I currently have a character with 1 level of Sorcerer, 5 levels of Bard, and just picked up a 3rd level of Druid. Having just reached 9th level, she gets another feat. Currently she has:
* Dodge
* Mobility
* Practiced Spellcaster (Druid)
* Great Fortitude
My question: Is Spell Focus a feat worth taking? Having multiclassed this way, one of her weakness is that she does not have powerful spells to throw at her enemies. She has a Wisdom of 16 (a +3 bonus) and a Charisma of 18 (a +4 bonus), so the saving throw DCs vs her spells are currently DC 13, 14, and 15 for her 0th, 1st, and 2nd level Druidic spells, and 14, 15, and 16 for her arcane spells. Spell Focus would increase each of these DCs by +1 for a given school of magic, probably Enchantment would be the best option.
Alternatives to Spell Focus that I am considering:
* Lightning Reflexes. Making Reflex saves is good.
* Skill Focus. Making skill checks is good.
* Weapon Finesse. I'm considering multiclassing into Duelist when her BAB gets up to +6, but Weapon Finesse is a prerequisite. But I think I'm probably better off putting off getting this until 11th level, and taking something that will be more useful right now.
Basically, I would take a good look at the spells you tend to cast.
Do a lot of them that you cast offensively have saving throws and fall into the same school? Then Spell Focus for that school looks like a good idea to me.
I mean, normally Spell Focus: Enchantment can look good to me on a bard, but if you're not actually casting those spells in play pretty often, not so much. It depends a lot on the play style of the character.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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A lot depends on what kinds of spells you cast. Do you cast a lot of spells that target enemies and are save or nothing happens - like many enchantments as you mention? If so, then spell focus is a pretty good choice. If you instead cast more buffs, summons, spells that are reflex half or fort partial, then the benefit of spell focus is less. It also depends on how many of your offensive spells with saves are in the same school. With your bard spells, enchantment is a good choice, but not as relevant to druid spells. So, in summary, the answer is that it depends, more on how you want to use your spells than anything else.
EDIT: also, if you do take it, I strongly recommend taking greater spell focus ASAP to maximize the benefit from it.
What kind of character are you trying to create? What things do you do (or like to do) to help the party?
As a summoner/druid, I would say Conjuration is worth it, if only so you can throw down some Augmented Summoning later.
Whoa, summoner/druid...into...duelist? You're all OVER the place there. My inner optimizer wants to scream out in pain! If you don't take Mystic Theurge (or better yet, Arcane Heirophant or Fochluchan Somethingorother...whatever that class is called, since you clearly are allowed 3.5 material with your Practiced Spellcaster feat), it will cry in a corner, mumbling to itself "Why?!" over and over as it sucks on it's thumb and shivers.
As a summoner/druid, I would say Conjuration is worth it, if only so you can throw down some Augmented Summoning later.
Whoa, summoner/druid...into...duelist? You're all OVER the place there. My inner optimizer wants to scream out in pain! If you don't take Mystic Theurge (or better yet, Arcane Heirophant or Fochluchan Somethingorother...whatever that class is called, since you clearly are allowed 3.5 material with your Practiced Spellcaster feat), it will cry in a corner, mumbling to itself "Why?!" over and over as it sucks on it's thumb and shivers.
I have no plans to go into Summoner, although Nora does have a giant centipede on her "speed dial", and now that she can cast 2nd level spells, she can summon her and a couple of her friends. (Who says that giant centipedes can't be female?)
Yes, I plan to take Mystic Theurge next. But she is basically a bard, relying on skills and magic and stuff. It's been a while since she's used her longspear -- I'm thinking of investing in a rapier with an adamantine tip. She misses the days when she could poke people with her spear.
The more I think of it, the more I think a +3 to Sense Motive would be worth more than +1 to Enchantment spells. Currently, Nora has +10 for Sense Motive (including skill ranks gained at 9th level, most of which were assigned to qualify for the Mystic Theurge PrC next level).
Mistyped. I meant sorcerer. My point was the whole multiclassing all over the place. You end up a jack of all trades, master of none, which long-term is very mediocre.
If that's what you're GOING for, you can do straight-bard and get the jack-of-all-trades thing going down, but be VERY good at the bard-y things.
