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My group and I are preparing to start up a new Pathfinder game, and at least 2 players are planning to run prepared casters (one is playing a witch and the other has yet to decide between a magus or an alchemist). The problem is that our DM seems to have a dislike for prepared casters in general (he runs clerics as spontaneous casters) and will pretty blatantly go after spellbooks.
What ways have my fellow players determined to be the best ways to keep your spellbooks safe and secure? The same goes for the witch's familiar.
It doesn't deal with the spell book technically, but you will definitely want to consider spell mastery to retain access to your key spells.
The first thing I would do was call him out on any NPC metagaming since there is not way to know who has a spellbook in the middle of combat. If he has spies then make a high perception character.
I would not play a witch in such a game. Yeah I know that does not answer your question though. I would suggest buying magic items for it. Animals should be able to wear certain ones. Maybe taking the craft item feats to make magic items in a different shape such as those shirts that people put on pets, but it functions as bracers of armor. A collar that functions as a cloak of resistance.
As for the spell book, keeping it in a handy haversack should keep it safe since it is in an extradimensional space, and not on the material plane.
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I would have a talk with the GM about his attitudes towards prepared spellcasters to see if we could reach an agreement about how the game should be played.
Failing that I would keep spellbooks in a metal box lined with cork or some other insulating material. For witch familiars you could go with a Gravewalker and have a poppet instead of a familiar, but that's still a potential target.
In the bad old days I used to always have my wizards make copies of spellbooks (books, plural, because then a typical tenth level wizard might need three or four books to hold their spells) and store them with their wizard guild or some other secure location, and go adventuring with a "combat spellbook" which was a subset of their full list of available spells. It cost gold, but more than once it saved me from having to reacquire dozens of spells.
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Depending on your level and resources
Extra dimensional space, waterproof hard case, secret chest, blessed book or some combination.
The seeker of secrets has an item called a pathfinder pouch. It's a mini bag of holding that doesn't radiate magic and the extra dimensional space can be open or closed. It's 1000g and perfect for protecting spell books. Plus it's fairly cheap. Invest in one immediately.
My Mage keeps his books in one of those which is then inside not one, but two adamantine puzzle boxes which are both independanty arcane locked and trapped to hell and back. Good luck getting to my spell books. :-)
Mine is a high level caster, but the principle is one that can be used at lower levels.
check the equipment section in the below link.
http://paizo.com/people/Belgraen
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These are all good suggestions for the characters to do.
What the players should do is talk to the DM. Find out why he hates prepared casters, and point out that deliberately targetting the character's spellbooks on a regular basis is unfairly punishing the players. In general, a wizard should be deprived of their spellbook as often as a fighter should wake up deprived of all his weapons and armor, i.e. only when it is an important part of the adventure's story. If your DM will not see this, ask him to change what he hates about these classes, because right now, he is unfairly gimping some of his players, which is a good way for a DM to find himself lacking anyone to play with.
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Actually, getting the spellcasters as soon as possible is pretty basic tactics. I don't know about targeting the spellbooks instead of simply shanking the mage if the opportunity arises, but the fighters and such of the group should be protecting the spellcasters, keeping between them and the enemy.
How exactly is the DM targeting the spellbooks? Is he having thieves steal them? Do the bad guys shoot flaming arrows at them? Are they taken at swordpoint whenever the characters enter town?
I would definitely keep a copy in a secure location. If it were obvious that I were a mage (which it doesn't have to be), I would have a decoy spellbook, perhaps trapped and alarmed.
After several times of losing the spellbooks, I would just have the spells tattooed on my arms.
If your DM genuinely dislikes prepared casters, which seems to be the case with clerics being spontaneous casters. Then I would ask the DM if other prepared casters could be treated equally and be spontaneous casters as well.
Or the middle route, a la 3.5e spirit shaman
And if the DM is still going after your PC's spellbooks, I'd suggest being a Witch and taking a small familiar that doesn't leave your person.
A snake coiled around your arm, a centipede that lives in your cloak, a spider that makes it's home in your hat, or a toad that squats on your head. ("What's with the toad on your head?" "What toad?")
That way your familiar can't be targeted directly and is covered by any defensive spells you cast.
Of course, you're going to get a reputation as the creepy guy with bugs crawling all over him. But then, that's why they invented the spell Vomit Swarm isn't it? :D
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What ways have my fellow players determined to be the best ways to keep your spellbooks safe and secure?
Cast Shrink Item on spellbook. Turn it into piece of cloth. Cast Magic Aura to remove the aura. Wear cloth as your loincloth. Nobody ever takes your loincloth.
