Investigator/Wizard, brew some cognatagions , profit.
Presumably going Empiricist?
Re: Stat Generation: how low are you allowed to dump stats?
Lets say the minimum normally allowed by point buy, so 7
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I love that Bard Archetype, I am not sure how I have never seen that before, as I love bards. I am not so sure about the bloodrager, admittedly I have never played with the class, but Im not really seeing how it would help much. That feat is cool
So, I am starting in an evil gestalt campaign. I would like to play a con man type character, who begins with grifting, progressing through cons on wealthier individuals/nobles, to a couple big long cons (One idea I am toying with is potentially basically faking a extreme threat to a kingdom, such as an invading army, dragon, or other nefarious threat, only to then show up as the hero, barter a defeat of this threat into a princesses hand in marriage. Then, once married, the king meets an unfortunate end, I take over ruling duties, begin to make allies of other key kingdoms, who I will soon betray and take over as well, then proceed to a world domination type plan. Now, that was a mouthful, but you get an idea of the type of character I am looking for. I was thinking some type of rogue/investigator on one side (for the con related skills, etc) and wizard/sorcerer on the other side (for the high level magic that some of the later plans will appreciate, if not require). Here are the creation details. Gestalt
I would appreciate any help/advice, even if it deviates from my initial ideas for how to build the character.
Rift drakes are evil - how is he using him as a paly? Not only that, but the archetype specifically states that evil aligned dragons will go out of their way to attack and kill Silver Champions.
I really want to design an elven fullcaster (wizard or some such) whose inherited a moonblade, and is training in its use. Paizo only. Elf only. The moonblade is a longsword. I don't much care about the rest so long as its viable. I dont like being a gish. I am clearly misunderstanding something. You literally are describing the character you want as a gish (a frontline caster), but then say you don't like being a gish. Are you saying that you just want to be a full caster that stands in melee and holds a sword, but doesn't actually fight?
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/snowball/ Make sure you use the People of the North version, not the Ultimate Wilderness version.
Mythic spells require mythic power and mythic abilities. If you want to play Mythic, you should press your GM to include it rather than try to break the rules to include parts of it. Or maybe they don't want to add a whole extra system of rules to their game just to be able to use the mythic augment of a single spell. As an actual answer to the original question, I think as Dasrak said, pitching this as a 3rd level spell seems reasonable. Random musing: Spell Perfection [This Spell] with Intensify, Persistent, Dazing in a 4th level slot (with ML and WYSH)? Definitely better things to use Spell Perfection on, but 4 dudes man dropping into battle with an AoE damage/cc effect is pretty cool thematically.
Im assuming he means the +1 the Kineticist gets, along with the +4 the Wysp gives from using Aid AnotherThat's not going to happen very often, at least not with an Earth Wysp, which is a tiny creature with a reach of 0. If the wysp is in its Kineticist master's square (the usual case with many familiars in combat), then it can't reach the opponent to attack AC10 and contribute aid-another. If, otoh, it goes off on its own, it has 20' move and rather low AC for a tiny creature -- which may not be an surmountable obstacles for a spellcasting class (e.g., doling out Greater Invisibility, etc), which kineticists aren't. Yeah, I wasn't suggesting it was a good option, just saying that's probably how he got that number.
How's it doing that? (I see its general +2 competence bonus shared to everything of the same element type within 30', and the +1 competence bonus a Kineticist would receive.) Im assuming he means the +1 the Kineticist gets, along with the +4 the Wysp gives from using Aid Another
For an investigator I would honestly recommend picking up the inspired weapon enchant before keen. It's good right away and hella value once you get combat inspiration
I think at this point I am going with 1st - Ill Omen (honestly I just couldn't find anything better, the list of non-wizard first level spells that are relevant to me at this point in the game seems really small)
I don't feel great about taking Ill Omen, but I haven't heard suggestions for or been able to really find anything I think will be more useful.
That is interesting, if a bit cheesy, though I don't know if that will fly considering extracts are not technically considered spells.
