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So, a while back, I had thought of building an arcanist with two forms of short range teleport for an added bonus of defense, offense, and mobility. After a discussion with avr (thank you, btw), I've come to the conclusion that it would be too feat intensive to pull that off, and it would reduce the overall functionality of the class.
As a result, I changed the class to wizard. My goals with this character are as follows:
1) Utilize a form of teleport as the main focus of mobility
2) Use said form of mobility to cast spells in positions and/or situations otherwise unreachable
Shift from the Teleportation, as a swift action, is infinitely better than Dimensional Slide. Not only that, but Wizards by default get extra goodies (a familiar, extra feats, and that's without sacrificing, which is similar to what the Arcanist School Savant would have you do).
Anywho, through use of action economy, avr helped me design the below character. Any thoughts on how I could improve it?
Str 8
Dex 16
Con 12
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 10
Traits:
(M) Magical Lineage - Frigid Touch
(S) Clever Wordplay - Use Magic Device
(?) (Maybe a perception trait; seeker perhaps)
Drawback:
Umbral Unmasking
Class Features:
Arcane School - Conjuration (Teleportation)
Opposition Schools
- Enchantment
- Necromancy
Arcane Bond - Familiar
Summoner's Charm
Shift 7/day
Feats:
1 - Weapon Finesse
H - Improved Initiative
3 - Spell Focus: Conjuration
5 - Augment Summoning
W - Rime Spell
7 - Dimensional Agility
9 - Dimensional Assault
The general strategy is as follows:
R1: Summon Monster to preoccupy biggest threat on the field, and if possible, position self to charge/attack said threat next round
R2: Cast Rime Frigid Touch and charge/attack biggest threat, and then swift action shift away
Note: On round 2, the goal would be to gain a flanking bonus while charging for +4 to hit on top of the +5 at level 5.
Anywho, thoughts?
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I am a big fan of a Arcanist for this concept, specifically the School Savant.
At 1st level you can grab a Conjuration School (Teleportation Subschool) to acces Shift.
You can grab Dimensional Steps as your exploit.
This gives you a Swift and Move action Teleport effect.
At level 8 you get a standard action teleport.
Grab Dimensional Agility and you can do a lot of fun maneuvering. Grab Emergency Force Shield and port in and out of it during the battle. Hop in, Summon stuff, port it out and dimension slide back in. Drop a crowd control on the field and just port out.
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My feat and exploit list would look like this then:
Feats:
1 - Weapon Finesse
H - Improved Initiative
3 - Rime Spell
5 - Extra Arcanist Exploit
7 - ?
9 - Dimensional Agility
Exploits
5 - Dimensional Slide
F - Quick Study
9 - ?
I'd be minus a familiar, but I'd fit more of the silver bullet mage theme.
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Well now! I just happen to be playing a character that fits this exact concept. :)
Meet Midioto ^-^ and you can read some of his hijinks here.
However, he does use 3pp, specifically Psionics :(
I realize that you are probably not interested in using Psionics and so the spoiler below will be of limited value to you, but it does do exactly what you are looking and hoping for, so I will post it anyways.
Also, having actually played this character, rather then just theorycrafted him, I also have some experience and insights that I can offer that will probably be of immense value to you, and I will post them afterwards :)
Midioto is a Psion with the Nomad discipline. I also made him Human for the extra Powers Known and additional feat.
At second level, the Nomad gains the Nomad’s Step ability, allowing him to 5ft+5ft/lvl as a Standard action.
At 3rd level, we take the Fast Step feat, which allows us to as a move action.
From 3rd level onwards, Midioto can at least 20ft as a move action, and do so an unlimited number of times.
Note 1 main drawback: The Nomad's Step ability can only be used while you maintain psionic focus. If you use an ability that expends your focus, you can't teleport :( This severely hampers some feats, abilities and any attempts to use Metapsionic feats. Feats like Deep Impact, Power Penetration, Psionic Weapon, ect and others require expending your Focus, Multiclassing might also have abilities that require it and all Metapsionic feats have that requirement as well.
There are feats to get around this, but generally they take a lot of resources.
*In my, specific case, I talked to the GM and we agreed to allow the Psionic Power Focus trait to apply to the Nomad's Step ability, even though it legally could not. I was happy with it :)
One thing you will have to decide on early is if you want to invest in "Attack roll powers" or not. A lot of the Energy Ray/Push/ect, and some powers like Entangling Ectoplasm require Attack Rolls, and those require a good Dex score to be able to hit. It is rather difficult to boost a ranged Touch attack's ability to hit as Dex and Weapon Focus are really the only things that can do it . Touch AC is usually pretty low but only having a +4 modifier doesn't help either! It is also, if not more difficult to channel melee Touch ranged spells as they are keyed off of your Str, not your Dex, and you also have to contend with Casting defensively and remaining within a Big Nastys reach at the end of your turn. Weapon Finesse and/or an Agile AoMF can help a lot, but cost additional resources. The Inevitable Strike power will be your best friend! ^_^
The Power Channeler feat is just a trap :( Regular AC is usually miles higher then Touch AC and if you miss, the spell fizzles :(
Boost the to-hit difficulty by upwards of double on a 1/2 BAB class with no weapon proficiencies and no focus on melee combat with low Str, just so I can lose the power if I miss? Oh, and I get to add 1d6+2ish damage to the spell? No thanks :(
OR you can forgo Touch Attack powers almost entirely and focus on things that don't require them. There are quite a few, Mind Thrust, Ectoplasmic Sheen, Energy Stun, Concussive Onslaught, ect.
