Let's not forget that we cannot assume we will have anything above 16,000 gp. The most expensive magic items you can expect to find in a metropolis are 16,000 gp. That means we are limited to +2 swords, +3 armors, +4 stat boosters, +4 resistance items, 15,000 gp rods (such as lesser maximize), and so forth; as the only other way to reliably get magic items is to craft them yourself.
Non-reliable methods include being one of the xd4 randomly generated magic items in a city (good luck with that); finding them as part of your treasure, which is entirely up to GM-fiat (and unless your GM is into playing Santa Clause, you probably won't find items custom tailored to your characters as treasure); or finding someone to craft it for you. Likewise, finding someone who is a powerful caster and getting them to craft the item on commission is likewise just as much GM-fiat, and may require you to preform additional services, and/or other things. Makes for a great adventure, but it is far from a reliable and certain method of protecting your person.
Thus the proof vs poison is not only end-game, but it's not even purchase-able in a metropolis; and thus must either be crafted or found as treasure.
Also, there is the fact that blasting, if you're all following the rules and what-not, can be highly devastating to the adventure and your treasure.
Nabbed from the other thread, here's a quick notation on it.
What you forget, what everyone seems to be forgetting, is that this is in an AOE. So yes, against a single target, it's only so-so. Put 4 CR 15s in a room and look at the DPR! The wonderfulness of the blaster caster is that they do ridiculous cumulative damage and allow the melee to mop up, or force defensive instead of offensive reactions from NPCs/monsters because OMG THAT HURT. This reduces party damage because foes only get so many actions per round, just like PCs, and forcing a defensive NPC posture is almost always beneficial for the PCs.The problem, Melissa, is focus-firing is generally more effective, and in my experiences it is rare that blasting gets to capitalize on its AoE benefits to the fullest. The AoE portion only applies to how many enemies you can get in the AoE. If you can get many, then that is wonderful. However, the best we can do is determine the average DPR vs a single enemy and then apply it to multiple enemies if available.
However, if you are familiar with tucker's kobolds, you will understand that blasting is not always a good option. There are many times where tight spaces make the AoE a complete liability, or instances where you opponents will surround you, and thus you might be swarmed by weak enemies but you can only effectively damage a few. Or your enemies might bunch up around you (such as walking through a forest, only to have a group of enemies charge you from concealment during the surprise round), which can easily result in situations where you cannot effectively target your foes without blasting your allies.
There is also the issue of collateral damage. See, if you drop a fireball - especially a metamagic-boosted fireball - in a room, you are going to decimate everything in that room that isn't occupied. This means that blasting spells are also prone to sucking during actual gameplay, where the theorycrafting stops. If you are in a town, you might risk slaughtering civilians or destroying buildings (haste doesn't, stinking cloud doesn't, sleet storm doesn't, hell even black tentacles won't destroy a building, deep slumber doesn't, etc). It's also very sad when the party's wizard nukes a room with fireball and destroys all the party's treasure.
Think about it. Ravingdork's intensified empowered maximized fireball dealt around 116 damage to anything that failed its save. Even take 1/2 and applying hardness, that would deal about 48 damage to stuff made out of iron or steel. Anything softer is essentially burgermeat. That's easily enough damage to burn through a chest and every item sitting inside that chest, destroy all the tapestries, burn scrolls, destroy spellbooks, kill prisoners, and so forth.
There are so many in-game reasons why casting a AoE blasty-spell is a risky business with stuff that occurs in an actual honest to goodness game. It's also very dangerous, since if you do anything like convert the damage to acid via metamagic or admixture, you don't halve the damage to objects, which means you can accidentally vaporize objects, pillars, doors, and so forth. You really don't want to be the guy who the party is giving the evil-eye 'cause you just melted the support structures or beams of the building you were fighting in...
From another post a bit later, where there was some discussion about dropping items on the ground to draw metamagic rods (Ravingdork has shown gloves of storing can make this work, but without them you risk much).
Against a steel rod (hardness 10, estimated 5 hit points as a 1-handed weapon), a maximized fireball deals 20 damage on a failed save or 5 damage on a successful save. Enough to destroy the rod even if it made its Reflex save.
This is one of the reasons I'm also hesitant to use big AoE blasts anywhere that treasure can be out and about. You can literally end up setting entire rooms on fire; cracking your gems; incinerating cloth, rope, parchment or paper; melting blades; slagging armor; or turning the plot-hook letter on the desk that describes the next part of the big-bad's plan to ash and smoke.
