|
So, I was wondering how I might make an Archanist. I have an idea for a PFS one, that would basically play off of a friend of mine. He's playing a negative channelling control-undead wizard, and I want to make his brother (and exact opposite) an archanist dealing with life and killing undead.
For this reason, I was thinking of making a White Mage archanist, and either picking up reach spell (or a rod of it at least). That way I can heal, throw around cure spells on enemies, and also have access to all the wizard spells (disrupt undead, undeath to death, control undead, that sort of thing). It may not be optimal, but that's the character concept.
Thing is, that basically leaves me with a LOT of open stuff. I don't know which spells I should grab, or what exploits (I don't get exploits at levels 1 or 9, but I get the other exploits), I just . . . I haven't really ever played a full squishy caster before, and I don't know what to do. And there aren't a whole lot of guides out there for archanists yet.
Any suggestions?
|
|
Read the guides for squishy sorcerers and squishy wizards and apply some thought.
I can't tell if you are being super passive aggressive or not.
If you are: well, I came to the advice boards because I was looking for advice, not to be snarked at.
If not: I know the general things. I know generally what spells to take. Mage armor, magic missle (for the force damage), The stat buff spells, mirror image, haste, dispel magic. I got all of that.
What I don't have is system mastery when it comes to arcane casters. Are there some good feats out there for killing undead with spells? I don't know. I've heard there's a way for wizards to channel positive energy, but I don't know how. I know that those arcane exploits can be pretty powerful, but I don't know what to do with them or which ones are best. That's what I'm looking for.
Is there a guide for arcanists out yet? Those are usually well written and pretty good.
In any event, the passive guy is noting that the main power of the class is spells, so the first thing you want to focus on is what TYPE of arcanist you want to be, the job you want to do.
Then you pick the spells to go with that job.
Then you pick your back up role.
Then you pick your feats to complement your primary role.
So...more information required! We can't give you a build because 'build me a wizard' isn't a build request...it's a cry that you don't know what you want to do.
==Aelryinth
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I would suggest (based on my own build attempt)
I.Archetypes
If you plan on being a buffer or 3.5 style transmuter, Brown Fur transmuter is king.
If you plan on summoning, Occultist is king.
School Savant is good if you want a specific power (such as Teleportation sub school)
The rest seem kind of meh.
II. Races
Elf is great for same reason as for same reasons as for Wizards.
Human is great because it is Human.
Gnomes have best alt racial, but no int bonus.
III. Exploits
Dimensional Slide is my favorite if you can use to escape grapples. I see no reason you cannot.
Consume Magic Items is my second favorite since it is the only way to recharge your precious arcane pool. Not really necessary on the Occultist for summoning though, since you can move action to consume a spell slot, the five foot step, then standard action to summon.
School Understanding is my third favorite for Teleporation, otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Familiar is my fourth favorite since it is +4 initiative and later comes with huge action economy for a feat.
IV. Traits
Pragmatic Activator adds UMD to class list and lets you use Int in place of Cha. If Int and Cha are within +1 Stat Mod, then it is equivalent to Dangerously Curious.
Seeker grants +1 to Perception and makes Perception a Class Skill.
Other than that, same as wizard.
b]VI. Feats[/b]
For Occultists, Spell Focus Conjuration, Augment Summons, Superior Summons, Improved Initiative, Piercing Spell, etc.
VI. Stats
Int>Dex>Cha>Con>Wis>Str
Sample 20 point build for an Occultist (Before racial Mods) if you plan to choose exploits that have 3+ Cha Mod/Day uses,
7 Str (-4 Points), 14 Dex (+5 Points), 13 Con (+3 Points) 17 Int (13 Points) 8 Wis (-2 Points), 14 Cha (5 points)
Sample 20 point build for an Occultist (Before racial Mods) if you not planning to choose exploits that have 3+ Cha Mod/day uses,
7 Str (-4 Points) 14 Dex (5 points) 12 Con (2 points) 18 Int (17 points) 10 Wis (0 points) 10 Cha (0 Points)
If you chose a -Str race (Gnome or Halfling) swap Str and Cha so you don't die the first time you see a shadow.
|
|
Okay, Eponine, thanks for the advice.
For the rest of you, I guess I wasn't clear on what I was looking for. I wasn't trying to get the boards to build me an archanist, I was looking for general tips and tricks, common pitfalls, that sort of thing.
Character concept, Zhevlzhenjay is an archanist from the outskirts of Geb. Being surrounded by undead, and a member of a once-proude magical family, Zhevlzhenjay has had to find ways to survive in the undead-dominated land, becoming a wizard of unconventional power.
