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Okay, let me be clear, I have already decided on this course of action, now just looking for feedback on how best to make it work. Telling me I am being stupid or the concept is bad is not productive so please move on to another thread. For those who are willing to help...
Let me premise this by saying it is a PFS character so those rules/guidelines will be in play. Since the PFS forum doesn't technically have an advice board, I turn to y'all smart people. :-)
I have a concept for a sorcerer/oracle/mystic theurge. First, I'm not sure which bloodline would be better, boreal or elemental. Both have merits. The oracle would be taking the new winter mystery. As a human, he would be an ethnic Jadwiga (decedents of Baba Yaga's daughters) and take the Ice Mage feat at 1st level. BTW, no, I don't care for the hex mechanics, so a winter witch is not something I am interested in.
So, my first problem is of course delayed access of higher level spells. Taking four levels of each means I cannot drop into MT until character level nine. That also means no 3rd level spells until character level 10, when most straight-classed casters are casting 5th level spells. I figure to use scrolls to supplement his capacity for spells that are less level-dependent like haste, etc. And the use of meta-magic rods to improve the strength of the spells he casts; focused, intensified, selective, empowered, etc. He would probably acquire Runestones of Power for effectively more spell slots.
The next issue to address is what kind of feats/abilities/equipment would best support his abilities. He is a blaster moreso than a buff/battlefield control guy so keep that in mind.
His stat array will obviously need a high Cha for maximum save DC's and bonus spells. Int for skills and Con for HP will also be important. He will focus more on AoE than targeted so Dex is not important from an offensive perspective. Strength is clearly his dump stat and since he is getting good saves from both base classes, Wis is not of huge importance.
I am sure that there are plenty of rules-lawyers/gurus out there that can help me optimize this build, or at least mitigate his inherent weaknesses so as to not be a burden on his companions. Thanks in advance for your advice.
I haven't been able to find the Winter mystery or Ice Mage feat. Can you link or post those please?
I'd choose the Elemental bloodline over Boreal. Mostly because there just aren't enough cold spells!
I think Lesser Metamagic Rods are going to be your best friends! They're a great investment, and don't get used up like scrolls:) You might not have high-level spells, but you'll have lots of low level spells.
Have you decided what order you're taking the Oracle & Sorcerer levels in? My first thought is to start with Oracle for more survivability at low levels.
His stat array will obviously need a high Cha for maximum save DC's and bonus spells. Int for skills and Con for HP will also be important. He will focus more on AoE than targeted so Dex is not important from an offensive perspective. Strength is clearly his dump stat and since he is getting good saves from both base classes, Wis is not of huge importance.
CHA first & CON second, pretty obvious. What skills are you trying to get with a high INT though?
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The winter mystery is from People of the North and the Ice Mage feat is from Cities of Golarion. Neither came up in the PRD when I searched.
I would like to balance levels in both sorcerer and oracle, but that is not firm. Regardless of how they advance, I can't get the 1st level of mystic theurge until level nine, which kind of sucks, but it is what it is.
Will probably need UMD to maximize equipment supplementing a lack of spells per day. Perception and Knowledge skills are always important. Social skills are a good idea to take advantage of the high Cha, not to mention Intimidate fits the character concept.
Every generation, the jadwiga produce a small number of ice mages, powerful sorcerers who have an instinctive way with ice, water, and cold. Icemages rarely branch out much beyond evocation and transmutation spells involving their specialized talents, but their intense focus lends them a nearly uncanny ability to shape and manipulate ice to suit their whims. The great ice palaces, sculptures, and greenhouses that dot Whitethrone are all the work of gifted ice mages working with specialized architects. In between major architectural projects, many ice mages go off on sojourns into the wilds of Irrisen, returning weeks later and speaking but grudgingly of their experiences. Other ice mages find steady employment at Frosthall Theater, shaping ice on the fly for the scene changes and battle scenes of Lady Ilya’s infamously technical ice ballets.