Interesting suggestions, Bard's Escape looks like a potential rival for Heal as the 5th/6th level one. King's Castle also looks nice, though outside of summons we lack a true front line, so maybe a little less reliable. Stay the Hand is both enchantment and mind affecting, so its probably not going to be a viable option for me. Spiritual Ally uses my base attack (as a wizard) + my Wisdom, so also probably not viable. Live Oak probably will not see much use due to factors that you were unaware of when posting (very few outdoor segments)
Ok, so to give some more information. It is a primarily 2 person game, though we regularly have a rotating npc companion, they are not consistent, so for all intents and purposes consider this a 2 person game. That being said, I am a Conjuration (Teleportation) Wizard, Opposition Enchantment, I have a Faerie Dragon Familiar (So free use of any Wizard/Sorcerer wands, unfortunately would exclude Ill Omen). My spell list generally consists of buffs, summoning, and conjuration BFC spells, along with a few reliable blast spells (mainly Battering Blast with a couple of Lesser Maximize rods). My fellow party member is an Archer Warpriest, his spell list focuses mostly on buffs and healing. Im going to list everything else I can think of that is relevant: -Since there are only 2 of us, the DM is generous with gold and crafting rules, so we have access to more magical items than normal for our level, though not absurdly so.
Some things I am looking for in general (not necessarily limited to this extra spell selection) are 1. At higher levels when Damage reduction starts becoming more common, how to keep summons relevant? I am considering taking Greater Magic Fang for when I summon something like a T Rex. Also looking at more Combat Maneuver and SLA focused summons.
Due to Opposition Research, the only opposition school is enchantment. So that would make Ill Omen take 2 slots to prepare, though he may just end up crafting a higher CL wand. (Perhaps worth noting that crafting partially charged wands is allowed). May or may not be worth it for a wizard that doesn't specialize in save or die/suck spells, though nothing preventing him from using a few of them.
So, long story short, my character (level 11 Conjuration Wizard) found a custom item that allows him to add any 5 spells to his spellbook. The rules for it are:
I am looking for the best non wizard spells. The campaign is a custom setting that is highly lethal with tough enemies and a lot of potential mistakes leading to death. Thus far I am thinking 1st - I'll Omen
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
What Dave said. Things like characters performing tasks for their day to day jobs (like his blacksmithing) should happen off screen. A profession is something to give your character personality and a skill that can be useful in the game, it's not a narrative anchor to weigh your character down. I don't understand how he is frustrated with a lack of things happening to his character when he is actively ignoring interesting things in favor of his mundane work.
Honestly have you considered a Bard? They have half decent martial ability, good utility arcane spells, and can cast or use a wand of cure spells. Plus all the skills, with a focus on social and knowledges.
So, I will be running a game soon. I have a initial overall plot outline, but I am having trouble with how to get the plot started. Basically, i have an idea of where i want the players to go, in this case the Underdark. What i am having trouble with is coming up with a compelling but believable reason that their characters specifically should be the ones to go there, and what the purpose is. I want this to be the main MacGuffin of the entire campaign. I have lots of ideas of things to happen along the way, just trouble coming up with why it is they would make a long adventure to the Underdark.
In addition to what others have said, there are something like 30-40 fewer total spells on the unchained summoner spell list as well.
If you are playing a rogue, you definitely want to be a Noble Scion of House Jarvis (You get a free roll to discover hidden doors and other architectural features when you pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not you are actively searching), the flavor ties in, and it is a really useful ability, despite the fact that it might annoy your DM that you get the rolls without actively searching. Also IIRC this (along with CotCT) is one of the most single location focused campaigns, so your noble heritage should be relevant for most of the game. Consider asking your DM if your weapon can be mechanically a Sap, refluffed to a large wooden cooking spoon so you don't take the penalty for an improvised weapon (he will probably agree, due to the fact that you essentially just want it to be a spoon for flavor reasons).
My issue with a liberal interpretation of how you can use the Dust of Sneezing and Choking is that it is a cursed item, it's not really something that is intended to be used against enemies unless it was a spellcaster in your party that crafted it with very specific protections against its cursed effects. I wouldn't have a problem with someone suicide bombing with it (looks awkwardly at the level 6 cohort), but allowing them to use a cursed item in such a way that does no harm to them is a little much for me.