Every Wizard build has its own set of weaknesses and strength, plus all of them have pretty much the same vulnerabilities as well. Dispelling, Anit-Maigc, SR, DR, Immunities and Resistances are all speed bumps to almost any caster. Blaster Casters have their own set of problems, but it doesn't make them nonviable. Damage is damage, plan and simple; just like the SoS and SoD. I’m sure, as it has already been pointed out, painfully obvious what counters whatever a Blaster Caster can do. Yet for EVERY spell any wizard casts, there is a spell to counter it. Hideous Laughter and Fear is countered by a simple Protection From (whatever) spell. Is it situational? Yes. Invisibility is foiled by See Invisibility. Stinking Cloud is brushed away by Gust of Wind. We could go at this all day long, but it would get us nowhere fast. (Also, I purposely used low levels spells since most people say 12+ games are rare.)
Later levels it’s even easier to stomp a wizard of any specialty or multifunctional swiss army knife wizard you are, casters hate other casters… Along with some Barbarian builds that I have seen. I highly doubt any character is 100% ready to foil everything everyone can do. Chances are, your about to become a giant pin cushion since your still limited to the action economy. I’m sure someone out there is going to say “(insert derogatory comment) I totally do this effectively every single time.”
Point is, every build is effective and everyone should try them. I honestly like playing Blaster Casters and find that some battles I need to rely off some others tricks instead of blowing the crap out of something. That’s just being a wizard, I have mass amount of spell slots for a reason.
No, but 50% of their base hit points is an achievable blast.
Reasonably built arcane casters aren't all that shy on HP. AC? Sure.
But, improved evasion.
So you're really trying to do 100% of their base HP in one shot.
being able to reroll once per a day a failed save is vary powerful.
Being able to know ahead of time what your save is can be even better:
Foresight wizard:
Prescience (Su): At the beginning of your turn, you may, as a free action, roll a single d20. At any point before your next turn, you may use the result of this roll as the result of any d20 roll you are required to make. If you do not use the d20 result before your next turn, it is lost. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.
Having both? Priceless.
Also:
Ashiel has incorrectly stated that the highest priced item available is 16,000 gp or under.
Base Value and Purchase Limit: This section lists the community's base value for available magic items in gp. There is a 75% chance that any item of this value or lower can be found for sale in the community with little effort. If an item is not available, a new check to determine if the item has become available can be made in 1 week. A settlement's purchase limit is the most money a shop in the settlement can spend to purchase any single item from the PCs. If the PCs wish to sell an item worth more than a settlement's purchase limit, they'll either need to settle for a lower price, travel to A larger city, or (with the GM's permission) search for a specific buyer in the city with deeper pockets. A settlement's type sets its purchase limit.
It doesn't state that the Base value is the highest price of any item in the town only that there is a 75% chance that anything under that value is available for sale with little effort.
Please note that is also only the starting point for that number -- it can be higher or lower:
Magically Attuned: The settlement is a haven for spellcasters due to its location; for example, it may lie at the convergence of multiple ley lines or near a well-known magical site. (Increase base value by 20%; increase purchase limit by 20%; increase spellcasting by 2 levels)
Notorious: The settlement has a reputation (deserved or not) for being a den of iniquity. Thieves, rogues, and cutthroats are much more common here. (Crime +1; Law –1; Danger +10; increase base value by 30%; increase purchase limit by 50%)
Prosperous: The settlement is a popular hub for trade. Merchants are wealthy and the citizens live well. (Economy +1; increase base value by 30%; increase purchase limit by 50%)
Tourist Attraction: The settlement possesses some sort of landmark or event that draws visitors from far and wide. (Economy +1; increase base value by 20%)
So if you had a Magical New Orleans it is quite possible that the base value of the city would be 48,000gp with a purchase limit of 150,000gp.
Where as some place like Detroit (impoverished and plagued) that is hunted by monsters is more likely to see it's base value decreased to a scant 1,600gp.
Please remember this is just for the "easy to find with little effort" stuff.
100% of hit point dmg is not a viable option in Pathfinder. There aren't enough stacking metamagic damage feats to accomplish it. You're either going to be using Quickened spells as finishers or going to secondary effects.
If Arcane Thesis and Twin Spell were allowed, it would probably work.
==Aelryinth
I can't live without improved familiar anymore. It's like an addiction. It feels like any character without it is slowed or something, only getting one standard and one move action per turn...
I felt this way after playing a conjuration specialist wizard into the high teen levels. If I wasn't also taking actions as a hound archon or whatever, I felt like I was only half playing. That character had evocation as a forbidden school, so mephits were fantastic when you really needed a scorching ray, gust of wind, or some other little evocation.
