How are you guys building your Arcanists?
What I focused on right away was the fact that some of the best exploits don't seem to require Charisma. For example, Dimensional Slide, Familiar, Quick Study.
Spell Resistance seems to be the most important Cha-based exploit from my first perusal.
So right away my brain is working on making this guy a super-intelligent Controller, ala Mr. Treantmonk. I'm more interested in battlefield control than I am in dealing out HP (and a lot of those abilities require an attack roll anyway).
Am I approaching this the wrong way? Is this maybe not the right class for a controller, given the emphasis on damage powers and Sorcerer Spell progression?
The Force Strike exploit duplicates a single-but-powerful shot of magic missile for a point. Slide might be useful, but I'd grab Force Strike first to better round out your combat options.
The Force Strike exploit duplicates a single-but-powerful shot of magic missile for a point. Slide might be useful, but I'd grab Force Strike first to better round out your combat options.
Sure, Force Strike is a good example.
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I made a 5th level Arcanist for Tears of Bitter Manor
I used the Occultist Archetype for a Summon Monster III Standard action SLA at level 5 (which is nice, cos I only have 2nd level spells).
The School understanding (Admixture) and See Magic exploits give me combat versatility and investigatorial abilities.
I've invested in an intelligence headband, and a page of spell knowledge and ring of spell knowledge to boost my prepared spells (I can prepare 6 first level spells.
Feats are extra reservoir, Spell Focus (Divination) and Arithmancy, which doesn't slow down the game at all because I've already worked out all the DCs for it.
Spell mix is mostly combat to be honest. The character is working really well so far.
I think you can do just about anything with an Arcanist. What spells are you thinking of?
Im trying to figure out a cha skills build.
When u heard he blade archetype I was hoping I could use that and slas, and just burn my spells for arcane points.Its doable but honestly just doesnt seem to be very effective, not thay I thought it would be effective, but might be fun
I don't get the Blade Adept, honestly. Why not just play a Magus?
I made a 5th level Arcanist for Tears of Bitter Manor
I used the Occultist Archetype for a Summon Monster III Standard action SLA at level 5 (which is nice, cos I only have 2nd level spells).
The School understanding (Admixture) and See Magic exploits give me combat versatility and investigatorial abilities.
I've invested in an intelligence headband, and a page of spell knowledge and ring of spell knowledge to boost my prepared spells (I can prepare 6 first level spells.
Feats are extra reservoir, Spell Focus (Divination) and Arithmancy, which doesn't slow down the game at all because I've already worked out all the DCs for it.
Spell mix is mostly combat to be honest. The character is working really well so far.
I think you can do just about anything with an Arcanist. What spells are you thinking of?
I only picked the book up last night. Still sifting through the new spells.
I'm loving Sonic Form. Makes me want to try and build a character around this this guy as a concept.
It's a spell. In the ACG.
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Not certain yet, but definitely something that can take advantage of their incredible flexibility. They seem like they could make great summoners, especially using the Occultist archetype. Occultist lets you expend [blank] points to cast Summon Monster [blank] lasting minutes/level as a standard action, which combined with the Swift Consume exploit essentially lets you convert any spell to the appropriate Summon Monster. Combine with the Evolved Summons feat, and you can throw out crazy summons with any 1 point evolution you see fit at the drop of a hat, without even learning the spells themselves! (Only 1 at a time, but it gets really annoying managing more than one, anyway.) Plus Plane Shift as a 5th level spell!