So, what I am wondering, is theoretically, what is the best Gestalt Social Character that can be made. Now, by this I mean that the character should be primarily built around solving problems through a mix of stealth, creativity, and (most importantly) social skills. Ideally they would be reasonably competent in combat, but mostly they would want to solve things in a noncombat way. Now, a couple of caveats here. Yes, I am aware that the best class for solving problems in noncombat ways is arguably the wizard. I don't want to rely on spells for everything. (though I could be persuaded to consider sorcerer on one half of the gestalt) Second, no Empiricist Investigator or any other Int for social skills shenanigans. I don't want a character who debates his way through social situations, I want him to be genuinely charismatic. Aside from this assume gestalt with all first party Paizo material allowed. Some of my potential classes of interest so far have been: Bard, Mesmerist, Rogue, and maybe Sorcerer.
Sounds to me like we have a plot train kind of DM
Consider the Snowball spell from People of the North. Its a first level spell that does 1d6 per caster level (capped at 5d6). But it has a few things going for it. First, on a failed fort save, the enemy is staggered for 1 round. Not going to be great in the long run, but will get some decent mileage early game. Second, and more importantly, it is a touch attack that doesn't allow Spell Resistance. Very good spell to put sneak attack onto. Note that Magic Missile doesn't use any type of attack roll, so you can't add sneak attack onto it. Otherwise it would probably be king due to the fact that you could sneak attack up to 5 enemies at a time. Edit: Even better, Snowball is a conjuration spell, not evocation, so you can pick it as a signature spell, and then instead of devoting your school based feats to evocation, you get to apply them to the school with the best BFC spells in the game.
You can play as an eldritch scoundrel.Only downside is it is locked in to Core rogue. Note that while this is technically true, it is a VERY small leap for your DM to allow you to use this with Unchained Rogue by replacing Danger Sense instead of Trap Sense.
It keeps its own type and subtype, but also gains the earth subtype. So a Beast becomes a Beast (Earth).
Oh. I had actually never considered that. Wow. That's cheesy as hell but it seems perfectly legal by RAW to me. A lot of people arent aware of this, but any creature of the earth subtype with a burrow speed automatically gets tremorsense too, so that's even more utility. Generally worth it for the 1d6 damage loss (especially considering Fire Resist is somewhat more common than Acid Resist) in my opinion. However, if your DM rules that you can use that trick with Mount, I would definitely take that one at level 7 and push Versatile to level 9. Especially considering you can have your effectively all day summon monster out and still use your SLA Summon Monster. For bonus cheese, once you get 5th level spells, cast a heightened (5th level) Communal Mount and split it into either 2 or 3 mounts, then cast alter summoned monster 2 or 3 times to get something like 3 Tyrannosaurus (Summon Monster VII is a 5th level spell for summoners, so this should be a legal choice) that last 8-12 hours each
What is your alignment? Do you already have Summon Good Monster? If you are good alignment I would suggest looking into that or Expanded Summon Monster. Im confused as to what you are expecting Heighten and Mount/Summon Monster to do? Either way, most Summoning you do should be through your SLA, which cant have metamagic applied anyway. So if you have to pick one of the listed feats, go with Versatile, but I would highly suggest taking Aerial and Cthonic instead of Fiery. Cthonic has the same bonus damage (as acid) on natural attacks, but also gets a burrow speed.
The general theory is that Dual Wielding is normally only competitive when you have a consistent way to get more damage per hit. Sneak Attack if you can trigger it consistently, Favored Enemy bonuses, etc. When you don't have these things, Two Handed is almost always the superior option. Also because of the stat requirements, you generally either need to be able to get Dex to damage on both weapons (Unchained Rogue) or be able to bypass the Dex prereqs (Ranger/Slayer Combat Stlyes), because having to have a high Dex for prereqs and using Str for hit and damage at the same time generally makes characters too MAD
1 minute if they take the Fast Study arcane discovery. Which, if you are the type of wizard that leaves slots open for later (and you should be unless you know your DM will go out of his way to limit you using them), you should always take Fast Study as either your regular or bonus feat at level 5.
