Looking for help creating a Dwarf Wizard (Univ) that fights with Longspear


Advice

Dark Archive

I think the concept is sound, kinda. I was thinking that he would be a pretty rare mage, as a dwarf who likes to tinker and craft, but he could lend a hand through the use of a reach weapon instead of a crossbow or sling and use Craft (Alchemy) to throw things into combat. I was reading the forums here and had some inspiration.

In our weekly games we can only use the core rule book for classes.

With Universalist, he gets the Hand of the Apprentice and I thought to bind the spear.

We rolled stats. I rolled amazing. Here is my idea.
Level 3 with a progression of Wiz, Fig, Wiz. Don't know if I should do anymore fighter as I advance. This is the first time I have tried to play a Wiz in 10 years but I am a good role player and know how to use the skills and abilities. I just want to make sure the character is well put together. The majority of the group are min/max. With a few of us trying to do different things to add flavor.

Fritz DeAmazin'
Dwarf Wiz 2, Fighter 1

STR 14
Dex 16
Con 13 +2
Int 18
Wis 10 +2
Cha 12 -2

Feats: Scribe Scroll (free) and Throw Anything

Anyone have any ideas to make him better or on what I can do as I advance? I was considering Elf also.


A spear as bonded weapon is useless. You must wield your bonded weapon (as in: ready to strike) to cast spells without concentration checks, which means holding the spear in BOTH hands, leaving none for somatic components.

Your chance to hit will be very lacking by the mid levels unless you invest heavily into improving it (high spear enchantment, +str item, buffs). If you want to keep using your spear with any noticeable effect, you should really consider going the eldritch knight route.

I don't think throw anything is a good feat. It's just +1 to attack with thrown splash weapons. An those things are touch attacks which means it's rather easy to hit with them anyway. You should take another feat. Steel Soul is great for any dwarf.

How about another reach weapon? A Guisarme has reach, too, and allows you to trip. Make some use of your dex and your reach and go for improved trip and combat reflexes.

Liberty's Edge

Well, first off, do not go Universalist. It's a bad decision on every possible mechanical level, don't do it. Don't have the Spear be a bonded item for the same reason.

Secondly, unless you're aiming for Eldritch Knight, multiclassing to Fighter's a bad idea. That said, Fighter 1/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight 10/more Wizard is a pretty good build long term. If using Traits and doing this, grab Magical Knack.

Thirdly, Elf is a flat-out better choice mechanically for a straight Wizard, just for the record, and can be good (for a Wizard) in melee and at range with the free proficiencies. If sticking with Fighter, Dwarf might well be the way to go.

Fourthly, are you focusing on ranged combat or melee for your physical stuff? I'd go melee, since you can use Spells for ranged. If doing this, your Feat should obviously be switched out, and your Str and Dex switched.

Liberty's Edge

Sounds like an alchemist might be an interesting fit? Use bombs and alchemical items instead of spells, and you could still take a fighter level for the reach weapon proficiencies.

Sovereign Court

Despite the several advantages of an elf wizard in this role, you might be happier sticking with dwarf for the race over elf, because a Universalist elf wizard isn't as unique.

I agree that a spear is probably a bad choice for a weapon and for your bonded object because of the mechanical difficulties it presents.

Levels in Eldritch Knight later on is worth looking into.

Universalist is also considered sub-par as far as specialization goes; the only time I would consider Universalist is if I'm building a magic item crafter and I find it very important to avoid the banned schools penalties in crafting checks (which can be offset in other ways).

I think it's worth noting that Universalist has a built-in power for attacking with a melee weapon at range, making the use of a spear somewhat redundant. Also note that this ability is one of the reasons people don't like the Universalist.

Silver Crusade

My wizard for PFSP is built kind of the same way. But for a very different effect. Every one tells me it's a bad idea. It dose however function just like I want it to.

Wizard (Arcane Bomber)
opposition schools :
Abjuration : What do I really need this on caster level for? Dispel Magic? I think not and your AC will not get high enough to matter. Just get more HP/Con problem solved.
Illusion : Really ? This is one I hardly ever use even when it's not a opposition school. I mean really wand or scroll invisibility. That way you can use it as much as needed.
Evocation : What do I need this for? I have bombs.
Necromancy : This was the only hard choice to make. There are allot of nice spells. Over all tho I need to keep Divination for the better spells.