Archanist (White Mage Archetype) Human, NG
Str: 7, Dex:12, Con: 12, Int:18, Wis:10, Chr:16
Skills: Arcana, Religion, spellcraft, umd, perception, 2 random other skills (probably linguistics and filling out the other knowledge skills)
Traits: Seeker, magical legacy
Feats: Skill focus: arcana, Highten Spell (I am taking this for a special reason. I know it isn't optimal)
Level 3: Feat-Eldrich Heritage (Arcane) Exploit-Spell disruption
Level 5: Feat-(can't remember the name, it gives you an extra archanist spell slot of your highest-level spell you can cast) Exploit: Spell Tinkerer
Level 7: Feat-Lunging Spell Touch (for cure spells/breath of life), Exploit-Consume magic item
|
|
The guide Chess Pwn linked is pretty good - I agree with virtually all of it. I cannot overstate how good Quick Study is.
Also, as a spontaneous caster with access to a written spellbook, Mnemonic Vestments are pretty amazing. My 12th level arcanist has two, in case he needs to use the ability twice.
I've played an arcanist from 10 to 12 in PFS (rebuilt from a boon), so much of my perspective is mainly for the higher levels. At lower levels, as with all primary casters, your life is quite a bit harder.
Some thoughts.
...
- You can probably push heightened spell off for a bit - maybe pick it up at 5th or 7th level, when you'll actually have the spell levels for it to do something with it?
- Charisma is almost a dump stat for arcanists. There's very little reason to have it - I'd advise pumping your int up another point and dropping Charisma down to maybe a 12 and shoring up your other stats.
- What's the reasoning behind Eldritch Heritage (Arcane)? I assume you're not going for the familiar (since that's an exploit) and are going for an arcane bond. In my experience, Mnemonic Vestments replace the "cast any spell in the book" capability of an arcane bonded item quite well.
- Spell Disruption is pretty useless. I'd recommend Quick Study or Potent Magic instead.
- Expanded Preparation is a decent feat, but at 5th level that means you're getting either an extra 2nd level slots or two 1st level slots. There are probably better feats for you to take at this level, maybe improved initiative, spell focus, or a metamagic feat?
- Lunging Spell Touch isn't a bad idea. Have you considered Dimensional Slide, though? Spend an arcane point to (essentially) DDoor around the map. It may help more than Lunging Spell Touch get to someone in time for a breath of life. Alternately, the Reach metamagic feat may also work for
1) This character might have the ability to jump to level 7 based on getting credit from a modual, so the order doesn't matter too much.
2) Several exploits require charisma. In addition, I was thinking of picking up the necromancy school ability to make undead run away. That requires charisma.
3) Arcane bond for an additional spell/day, from any level. Just trying to think of ways to give me more spells/day.
4)Spell disruption for an arcane point, turn off the following: Spike growth black tentacles, fog cloud, stinking cloud, hold person, confusion, deeper darkness, and without having to spend a dispel magic. Seems useful to me.
5)I may have misread the expanded preparation feat, it said "you bet an extra slot OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL SPELL YOU CAN CAST" so I thought it scaled with level.
6) Dimensional slide . . . Good sides and bad sides to it vs lunging spell touch. I'll think about it.
If I learned anything from the play test, optimizing an arcanist can be done in two easy steps.
1. Play arcanist
2. Congratulations, you are optimized.
If I learned anything from the play test, optimizing an arcanist can be done in two easy steps.
1. Play arcanist
2. Congratulations, you are optimized.
Just make sure your int is less than 10, 7 preferable. And your charisma is also a 7. You'll want a high Dex, Con, and then Wis since those are saves and you don't want to fail saves. Str is your free stat, just put points or take away as needed. :P
|
|
After mulling it over, I was thinking about using the following feat/exploit progression instead.
1) Extra Arcana, Expanded preparation*
3) Extra exploit-Quick Study, Exploit-Spell disruption
5) Extra exploit-Metamagic knowledge-Heighten spell, Exploit- Dimentional slide
7) Extra exploit-Potent magic, Exploit:Spell tinkering
*Alternately, if Expanded preparation does NOT scale with level,
Alternate human racial trait: focused study
1)Skill focus: linguistics, Orator
(I know this seems strange, but using a skill I'm good at for diplomacy/bluff/intimidate can make me the party face. Plus one skill for three, and those three skills come up pretty often in Pathfinder Society.)