Something like:
Occultist Arcanist
Feats
1 Spell Focus: Conjuration
3 Augment Summoning
5 Evolved Summons
7 Improved Initiative
9 Evolved Summons
11 Extra Arcana: See Magic
Exploits
1 Conjurer's Focus (Occultist)
3 Quick Study
5 Metamagic Knowledge: Silent Spell
7 Planar Contact (Occultist)
9 Swift Consume
11 Greater Metamagic Knowledge: Persistent Spell
one i built back in the playtest was:
ARCANIST WORDCASTER
human arcanist (wordcaster) 20
str 16, dex 20 (5), con 20 (5), int 32 (5+2r), wis 16, cha 24 (5)
+5 int (level), +6 all (belt/headband), +5 int/+4 cha (book/wish)
traits
reactionary / gifted adept (undeath wordspell)
reservoir
11/40 (at start of day)
exploits
1 - bloodline development (draconic [white or silver]) or school understanding (necromancy)
3 - [see above]
5 - counterspell
7 - spell tinkerer
9 - dimensional slide
11 - counter drain
13 - metamagic knowledge (persistent spell)
15 - metamixing
17 - greater metamagic knowledge (bouncing spell)
19 - item crafting (craft wonderous item)
feats
1 - spell focus (necromancy), improved initiative
3 - varisian tattoo (necromancy)
5 - greater spell focus (necromancy)
7 - undead master
9 - bloatmage initiate (necromancy)
11 - dazing spell
13 - elemetal focus (ice)
15 - greater elemental focus (ice)
17 - spell focus (evocation)
19 - greater spell focus (evocation)
spell slots
7 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 5
Effect Word Combinations
Word One Two Three
Level Word Word Word
0 0 — —
1st 1 — —
2nd 2 0/0 —
3rd 3 1/1 or 2/0 0/0/0
4th 4 2/2 or 3/1 1/1/1 or 2/0/0
5th 5 3/3 or 4/2 2/2/2 or 3/1/1
6th 6 4/4 or 5/3 3/3/3 or 4/2/2
7th 7 5/5 or 6/4 4/4/4 or 5/3/3
8th 8 6/6 or 7/5 5/5/5 or 6/4/4
9th 9 7/7 or 8/5 6/6/6 or 7/5/5
words
0 - all 0-level effect/meta/target words
1 - alignment shield (alignment), burning flash (fire), dash (time), fade (concealing), fog bank (weather), force shield (armor), friendship (command), glide (flight), wrack (pain) | burst (target), line (target) | careful (meta), quiet (meta), simple (meta)
2 - accellerate (time), disappear (concealing), float (flight), frost fingers (ice), enhance form (body), energy resist (body), decelerate (time)
3 - undeath (death), servitor III (summoning), torture (pain), complex order (command), paralyze humanoid (binding), dimension hop (teleportation), lightning blast (electrcity), fire blast (fire), wind wall (wall), ice blast (ice), translate (language) | barrier (target)
4 - servitor IV (summoning), ice wall (ice), acid wave (acid), bestial form (change), ice blast (ice), unseen shell (concealing), sound blast (sonic), altered form (change), borrow future (time) | manifestation (meta), mind warp (meta)
5 - servitor V (summoning), stone wall (wall), crush will (command), dimensional jump (teleportation), far casting (language) | irresistable (meta), penetrating (meta)
6 - servitor VI (summoning), negation (dispelling), resist arcana (dispelling)
7 - servitor VII (summoning), dimensional shift (teleportation), caustic cloud (acid)
8 - servitor VIII (summoning), permanent paralysis (binding), thunder strike (electrcity), winter's wrath (cold)
9 - Servitor IX (summoning), control time (time), dimensional gate (teleportation)
undeath + [frost cantrip] CL 30
it was made under the assumption that humans would get a "grab an extra spell/level" FCB, which i'm not sure is the case with the ACG release (i don't have the book on be right now). i suppose i should really update this to grab some of the newer stuff like quick study soon.
and with some of the stuff i've learned in the various necromancy threads and on CL-boosting since i made the build, i could make the undeath wordspell WAY higher than CL30 (highest best-case CL i've cranked out was 43 for animate dead so far).
Occultist and School Savant are the optimizer's choices imo.
For school savant, I think diviner schools are less useful than they are for a wizard because the bonus spell being divination hurts way more for Arcanists. Spellwise, Earth is great but you won't be able to fly until 12th level w/ Phantom Steed.
Occultist and School Savant are the optimizer's choices imo.
For school savant, I think diviner schools are less useful than they are for a wizard because the bonus spell being divination hurts way more for Arcanists. Spellwise, Earth is great but you won't be able to fly until 12th level w/ Phantom Steed.
One of the things I liked about the Arcanist was the lifting of Opposition School restriction, so School Savant strikes me as suboptimal. Unless maybe you go for the transmuter's ability score boost. And you can have that at full power for an exploit and a swift action.
One of the things I liked about the Arcanist was the lifting of Opposition School restriction, so School Savant strikes me as suboptimal. Unless maybe you go for the transmuter's ability score boost. And you can have that at full power for an exploit and a swift action.