Irrisen Icemage
You were born with the power to drive ice and snow as others drive their slaves.
Prerequisites: Sorcerer, Irrisen affinity, may only be taken at first level.
Benefit: All of your spells with the cold descriptor are cast at +1 caster level. Any spell with a different energy descriptor is cast at –1 caster level. Three times per day you may alter a spell you cast to deal cold damage instead of its normal damage; your +1 caster level for this feat applies to this variant casting.
Winter Oracles of the winter mystery embrace the howling winds, biting cold, and wind-driven snows of the far north. Most oracles of winter find their callings in the frigid realms of Irrisen, the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, and the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.
Deities: Gorum, Gozreh, Kostchtchie, Ng, Rovagug.
Class Skills: An oracle with the winter mystery adds Intimidate, Knowledge (nature), Stealth, and Survival to her list of class skills.
Bonus Spells: endure elements (2nd), frost fallUC (4th), sleet storm (6th), ice storm (8th), icy prisonUM (10th), cone of cold (12th), ice bodyUM (14th), polar ray (16th), mass icy prisonUM (18th).
Revelations: An oracle with the winter mystery can choose from any of the following revelations.
Blizzard (Su): As a standard action, you can create a blizzard of snow and ice. You can create one 10-footcube of this storm per oracle level. These cubes can be arranged in any pattern you desire, but each cube must be adjacent to another, and at least one must be adjacent to you. Any creature caught in the blizzard takes 1d4 points of cold damage per oracle level, with a successful Reflex save resulting in half damage. The storm lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier; the ground remains icy (+5 to Acrobatics DCs) as long as local conditions permit. The blizzard obscures sight beyond 5 feet, providing total concealment. A creature within 5 feet has concealment. You can use this ability once per day. You must be 11th level to select this revelation.
Child of Winter (Ex): You gain the constant benefit of endure elements, but only against cold temperatures. You can move across regular snow without penalty, and heavy snow costs you only 2 squares of movement instead of 4. You can move across icy surfaces without penalty, and never need to make Acrobatics checks to run or charge on ice. You leave no trail in ice or snow, and cannot be tracked (you may choose to leave a trail if you so desire). During winter months, you gain a +2 insight bonus on Initiative checks and Reflex saving throws.
Cold Aura (Su): As a swift action, you can cause waves of cold to radiate from your body. This cold deals 1d6 points of cold damage per 2 oracle levels to all creatures within 10 feet. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage. In addition, a flurry of snow momentarily surrounds you, granting you concealment until your next turn. You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
Freezing Spells (Su): Whenever a creature fails a saving throw and takes cold damage from one of your spells, it is slowed (as the slow spell) for 1 round. Spells that do not allow saves do not slow creatures. At 11th level, the slow duration increases to 1d4 rounds.
Ice Armor (Su): You can conjure armor of ice that grants you a +4 armor bonus to AC. At 7th level and every 4 levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 2. At 13th level, this icy armor grants you DR 5/piercing. In cold conditions, the armor bonus and DR bonus increase by 2; in very hot conditions, however, they decrease by 2. You can use this armor for 1 hour per day per oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-hour increments.
Ice Shape (Su): You are able to sculpt ice and snow into almost any shape. This ability functions like stone shape, but targeting only ice and snow, not stone. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Icy Skin (Ex): You gain resist cold 5. This resistance increases to 10 at 5th level and 20 at 11th level. At 17th level, you gain immunity to cold.
Servant of Winter (Sp): As a full-round action, you can summon a single ice elemental (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 114) to serve you. At 7th level, you can summon a Medium ice elemental, as summon monster IV. At 11th level, you can summon a Huge ice elemental, as summon monster VI. At 15th level, you can summon an elder ice elemental, as summon monster VIII. You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 15th level. You must be at least 7th level before selecting this revelation.
