So, I don't know where the more character-oriented threads go, but I've also got some mechanical questions here, so I guess this belongs. How do people generally feel about the Adopted trait? It seems kind of over-powered to me, since you can take any racial trait, including the human one that gives you an extra feat. Getting a feat for a trait seems a little unbalanced, IMO, but if it's legal for Society play I guess I'd consider it here, since the character is a Tiefling raised by humans. Here's what I've got so far:
Morgana Dracci was born to a single mother in central Cheliax. She knows little about her mother, as she was raised by her grandmother, a baker with a keen marketing sense. Seeing potential in the young girl's unusual looks, Morgana's grandmother took good care of the child and used her as a mascot for a popular chain of bakeries throughout Cheliax's larger cities.
Because of her association with the popular baked treats, Morgana was spared much of the mistreatment that befalls young Tieflings in Cheliax, though she had little privacy or anonymity growing up. As a minor celebrity, she was often used by townsfolk as a counter-example to the stereotypical Tiefling; she was "one of the good ones", and proof that the problems experienced by other Tieflings were nobody's fault but their own. She was, therefore, not very popular among other Tieflings, but she wouldn't understand why until she was much older.
Raised in a patriotic Chelaxian household, Morgana wanted to serve her country and protect the Empire from its many enemies. She was accepted into a good Wizard college and specialized in protection magic. Immediately after graduation, she enlisted in the Chelaxian army and requested a transfer to the front lines of beleaguered Isger, seeking to prove herself and perhaps improve the nation's view of Tieflings in general.
It was in Isger that Morgana came face to face with the harsh realities of the Chelaxian empire. Her unit was undersupplied and outnumbered, and every needless death of the brave soldiers of Isger pained her heart. Despite her good intentions, the Isgerians didn't want her help, and were distrustful of her from the start, both as a Tiefling and as Chelaxian. Though her pervasive kindness and affinity for baking eventually won them over, it only hurt more when the soldiers she came to know as friends died meaningless deaths against the goblin hordes. When her tour was over, Morgana declined to return to military service. Despite her grandmother's urging, she had little interest in returning to the bakery and the life of a mercantile shill. The hard stares of the Tieflings who recognized her from her time as a minor celebrity felt like daggers, and so with a heavy heart Morgana scraped together what remained of her earnings as a soldier and departed for Absalom, and the Pathfinder Society. Escaping her past, and the machinations of Cheliax, however, is not as easy as she hoped.
Morgana "Mo" Dracci, 1st Level Wizard (Abjuration School; Prohibited Schools: Necromancy, Enchantment)
STR 8
DEX 16
CON 14
INT 18
WIS 10
CHA 10
Tiefling Alternate Racial Traits: Prehensile Tail, Vestigial Wings
Favored Class: Wizard (extra skill point)
Cantrips: Prestidigitation, Resistance, Detect Magic
First-level Spells: Mage Armor, Shield, Magic Missile, Color Spray, Enlarge Person, Burning Hands, Obscuring Mist
Bonded Item: Magic Ring
Equipment: Explorer's Outfit, Spellbook,
Languages: Common, Infernal, Goblin, Osiriani, Draconic, Elven
Trained Skills: Appraise, Knowledge: Arcana, Knowledge: Planes, Profession: Baker, Spellcraft, Perception, Survival
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Improved Initiative
Traits: Militia Veteran, Gifted Adept (Magic Missile)
Wow, did I really post this at 4am? No wonder it went unseen.
You've made a common mistake in thinking race trait and racial trait are the same thing. A race trait (what adopted allows) is just a trait that is typically specific to one race.
You can see a list here:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/race-traits
Racial traits (the things automatically given to all members of a race) are a different thing entirely.
Oh, that makes way more sense. Thanks for the clarification. I thought it was too cheesy the way I interpreted it, so I didn't use it anyway...do you think this character would be viable? I was thinking about swapping out Obscuring Mist for Protection vs. Evil
Excellent background story. Love the skill choices -- they're unusual for a wizard, but they go so well with the character that I can't complain. The spell choices are fine, but I would work grease in there somewhere -- maybe over mage armor.
you still have one more first level spell for your spellbook (3+int mod, not 2+int mod).
profession baker, appraise, and survival might seem to be unuusal choices at first glance, but the two knowledges are part of the big 4, and spellcraft and perception are both major useful wizard skills. in fact, everyone who could afford to max out perception, should. though you could also swap profession (Baker) for craft (Culinary) which encompasses both cooking and baking (they both use the same equipment.)
