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Hi all -
I need some help. I'm going to be playing a Wizard in our upcoming Kingmaker campaign with the overall goal of becoming King.
In that - as a support character and overall King - what's the best style to get that goal? I originally considered being a crafter, making items for my party to further our overall goal. But I thought about being a specialist in ranged touch attacks standing back and blasting behind those fighters (I know there will be at least two archers, however).
I will not be limited to only spells from the PFRPG, I will be able to use WotC's Spell Compendium, Necromancer Game's Eldritch Sorcery, Monte Cook's Eldritch Might and even Mongoose's Renegade's Wizards Spellbook and any other WotC's spells lists.
So with this massive opportunity for spells - what's some of the best wizard (generalist class, I don't like specialists) spells and styles to look at? It has been a very long time since I've had the chance to play a wizard - would like some help on choosing a concept and potential spell ideas.
I have 25 points in which I created the ability scores and we use 4+int mod for skill points and I'll be human of course. I have to take a flaw, and I'm taking a flaw from Dragon Mag - light weight, so I'm undersized and under weight, which will grant me an additional feat. So I'll have my 1st level feat, a human feat and a feat to offset the flaw.
I'm pretty much interested in sticking with the wizard class for pretty much all the levels, with maybe a class of something else here or there - maybe even a Prestige Class, but generally, I don't care for them - so those shouldn't be the overall goal. But if taking a level of fighter or rogue or another 3PP class which will help me in an extra feat or ability, then by all means I'll take that into consideration.
Thanks for the potential help up front. I do appreciate it.
Be Well.
Theocrat Issak
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Take the feat collegiate wizard from complete arcane (pg 181) that lets you automatically learn more spells every time you level( 6+int mod spells at 1st and 4 spells per level) and the feat from FR i think that lets your int count as 2 points higher for spells.
thats 12 spells known at level 1 (assuming 20 int)
that makes up for not being a specialist
both of those are 1st level only so you gotta be human, but it'll give you more options in the long run. plus if you use a bonded item its a lot more options for the item to cast for the spontaneous spell
I'd still consider a specialist, notably a diviner, note that you can still use opposition schools, except they take up two slots.
You can still use spelltriger items and the extra slot will make up for the extra cost of rarely used spells.
Knowing more spells doesn't make up for specialist (+1 class spell slot per level).
I know you said you don't like specialists, but really in PF it's so much better.
Take the Focussed Specialist Alternate Class Feature (CMage, i think) and your casting as many spells per day as a sorcerer.
Instead of Collegiate Wizard, which i find pretty poor actually (why spend a feat when you can copy spells into your spellbook?) consider Precocious Apprentice. Has to be the best feat for wizards - you get a 2nd lvl spell slot and +2 Spellcraft.
The main reason to go specialist tho is the class abilities. Look at the generalist wizard abilities, they're pathetic compared to say, the Illusionist one (free Gtr Invisibility, hell yeh!). Abjuration or Evocation are also quite good.
+1 for bonded item. Just make sure it's a ring (preferably one that looks worthless) so it won't be sundered/stolen.
As far as spells go, it depends on what you achieve. I strongly recommend TreantMonk's Guide to Wizards priority of spells list.
Defenestrating Sphere has to be one of my favourites tho (SC). Cast it in the 1st rnd and then as a move action knock foes prone and still cast spells - orsm.
If you get the feat Sudden Empower it works well with most AoE spells and fulfills the pre-req. for Sudden Quicken. Then you can do the 'Wall' combo. Quicken cast Wall of Fire as a ring of fire around a group of enemies (making sure you damage all of them), then cast Wall of Force just around the Firewall, locking them in. Another reason to take the Evoker class abilities, ie Wall of Energy. This works really well against rogues and others with evasion - they take automatic damage every round and can't get out - hilarious!!
May I suggest, rather than school or spell selections, realise that, as a King, you will not be able to handle every administrative matter that comes your way without some training. Diplomatic emergencies, rebellious nobility and surly commoners all would require the Wizard having access to at least 5 ranks each in Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff and Intimidate, in that order. Yes these are ranks that could go into Spellcraft or Fly or Craft or Profession or any other number of skills, but as a Leader of a Nation, you need to be able to bring people to your way of thinking, one way or another, and as we all know, Tyrants generally end up sticking a big "I <3 being Smite'd" for Adventurer's to read, and have basically bred up an army for the PCs to rally to their cause thanks to incessant taxes and wanton cruelty, wherein Well-loved Kings/Queens can weather even the worst coup from their Nobles if the common folk are willing to shelter them and turn themselves into an army to win back the throne.
