of +7 armor (RR: WF - w00t!) bracers, I swapped out the body feat and defaulted to the good ol composite plating.

Now I start with a Docent of the Magi and swap to a Fearsome Docent once the SP difference is spent.