Pimp my friend Illusionist

[Kalyth]

Ok a friend is playing an Illusionist in a game along side my Swashbuckler.

3.5 gave lots on options and feats that were no brainers for casters. Just looking for some advice to give him on feats and spells to take.

He plans to take Craft Wonderous Item at 5th. The game will be low magic so this will give us a way to get access to magic items. He was debatign on taking brew potion but we thought the cost was not worth the benefit.

The metamagic feats are nice but in a lot of cases not really worth the higher level spell slots.

Any Advice?

[Cartigan]

Improved Initiative

[Charender]

Brew Potion isn't that great.

Combat Casting is a good feat early on. With the changes to concentrations checks, you start with a lower check bonus and the DCs are higher. The +4 bonus from Combat Casting is a good way to overcome this.

[Caineach]

You will be relying enirely on your save DCs as an illusionist. Boost them as much as you can.

[Kalyth]

He took. Spellfocus: Illusion and Greater Spellfocus: Illusion already.

And Dodge just cuz his AC was horrible.

[Cartigan]

Caineach wrote:

You will be relying enirely on your save DCs as an illusionist. Boost them as much as you can.

Yeah, Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus would be good too.

[Caineach]

Kalyth wrote:

He took. Spellfocus: Illusion and Greater Spellfocus: Illusion already.

And Dodge just cuz his AC was horrible.

Mirror Image is his friend.

[Kalyth]

Caineach wrote:

Kalyth wrote:

He took. Spellfocus: Illusion and Greater Spellfocus: Illusion already.

And Dodge just cuz his AC was horrible.

Mirror Image is his friend.

He's all over Mirror Image already.

[Cartigan]

This is becoming a silly guessing game.
Perhaps inform us what he has and what you are looking for?

[Kalyth]

Cartigan wrote:

This is becoming a silly guessing game.

Perhaps inform us what he has and what you are looking for?

So far

H: Spellfocus Illusion
1st: Greater Spell Focus Illusion
3rd: Dodge
W5th: Craft Wonderous Item
5th: ?
7th: ?

That's as much as he's planned out. he asked me for advice and I was kind of at a lose. Had suggested the Spell focus feats. Combat Casting does look like a good suggestion with the changes to Concentration in PF vs 3.5.

We toyed around the idea of taking Spellfocus Conjuration so he could get Augment summoning and supplement illusion with summoned monsters. Just we are not seeing a lot of feats screaming out as "great for casters".

[K]

Well, if you are being Core-licious, remember that Improved Initiative is your friend. Going first and boning people with your illusions before they have a chance to act is the win.

Also, being a Sorcerer with a crazy high Bluff check is also quite easy with familiar bonus and a few feats and your Cha bonus. That's some good fun.

If you have access to Complete Arcane, the Sudden feats are gold.

Setting up your feats for a PrC is also pretty common.

[wild_captain]

No no no . NO dodge for wizards :( they have mirror image and concealment and invisibility . In my opinion dodge is a terrible choise for wizards.

He must take improved initiative for sure and maybe combat casting

For maximum utility and power he must be like this :

H: Spellfocus Illusion
1st: Greater Spell Focus Illusion
3rd: Improved Initiative
W5th: Craft Wondrous Item
5th: Metamagic Feat (Still Spell*)
7th: Metamagic Feat (Silent Spell*)

*or any other metamagic feat he likes

[Alitan]

Add Eschew Materials to Still Spell and Silent Spell, pick up Gaseous Form; NB: this is a high-level gambit, since the Still/Silent combo bumps everything up two levels. But throwing Phantasmal Killer while gaseous is all too much fun.

What are his opposition schools?

Improved Familiar can be nice, if you're w/in one shift from Lawful/Evil; Imp familiars rock, imo.

Likewise, am a fan of Leadership. Cohorts are worth their weight in unobtainium.

Depending on your campaign, Improved Counterspelling can be really useful or not/YMMV.

[Cheapy]

Alitan, the thread is 1.5 years old :-)

[Alitan]

Cheapy wrote:

Alitan, the thread is 1.5 years old :-)

Color me oblivious... and embarrassed. Oh, well...