The problem is, you are trying to force the most versatile class in the game into one defined niche. The point of the Wizard is that you can do almost everything. If you want to have a niche as an arcane caster, go Sorcerer.So much this. The few things a wizard can't really do are healing, consistent damage output, and tanking. Outside of those, the wizard is king. Even then, once you get to 4th/5th level versions of the spell, various applications of the Summon Monster spell can perform most of those functions. Given, they won't be on par with a character that is focused on that type of strategy, but its at the cost of a spell slot. Plenty of Summons, especially later on, have healing SLAs and there is no shortage of monsters with decent damage output (damage) and combat maneuvers (effective tanking). If they enemy uses resources to get rid of the summons then they have still performed effective tanking by absorbing enemy action economy.
The problem is, you are trying to force the most versatile class in the game into one defined niche. The point of the Wizard is that you can do almost everything. If you want to have a niche as an arcane caster, go Sorcerer.
I mean, Wayang Spellhunter specifically calls out that you choose a spell of up to 3rd level, so choosing a spell higher than first level doesn't go against the spirit of the rules.
Ill look at Strength Patron. I am already using Half-Orc, so Sacred Tattoo + Fates Favored is already on my list.
Playing in a Gestalt game and I am brewing for a character who is a Invulnerable Rager Barbarian // (Pre-Errata) Scarred Witch Doctor. The Inspiration for the character comes from Krieg from Borderlands 2. The Barbarian part is obvious but the Scarred Witch Doctor came to me because I could totally see Krieg self mutilating (Hex Scars) and constantly rambling with psycho nonsense (Cackle Hex). I am looking for advice for the build, less so on the Barbarian side, I am pretty familiar with that half, I will probably be going for a Spell Sunder / Superstitious build to compliment the Con Casting Stat giving me tons of health. What I am looking for advice on is moreso the Witch side and integrating it with the Barb. Some specific questions I have are: 1. Should I max Strength or Con? (I know this partially comes down to how I want to play it, but given the nature of the witch class with the spells and hexes, especially since hexes can be used while raging, my gut says that I should try to keep Strength high, but max Con) 2. What kind of Hexes are good? My short list includes Flight (Obviously) and Slumber. 3. If someone could give me a short rundown on the major differences in the Witch list and the Wizard list of spells, that would be great. Mainly what staples from the Wizard are gone, and what gems the Witch gets that Wizard doesnt. 4. Patron Advice?
I would also try to hang on to at least a little bit of gold as well, you are at the level where material costs for spells are a thing, so you want to keep some pocket change for the first few encounters until you are able to sell new treasure. With that being said, if your DM rarely/ever throws things like Dispel Magic at your characters, consider some of the Permanency effects, like Darkvision if your character doesn't have it, or Reduce Person. Dont underestimate the usefulness of Sleeves of Many Garments for the price of 200gp and/or a Quick Runner's Shirt for 1000gp. You could also consider picking up a small selection of scrolls and/or adding some extra spells to your spellbook to start out.
Wizard probably gets the edge because they get bonus metamagic feats (they give their normal ones up but get access to the metamagic knowledge exploits), and the build is relatively feat intensive, because you need Spell Focus, Mages Tatoo, Spell Specialization, a minimum of 3 metamagic feats, and Spell Perfection. That's literally every single feat as a Sorcerer up to level 15
From a strict optimization perspective, the best battering blast user is probably an Exploiter Wizard with Potent Magic and a 1 level dips in sorcerer for the Orc Bloodline replacing the first level power with Blood Havoc. Or a Sorcerer with the Orc Bloodline, Blood Havoc, and Blood Intensity. It really depends on levels and stats because the Wizard gets the extra orbs earlier but with Blood Intensity and a high Charisma the sorcerer gets more dice per orb than the Wizard.
Bladebound is generally considered to be a little weak unless you are in a lower wealth campaign. I would suggest looking at the Hexcrafter archetype if you are interested in Hexes.