At 9th level, if you went straight in any one of those classes, you'd be a serious force to reckon with. Even if you split Sorcerer/Druid down the middle, you'd already have a couple levels of Mystic Theurge to make it all worth it.
But sprinkling a lil of this and a lil of that will end up really hurting you when you get to higher levels...at 18th, at this rate, you'll be dealing 5d6 fireballs with a mediocre animal companion that never got stronger than 6 hit dice, and a +2 or 3 bard song...
...meanwhile, the pure sorcerer drops a quickened fireball for 10d6 (max of that spell), time-stops, drops some 18d6 delayed blast fireballs, and teleports away before you knew what hit you...in one round!
Even a split druid-sorcerer with practiced spellcaster and the equivilent traits would be doing some NASTY damage by that point, with twice the spellpool to work with.
Spell Penetration might be a better way to go. Do you have an animal companion?
Mistyped. I meant sorcerer. My point was the whole multiclassing all over the place. You end up a jack of all trades, master of none, which long-term is very mediocre.
At this rate, a jack of no trades, master of none. Being at least five levels behind in everything you do (and only getting worse, in relative terms) can leave you incapable of contributing even as much as an NPC cohort. What does this character do as part of the party?
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Optimization schmoptimization, this build is workable. I would advise against Spell Focus and try to rely on utility spells, spells that increase your ability in combat, and touch spells. Avoid spells that rely on saves. Also remember that there are other ways to screw the enemy that don't involve damage. With access to fog cloud, warp wood, soften earth and stone, and wood shape you pretty much control the environment.
I'd also point out that Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse, heroism, cat's grace, jump, and expeditious retreat will work nicely with your Duelist aspirations.
If you still want something flashy, you always have produce flame and flame blade, which are still very viable thanks to your Practiced Spellcaster.
Edit: I also totally agree with Kierato in reference to Spell Penetration over Spell Focus.
I ended up taking Spell Focus (enchantment). The deciding factor was analyzing the GM and trying to predict the types of challenges she's likely to face.
Someone did react with shock once about how the sorcerer/bard/druid was better at Perception than the Rogue. She also did pretty well making money with Perform, hitting the mid-20s to the low 30s in every town they passed through. And if you need a Survival check, she's got a +17, so finding food for the party is not a problem if they are outdoors. She has a decent chance of tracking a grasshopper across hard stone.
She's been hitting most of the skill DCs that's she's tried to hit, at least in areas where she's been concentrating her skill points.
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My friend, for the life of me i can't guess why you pick up one lvl of sorcerer. In 3.5 multiclasing was very nice because you could complement one class abilitys with another (except for spellcasters). With Pathfinder the classes got an overhaul and now its hardly worth to multiclass, you end up losing the high lvl abilitys of your primary class. That is even more true for spellcasters. The reason why it is not worth to multiclass spellcaster in 3.5 OR in Pathfinder is that there is nothing in d&d (or pathfinder), no abilitys, no class skills, nothing, more powerfull than high lvl spells. And you only get those by been a high lvl character in one spellcaster class.
The only exception to this in multiclassing are prestige classes for spellcasters that let you gain spellcaster lvls for your classes as you go up in lvls in said prestige. The more famous ones are mystic theurge, Arcane Heirophant, true necromancer and Fochlucan Lyrist.
From what you are describing in your post about your game play i would strongly recomend the Fochlucan Lyrist from complete adventurer. The main problem is that you need evasion to qualify for it. I would talk to your GM and ask if you could just swap that sorcerer lvl for a rogue or shadowdancer one, next lvl you pick up the next one for evasion and on the 11th you enter fochlucan lyrist. Good luck.
PS:I would also go with spell penetration for feat over spell focus.
I started this character at 1st level as a sorceress, intending to either go sorceress/druid or sorceress/barbarian. But I was disappointed with the class. Rather than scrap the character, I just evolved her.
Actually, one level of sorcerer has worked well though, because that gave her access to spells that are not on the Bard's list, more first level spells and cantrips known, and an acid ray attack seven times a day. That's been quite useful, especially since acid ray is a touch attack.
My friend, for the life of me i can't guess why you pick up one lvl of sorcerer.
I can see a reasoning that complete access to the sorcerer/wizard spell list in regards to spell trigger devices (wands and staves) might be worth it in some circumstances.