Mittensworth's page

Aw.. man.. Wish I stumbled upon this thread earlier. Probably don't need help on this since this was over a year ago, but when I ran an Eberon campaign I only needed the following four words to add a little excitement:

Snakes on a train.

It could be cultists with snakes. Evil druids. Yuan ti. Doesn't matter-- just find something level appropriate with snakes. On a train. It writes itself really.

Dazing spell is a +3 metamagic. Comes online late and by the time you buy a rod of it your looking at Level 10+.

I highly recommend Spell Focus-Conjuration, Augmented Summoning, Sacred Summoning, and Superior Summoning.
Both classes have very good conjuration spells and both can prepare Summon Monster spells. Plane Shift come to mind.

Enchantment would probably work better then evocation. Cleric list has more Enchantment spells then Evocation. Also most Evocation spells target Reflex which is typically considered the lowest save to target.

Both classes also have Good Necromancy spells. Bestow Curse, Blindness/deafness, Waves of Exhaustion, HARM, Inflict Spells

Basically sit down and determine what your MAIN school of magic is. After you have that character concept look into your mind and envision what spells you want to be casting on this character and take a Spell focus in the school that has the most of the spells your envisioning.

This was really helpful. I'm taking a closer look at spell lists. I suppose my character concept is an elementalist who has a wealth of spells (staying power) to rain down elemental destruction but has a mastery of magic (metamagic) to disable enemies with those spells. I think druid and evocation wizard might fit this concept better. Mix in Rime Spell with versatile evocation, later have dazing spell. Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus for evocation.

I'm playing in a currently low level campaign as a Wizard + Cleric Mystic Theurge with early entry. I have full caster level for both classes and the DM has generously allowed me to use the same casting stat for both classes (he says, as a cleric of Nethys, it would make enough sense to use intelligence instead of wisdom).

My question is, what school of magic should I specialize in and get spell focus and greater spell focus to increase spell DC's? I was considering evocation for dazing spell and general metamagic control, but I don't know if it will be useful on the cleric side of casting too. We have a witch and someone who can intimidate to lower saving throws.

What school of magic would be useful having really high spell DC's on both the Wizard and Cleric list? Enchantment? Evocation? I'm really at a loss here. What would you pick?

As awakened the bear is intelligent.

As the awakener you should send the bear on a quest to find it's own name.

Though if you roll like I do, he might end up with an intelligence of 3.

Bucket!

poly any object is weird... it only follows the rules for polymorphing, so a ton of the dragon-ness awesome stuff you would not get.

If I'm reading it correctly (I might be completely off), it would function similar to Form of the Dragon 1, right? The benefits of that seem pretty neat in general, especially if I already have a good BAB to use the natural weapons, plus class levels and features.

I have an amusing idea for a character I'd like to flesh out a bit, and would love to hear anyone's thoughts. Tick, the amazing(ly small and annoying) kobold has a short attention span, a giant ego, and dreams of becoming a real dragon.

His quest, no matter what campaign he is in, is to eventually gain enough wealth and status to convince a powerful wizard or sorcerer to cast Polymorph any object on him, to permanently turn him into the dragon he longs to be. (Clearly, as thanks, he will eat the wizard last) I would like to play the character as a comical idiot of sorts, lacking either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. (more likely the former two?)

(As far as the spell, the DM agrees, the spell would likely be permanent)
+5 from the same kingdom
+2 from the same class
Possible +2 from same size, if enlarge person is cast first and its only a medium sized dragon
+2 Kobolds have a history of being related to dragons
+2 Same intelligence (wouldn't change)

My question is what sort of class would work well for this? I plan on the actual quest to become a dragon to be 99% of my time spent with this character, and I don't plan on playing a campaign actually as a dragon. But, I'd like it to make sense that Tick has planned his life around becoming all powerful as a dragon, and has likely honed his skills to become the most powerfully awesome dragon possible!

So yeah, what class or build would you think works well as a kobold and plays to the strengths of a dragon after becoming one? Also, are there any particular kinds of dragons that you might recommend as rather neat for this idea? (I'm only just now reading up on dragons in pathfinder, but there seem to be a lot of different kinds)

Mittensworth wrote:

Interesting thought: if you have an animal companion, you can cast Burning Gaze and other personal range spells on your little friend. Want a little cat/badger/bear/wolf/walrus with laser beam eyes? Sure!

I removed my animal companion. We determined as a group it was stronger than having a barbarian at the table. It was pretty sad.

Oh man... complete tangent, but let me tell you about my character. I'm playing an early entry Mystic Theurge (Cleric/wizard) focusing on buffs and utility rather than high DC spells. DM let me take a variation of Animal and Scalykind domains, both which grant an animal companion.