As He levels up he gains access to additional powers, a few very nice ones are these:
1st) is the Defy Gravity power, which basically lets him float in the air. He can't move laterally, but he CAN still ! And Nomad's Step has no wording limiting you to only arriving on the ground, so you can basically get a very clunky form of flying from level 3 onward.
Do note, however that the power imposes penalties to hit when making melee/ranged attacks, such as Dissipating Touch/Energy Ray/Energy Push all require attack rolls, as they are either Touch range powers or Rays. You can get around this (at least for the early game) with the Mind Thrust and other, debuff/buff powers.
2nd) he also gains access to the Dimension Swap power, which is VERRRY nice :)
A key strategy with this is to first into a flanking position behind a creature (move action), and then Dimension Swap yourself and the parties Beatstick (standard action), special delivering him into a prime flanking position :)
OR, if the party wizard (aside from you) gets in a sticky situation, you can into a safe place and swap with him or simply swap his place with the party Beatstick.
You can also use it to get the party across difficult terrain, but thats expensive, pp-wise.
3rd) A fair bit later on, you can get the Hustle power using the Expanded Knowledge feat, which grants you an extra move action using your swift, which allows you to do some really fun things, but at the cost of expending MANY pp in a rush :)
Quick ideas include: ing next to someone, blasting them with a melee power, then ing away to safety. You can also do this around corners >:) . OR, somewhere, Dimension Swap with someone at that location, then back to your original spot, allowing you to place people where you want them.
There is an easier way to get Hustle, btw. If you take the Dual Disciple Psion Prestige class, you get to have 2 Discipline power lists (Nomad and Egoist) to chose powers from, but all the powers you cast from other Disciplines are done so at -1 CL.
This is especially useful as the Egoist gets access to Metamorphosis and Animal Affinity powers that can boost your To Hit and combat abilities, something you might otherwise lack. Tradeoff is that it is more focused :)
You could also combine the above with the Hustle Power Metapsionic feat to start casting some insane rapidfire spells, but also at INSANE pp costs :p IF you can somehow fit it all in, its a lot of resources to be able to do all this...
4th) you can get yourself a pair of Gloves of Reconnaissance to "see" through a wall into the room on the other side. This is VERY useful for the Nomad because he can only into spaces you can see. Side note; fist-sized holes in your secret base can be very valuable, allowing you to between different rooms ^_^
5th) if you get high enough, and rich enough, you can get yourself a pair of Boots of the Nomad to increase your ing distance by 20ft. I think Midioto spend just over half his starting gold to get these but they increased his 'range' to 55ft per move action >:)
6th) if you reach level 7, then you can take a level in the Elocater prestige class for some great fun >:D
1 level in it is often enough, just simply for the Personal Gravity ability, which lets you walk on walls and such. Combine that with your ing, and you can literally onto the roof, standing upside down. Then onto the side of a tree! ^_^
If you intend to stay as a "Caster" Psion, then you probably only want 1 level of Elocater. If you intend to be more of a melee-focused Psion then more levels in the Prestige class can be valuable for the flanking bonuses, increased BAB and such.
Side note; you can take the Nomad's Jump feat to allow your Elocater levels to stack with your Nomad levels to determine the range of your Nomad's Step ability.
That aside, one thing I realized after I had created and played him for a while was that while he could around and cast his spells, sadly he was not very good at a few crucial things while doing so :(
As is, I am working with my GM to allow me to do a bit of a rebuild on him , and I am doing so to overcome some of those crucial weaknesses.
For you, it would be good to be aware of these shortfalls as well :)
The first one was my Concentration. I had not placed any additional resources into boosting my concentration . I then decided to directly behind a Big Bad and cast Dimension Swap to switch places with my party Beatstick. GM calls for Concentration check, I fail. Power fizzles and I am now stuck DIRECTLY BESIDE A HUGE T-REX and out of actions... :(
Thatsfine,dontpanic... I have a defensive power that I can use to avoid damage, I will use that! T-Rex turns to attack me, I immediate-action cast Untouchable Aura, hopefully preventing the T-Rex from targeting me. Concentration check please... Failed...
Ohcrap,OKwhatotherdefencesdoIhave? SEVENTEEN AC. That's it.
T-Rex bites me in half, almooost one-shotting me...
Lesson learned ^_^
Second lesson, as demonstrated above, what other defenses do you have in play, in case things go wrong? I mean, your strategy is basically "Dive into the middle of the enemy mob and jump out before they react". What happens if, for whatever reason, you cant get out? Or they are able to react before you get out? I found out that in that circumstance, I had exactly 17 AC to defend me, and that's it...