Diplomacy to get people on your side in the first place, Sense Motive to make sure they're really on your side, Bluff to keep yourself from getting shanked in the realm of politics and Intimidate if you're tired to trying to politely get people to do what you want and are going to show them why you're the one with the Crown at the end of the day.
As a Specialist Wizard ... be prepared to either craft or buy items that will render you immune to charm or compulsion effects, and allow you to read minds, to avoid becoming a Puppet on the Throne. The item(s) possibly won't help you against mundane blackmail or two-faced treachery, but it will cut out most magical shenanigans. With your high Skill-Points, be prepared to slot some away into Knowledge (Local) and Knowledge (Nobility), preferably 5-10 ranks in each. Again, this is where turning your Crown into a Headband of Awesomeness can be quite handy, making it a great heirloom to pass down to the Heir and the Spare as both a symbol of your authority and a handy method for allowing the offspring to benefit from some of your magical mojo.
If you want to be a spellcaster king, really consider the Bard.
Ruling as a charisma based magic skill monkey might be easier and stronger. You'll also be a little tougher hand to hand.
S
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Check out the Apprentice -> Mentor feat in the DMG2. Your character could have his own little wizardly school, and you'll start gaining them as Followers eventually. Shape them as they gain levels as Apprentices, to have some useful skills, in addition to those normally pursued.
I'd definitely go with Craft Wondrous Item as well. There's a ton of useful items.
Lesser Planar Binding is a good spell for picking up some semi-permanant spells, such as by Calling up a Lantern Archon and having it cast continual flame on a couple hundred 'streetlamps' to be set up in the communities, to help provide night-time illumination and 'hold back the darkness.'
Summon Monster spells of the appropriate levels can help with tunneling / stoneworking needs, by summoning burrowing creatures or earth elementals. Marshy ground can be 'de-marshified' by using walls of stone or transmute mud to rock to provide a more secure base for building a town upon. From what I've seen of Kingmaker, marshy ground is going to be commonplace, so spells to move the water, drain the water, turn mud to rock, provide a stable / fertile area of ground to grow crops or build structures upon are going to be useful.
Spell Research might also be a factor, as your lands might benefit more from a custom spell that has little or no combat value, such as one that creates steady 'continual warmth' for home heating or 'continual chill' for refrigeration and storage of foodstuffs.
A necromantic spell could radiate a chill and be cast upon an area of stored grains, killing molds and insects that would otherwise risk spoiling the stored food.
A divination spell or crafted message item could allow the village over yonder to 'call for help' in a timely fashion if bandits, kobolds, etc. are threatening it. Perhaps the spell acts similar to succor, in that the wizard gives the local constable an item with a variation on Alarm on it, then when broken, alerts the wizard that something is wrong in direction X at distance Y, prompting him to fly over and see what's attacking the community at that location.
An abjuration spell could duplicate the necromantic one, repelling vermin and decay from stored foodstuffs.
A conjuration spell cast upon cut wood might cause it to 'heal' itself while burned, allowing it to last twice as long as a fuel source, effectively halving the amount of wood burned for fuel in the areas effected (and that's assuming that a conjuration or evocation that creates 'continual heat' isn't available). Alternately, an 'affects normal fires' transmutation spell or 'long torch' spell that causes fires to burn longer could work.
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Hi all -
Thanks for the help so far, and please don't stop. I've looked at the Collegiate Wizard and really like that - getting extra spells in my spell book is important to me. Having all these actual spell sources gives me ample opportunity to at least have a bazillion spells that I might never use, but at least I'll have them.
And Set, that is exactly the reason I asked for ideas, as well as the reason I like playing Generalists. I haven't played a wizard since 1991-1994 when Libra the Mad was looking at his fellow party members as potential targets (another player had a bigger library, so I worked weeks on the right combination of spells to figure out how to attack him and get away with it).
I'm still looking at options and how best to maximize what I want. I'd rather have some offensive spells, we are playing Pathfinder and combat is always part of the game, but with my concept of being the King, I want to be able to be benevolent and supportive of my subjects. I also did as suggested with the skills (except Intimidate just yet).
Again, please keep up with the ideas for feats and spell combinations and concepts for Merek Livingston the Wizard King.
Simple: You take a regular wizard and add the king template to it.
Simple: You take a regular wizard and add the king template to it.
It's good to be the king.
I can see ranks in Knowledge history and Knowledge nobility as really useful for a king. Ditto the Enchantment school of magic. +2 to +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate pretty much makes those class skills.
Loremaster adds Diplomacy as a class skill, plus increases your number of skill points, so you can add more ranks to the social stuff. Instant Mastery would give you 4 bonus skill ranks to a new skill you hadn't trained yet, like Sense Motive.
It might be worth a level of rogue, bard, or even expert to get some of the social skills needed to rule righteously with.