I guess it boils down to what feats and other options are "required" for being a god-wizard, and what is "required" to be considered "good" at blasting. Is what you give up in exchange for the ability to blast at a potent level worth loosing the addition god-wizard benefits? I will usually choose options over raw power, because the "best option" is going to be different every time.
Since I feel that wizards can be devastating almost any way you play them, I think this boils down to "who is the best one-round combat ender"... which ends up in featureless planes against generic opponents and such. But it is a very interesting topic, and I'm really enjoying reading everyone's opinions.
*stuff about item prices*
Yes, as I noted, you can only reliably purchase things within that GP limit. 75% is pretty reliable.
Also, the gamemastery guide isn't core. I didn't include it because it is within the realm of GM fiat. Just as stuff like Sanity are not part of the core rules, neither is the rules for settlements. That is purely at the discretion of the GM and the individual campaign.
Hey about that "butt sword" idea you got it all wrong. You put one sword in your butt, one in your mouth, one in each hand and then roll acrobatics. Instant steel cyclone of criting death.
It slices it, It DICES...It gets 5 attacks at 6 lvl, and you can smite to really ramp up the damage!!!!
Mr. Fishy just got here...and got bored around page 1 so what are we talking about?
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Hey about that "butt sword" idea you got it all wrong. You put one sword in your butt, one in your mouth, one in each hand and then roll acrobatics. Instant steel cyclone of criting death.
It slices it, It DICES...It gets 5 attacks at 6 lvl, and you can smite to really ramp up the damage!!!!
Mr. Fishy just got here...and got bored around page 1 so what are we talking about?
We want to know what you're more scared of: An empowered fireball or a Cloudkill?
We want to know what you're more scared of: An empowered fireball or a Cloudkill?Hey about that "butt sword" idea you got it all wrong. You put one sword in your butt, one in your mouth, one in each hand and then roll acrobatics. Instant steel cyclone of criting death.
It slices it, It DICES...It gets 5 attacks at 6 lvl, and you can smite to really ramp up the damage!!!!
Mr. Fishy just got here...and got bored around page 1 so what are we talking about?
A persistent dazing cloudkill.
*stuff about item prices*Yes, as I noted, you can only reliably purchase things within that GP limit. 75% is pretty reliable.
Also, the gamemastery guide isn't core. I didn't include it because it is within the realm of GM fiat. Just as stuff like Sanity are not part of the core rules, neither is the rules for settlements. That is purely at the discretion of the GM and the individual campaign.
The same can be said for any part of any book. Might as well say, "APG, Ultimate Magic and Ultimate combat aren't the rules".
The problem being (to me) that you are stating your opinion as what is the 'official rules' without throwing out there that you are ignoring large sections of rule text.
It's not like this is stuff from an AP or something that could be considered "quasi-rules", or even an alternate system (such as called shots which is specifically labeled optional and non-standard) -- those are the rules for creating cities, settlements and villages.
If you would like to say, "Staying only in the core rulebook the following is true." I would only point out that once you use rulebooks outside of only the Core Rulebook then the standard rules I pointed out apply. However with your original statement generality wasn't your ally as you failed to limit the statement to not include such rules.
When discussing the 'rules of pathfinder' typically all rulebooks are included unless specifically excluded.
At any level after 6, the fireball. The Cloudkill is going to do negligible Con damage in comparison, and it moves away. The fireball is probably going to do 50 pts +, against the weak save of most characters.
Cloudkill's full and half damage is much less effective then fireball except against mooks who might actually fail the save and die outright...and those same mooks are probably going to fail the reflex save and die outright to the fireball. Maybe even on a save.
==Aelryinth
When discussing the 'rules of pathfinder' typically all rulebooks are included unless specifically excluded.
This is no more true than it was in 3.5. By default suffering ability damage to your mental stats doesn't cause various types of insanity, but there are optional rules for that in the Gamemastery Guide. Many people wouldn't argue that barmaids are supposed to be stronger than orc warriors because the Gamemastery Guide lists the typical barmaid as a CR 1 multi-leveled NPC with special attacks that blind and a serving platter wielded like Captain America's shield.
Which is what I said. All those extra modifiers are entirely up to the GM to apply if desired, and are in no way an indication that you can reliably acquire items above 16,000 gp; because all of that other stuff also falls into the same realm of GM fiat as what treasure you find, if an NPC will craft something for you, and so forth.
16,000 gp or less is the extent that you can reliably expect to be able to find something for sale.
