| zarzak |
I'm building a 20th level sorcerer, and am wondering if cross-blooded might actually be worth it.
Before you say 'no way, cross-blooded sucks!' let me lay out the character.
Starting at 20th level, very low wealth (so not many magic items).
Human, with the favored class bonus, so extra spells known.
Arcane Bloodline.
Spell Perfection (Chain Lightning) + magical lineage, magical knack, and associated feats.
Currently I'm short on feat slots, so need metamagic rods of empower spell, admixture spell, and piercing spell. Admixture and Piercing are fine on a metamagic rod, but I'd very much like to have empower spell as a feat instead of on a rod.
Enter the Draconic Bloodline.
I would gain
* +1 damage/die on my chain lightning (I'd be casting at CL 23 if I use intensify spell, so thats +20-+23 damage per cast. In a typical round I'd cast a quickened one and an intensified one, so thats +43 damage per round right there).
* Quicken Spell as a sorcerer feat. I can replace the combat casting I get from the arcane bloodline with it, and free up a feat slot - so I can use empower spell.
* The arcane bloodline's 3rd level bloodline ability is subsumed at 20th level, so is useless for me. I can replace it with the draconic bloodline's 3rd level ability, getting +10 resist lightning and +4 natural armor for free.
I would loose:
* -2 will. Not cool, but not devestating
* 1 spell known at every level. HORRORS, right? But wait! I actually don't care about all the slots (breakdown below, if anyone cares). I only actually care about losing the 3 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 level spells known.
So! Is is losing 6 spells known (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9), and a -2 penalty on will, worth all of the bonuses (+4 natural armor, +10 resist lightning, extra metamagic feat, +43 damage in a typical round). I'm stumped. :(
Spells known loss breakdown:
- 0 level: I don't care about this
- 1 level: I don't care about getting Identify from the arcane bloodline, but I do want mage armor from the draconic bloodline (which I would take if I wasn't doing crossblooded). So I'd just use mage amor, not need to know it with a normal slot, and basically suffer no loss here.
- 2 level: I can lose a spell known here without feeling too bad
- 3 level: This hurts
- 4 level: This hurts
- 5 level: This hurts
- 6 level: This hurts
- 7 level: This hurts
- 8 level: Similar to 1st level spells: I don't want the arcane spell, I do want the draconic spell (and so would take it anyways). So basically no change.
- 9 level: This really hurts