Intimidation if the party has no paladin or other character immune to fear
So, if you choose to be in the back half, your mount can attack the same target you are attacking, because you have 10ft reach but are 10ft away, the mount has 5ft reach and is 5ft away?
Actually now that I think about it, I have some questions about BB. 1. Do you have to use one ranged touch attack for BB, or one for each orb? It doesn't have the same language as scorching ray (specifically stating that you have to roll a ranged touch attack for each ray). 2. The spell says one target, so I assume no matter how many orbs they all have to go at one target. Is this correct, or can each orb hit a separate target?
Fair point. I just like doing math. It was honestly educating for me to go through the comparison, because I am just starting to dip my feet into blasting and use of spell perfection. And you are absolutely right. If they have a decent chance of failing the save then Disintegrate is absolutely better with the Cyclops Helm. .
If you are medium 5x5 but riding a large mount 10x10, which of the four squares does your character occupy?
I personally would stick to reducing what the archetype takes away rather than adding new unrelated stuff to it. My suggestion is still to keep the 1/2 BAB and Light Armor only, but let him have his 2nd domain and spontaneous casting. That gives the class a more caster/utility feel (by taking away martial power while keeping his casting utility).
I respect Disintegrate for what it does, but I am choosing Battering blast for different reasons. I would personally rather deal 35d6 + 35 on a touch attack spell with no save that I can Maximize, Intensify, and Empower in a 4th level slot or Maximize, Quicken, and Intensify in a 5th level slot over dealing 50d6 + 100 that allows a fort save that reduces the damage to 5d6 + 10 that I can Maximize and Intensify OR Quicken in a 6th level slot. Both examples assume a 25 CL. Math Maximized Intensified Disintegrate (6th) (CL 25th)
The fact that you cant have Persistent and Maximize at the same time hurts. You could do Persistent and Empower, but then you cant Intensify, and its a 7th level slot. That would make it 330 on a save that they have to make twice. Empowered Maximized Intensified Battering Blast (4th) (CL 25th) 35d6 + 35 = 367 damage with no save if you can hit 5 ranged touch attacks. Also, I like that Battering Blast can be Quickened, Maximized, and Intensified as a 5th level slot. Obviously there is only so much blasting that you need to do in a day, but You will get a lot more casts out of Battering Blast. It is important to consider what types of things you want to deal with. Disintegrate isn't particularly good if you are fighting things with high fort saves, as a lot of monsters have, but is better against enemies with Low Fort saves. And Disintegrate arguably is better against enemies with higher Touch AC because you only have to hit one time, but then again if you miss you deal nothing, so its probably a coin flip there. I will agree that Disintegrate is definitely better with the Helm, as it guarantees at least a hit, and can deal around 800 damage if they don't save, though IMO guaranteeing the hit is probably more valuable than threatening the crit. Edit: Not to mention that if you aren't starting at high levels, the Battering Blast build comes online a lot sooner, as you can be casting Empowered BB in 3rd level slots as early as level 6, while you cant get access to Disintegrate until at least 11 or 12. In short, I think that Disintegrate is potentially stronger when you are just looking for a boss killer. But if you are looking for a strong, all day blasting spell with a focus on priority targets, I think BB wins out.
Interesting Wultram, I will take a look at that. Currently the build I am working on is Blood Arcanist // Synthesist (Early on gives some decent martial power, later can be reconfigured to a defensive/utility chassis)
I agree it seems expensive for what it does. Thematically it is really cool but mechanically I don't think it offers that many benefits over a Handy Haversack, so something around 30k is probably fair for this item. Also if this item is for a specific game and it is some kind of artifact the players are going to find you don't have to worry too much about making a price tag for it. Or are you intending to have this be a craftable item in all your future games?
So its basically a Handy Haversack on crack for scroll users. I like it. If you are using the strict cost analysis of the armor part (the +3 adamantine breastplate), then the cost of creation for that bit should be 9600, not 4500 (9000 for the +3, 10000 for adamantine, and 200 for the breastplate = 19200/2 = 9600) |