At any level after 6, the fireball. The Cloudkill is going to do negligible Con damage in comparison, and it moves away. The fireball is probably going to do 50 pts +, against the weak save of most characters.
Cloudkill's full and half damage is much less effective then fireball except against mooks who might actually fail the save and die outright...and those same mooks are probably going to fail the reflex save and die outright to the fireball. Maybe even on a save.
==Aelryinth
This is true. However, cloudkill auto-wipes mooks with less than 5HD. Likewise, it deals damage over multiple rounds, and nothing short of outright immunity will lesson its effects. It also ignores evasion. Reduces saving throws. Blocks sight. Travels in a line, doesn't destroy all your treasure, and isn't mostly invalidated by a very common 2nd level spell available to most everyone including adepts.
We want to know what you're more scared of: An empowered fireball or a Cloudkill?
Ummmmm. Not that. Mr. Fishy lives under water no fire and doesn't breathe air...so not so much the threat to the Fishy...>Fishy Grin<
The empower fireball does HP damage. Cloudkill does Con. Not the same thing. But anything that doesn't breath or is immune to poison is immune to cloud kill, undead, elementals, most outsiders, constructs, anything under water, or behind a wind wall or on a tall stump cloudkill is a ground hugger.
Fire ball hits everything not immune or resistant to fire.
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We want to know what you're more scared of: An empowered fireball or a Cloudkill?Ummmmm. Not that. Mr. Fishy lives under water no fire and doesn't breathe air...so not so much the threat to the Fishy...>Fishy Grin<
The empower fireball does HP damage. Cloudkill does Con. Not the same thing. But anything that doesn't breath or is immune to poison is immune to cloud kill, undead, elementals, most outsiders, constructs, anything under water, or behind a wind wall or on a tall stump cloudkill is a ground hugger.
Fire ball hits everything not immune or resistant to fire.
Damn, I forgot about your fishy immunity!
Replace 'Cloudkill' with 'Baleful Polymorph' and answer again.
Damn, I forgot about your fishy immunity!
Replace 'Cloudkill' with 'Baleful Polymorph' and answer again.
Baleful Polymorph is one of my favorite spells, but you can't empower it. Persisting it would work though. Sadly, you can render yourself immune by just using alter self before being hit with it.
When discussing the 'rules of pathfinder' typically all rulebooks are included unless specifically excluded.This is no more true than it was in 3.5.
Which is to say, "completely."
Which is to say, "completely."When discussing the 'rules of pathfinder' typically all rulebooks are included unless specifically excluded.This is no more true than it was in 3.5.
There were 3 books with "Core Rulebook" written on them. Everything else was optional, and in many cases a pile of crap.
Damn, I forgot about your fishy immunity!Replace 'Cloudkill' with 'Baleful Polymorph' and answer again.
What the hell would you change Mr. Fishy into a different color Fishy!
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Damn, I forgot about your fishy immunity!Replace 'Cloudkill' with 'Baleful Polymorph' and answer again.
What the hell would you change Mr. Fishy into a different color Fishy!
Into a smaller fishy without any sharp teeth. Alternatively, a hedgehog, but you'd get +4 to your save if I tried to drown you like that.
Into a smaller fishy without any sharp teeth. Alternatively, a hedgehog, but you'd get +4 to your save if I tried to drown you like that.
Damn, I forgot about your fishy immunity!Replace 'Cloudkill' with 'Baleful Polymorph' and answer again.
What the hell would you change Mr. Fishy into a different color Fishy!
Hedgehogs breathe air...YOUR SICK TWISTED MONSTER!!! Have you no soul?!?!
Regarding item prices, I'm noticing a distinct double standard in this thread compared to all the various DPS olympic threads for melee dps. In the melee dps threads, there does not seem to be any issue with using items that cost more than 16,000 gp. It seems to me that a few base rules and benchmarks might be a good idea to establish when comparing blaster outputs.
Well I don't participate in the DPR olympics. If I did, I would definitely suggest that we account for where are goodies are coming from, since the best weapon you can buy in a core game at Ye Olde Magic Shoppe is a +2 weapon. It might be fair to assume that someone in your party will have access to Craft Arms & Armor, and that's great if it's the case, but it's not certain.
Even when I'm playing a martial character, I don't assume that I will have more than a +2 weapon at the high end, and the most I aim for is a flat +5 weapon, possibly with a special ability or two if I have some friends who can craft it (or I'm playing a class that can craft, such as ranger, paladin, magus, cleric, bard, etc) and take the feats myself.
