Assassin Spell casting and light armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Assassin Spell casting and light armor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Nhoj509
08-31-04, 01:47 PM Since Assassins "casts spells just as a bard does" does that mean they can cast in light armor w/o a chance of arcane spell failure?

It would make them cooler, so I hope so.

thx!
Nhoj
Bartleby_GoC
08-31-04, 02:43 PM I think it means it works like sorcery. Bards spells ALWAYS have a verbal component. That doesn't make sense for a PrC based on stealth. The light armor exception is made uder the Weapon and Armor heading. Since there's no similar coment in the assasin's Weapon and Armor heading, I'd say no, light armor is no exempt.

There's three flavors of magic in standard 3.x Divine (cleric), Arcane Wizardry (wizards), and Arcane Sorcery (sorcerers). As an example, Druids cast spells like clerics. They use divine magic, they prepare spells. They can't pick domains. They can't spontaniously cast heal spells. Similarly, Bards use Arcane Sorcery, thus so do Assasins. Assasin spells don't have the verbal component unless the spell description specifies otherwise. They also do suffer any penalty for wearing armor or using shields.

Bartleby
Nhoj509
08-31-04, 03:50 PM That makes sense, but I think you could argue that "casts spells as a bard does" could include *everything* in how a bard would cast spells, including avoiding arcane spell failure for light armor. Of course that would take away any silent spells, so that would not help assassins who are trying to be quiet.

However, as you say, it's not listed in the spell section for bard, so I think you are probablly correct. I wish they had worded it differently, such as "casts spells as a sorcerer does" or even spelled out the cast on demand w/o memorizing spells rules. Perhaps they were just trying to save space.
Jinlong
09-02-04, 01:28 AM Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what was intended. Assassins cast from innate spells with no armor penalty with light armor, using intelligence bonus. A good question about the verbal components.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nhoj509 08-31-04, 01:47 PM	Since Assassins "casts spells just as a bard does" does that mean they can cast in light armor w/o a chance of arcane spell failure? It would make them cooler, so I hope so. thx! Nhoj
Bartleby_GoC 08-31-04, 02:43 PM	I think it means it works like sorcery. Bards spells ALWAYS have a verbal component. That doesn't make sense for a PrC based on stealth. The light armor exception is made uder the Weapon and Armor heading. Since there's no similar coment in the assasin's Weapon and Armor heading, I'd say no, light armor is no exempt. There's three flavors of magic in standard 3.x Divine (cleric), Arcane Wizardry (wizards), and Arcane Sorcery (sorcerers). As an example, Druids cast spells like clerics. They use divine magic, they prepare spells. They can't pick domains. They can't spontaniously cast heal spells. Similarly, Bards use Arcane Sorcery, thus so do Assasins. Assasin spells don't have the verbal component unless the spell description specifies otherwise. They also do suffer any penalty for wearing armor or using shields. Bartleby
Nhoj509 08-31-04, 03:50 PM	That makes sense, but I think you could argue that "casts spells as a bard does" could include everything in how a bard would cast spells, including avoiding arcane spell failure for light armor. Of course that would take away any silent spells, so that would not help assassins who are trying to be quiet. However, as you say, it's not listed in the spell section for bard, so I think you are probablly correct. I wish they had worded it differently, such as "casts spells as a sorcerer does" or even spelled out the cast on demand w/o memorizing spells rules. Perhaps they were just trying to save space.
Jinlong 09-02-04, 01:28 AM	Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what was intended. Assassins cast from innate spells with no armor penalty with light armor, using intelligence bonus. A good question about the verbal components.