Sorcerer and Wizard

[Dissinger]

dulsin wrote:

Paul Watson wrote:

In the Pathfinder Society (the organised play arm of Paizo), item creation feats are not allowed as they disrupt the item acquisition method too much. You cannot take item creation feats in organised play. Outside of that, have fun, but be aware you need a certain amount of DM cooperation to get the most out of item creation feats, especially at higher levels when it takes a lot longer to craft things.

Of course, we weren't talking about the Pathfinder Society, so it seems fairly tangential to the main discussion.

So in organized play the Wizard's bonus feats are either meta-magic or meta-magic.

Are they allowed to use their starting scribe scroll feat, or is that banned also?

Banned, in return, they get Spell Focus in the school of their choice.

[Stephen Ede]

Another reason to sort of play a Wizard rather than a Sorceror.

If you playing pointman (Ranger or Rogue) taking 1 lev dip in Wizard - Diviner is far superior to a 1 lev dip in Sorceror.
Always act in surprise round,
+1 Init
Transmutor and Abjurer are also quite nice for fighter types in general.

If you also take Practised Spellcaster to increase your CL to 5 and take bonded object - Wand, Weapon or Amulet you can have heaps of fun.

Weapon - enchanted weapon - aren't you sick of having to use sword because that's always what the magic weapons are. Note - if you joint enchant with a real caster you can make a seriously nasty weapon to design.
Amulet - design to taste - with multiple abilities.
Wand - Activating a wand gets past armour arcane failure. Wand of true strike anyone? This option is especially strong for trippers given tripping is now a single attack roll. +20 means you're probably going to pull that trip off.

Note for DM's going wince at the concept of melee types getting buffed magic items to design. The bonded item will do nicely for soaking up all their spare cash and some, and they can't trade/sell it off (except as a con, an adventure hook in itself).

Stephen

[Ravingdork]

Why are people bashing Pathfinder shapechange? It is REALLY powerful!

It allows my sorcerer to stay in dragon form 24/7. It allows her to be in any other form she wants the whole day as well. Nearly all the bonuses it can grant stacks with nearly everything else in the game.

You can't beat that kind of versatility with a single spell.

[Are]

The only thing I wish they had kept from 3.5 Shapechange is the ability to gain all of the supernatural and extraordinary abilities of the creature you shapechange into. That was what made it worth a 9th level spell, in my opinion.

(I also wish all the various "Form of ..." spells were added to the Druid spell list, but that's another discussion)

[FiddlersGreen]

Ravingdork wrote:

Why are people bashing Pathfinder shapechange? It is REALLY powerful!

It allows my sorcerer to stay in dragon form 24/7. It allows her to be in any other form she wants the whole day as well. Nearly all the bonuses it can grant stacks with nearly everything else in the game.

You can't beat that kind of versatility with a single spell.

I personally prefer air elemental. Nothing shanks an unprepared arcane caster like a good rogue unleashing sneak attacks before he can respond. Unless they are immune to sneak attacks. =)

[Abraham spalding]

dulsin wrote:

The bottom line for me is that there are good reasons for a player to take a Sorcerer all the way to 20. Anyone who plays a wizard should bail out to a PRC ASAP.

The only thing a wizard has to look forward to after level 8 are the three bonus feats. I feel this is a weakness of the class because it just boils down to a gateway to the prestige classes and not a class in it's own right.

I am a wizard because it is easier to get to Loremaster with this class. There is no reason anyone should actually stay in it.

Because there is NO WAY I want a +10 bonus to my initiative and to take 20 on my initiative.

I also would HATE to have a Trumpet Archon riding 8*&@( for me permenantly.