I will often end up carrying multiple +1 or +2 weapons with different materials, such as mithral, cold iron, adamantine, and so forth. For raw to hit and damage, I will rely on (or hope to rely on) greater magic weapon which has a duration of 1 hour/level, so I can have a +5 weapon all day long. Spells or oils of align weapon can penetrate fiend damage reduction, and the cleric spell Disruption Weapon is ideal for fighting undead.
The difference between a +4 and a +5 resistance item is fairly mild in the long run (but +5 is worth having), and you can still get a nice beefy AC with a +2 deflection, +2 natural, +13 armor, and so forth; which is generally good enough if you're skilled and cautious (not reckless).
..but if you aren't spending your resources on being a better character,
I am sure that is not the case, and if that is the basis of your theory then it is the main reason why you are not convincing anyone.
We do spend resources to get better. We just focus them in a wide range of areas instead of all in one area. That is the strength of the God wizard.
I can't live without improved familiar anymore. It's like an addiction. It feels like any character without it is slowed or something, only getting one standard and one move action per turn...Also Improved fam is vary nice, having all those extra actions per a turn.
Being able to use wands to cast a second spell thats low level and be vary powerful.
:)
Which familiars do you prefer?
Regarding item prices, I'm noticing a distinct double standard in this thread compared to all the various DPS olympic threads for melee dps. In the melee dps threads, there does not seem to be any issue with using items that cost more than 16,000 gp. It seems to me that a few base rules and benchmarks might be a good idea to establish when comparing blaster outputs.Well I don't participate in the DPR olympics. If I did, I would definitely suggest that we account for where are goodies are coming from, since the best weapon you can buy in a core game at Ye Olde Magic Shoppe is a +2 weapon. It might be fair to assume that someone in your party will have access to Craft Arms & Armor, and that's great if it's the case, but it's not certain.
Even when I'm playing a martial character, I don't assume that I will have more than a +2 weapon at the high end, and the most I aim for is a flat +5 weapon, possibly with a special ability or two if I have some friends who can craft it (or I'm playing a class that can craft, such as ranger, paladin, magus, cleric, bard, etc) and take the feats myself.
I will often end up carrying multiple +1 or +2 weapons with different materials, such as mithral, cold iron, adamantine, and so forth. For raw to hit and damage, I will rely on (or hope to rely on) greater magic weapon which has a duration of 1 hour/level, so I can have a +5 weapon all day long. Spells or oils of align weapon can penetrate fiend damage reduction, and the cleric spell Disruption Weapon is ideal for fighting undead.
The difference between a +4 and a +5 resistance item is fairly mild in the long run (but +5 is worth having), and you can still get a nice beefy AC with a +2 deflection, +2 natural, +13 armor, and so forth; which is generally good enough if you're skilled and cautious (not reckless).
Generally it's because people assume that all books are on the table unless otherwise stated as the standard therefore allowing for more then the hard limit you keep trying to claim.
By that's just the general rule -- something you tend to ignore.
Generally it's because people assume that all books are on the table unless otherwise stated as the standard therefore...
Odd, given the L in my first alignment axis.
Regardless, the Gamemastery guide's rules on settlements are - again - options. Ways of modifying settlements, or deciding how they will handle certain aspects when making new settlements. It is entirely possible that the GM will go with the default, or they might go with something entirely different.
It doesn't change that the default assumption for a metropolis is 16,000 gp. While the GM can modify that higher or lower according to his whims and the Gamemastery Guide. So unless the GM has been fiddling with the core assumptions, then yeah, we should go with the standard. Once again, I don't see anyone arguing that every time someone gets slapped with a touch of idiocy that someone's going to be developing mental illness; because that's not the default assumption.
Which familiars do you prefer?I can't live without improved familiar anymore. It's like an addiction. It feels like any character without it is slowed or something, only getting one standard and one move action per turn...Also Improved fam is vary nice, having all those extra actions per a turn.
Being able to use wands to cast a second spell thats low level and be vary powerful.
:)
Mephit...high UMD....bunch of wands
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Which familiars do you prefer?I can't live without improved familiar anymore. It's like an addiction. It feels like any character without it is slowed or something, only getting one standard and one move action per turn...Also Improved fam is vary nice, having all those extra actions per a turn.
Being able to use wands to cast a second spell thats low level and be vary powerful.
:)
The familiar needs hands. It also needs to be large enough to use the stuff you want it too. Furthermore, you want your Wizard to max out stealth and UMD so that the familiar has these skill ranks.
Imps and Quasits may be really good choices, but I wouldn't take either until I talk with my DM. They are both tiny sized, so can they use wands, tanglefoot bags, smokesticks? The rules don't specifically say. If you start with a monkey familiar (which you should, they also are great), you should already have some idea what your DM will allow and what they won't.