Rather than picking two crazy powerful dinosaur companions, or lions or what-not, I chose two "Cat, small". I suggested calling them "Dire housecats" (in name only) and DM is using the leopard stats (same stats as the small cat animal companion, but gets pounce and rake). I'm eventually going to get them both Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists and cast permanency reduce person on them for them to be tiny size. (yeah, they eat an AoO on their way in, but with high dex and mobility, they have a good chance to miss)

For my wizard bonded item, I chose a cat familiar, because, yeah. Cat lady. Guy.

Interesting thought: if you have an animal companion, you can cast Burning Gaze and other personal range spells on your little friend. Want a little cat/badger/bear/wolf/walrus with laser beam eyes? Sure!

Also, ask your DM if there is something he can make that can mimic the effect of Magical Knack. An item or feat or homebrew class ability. Strangely, there is nothing else core that has the same effect as that trait.

Honestly the caster level loss won't be a big deal if you pick your spells right. Pick spells that don't directly effect the enemy with a saving throw roll. Gives you a chance to play a really unique arcane caster and choose spells which people normally avoid. All of the transmutation and polymorph spells are your bread and butter, and the walls and such are great too. Rather than trying to have a sky-high Charisma, you can focus on your melee stats and effects where save DC's aren't even rolled.

You could go for an early entry Eldritch Knight.

Pick a race (like Aasimar) which has a third level arcane SLA. Pick Sorcerer and then a class that gives martial weapon proficiency (Paladin might work nicely for the saves if you put in an extra level. If you didn't mind high wisdom, Empyreal sorcerer with Sohei Monk work nicely together for the casting stat and AC boost).

Eldritch Knight by level 3 (or 4) and you lose a little spell progression, but you can make up for the caster level loss with Magical Knack. Rather than focus on being a god wizard or blaster, focus on utility and buffs like "I turn into a dragon and eat you now".

You could even go on to include something like Dragon Disciple or Hellknight Enforcer.

Okay, so I started to tell the DM my two character ideas. Here's how the conversation went.

Me: I have two ideas for characters. One is an evil elf Magus, going BlackBlade and Kensai archtypes, getting Dexterity and Intelligence to AC, and possibly taking two levels of monk and getting Wisdom to AC as well. Then going around stabbing people while using touch spells to people's faces. It could be really powerful.

DM: DO IT. DO. IT. RIGHT. NOW.

Me: My other idea is--

DM: --Nope! Touch Wizard! Do it!

I think I'm going to play the Magus.

Originally I was thinking of making a gun toting alchemist, but the group needs utility spellcasting and has no divine caster-- plus a lot of the skillmonkey stuff like disable divice is taken care of by the ninja and bard in the group. I really don't want to step on anyone's toes by overshadowing them in their role. Plus I wouldn't be putting my high wisdom to use for anything besides a higher will save.

Then I was thinking this would be one of the few rolls I could actually do a successful Mystic Theurge with. This is my first pathfinder game, and I've only ever played 3.5 once-- so I'd really like to play a full caster and get the full experience of having a huge spellbook and being tactical about it. Then I realized I would have to get to level 7 before I could start progressing as a Mystic Theurge, and I'd be 3 spellcaster levels behind in both books... and quickly dismissed the idea when I looked at the number of spells I'd get even as a Magus or comparable hybrid.

Then I started looking very seriously at a dexterity focused scimitar wielding magus. Could get really high AC by taking two monk levels. And it would be a really fun character for the evil party. And it would probably be pretty powerful.

But I still really would like to play a full caster, and someone pointed out that I could potentially enter Mystic Theurge at level 5 instead of level 7 by going...
Wizard 1- Precocious apprentice feat (to gain a second level arcane spell)
Cleric for levels 2-4
Then Mystic Theurge, only effectively losing one level of divine spells cast per day.

So now I'm looking at those two options and talking it over with the DM tonight.

Haha, actually I'm still debating it. Talking it over with the DM later tonight.

Mittensworth wrote:

Lord Foul II wrote:

or take the feet precocious aprentance, for a 2nd lvl arcane spell at first lvl, and go 3 lvls of cleric or druid and then go thruge

giving you wizard1/cleric3/thurgeX

Thats a really good idea. I like it. One of the big things I'm worried about is wasting levels and having my lower levels feel useless-- so getting into Mystic Theurge earlier is great.

Those look like perfect stats for a dervish dance magus.

If I went with a Magus, would a Witch and a Bard make up for the fact that there is no divine caster?

or take the feet precocious aprentance, for a 2nd lvl arcane spell at first lvl, and go 3 lvls of cleric or druid and then go thruge

giving you wizard1/cleric3/thurgeX

If I did this, is there any particular archtype or alternate class feature you might recommend for the one level of Wizard?