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You can always look into getting a carrier of some sort. Usually I have mine stored on my familiars clothing which has a bag of concealment type 1 sewn in. So even if (Worst case scenario) Ted (Damn his soul) is slain, and they get at his vest, identify it is magical, but then they will be stumped on what my command word phrase is. Or maybe Ted is my spellbook, that was the secret the whole time.
Seriously man, Witch is an AMAZING alternative if your DM is harsh on spellbooks. It's a LOT harder to destroy a living, intelligent, superbeast that familiars can be made into. Plus spontaneous Hexes all day, every day is a pretty cool way to flex your arcane talents.
Cast Shrink Item on spellbook. Turn it into piece of cloth. Cast Magic Aura to remove the aura. Wear cloth as your loincloth. Nobody ever takes your loincloth.
What ways have my fellow players determined to be the best ways to keep your spellbooks safe and secure?
Best Plan Ever.
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Mynameisjake wrote:
unforgivn wrote:
What ways have my fellow players determined to be the best ways to keep your spellbooks safe and secure?
Cast Shrink Item on spellbook. Turn it into piece of cloth. Cast Magic Aura to remove the aura. Wear cloth as your loincloth. Nobody ever takes your loincloth.
Best Plan Ever
Until you walk into an anti-magic zone and your pants/loincloth turn into a book and fall off. although at that point being pants-less is the least of a wizards worries.
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Until you walk into an anti-magic zone and your pants/loincloth turn into a book and fall off.
Look surprised and say in a loud voice, "I'm such a powerful Wizard, I crap spellbooks." Gain circumstance bonus for Intimidation check.
Look surprised and say in a loud voice, "I'm such a powerful Wizard, I crap spellbooks." Gain circumstance bonus for Intimidation check.
Until you walk into an anti-magic zone and your pants/loincloth turn into a book and fall off.
Wow, I just literally laughed out loud. Thank you for that.
Put it in your robe? It has total concealment, it cant be targetted by anything.
Cast Shrink Item on spellbook. Turn it into piece of cloth. Cast Magic Aura to remove the aura. Wear cloth as your loincloth. Nobody ever takes your loincloth.
What ways have my fellow players determined to be the best ways to keep your spellbooks safe and secure?
You owe me a new keyboard! I spilled Cherios all over it. And I AM going to use with my next Wiz.
Look surprised and say in a loud voice, "I'm such a powerful Wizard, I crap spellbooks." Gain circumstance bonus for Intimidation check.
Until you walk into an anti-magic zone and your pants/loincloth turn into a book and fall off.
That was hilarious and a great idea. Totally stealing that idea for my next wizard.
You can always look into getting a carrier of some sort. Usually I have mine stored on my familiars clothing which has a bag of concealment type 1 sewn in. So even if (Worst case scenario) Ted (Damn his soul) is slain, and they get at his vest, identify it is magical, but then they will be stumped on what my command word phrase is. Or maybe Ted is my spellbook, that was the secret the whole time.
Seriously man, Witch is an AMAZING alternative if your DM is harsh on spellbooks. It's a LOT harder to destroy a living, intelligent, superbeast that familiars can be made into. Plus spontaneous Hexes all day, every day is a pretty cool way to flex your arcane talents.
Evil clerics channeling negitive energy can be bad for the familiar in that they will always take at least half damage. Also gaze attacks affect familiars.
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You are actually the spell book, use tattoing to tatto your most important spells on your body, then use Secret page. Technically you can do this to create quite an elaborate book of spells on your person. Then your spellbook itself is just filled with your utility scrolls. As soon as you get contingent....caste it to that it casts dispell magic against any Erase spells targeting you character's person.
I also sell spellcasting services to fund back up spell books.
So, the player in our campaign decided to play a witch. Other than those already mentioned (like keeping the familiar hidden on your own person or having it fly out of range), what are the best ways that you have seen to protect a witch's familiar? Also, what strategies work in OUT-of-combat situations? Turn-by-turn situations are not the only times that a DM can threaten a familiar or spellbook.
Thanks to everyone for their feedback so far, but we really want to stay out in front of the DM here.
Dont know if anyone has said this because I dont want to read thru all the posts but just research the "Secluded Grimoire" spell. It is found in the Magic Tactics Toolbox players companion if I remember correctly
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I expect that in the last 8 years they have handled the problem.
The OP was several years ago, secluded grimoire may not have existed then (probably not since no one mentioned it) and is definitely not still looking for an answer...
I expect that in the last 8 years they have handled the problem.
They definitely have a deeper problem if they haven't.