Need help with a build for the GM


Advice


So I was asked for help by the GM.
Currently we are playing on Discord and the group is split in Three.

So they ask me if I could help them out and build a character for them to use during one of the branches (Not my own).

30 pt buy
Elf
Level 14
Gestalt

What they wanted as an illusionist assassin style character.
I was thinking Slayer//Sorcerer with a focus on illusion spells. But I am given more freedom to adapt what classes to use and so forth. They want them built like a proper PC to make them a viable threat should the rp turn that direction.

Any advice on which class makes the best illusionist? I am thinking Slayer is a solid off-side with full BaB 6+Int skills and Assassinate talent makes a damn fine assassin.


Alternatively, Sorcerer/Oracle that specializes in using social skills to approach the target and makes his assassination attempt when nobody suspects.

Especially if the Assassin uses Chains of Light on an unsuspecting target, then follows up with Destruction until dead. Or alternatively Harm and a quickened anything to finish off the target. Then animate it into a low level undead to make sure they can't be raised.


They seem to want me to focus on building through illusion spells the assassin angle is half fluff and half crunch


Have you considered Arcane Trickster?
First five levels of gestalt: Unchained Rogue 5, Illusionist [Possibly Shadow subschool] Wizard 5. Then 9 levels of Arcane Trickster with levels in other stuff as the gestalt (Fighter + Arcane Archer/Eldritch Knight? Or maybe Ranger for a buff to the assassin flavor, and Slayer is a Ranger/Rogue hybrid already)

Then take Shadow Grasp and Solid Shadows metamagic feats, and take the Image spells and Shadow [Conjuration/Enchantment/Evocation/Transmutation] line

EDIT: stats would be something like Str 14 / Dex 16+2 / Con 14-2 / Int 16+2 / Wis 10 / Cha 10, with racial having 2x +1, buff either dex or int by +2, and go to town.
You get 7 feats plus Weapon Finesse, more with fighter or ranger. You can get a basic level of switch hitting up as well as the metamagic feats. Plenty of Illusionist + assassin-y flavor to be had there.

EDIT 2: Actually, with Gestalt, you can qualify for Arcane Trickster at level 5, meaning Wizard 4 / Unchained Rogue 4 and 10 levels of Arcane Trickster with 10 more levels on the other side of the Gestalt.


james014Aura wrote:

Have you considered Arcane Trickster?

First five levels of gestalt: Unchained Rogue 5, Illusionist [Possibly Shadow subschool] Wizard 5. Then 9 levels of Arcane Trickster with levels in other stuff as the gestalt (Fighter + Arcane Archer/Eldritch Knight? Or maybe Ranger for a buff to the assassin flavor, and Slayer is a Ranger/Rogue hybrid already)

Then take Shadow Grasp and Solid Shadows metamagic feats, and take the Image spells and Shadow [Conjuration/Enchantment/Evocation/Transmutation] line

EDIT: stats would be something like Str 14 / Dex 16+2 / Con 14-2 / Int 16+2 / Wis 10 / Cha 10, with racial having 2x +1, buff either dex or int by +2, and go to town.
You get 7 feats plus Weapon Finesse, more with fighter or ranger. You can get a basic level of switch hitting up as well as the metamagic feats. Plenty of Illusionist + assassin-y flavor to be had there.

EDIT 2: Actually, with Gestalt, you can qualify for Arcane Trickster at level 5, meaning Wizard 4 / Unchained Rogue 4 and 10 levels of Arcane Trickster with 10 more levels on the other side of the Gestalt.

Arcane Trickster is banned in Gestalt, as are Eldritch Knight and some others (the general rule being that if the PrC enhances two classes simultaneously it's banned, if a PrC enhances one class, then it's subject to GM discretion but generally allowed). These particular PrC's that enhance two classes are simply too powerful for Gestalt and break the game.

Anywho, Mr.Charisma, what about a Str or Int-based Slayer Magus, or possibly even Wizard? Spellstrike could be absolutely deadly on a full BAB + Studied Target class. Cha is a dump stat for Slayers typically, and you could get a lot of benefit from the need to boost Int for your Magus or Wizard side of things from 6+int skills (as typically rogueish-assassin-y types need lots of skills). You could use Arcane Accuracy for Int to hit as well, if you wanted. Pick up Hellcat Stealth and Hellcat Pounce for additional stealthy assassin shenanigans.


Oh, I've never touched Gestalt except in theory without seeing more than ... stuff more basic than that, sorry.


@ Mr.Charisma

are you thinking for this character to favor TWF, 2H, or 1H/Shield (or free offhand)? Are you thinking this character should be more Slayer focused, or Sorc-focused? Or a healthy mix between (in terms of feats, traits, etc.)?

If you could provide more knowledge regarding the Overall Vision of this character in those respects, it would be easier to provide advice and build ideas.


an illusionist assassin?
you GOTA pick shadow gambit feat.
this let him set up permanent (or programed) illusions around him and set them off to attack without anyone seeing him cast the spell (since it was done before. most is they might spot it for an illusion.) i had one make flocks of birds to murder people as homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 'the birds'.
and with the right planing he can set an illusion to deal any kind of damage he need, P\B\S or acid\fire\cold\electricity. and use ether a save or touch attack. so he can hit his target's weak spots and at what they are more vulnerable.
6d6 for standard action at level 14 might not be a lot
-BUT it's almost impossible to trace back to him.
also set right,ranged touch attack that deal p\s\b damage can work with assassination and\or sneak attacks.

also since they can be set days\weeks\months ahead of time (as their duration is permanent,or until activated in programed case), he can cast them with metamagic rod(i like empower for this one) and set 3/day per rod. with enough time he can have hundreds of not thousands of spells ready to discharge


If you want to be an assassin illusionist of sorts, I think you should really consider Heavens Oracle1/Shadow Bloodline Sorcerer13 for one of your Gestalts.

You only need 1 level of Heavens Oracle to get:
Awesome Display (Su): Your phantasmagoric displays accurately model the mysteries of the night sky, dumbfounding all who behold them. Each creature affected by your illusion (pattern) spells is treated as if its total number of Hit Dice were equal to its number of Hit Dice minus your Charisma modifier (if positive).

Keep your Cha maxed, and you'll knock out anything with Color Spray, Loathsome Veil, and Hypnotic Pattern, and simply Coup de Grace on severely debilitated targets.

You could take the Feat Noble Scion: Scion of War for Cha to Initiative in lieu of dex. You would probably do well with Power Attack, Cornugon Smash, and a Cruel enchant on your weapon, so they're shaken/sickened and a -4 to save vs your illusions.

As far as your assassin side, I think Slayer might be your best bet, go Sniper if you're going ranged, Stygian Slayer if you want to be even more sneaky, maybe even Bounty Hunter if you want. All good choices.

Your next best choices might be Ninja or Spy; 8+int skills per level is awesome and your high Cha synergizes well with Ninja's Ki Pool and the Spy's Duplicity and Cover Identity, you'd lose Full BAB/Studied Target, but you'd gain poisons (ninja) and full sneak attack progression.


Also, don't go with Elf, go with anything that can give you a +2 to Charisma, like Human or Aasimar. You really want to start with a base of 20 Cha if you're going to go for illusions and Color Spray knockouts. Basically if you had 32 Cha, you could treat lvl 13 targets like they're HD2 targets when you're using Color Spray.

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