X/Day Bombs : for dealing damage to a splash area. Electric damage so they don't mess with my web at lower levels.
spell prepared : focus on crowed control, and utility.
Schools :
Conjuration : I'm not a big fan of summon monster. I am a huge fan of Web, and Black Tentacles. This line has some of the best area crowd control spells.
Divination : You want to know whats going on before they do.
Enchantment : It's nice when your friends, and enemy's work for you.
Transmutation : What is a wizard for if not haste, slow, and chicken (Baleful Polymorph).

Dark Archive

A few thoughts:

-Even if you're going bonded object, don't make it the weapon. You can easily get a masterwork weapon in your first adventure, but you can't cast with a weapon wielded in both hands, as Blave has stated. An amulet or ring is also much harder to sunder.

-Start with a single level of fighter if you're going to have a fighter level soon anyway, because you get more out of a maxed d10 than a maxed d6.

-If you want to be a wizard-who-fights type, you are likely looking at eldritch knight. Go for a single level of fighter only, as that's all you need. You will also want to grab Still Spell so that you can start doing a lot of casting in full plate. Wands are your friend for this as well.

-Universalist is poor. A wizard leaning eldritch knight benefits from the transmuation or divination schools best; transmutation has a ton of buffs and also lets you increase your physical stats with your school power: get that constitution up one point when you prepare your spells each day for a cool 16! Divination lets you never be surprised and gives you a bonus on initiative, also a very cool thing to have.

-I don't think Throw Anything is worth a feat for you; if it's already taken and locked then I'm sorry. A better bet is Toughness (you can never have enough hp) or Improved Initiative (because going first as a spellcaster is amazing). If you manage to swing it so you get fighter levels, then you should go with some fighting feats that eventually let you kick tail all the time.

-If you're going fighter anyway, pick a better weapon than a longspear. A longspear is a great weapon, but for martial weapon proficiency, pick something that is martial, like a bardiche, or a guisarme.


The whip is the only onehanded reach weapon that I can think of if youstill wanted to bond the weapon and be able to cast spells.

But that would be a hard build to make.


If you want to do it that way, I think it is definitely doable unless you guys are min/max and everyone has to be an optimized character.

You might need to have a table agreement that taking a hand on and off the spear is a free action, and that your guy can make somatic movements with his hand holding the spear.

Two things bug me with what you've written though:

1) What does throw anything do for you? I guess it could be a roleplay thing, but for this character I have no idea what it's for.

2) As others have noted having your spear as the bonded object is bad. I think the conventional wisdom is now to avoid bonded objects in case you are separated from them. Or if you really want a bonded object, go for a ring especially, or maybe an amulet. People seem to avoid the staff and wand options like the plague.

(Have you thought about a spiked gauntlet or something instead of the spear as the bonded object? It's still a weapon if you like that idea, but it is free of the disarm problem. You could still carry a spear that you are proficient with as well. It'd be easy enough to make it gauntlets of ogre power later, or gauntlets of weapon storing. I don't think most dm's would have puppies over a spiked gauntlet doing that. Maybe call yourself "the Claw.")

Also as others have noted, there is not too much drawback going specialist wizard in pathfinder, as opposed to universalist. In your shoes I think I'd go with alteration or something.

Also, with your build have you thought about bard? If melee is something you'd like to do with him, an arcane duelist bard might be a better idea. Obviously the spell casting isn't the same, but you do get an awful lot of useful spells, particularly buffing. And you can always use UMD.

I think I'd go with bard myself, but your idea is eminently workable if your game isn't some kind of deathmatch.

Dark Archive

sunbeam wrote:

If you want to do it that way, I think it is definitely doable unless you guys are min/max and everyone has to be an optimized character.

You might need to have a table agreement that taking a hand on and off the spear is a free action, and that your guy can make somatic movements with his hand holding the spear.

Two things bug me with what you've written though:

1) What does throw anything do for you? I guess it could be a roleplay thing, but for this character I have no idea what it's for.