As Spacelard says, my favorite choice are mephits. They are small sized, so they can use anything a halfling could use, they have hands, they fly (many at 50' perfect), they have fast healing, resistances, and nice SLA's. (I currently have a Dust mephit - it has both Wind Wall and Blur)
When you first get him at 7th level, his UMD is going to be a bit dodgy, so a couple wands is enough. Otherwise, give him more reliable things like Smokesticks, Tanglefoot bags, a small-sized Net, and some caltrops.
I mentioned Smokesticks right? Lots of these, they are cheap and awesome. I include the Net because it is a good alternate to a tanglefoot bag for a no save entangle debuff and can be used over and over again against creatures up to medium size.
Once UMD is more reliable, I like to give a good selection of wands that the Mephit can fly around and use as needed. I only buy wands that are first level, because lets face it, I'm cheap.
Here's my guidelines: The spell should be 1st level. It has to be useful even if opponents make their saving throw. Circumstantial is OK. Buffs and battlefield controls trump debuffs (because of SR).
Here's some wand my mephit owns, and has used to help the party multiple times
Protection from evil (use on those who are under mind control/charmed)
Remove fear
Lesser Restoration (Paladin wand - level 1)
Delay Poison (1st level Ranger wand)
Silent Image (remember, this has no save until "interacted" with, My mephit has done well protecting me in combat with illusionary walls, etc)
Obscuring Mist
Enlarge Person
These are some other wands I think could be useful too:
Bless
Cure light wounds (for allies unconscious and bleeding)
Protection from Law/Chaos/Good (pick these up at a later date, but it's good to have all 4 eventually. These ones really only need a few charges)
Remove Sickness
Faerie fire (to reveal invisible)
Touch of the sea
Ray of Enfeeblement (they will save, but they still will take 1/2)
Bless weapon
Rally point (+2 morale bonus to saves? Yes please)
Vanish (one round protection. Rogue attacks, vanishes, attacks, vanishes...)
Grease (not to make opponents fall prone (they will make their save), but to buff escape grapple attempts or create hampered terrain)
Invigorate (buff the Barbarian who ran out of Rage)
Liberating command
Anyone else have suggestions?
Voidworm proteans, brownies, nuglub gremlins, cassian angels, homonculus, all seem like valid options to me too. Voidworms and cassians can shapeshift into a form with hands, and arbiters have weapon finesse for their shortsword so I'd argue they can UMD too.
UMD requires hands? Mr. Fishy uses UMD all the time.
Generally it's because people assume that all books are on the table unless otherwise stated as the standard therefore...Odd, given the L in my first alignment axis.
Regardless, the Gamemastery guide's rules on settlements are - again - options. Ways of modifying settlements, or deciding how they will handle certain aspects when making new settlements. It is entirely possible that the GM will go with the default, or they might go with something entirely different.
It doesn't change that the default assumption for a metropolis is 16,000 gp. While the GM can modify that higher or lower according to his whims and the Gamemastery Guide. So unless the GM has been fiddling with the core assumptions, then yeah, we should go with the standard. Once again, I don't see anyone arguing that every time someone gets slapped with a touch of idiocy that someone's going to be developing mental illness; because that's not the default assumption.
That's because touch of idiocy only applies a penalty. Next you'll be trying to tell me the bestiary is just an 'option' since it isn't in the core rulebook.
Roll on you crazy roller.
Anyone else have suggestions?
I'm fond of psuedo-dragons and faerie dragons. If you want a combat familiar (for a class like Magus, or specific eldritch knight builds) the dweomercat cub can do rather well (in fact my wife is using one with a specific summoner build that simply gets nasty).
Depending on what "effects based on HD are" for your group the sylvanshee can be very nice too.
Which familiars do you prefer?I can't live without improved familiar anymore. It's like an addiction. It feels like any character without it is slowed or something, only getting one standard and one move action per turn...Also Improved fam is vary nice, having all those extra actions per a turn.
Being able to use wands to cast a second spell thats low level and be vary powerful.
:)
The familiar needs hands. It also needs to be large enough to use the stuff you want it too. Furthermore, you want your Wizard to max out stealth and UMD so that the familiar has these skill ranks.
Imps and Quasits may be really good choices, but I wouldn't take either until I talk with my DM. They are both tiny sized, so can they use wands, tanglefoot bags, smokesticks? The rules don't specifically say. If you start with a monkey familiar (which you should, they also are great), you should already have some idea what your DM will allow and what they won't.
