HELLO EVERYONE!
I'm really excited for the upcoming Hell's Vengeance, and I'm in love with the Diabolist class; but i could use some help from my more experienced peers. The idea is an ibrid conjurer/binder/blaster; probably not the best at anything but should be fun. I'm kinda set for the Arcanist but I could change my mind for some very compelling argument, or offerings in food and women.
BTW, what is the level cap? I'm going to assume at least 16 (at least i hope, I need greater planar binding), but less then 20. I don't own the adventure (for what is already published) and I can't seem to find this info anywhere else.
For now, i did this:
He Who Must Be Named middle age human Arcanist (School Savant- Teleportation) 13 / Diabolist 4
6 12 12 20 13 14 (all increases go to INT)
Traits: Magical Lineage (Fireball), Apprentice Devilbinder
Feats & Exploits
1 Arcanist 1- Spell Focus (Evocation)
1b- Spell Specialization (Burning Hands ->later Fireball)
3 Arcanist 3- Damned (or as soon as possible story wise)
5 Arcanist 5- Extra Arcanist Exploit (Familiar) -- Exploit: Potent Magic
7 Arcanist 5/ Diabolist 2- Maleficium I
9 Arcanist 5 / Diabolist 4- Intensified Spell
11 Arcanist 7 / Diabolist 4- Spell Penetration
13 Arcanist 9 / Diabolist 4- Maleficium II -- Exploit: Metamagic Knowledge (Quicken)
15 Arcanist 11 / Diabolist 4- Spell Perfection (Fireball) -- Exploit: Greater Metamagic Knowledge (Dazing) [retrain Spell Focus (Evocation) in Spell Focus (Conjuration) and Spell Specialization in Maleficium III]
17 Arcanist 13 / Diabolist 4- Augment Calling (Devils) -- Exploit: Quick Study
Thanks to Channel Hellfire, both Fireball (infused with Hellfire of course) and Planar Binding (when used to call evil outsiders) have the evil descriptor and count for Maleficium, and with Potent Magic DCs should be quite high. I got a passable CHA and bonuses from Infernal Charisma, Apprentice Devilbinder and Damned so that should be covered.
I still think that an Exploiter Wizard would be more powerful, but my GM dislike that archetype, and i like the Arcanist spellcasting mechanic more.
Any idea, help, critic or suggestion would be greatly appreciated, I don't worry too much about uber-optimization but i will be required to be useful (we have 3 players, not much space for slackers)
Thank you very much!
Cheers
P.s.: Also, many thanks to Douglas for his amazing guide!
No one? Really? Ok then... :(
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I too have been awaiting an AP like this for quite a while, this is mine that I've had sat around for it. Whilst it's focused on getting devils to summon as soon as possible it also should be able to manage well in melee combat and given that it's not concerned with making enemies save vs spells it can afford to drop points in Strength and Con allowing them to make a decent contribution when spells are gone (plus I really wanted to try out the Bless Equipment feat).
Separatist is needed to get access to Dark Tapestry, this means you not only have every summon monster spell but also every Planar Ally and every Planar Binding spell, giving you a ton of options which is vital for a true summoning Cleric build that can call devils from hell to serve it in my book, it also gives a nice once per day buff to something when needed.
Human Separatist Cleric of Asmodeus (Magic - Divine, Void - Dark Tapestry)5/Diabolist 7/Darkfire Adept 4
Traits - Fates Favoured, Magical Lineage (Divine Favour)
1 Cleric 1: Level Feat - Spell Focus (Conjuration), Bonus Skill Focus - Diplomacy
2 Cleric 2:
3 Cleric 3: Level Feat - Power Attack
4 Cleric 4:
5 Cleric 5: Level Feat - Bless Equipment
6 Diabolist 1:
7 Diabolist 2: Level Feat - Quicken Spell
8 Diabolist 3: Bonus Skill Focus - Kn: Planes, Bonus - Augment Summoning
9 Diabolist 4: Level Feat - Superior Summons
10 Diabolist 5:
11 Diabolist 6: Level Feat - Divine Interference
12 Diabolist 7:
13 Darkfire Adept 1: Level Feat - Spell Penetration
14 Darkfire Adept 2:
15 Darkfire Adept 3: Level Feat - Greater Spell Penetration
16 Darkfire Adept 4: Bonus Skill Focus - Sense Motive
At 16th level Greater Planar Ally can call 20HD creatures (thanks to Darkfire Adept) so you can call... a Pit Fiend.
What can possibly go wrong? :D
I did ponder all the damned feats and such but given I'm going for a more martial build and ignoring SoS spells they don't really have the same appeal.
A big thing you've probably thought of is the 6 str... I don't know if you track weight in your campaign, but that's a light load of 20 pounds, which isn't all that much when you start having to bring loot back from your travels. I know you'll get a handy heaversac first chance you get, but those first few levels without one might be rough. Especially if you come across any climb/swim checks that need to be made. There's a good chance you'll be med load for a lot of your campaign.
Also, might want to grab a circlet of persuasion, I see no reason it wouldn't boost your checks when dealing with summons.
I've only used the diabolist once, and only for a one level dip to get the imp companion, but since we had a lot of downtime in our campaign it worked out nicely that he took item creation feats and became to party's Cespenar since we weren't allowed to buy many magic items. What ever you choose to do with it, the imp is pretty powerful, that said, do you need the second familiar?
As for the Maleficium feat, how are you getting the later versions of what it does, is there a class feature or something that I missed in your build? AFAIK you need to take multiple damnation feats to get the benefits?
