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Ok, so this recent thread about melee polymorph builds has got me fired up! But now, Im trying to decide how best to proceed. The way I see it, I have two options.
I can either go Barb 1/Transmuter 5/Eldritch Knight 10/Transmuter 4, or I can go Sorcerer 20. The first build has higher hit points and BAB, while the second allows me to pump my Strength score higher via the Orc Bloodline.
The transformation spell will let me get full BAB regardless, and by going EK, Im losing 11 hit points from my favored class bonus.
Race will be human, for the Strength and Con bonuses thanks to the dual gifted racial feature. Favored class bonus will be hit points, the only spells I need are polymorph spells.
What do you guys think? Sorc or Eldritch Knight?
I'd be tempted to go Wizard just so you can take the Multimorph feat, which for me would be a must have with this kind of build. Using a standard action to switch to a sub-optimal form that has the exact creature feature you discover you need half way through a fight sounds like a winner - especially once you've cast Transformation.
Also budget in a Ring of Continuation from Ultimate Equipment (56k - Craft it with your bonded object ring? for 28k) to stay in various forms all day.
I'd also checkout Annihilation Spectacles for more versatility for when being a combat wombat wont help.
How would your spell casting work in your polymorphed forms.
For melee/polymorph, honestly? I'd play a druid. ;)
But for arcane casting, I'd be tempted to go sorcerer, but do the aberrant bloodline. You basically get free Extend Spell for polymorph spells. And you eventually get resistance and then immunity to crits and precision damage. While the orc bloodline gets some nice bonuses (the nat armor bonus and strength bonus) I'd rather have the aberrant bloodline abilities and boost my armor and strength in other ways. The orc bloodline abilities can largely be duplicated by spells (enlarge person, transformation, etc.). and come in too late to be useful (you'd likely be using other spells to do what you can do with the bloodline abilities by the time you get them, more or less).
VooDooHooDoo has a point about just going straight up Transmuter as well, although the Transmuter/EK build looks fun too.
Shalafi--you either would not cast spells or polymorph into forms that continue to allow you to speak and waggle your fingers. Or use metamagic as appropriate, I guess--double check the polymorph rules.
Abberant sorcerers add to the time polymorphed as per extend spell. That's useful.
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I'd recommend taking crossblooded Orc/Draconic. Splash a level of Barbarian (Urban is my preferred choice, for AC reasons, but any barb will do fine) Start going into Dragon Disciple. If you feel like it, you can dip out of Dragon Disciple at 9th level (you'll have 7 caster levels) and jump into EK. Take the magical knack trait and enjoy your nearly full caster level with monstrous bonuses to str. And form of the Dragon.
The Dragon Bloodline doesnt really offer me anything. The bloodline arcana isnt useful since I wont be casting DD spells, the resistances arent as good as immunity ti fear, and I already get immunity to fire from Orc.
The Crossblooded Archetype delays a sorcerers castong by one more level, putting you a full two levels behind the wizard in terms of highest spell level. Not worth it.
DeathQuaker- I am interested in polymorphing for combat purposes only. The one minute per level duration is far more than enough for me, so a free Extend is not as nice as an inherent bonus to Strength, which stacks with enhancement bonuses and Size bonuses.
If I got The Ring and my character was not immediately crished by a rock, Id probably use it for greater heroism, actually, as staying shifted all day has its own problems with social interactions and Size issues.
Multimorph is very nice, one of the reasons I didnt just go straight sorcerer.
Be sure to get a ring of continuance. Make your polymorph forms last for 24 hours.
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my favorite personal range spell is true strike. Isn't it a good one, RD?
Also, @ OP,
the crossblooded sorc archetype doesn't delay casting at all. The reason that I mentioned Orc/Draconic is simply to gain access to Dragon Disciple, as it's the beefiest class there is. And since you gain full bloodline progression, with your choice of bloodline powers and feats, what's not to love? As far as the bloodline arcana goes, they do stack, so on those rare occasions when you DO cast an elemental damage spell, you get +2 for every d6 that you roll. That's slightly better than Empower Spell. Of course, if you're dead set against it, I can't make you take that path. Either way, have fun being a beast caster!
Look again. A crossblooded sorcerer knows one fewer spell than a standard sorcerer per spell level. When you gain access to a new spell level, you only learn one spell of that level. So even though you have 3 second level spell slots at 4th, you dont know any second level spells until 5th. Theres a whole lot to not love about crossblooded.
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Oh, I see what you mean now. I took it to mean that you were saying that it reduced your caster level or something. I never really considered the fact that they are the slowest casting class to get 2nd level spells. And they get 3rd level spells when a bard does. That kind of sucks.
Yeah. Thats why Id rather just go straight Orc for the Strength boost, natural armor bonus, and immunity to fear. Not getting transformation until level 14 (form of the dragon I comes first) isn't worth a bonus to DD spell damage when thats not my style.
Still having trouble deciding between sorc and wiz though.
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Do straight wizard. Faster spell access, multimorph, crafting ring of continuation (as arcane bond), scribe scroll (for situationals you don't want to prepare), bonus metamagic feats (for things like still spell or quicken), and extra skills (from your increased int). It's a great package that's hard to compete with.