Opposition School is optional for Wizards as well, but it's by far the best option for wizards and it's even better for Arcanist because going from preparing 1 or 2 spells at your highest level to 2 or 3 is a big increase in flexibility.
If you take Void or Wood school, you can oppose Metal and only really lose out on Glitterdust (big loss admittedly). You can also specialize in Water or Void and oppose Fire and you don't lose much aside fire blast spells(and you still get Dragon's Breath). You can also specialize in Earth and lose out on Wood--you lose a few more spells but your school spells are awesome.
How viable would a gnome arcanist be with illusions?
I played a Gnome Sorcerer (he thought he was a Wizard) that specialized in illusions.
He was awesome!
That being said, I firmly believe that Arcanist--easily--surpasses both Wizard and Sorcerer class now.
Not certain yet, but definitely something that can take advantage of their incredible flexibility. They seem like they could make great summoners, especially using the Occultist archetype. Occultist lets you expend [blank] points to cast Summon Monster [blank] lasting minutes/level as a standard action, which combined with the Swift Consume exploit essentially lets you convert any spell to the appropriate Summon Monster. Combine with the Evolved Summons feat, and you can throw out crazy summons with any 1 point evolution you see fit at the drop of a hat, without even learning the spells themselves!
Swift consume is nice, but usually not that necessary to the build, because you'll usually only need one summon per combat, and you can consume your lower level spells out of combat to fill up your points.
Evolved Summons is so good. So good. It's one of the few things I don't blame PFS for banning, based on power alone.
I made a admixture School savant he gets to new level just behind the wizard but he really only need to have one combat Spell prepared pr level so he can be both blockbuster and Versatile caster. Only Down side is that you dont get exploits until level 5.
I've never been impressed with straight damage caster builds. They always seem to get outclassed by martials. Sure they can do aoe, but the times you can use that without hurting your party always seem small.
I've never been impressed with straight damage caster builds. They always seem to get outclassed by martials. Sure they can do aoe, but the times you can use that without hurting your party always seem small.
that is why the Arcanist is ideel for this he Can do 10d fireballs by level 6, empowered 10d or intensifyed 12d by level 8 and he also have the spells of a standart arcanist.
Yeah, but even that isn't exactly impressive. You have a limited number of times you can do that per day. 10d6 is an average of 35 damage, and most of your 6th level opponents will have more hp than that and can save for half damage.
A decent 6th level barbarian could do similar single target damage. And they could do that every round. Sure the caster is better in niche aoe situations, but it's nothing I've ever gotten excited over. Most of the time the caster would be better off casting his incredible control spells.
Yeah, but even that isn't exactly impressive. You have a limited number of times you can do that per day. 10d6 is an average of 35 damage, and most of your 6th level opponents will have more hp than that and can save for half damage.
A decent 6th level barbarian could do similar single target damage. And they could do that every round. Sure the caster is better in niche aoe situations, but it's nothing I've ever gotten excited over. Most of the time the caster would be better off casting his incredible control spells.
Yes that May be true but 38 in avarage at level 6 is not bad. And if you always just want the most powerfull option. Then play a god wizard and never change.
I've made several arcanist builds, or builds using arcanist features. Check them out:
Bumiahma Britoris Orpheus, 12th-level human master of enchantment
She'er Falen, 15th-level ifrit fire genasi
Sandalphon, 14th-level human arcane fiend slayer and rainbow wizard
Thelyn Cabor, 13th-level grippli staff mage
You can find a great deal of other character concepts in my Crazy Character Emporium thread.
(Be sure to use the bottom-most "master link.")
Yes that May be true but 38 in avarage at level 6 is not bad. And if you always just want the most powerfull option. Then play a god wizard and never change.
It's not bad, and in the right situation it can be pretty nice, such as a large group of enemies not yet intermingled with your group. But it seems like an awful lot resources spent to do something not very impressive. Especially when your other spell casting options can be so decisive to victory.
I'm just saying that if all you care about is damage, then an arcanist probably isn't the class for you. Now if you're saying that an arcanist can do some damage while doing lots of other cool things, then I'd agree.
Raving Dork, do you have any arcanist illusionist builds?
Raving Dork, do you have any arcanist illusionist builds?
No, not as yet. I do have other illusionists though, if you are interested.
Among them, Ravendark, 15th-level elf shadow adept.
Thanks!