For your conj. side have you considered getting the abyssal bloodline for the added summons? either through EH or the arcanist discovery?
Sutahinn, I'm afraid I don't see the usefulness of Darkfire Adept, makes you miss a caster level (meaning you don't actually have assess to Greater Planar Binding at 16) and the free Sacred Summons is not so appealing to a class with aura. Augment Calling let's you call two additional dice too, so you can still get horribly horribly smashed by a Pit Fiend (at least, that's my goal). Am I missing or misunderstanding something?
Yeah, 6 STR is going to be painful, but you're right that a Handy Haversack is the first thing I'm going to buy. Second is a slave to carry it. Because evil.
I'm not sure what to use the Imp for, except probably scouting ahed invisible and occasionally cast Form of the Dragon on it and burn down a village. Wand and UMD is a classic. Item Creations Feats could be useful. The familiar I'd take just for the initiative bonus.
I may have completely misread the Damnation Feats, I always assumed you take one (let's say Maleficium) and get the first bonus, then if you take it a second time you take the second bonus, then a third time and so on. On a second reading it looks like if you take one (let's say Maleficium) you get the first bonus, then if you take another (let's say Soulless Gaze) you get the first and second bonus of Maleficium and the first and second bonus of Soulless Gaze. And if you get a third different Damnation Feat you get the first three bonuses of the three feats and so on. Can i get a clarification on this?
Now I'm thinking I could drop the familar, postpone Spell Specialization a bit and take Focused Study as a human. Three Skill Focus could be worth it.
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Sutahinn, I'm afraid I don't see the usefulness of Darkfire Adept, makes you miss a caster level (meaning you don't actually have assess to Greater Planar Binding at 16) and the free Sacred Summons is not so appealing to a class with aura. Augment Calling let's you call two additional dice too, so you can still get horribly horribly smashed by a Pit Fiend (at least, that's my goal). Am I missing or misunderstanding something
Clerics get 8th level spells at 15, so you still get it at 16th with that build (without Darkfire and using Augment Summoning you could get it a level earlier than an Arcanist). It's obviously very different from the Arcane build you're going for, but I think that the option to use both Planar Ally and Planar Binding is definitely worth it. Not sure what you mean about Sacred Summons not being appealing to a class with Aura... that's exactly who it *is* appealing to? Also, Augment Calling wasn't out when I was initially putting this together, so thank you! Another fun feat to ponder, though I'm not sure there's any benefit going up to 22HD, the Pit Fiend at 20 is the toughest Devil I can think of, although maybe the GM might allow a template or class level or two :D
The later interpretation of the damnation feats is correct, you can only take each one once and each one grants you the abilities opened up by the total number of damnation feats you currently possess, so two of them grants the first two powers from each feat, etc.
For a build that really, really doesn't want to ever fail a Diplomacy check (and Kn: Planes is incredibly helpful for researching True names) I feel the Focused Study is well worth it as a human, if you were going to take one skill focus as a feat, take it instead and get two more for free essentially.
You're right, I got confused with the Arcanist slower progression.
What I meant is that Darkfire Adept gives you Sacred Summons for free, so it's very good for classes who lacks aura, and would never get it otherwise. Less so for a cleric, that can just get it as a normal feat. Still bonus feat are great. Probably going for Focused Study instead of Familiar, going first can't be THAT important, right?
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Gotcha, yeah it's definitely better for those who couldn't take it normally.
I think you've actually convinced me to drop the Darkfire Adept and go plain Cleric for those 4 levels. The human favoured class bonus for Cleric frees up Spell Pen. and Greater Spell Pen. essentially, allowing Augment Calling and still leaving a feat free! Plus slightly better spell, BAB and saves... an all round win! The Darkfire Adept might be more appealing if I was building a blaster cleric with the Fire domain, but given I'm looking at a more martial build I think Cleric levels win out.
Going first is definitely useful but I feel the Focused Study really holds its own against it, either or imo, I prefer the skill focus's personally.
We decided to run Way of the Wicked instead of waiting for the new AP to come out. I decided on a wizard, and I was going to go Diabolist, I just couldn't figure how it would be better than a straight wizard. In fact, the wizard ends up being just as good or better with some additional effort. Still, the charisma bonus probably does save you from needing to debuff your target devil a few times, so there is a small advantage.
I really can't see what the damnation feats do though, there is such a limited list of spells with the evil descriptor for which it would help.
I guess a big selling point of the class is the Imp as an Animal Companion instead of a Familiar (replaceable at no cost!), making it much more tough and expendable. As you said the charisma bonus is nice.
Hellfire Channel gives the spell the lawful and evil descriptor, making Maleficium interesting for a blaster. Planar Binding also has the evil descriptor when used to call an evil creature.
That said, there are very few things better than a straight wizard.
I would move the feats around to get augment calling at level 11. Maybe something like
Lv7 Spell Pen Lv11 Augment Calling Lv13 Maleficium I Lv17 Maleficium II
Contract Devils(bestiary 3) at level 12 is pretty amazing. In addition to the mechanical advantages, it bumps at least 1 damnation feat until after you have made your deal with the devil
What are you getting for your familiar? Another imp is a great option as you would have a devil on both shoulders :D. Otherwise maybe a Cacodaemon for free soul harvesting
As a last note if your combining summoning and binding there is going to be a lot of paperwork. Get some note cards with the stats of common minions. Also try to keep it to a maximuim of 3 types of minion active at one time