2) As others have noted having your spear as the bonded object is bad. I think the conventional wisdom is now to avoid bonded objects in case you are separated from them. Or if you really want a bonded object, go for a ring especially, or maybe an amulet. People seem to avoid the staff and wand options like the plague.

(Have you thought about a spiked gauntlet or something instead of the spear as the bonded object? It's still a weapon if you like that idea, but it is free of the disarm problem. You could still carry a spear that you are proficient with as well. It'd be easy enough to make it gauntlets of ogre power later, or gauntlets of weapon storing. I don't think most dm's would have puppies over a spiked gauntlet doing that. Maybe call yourself "the Claw.")

Also as others have noted, there is not too much drawback going specialist wizard in pathfinder, as opposed to universalist. In your shoes I think I'd go with alteration or something.

Also, with your build have you thought about bard? If melee is something you'd like to do with him, an arcane duelist bard might be a better idea. Obviously the spell casting isn't the same, but you do get an awful lot of useful spells, particularly buffing. And you can always use UMD.

I think I'd go with bard myself, but your idea is eminently workable if your game isn't some kind of deathmatch.

Especially avoid two-handed bonded weapons, because you need to wield the weapon to cast with it, and you need a free hand to cast. That means unless you have three hands, you're making a concentration check for every spell forever.

Dark Archive

Thanks Everyone!!


Take 2 levels of alchemist and get vestigial arm. : D Two-handed bonded weapon is now feasible.

Eh, probably doesn't fit the character. Oh well.

Dark Archive

blahpers wrote:

Take 2 levels of alchemist and get vestigial arm. : D Two-handed bonded weapon is now feasible.

Eh, probably doesn't fit the character. Oh well.

Get two vestigial arms with Extra Discovery and hold a shield as well! Then spend another Extra Discovery on a vestigial twin so that you can cast through a save or suck! :D


Fighter 1/Sorcerer 4/Dragon Disciple 4/Eldritch Knight 10

I'd go with Crossblooded Empyreal - Draconic for the Sorcerer. This is going to be more of a melee build that augments with magic, as opposed to a magic build that augments with melee. I'd put my best score in Strength, then get some Dex, Wisdom, and Con. With your scores, you could go:

Str 18
Dex 16
Con 14 (+2)
Int 13
Wis 12 (+2)
Cha 10 (-2)

That'd make you a pretty solid striker throughout the build, and if you wanted more damage you could use a Lucerne Hammer.

If you're set on Wizard and casting more, then:
Fighter 1/Wizard (Transmuter) 5/Eldritch Knight 10

A solid base that only loses 2 caster levels (take the magical knack trait), and gives you some bonus feats to work with. Dwarf isn't ideal for this, but it's not backbreaking with your scores.

At some point, though, you'll need to decide if your priority is melee or casting. If it's melee, you can make yourself really deadly...same goes for casting. It's hard to really do both decently, though (not impossible, but difficult).

One thing to keep in mind is that some of the polymorph spells can really work well if you DO decide to get into melee, especially with a reach weapon (be sure to get combat reflexes if you plan to do this). Heck, with a Lucerne Hammer and Enlarge Person with a 16 starting strength, you'd deal 3d6+6 damage per hit...3d6+9 with power attack. That could be at level 2. An alchemist does this trick even better, though.


Mergy wrote:
...Especially avoid two-handed bonded weapons, because you need to wield the weapon to cast with it, and you need a free hand to cast. That means unless you have three hands, you're making a concentration check for every spell forever. ...

True by RAW. However, I'd suggest asking your GM. Almost everyone I've talked to would handwave that requirement away. But you can still be disarmed and it stolen.

Another concern with a large weapon bonded item is that you may not be allowed to take it everywhere. If you are asked to attend a posh diplomatic luncheon, it will look bad if you walk in with a long spear and insist on keeping it with you during the meal. ;)

Dark Archive

Kydeem de'Morcaine wrote:
Another concern with a large weapon bonded item is that you may not be allowed to take it everywhere. If you are asked to attend a posh diplomatic luncheon, it will look bad if you walk in with a long spear and insist on keeping it with you during the meal. ;)

This I never thought off!! Thank you

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