As Spacelard says, my favorite choice are mephits. They are small sized, so they can use anything a halfling could use, they have hands, they fly (many at 50' perfect), they have fast healing, resistances, and nice SLA's. (I currently have a Dust mephit - it has both Wind Wall and Blur)
When you first get him at 7th level, his UMD is going to be a bit dodgy, so a couple wands is enough. Otherwise, give him more reliable things like Smokesticks, Tanglefoot bags, a small-sized Net, and some caltrops.
I mentioned Smokesticks right? Lots of these, they are cheap and awesome. I include the Net because it is a good alternate to a tanglefoot bag for a no save entangle debuff and can be used over and over again against creatures up to medium size.Once UMD is more reliable, I like to give a good selection of wands that the Mephit can fly around and use as needed. I only buy wands that are first level, because lets face it, I'm cheap.
Here's my guidelines:...
Arbiter inevitable. I like my familiar having regeneration (chaotic), a solid fly speed and flyby attack/wpn finesse for touch spells. It has a 14 Cha like the other solid choices, I've never met a DM who wouldn't let a tiny creature use a 6" x 0.25", 1 oz wand, the commune 1/week for six questions is a nice feature, and fluff-wise if you die you don't have to worry about him selling your soul to his abyssal/infernal lords before your party can revive you.
>Fishy Grin<
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Behold and temble at Mr. Fishy's familiar Peebles mighty Dragon! And his Stone Fist[dragon shape/ Stone fist]
Go Peebles, crush the enemies of your Fishy master.
A Wizard can learn an arcane discovery in place of a regular feat or Wizard bonus feat.
Also this is the other arcane discover that i love, besides of coarse the capstone
Immortality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the information :-)
Btw, I don't think Immortality grants you immortality.It probably just work like the monk's Timeless Body, except if you are already taking penalty to your physical ability scores, they are removed.
I will give this a shot
Sorcerer (1 level) & Admixture Evoker
20 pt buy, elf
Str 10
Dex 15
Con 10
Int 19
Wis 10
Cha 12
Crossblooded Djinni and Shaitan
Bloodline Arcanas: Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to acid or electricity. This effect also changes the spell’s descriptors to match this energy type.
Electricity Ray (1d6+1, 4/day)
Cantrips
Disrupt Undead
Presdigitation
Ray of Frost
1st level
True Strike: 4/day
Admixture Evoker
Intense Spells
Force Missile (1d4+intense spells, 7/day at 2nd level)
Versatile Evocation: 7/day (at 2nd level)
Traits (if allowed)
Magical Lineage (Fireball)
Old Warrior (+2 initiative)
Feats
1st Spell Focus Evocation, Eschew Materials (sorcerer bonus)
3rd Spell Specialization
5th Greater Spell Specialization
6th Selective Spell (mage bonus)
7th Improved Familiar
9th Lingering Spell
11th Intensify Spell
11th Dazing Spell (mage bonus)
13th Spell Specialization
15th Spell Perfection (Fireball)
16th Quicken Spell (mage bonus)
17th Greater Spell Specialization
19th Persistent Spell
From what I understand, the bloodline arcanas that add +1 per damage die carry over to wizard spells as well (the reason for the orc/primal elemental sorcerer level dip), then the bloodline arcanas from the Djinni and Shaitan should allow you to change the damage type to either acid or electricity. This should go along way to dealing with resistance problems.
Add in the versatile evocation ability to cover off the cold damage type, then this caster should be able to use his acidball/coldball/electricball/fireball to cover off pretty much every combat.(especially if you allow traits and use it to add in selective - no more worries about party members caught in the middle of the spell area).
Four True Strikes a day should help compensate for any difficult ranged touch spells, or even bow shots.
Lyrakien Azata as an Improved Familiar and maxed out ranks in Use Magic Device will also help out (as Treantmonk has amply demonstrated).
While it wont be able to hit the damage levels that some would like to see, it does combine battlefield control and blasting once you start going up in levels. With the ability to spontaneously cast to blast spells that can be changed every couple of levels (well, OK, only one should be change, the other locked into fireball - dazing & intensified fireball at 15th level), the god wizard spell selection can be taken while allowing for blasting when and where needed.
I am sure that I have missed a few things, and I am also sure that someone will be kind enough to point it (or them) out to me. :)
Edit: I am also assuming two lesser metamagic rods and a glove of storing (to be able to use Ravingdork's trick). Likely one will be Maximize.