Excellent background story. Love the skill choices -- they're unusual for a wizard, but they go so well with the character that I can't complain. The spell choices are fine, but I would work grease in there somewhere -- maybe over mage armor.
I would probably drop Burning Hands at level 1 to pick up Grease...Mage Armor and Shield combined would take two full rounds of casting, but given that I'd probably cast the Armor when I entered the dungeon, I'd only have to spend one round to get an AC of 21 in this case. I'd considered going for the Arcane Armor feat, but I'd have to pick up Light Armor Proficiency first, which would be a waste of a feat at 1st level (even Leather armor, without Arcane Armor, would give me a 10% fail chance for only +2 armor bonus). If I did go that route (if I was doing a similar build with a human, for example) I'd probably forgo Mage Armor.
Shuriken Nekogami, thanks for the feedback! I hadn't thought of Craft: Culinary since I didn't think it would do anything, but it might be more practical in the field than Profession: Baker. By my count I should have 7 spells (3 + INT 18), and that's what I currently have:
1. Mage Armor
2. Shield
3. Magic Missile
4. Color Spray
5. Enlarge Person
6. Burning Hands
7. Obscuring Mist
another thing, a 10% arcane failure is actually quite tolerable. even without arcane armor training or light armor proficiency. in fact, it really doesn't start to become a major hinderance until you exceed 25%.
Hmm. I suppose you're right, but to make up the +4 I'd be losing at 1st level I'd have to live with a 20% spell failure (chain shirt). Granted, I could probably pick up a mithril chain shirt and the Arcane Armor feat by third level and be back down to 0%, but is that really a better deal, and one worth two feats? Magical armor seems more viable in the long run (Bracers of Armor go up to +8, right?) and has no max dex bonus, so it seems like the highest AC potential is in that direction.
On the other hand, an armored wizard fits the background story, and is unique. I'll have to look into this more...I suppose if I went three feats in, I could start looking at enchanted heavy armors...
I would probably drop Burning Hands at level 1 to pick up Grease...Mage Armor and Shield combined would take two full rounds of casting, but given that I'd probably cast the Armor when I entered the dungeon, I'd only have to spend one round to get an AC of 21 in this case. I'd considered going for the Arcane Armor feat, but I'd have to pick up Light Armor Proficiency first, which would be a waste of a feat at 1st level (even Leather armor, without Arcane Armor, would give me a 10% fail chance for only +2 armor bonus). If I did go that route (if I was doing a similar build with a human, for example) I'd probably forgo Mage Armor.
Shield only lasts 1 minute and mage armor is a 1 hour deal at first level. It's better to hold off on mage armor at first - you can pick it up at 2nd level for free anyway.
Burning hands does suck for most purposes. It's probably better to have some alchemist's fire on hand instead.
A minute would be fine for most combats at first level - that's 10 rounds.
Also, wouldn't I still have to spend one of my learned spells at level 2 to learn Mage Armor then? I'm thinking if I go the Arcane Armor route I can skip Mage Armor entirely.
A minute would be fine for most combats at first level - that's 10 rounds.
Also, wouldn't I still have to spend one of my learned spells at level 2 to learn Mage Armor then? I'm thinking if I go the Arcane Armor route I can skip Mage Armor entirely.
Even if you go the Arcane Armor route I'd still take Mage Armor, it's just to good of a utility spell to give up.
By 8th level you can cast it on yourself in the morning and you have +4 armor that works against incorporeal attacks all day. If you have to take off your armor for some reason, or if you are up against ghosts, you still have the +4 from the Mage Armor.
Or cast it on yourself before going to sleep and not have to worry about being "naked" if you're attacked during the night.
I keep giving my Wizards Mage Hand, and I never end up in a situation where I need to lift something under 5 pounds with telekinesis. Even Prestidigitation comes up more often.
The only reason I could see going Arcane Armor would be that by 11th level, you could drop an anti-magic field vs. another arcane caster and enjoy not having your AC drop by much (and by that level, you could easily afford a Mithril Chain Shirt, so you wouldn't be losing out on AC vs Mage Armor and your arcane failure would be 0%.
But yes, in every other situation it is sub-optimal.
The other thing that intrigues me about an Abjuration Wizard is that their spells/school abilities eventually make them a viable energy damage sponge.
instead of spending 2 feats on arcane armor training, you can just eat the 10% arcane failure. it's a minimal risk. and a magical mithril shirt provides more than +4 to AC. it's likely providing something like +6 with something like light fortification tagged onto it. mage armor doesn't have the ability to provide light fortification, and a single casting of dispel magic removes it.
you don't need light armor proficiency to sleep in a mithril shirt. and a 10% chance of arcane failure might as well be a non issue.