What about archtypes for Cleric for 3 levels, when I have low Charisma?

or take the feet precocious aprentance, for a 2nd lvl arcane spell at first lvl, and go 3 lvls of cleric or druid and then go thruge

giving you wizard1/cleric3/thurgeX

Thats a really good idea. I like it. One of the big things I'm worried about is wasting levels and having my lower levels feel useless-- so getting into Mystic Theurge earlier is great.

I'm really not all that familiar with what Inquisitors are good at. Are they more of a damage oriented divine class, with some spellcasting?

We had to announce "I'm rolling for Strength now. Here goes!" pretty much.

Basically, the DM wanted to try a dice pool for rolling for stats, but what you roll is what you get, rolling for each stat individually. Normally I wouldn't have considered a Mystic Theurge, but with these rolls and the fact that the group doesn't have much casting ability besides one player playing a Witch, it kind of begs me to try it.

The group rolled for stats last week with the DM, and I'm locked into these rolls with their specific stat. I can't really trade them around-- and as much as the low Constitution hurts, I can't really complain with how high I rolled.

Strength- 14
Dexterity- 18
Constitution- 10
Intelligence- 18
Wisdom- 18
Charisma- 11

For race, I think I'm going to go with Samsaran, because it fits the scholarly thing I have going, and gives a bonus to Int and Wis, bringing both caster stats to 20.

Everything I've read on the internet has pretty much said Mystic Theurge is an underpowered class that struggles at lower levels. Recently I rolled a character with really interesting stats (18 Intelligence, 18 Wisdom, and 18 Dexterity, but low stats for everything else). The group will have a witch and possibly a bard, but the rest of the group are melee. I'd really like to fill in a lot of the utility spellcasting since we have no divine caster or full arcane caster-- plus I'd really like to take advantage of playing a unique character that most stat rolls wouldn't be able to do well.

So how can I make this work well? The DM has said I can take Practiced Spellcaster feat to makeup for spellcaster level, but I'm still going to only have level 2 spells up until after I'm into Mystic Theurge.

So here are my main questions:
Should I go Cleric-Wizard or Druid-Wizard? Which has a better spell list, and which would have decent features when I only have 3 levels in the class?

Also, what archtypes or alternate class features would help this sort of character? I have 11 charisma, so cleric channeling wouldn't do much for me. What about wizard spell schools, or cleric domains?

Oh man.. flavor wise thats pretty awesome. I assumed that none of the gods would have firearms as a favored weapon, since they are more of a recent thing than a traditional thing.

Good point. Magus would be a really cool option (I'm new to pathfinder, so its a new class and I like that) but I don't want to steal the show from the monk. I really like controller roles, where I can influence the battle a lot if I'm smart about it, and I like being able to buff and provide utility for the group.

Would you start as a Magus or Monk for that?

Kensai Magus/Master of Many Styles Monk. Only two levels of Monk really needed, then the rest Magus. Go for a race like Elf with a bonus to Dex and Int, to really make your damage and spell DC's shine, as well as your AC with each level of Magus. Add in Dervish Dance and you're golden.

I like this. A lot. I'm going to go look it up.

Would a witch, bard, and alchemist be enough to cover the role of divine and arcane casters?

Holy crap, reincarnated druid is a pretty awesome concept.

I'm going to look into Inquisitors. I don't know much about them. What is a reincarnated druid?

Monk would be cool, but we have a monk already and I really don't want to step on his toes. We also have a ninja, so maybe I shouldn't play an assassin. But Inquisitor sounds really neat-- I've never read anything on it, so I'll check them out.

Cleric of Sarenrae seems neat too, and I'm not all that familiar with clerics in pathfinder, but I think the good aligned god would make things really difficult. Really like alchemist!

The DM likes guns, and we're playing in a setting where advanced firearms are available if we wanted it as an option. Do you think a firearm wielding alchemist who focuses on touch-ac things like bombs and rifles in addition to his spellcasting-like abilities be good? Any way I could use the high wisdom?

Okay, so here's what has happened. Its my first time playing pathfinder, and last week we met with the DM and rolled for stats for the upcoming campaign, and then hung out and played board games. Except I rolled a ridiculous 18 in Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom. My other stats are 14 Strength, 10 Constitution, and 11 Charisma. I can't switch what I rolled for one stat to another, but I still have to pick a race and class.

The group has a ninja, psychic warrior, witch, bard, monk, and an NPC fighter (played by the DM). Also, its an evil or at least morally dubious campaign.

I'd like to help round out the group and fill a role the group needs, but I'm not sure what class might benefit with very high Dex, Int, and Wis. What would you guys play as with this roll?