This is true. However, cloudkill auto-wipes mooks with less than 5HD. Likewise, it deals damage over multiple rounds, and nothing short of outright immunity will lesson its effects. It also ignores evasion. Reduces saving throws. Blocks sight. Travels in a line, doesn't destroy all your treasure, and isn't mostly invalidated by a very common 2nd level spell available to most everyone including adepts.At any level after 6, the fireball. The Cloudkill is going to do negligible Con damage in comparison, and it moves away. The fireball is probably going to do 50 pts +, against the weak save of most characters.
Cloudkill's full and half damage is much less effective then fireball except against mooks who might actually fail the save and die outright...and those same mooks are probably going to fail the reflex save and die outright to the fireball. Maybe even on a save.
==Aelryinth
I did note that. You are forgetting that you need a 9th level caster and 5th level slot to do this. Which means that an Empowered Fireball is dealing out 13.5d6 of damage and likely wiping all the level4's off anyways, AND doing something significant to those of higher level.
Basically cloudkill kills swarms and giant ant nests, and breaks up lines of troops on a battlefield.
==Aelryinth
Summoner wand of haste
BTW ZARK
You discover a cure for aging
Means you dont age.
:)
Benefit does state you become Immortal. It just state you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age.
If something is too good to be true it probably is.
Summoner wand of haste
BTW ZARK
You discover a cure for aging
Means you dont age.
:)
Benefit does state you become Immortal. It just state you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age.
If something is too good to be true it probably is.
Dude, it's called "Immortality", what else would it do? If it worked like the monk's ability (die when time is up), it would say so.
That is also totally consistent with the lore/fluff. The monk is a master of himself but is a part of the natural world. The wizard seeks to bend the natural world to his will. Wizards go outside the bounds of the natural constantly.
Is this what you two are debating
Eternal Youth
Prerequisite: Grand discovery
Benefit: The alchemist has discovered a cure for aging, and from this point forward he takes no penalty to his physical ability scores from advanced age. If the alchemist is already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time.
This says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased.
Is this what you two are debating
Eternal Youth
Prerequisite: Grand discovery
Benefit: The alchemist has discovered a cure for aging, and from this point forward he takes no penalty to his physical ability scores from advanced age. If the alchemist is already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time.
This says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased.
Yes and no. It's an Arcane Discovery wizards can take, but it has the exact benefit as the alchemist's Grand discovery.
Immortality (Ex): You discover a cure for aging, and from this point forward you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age. If you are already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time. You must be at least a 20th-level wizard to select this discovery.
The Arcane Discovery is called Immortality, but the benefit "says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased".
/If something is too good to be true it probably is.
Is this what you two are debating
Eternal Youth
Prerequisite: Grand discovery
Benefit: The alchemist has discovered a cure for aging, and from this point forward he takes no penalty to his physical ability scores from advanced age. If the alchemist is already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time.
This says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased.
Yes and no. It's an Arcane Discovery wizards can take, but it has the exact benefit as the alchemist's Grand discovery.
Immortality (Ex): You discover a cure for aging, and from this point forward you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age. If you are already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time. You must be at least a 20th-level wizard to select this discovery.The Arcane Discovery is called Immortality, but the benefit "says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased".
/If something is too good to be true it probably is.
Ok. I see. Well the name of an ability is only a name. The rules that follow the name define how it works. By the description it does not make you immortal, and does not more than the alchemist ability does which reduces aging penalties.
In short I agree with you.
wonder about these late night/early morning threads sometimes.
immortality or increase in lifespan is not a too good to be true ability for the game. it is a non game affecting flavor only fluff thing that you can take if you want your high level caster to have found the secret to everlasting youth without having to become a lich, or vampire, or reincarnate via limited wish or whatever. it has no affect on the game. really how many of your characters have ever died of old age? they just gave it a name. Immortality. sheesh.
wonder about these late night/early morning threads sometimes.
immortality or increase in lifespan is not a too good to be true ability for the game. it is a non game affecting flavor only fluff thing that you can take if you want your high level caster to have found the secret to everlasting youth without having to become a lich, or vampire, or reincarnate via limited wish or whatever. it has no affect on the game. really how many of your characters have ever died of old age? they just gave it a name. Immortality. sheesh.
from a players point of view, perhaps no, but from a DM's point it ruins the game. This would mean as fast as any wizard reaches level 20 they are immortal. This would mean the world would be crowded with immortal wizards. It would mess with the game world.
The Arcane Discovery is called Immortality, but the benefit "says nothing about immortality. It says the penalties from aging are removed. It never says you maximum life span is increased".
/If something is too good to be true it probably is.
Isn't dying (of old age) a penalty from aging?