Part of my planned rebuild is for me to get so corrupted that I change from Human to Elan, as Elans have very specific defenses that will prove very valuable to fall back on, if things go wrong while I am standing directly beside a Big Bad. Another part is to swap out a feat for Combat Manifestation, so that I can safely port next to something, cast my spell, and still have a safety net of sorts.
Third lesson, After getting half-killed by that T-Rex I at least had the grim pleasure of knowing that I was at least providing flanking for the team Beatstick on 'tha other side O'Mr. Doom'. Except not :(
Turns out you need to wield a weapon to threaten, and if you are weaponless (like a Wizard/Psion usually is) then you can't threaten. Or take AoOs. I was just standing next to the T-Rex uselessly and provided Squat. Zip. Zippo to the team.
So, If I intend on porting to a flanking position, I NEED a weapon or natural attack in my hand to be able to flank with it, even if I never use it.
Forth lesson, 14 Dex and +3 BAB is NOT enough to reliably hit someone with Ray spells or (if inclined), Melee Touch spells.
I only have a +5 to-hit modifier for my Touch attacks, and while its true that Touch AC is usually lower then regular AC, I miss 25% of my spells against someone with only 10 AC. If they have anything higher then that and I could easily miss half of my spells. That makes you feel very unuseful :(
You NEED to have a decent to-hit bonus if you want to use Touch attacks, and if you are going to go through all the risk of teleporting into the middle of an enemy mob, roll a Concentration check to cast defensively, only to just wiff the melee Attack roll, well you will feel very stupid :(
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So, those were my characters shortcomings, hers a few ideas for you :)
Concentration Feat/Trait. Very valuable. To pull of your main trick, you basically have do this;
1) Cast Frigid Touch. End turn. Next turn Dimensional Assault-Charge into someone and use an unarmed-Touch attack to unleash the spell. Swift-Action Shift out.
So thats 2 rounds to get a melee touch spell off, and it costs you a lvl 4 spell, a lvl 2 spell and 1 use of a 7/day ability.
One thing you CAN do, is to get a Spell Storing weapon and stick the Frigid Touch spell in there beforehand. That way you could do the trick in only 1 round, at least for the first time.
YOu can also get an AoMF with the Spell Storing Enchantment on it to combine a held charge and a stored charge together.
If you go the Arcanist route, then it looks like this;
1) Dimensional Slide into melee range, Cast Frigid Touch, succeed Concentration check, unarmed-touch attack to unleash the spell, Swift-Action Shift out.
Which is a lot more streamlined.
As for a fun idea that can add to the Arcanist >:)
The Rogue has access to a Talent called Fast Getaway that basically lets you use the Withdraw action as a move action (instead of a full round action) after a successful sneak attack.
Combine the Rogues Getaway, the Arcanists Slide and the Wizards Shift and you Could Shift behind someone (Swift), attack them/cast touch spell (Standard), deal Sneak Attack damage and then Slide out as a Withdraw (Move), all in 1 turn, and you could repeat it every turn with no downtime (up to your Shift/Arcane Reservoir limit).
Its only reliance would be dealing Sneak Attack, so you might only be able to do it against flanked foes. Does the Arcanist get Invisibility? Apparently an 8th level Arcanist can get Greater Invisibility, so that works. Regular invisibility/Vanish can also work in a delayed pinch...
Also of note; Unchained Rogue gets Weapon Finesse for free, so thats a plus!
Now for something completely different.
Another way of going about this is to take the Horizon Walker Prestige class. Is preresiquites are very easy for anyone to qualify for. And if you take 3 levels of the class, you gain a Terrain Dominance ability. The Astral Plane grants you DD as a SLA, 3+Wis mod times a day. That can be a fair few.
With this, you can basically take any class and give it DD to work with, and with the extra BAB (and possibly additional melee focus from other classes might make better use of the attack in the middle.
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So, the gm I'm applying for said Shift does not qualify for Dimensional Agility, and after a bit of thought, I came across something interesting. I switched to Arcanist on this one.
LG Half Orc Arcanist School Savant
Str 8
Dex 16
Con 12
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 10
Traits
Unbreakable Hate (Racial, Orc) (+2 to Concentration) <---the reason I chose half-orc
Clever Wordplay (Int -> Use Magic Device)
Magical Lineage - Frigid Touch
Drawbacks
Umbral Unmasking
Racial Features
Darkvision 60 ft. <---another reason I chose half-orc
Orc Blood
Sacred Tattoo (+1 to all saving throws) <---and something I didn't know half orcs could do
Shaman Enhancement (+2 to spellcraft, and +2 to Physical Ability Score of Familiar)
Class Features
School Savant Focus - Conjuration (Teleportation)
Opposition Schools (Enchantment, Necromancy)
Consume Spells
Spellbooks
Arcane Resevoir
Summoner's Charm
Shift
Feats
1 - Weapon Finesse
3 - Combat Casting
5 - Rime School
7 - Extra Arcanist Exploit
9 - Improved Familiar
Exploits:
5 - Dimensional Slide
F - Familiar
With Half-Orc, I get:
- Additional +2 to Concentration
- +1 to all saving throws
- Darkvision 60 ft.
Feat Progression would be delayed by one on all fronts, which is sad.
Edit: or I could just go elf...