Snow Sight (Su): You can see through falling snow and sleet without taking any penalties on Perception checks as long as there is enough light to allow you to see normally. At 11th level, in cold conditions or in icy or snowy terrain, you can learn about your surroundings as if using the commune with nature spell. You can use the commune with nature ability once per day at 11th level, and twice per day at 15th level.
Wintry Touch (Su): As a standard action, you can perform a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of cold damage + 1 point for every 2 oracle levels you possess. You can use the wintry touch ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. At 11th level, any weapon that you wield is treated as a frost weapon.
I would go with elemental bloodline personally.
I like insane DCs on spells, so Boreal wins if you want DCs.
You have limited spells, so if you just pick cold based spells, you do not need to change the energy type.
Primal Cold [wildblooded elemental] is also nice, as is Rime [wildblooded boreal]
Rime Blooded:
Whenever you cast a spell with the cold descriptor, you may select one target of the spell to be slowed (as the spell) for 1 round. A Fortitude save (DC 10 + the level of cold spell + your Charisma modifier) negates the effect.
This ability replaces the Boreal Bloodline Arcana.
Freezing Bolt (Sp): At 9th level, you can cause the air to erupt in freezing sleet. This 10-foot-radius burst does 1d6 points of cold damage per sorcerer level (Reflex half ). The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day. This power has a range of 60 feet.
This bloodline power replaces snow shroud.
Primal
Whenever you cast a spell with an energy descriptor that matches your elemental bloodline’s energy type, that spell deals +1 point of damage per die rolled.
This ability replaces the Elemental Bloodline Arcana.
Bloodline Powers
You can infuse raw energy into your summoned minions.
Elementalist Summoning (Su): At 9th level, whenever you summon a creature, it gains energy resistance 10 against the energy type that matches your elemental bloodline (if it already has such resistance, its resistance increases by +5), and its natural attacks deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of the same energy type.
But elemental turns all spells into ice spells. Thematically, that would make an ultimate ice Mage. You can use scrolls and wands to cast the spells as normal.
I'm guessing your 1st level revelation will be:
Freezing Spells (Su): Whenever a creature fails a saving throw and takes cold damage from one of your spells, it is slowed (as the slow spell) for 1 round. Spells that do not allow saves do not slow creatures.
Does Snow Sight let you see through the effects of Sleet Storm?
Snow Sight (Su): You can see through falling snow and sleet without taking any penalties on Perception checks as long as there is enough light to allow you to see normally
Boreal bloodline + rime spell + some damage dealing spells. You get both direct damage and crowd control. Plus with the snowball and flurry of snowball spells in People of the North you have some really cool options. And both those spells are SR no. Flurry of snowballs is a 2nd level spell with a 30 ft cone and reflex save for half damage and if you pump it up to 3rd lvl with rime spell anyone in that cone is entangled for two rounds unless they make their save AND have evasion.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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Freezing Spells is the one that stood out to me when I read it yesterday.
This discussion is semi-pertinent at the moment too because my PC in our Pen & Paper just died and I'm considering making a Changeling Silver Draconic Sorcerer who specialises in cold magic. Now I'm wondering if Winter Oracle might be a good choice instead.
If I am reading this correctly, the Irrisen Icemage would not impact a witch?
When a new mystic theurge level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class and any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
doesn't this nerf the oracular stuff, and the bloodline abilities?
When a new mystic theurge level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class and any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
doesn't this nerf the oracular stuff, and the bloodline abilities?
Yes. Spell casting only. No special abilities.
The real problem with the freezing spell revelation on a winter oracle is the amount of spells that it really doesn't help with. Sleet storm and ice storm don't allow saves, frostfall already staggers...it's just not a great situation.
I just made a winter mystery oracle that has the blackened curse and will use his blackened curse flaming sphere spell and turn it into a cold spell using an elemental meta rod of cold, therefore making it so he can utilize his freezing spell revelation on it.
You can also do the elven ancient lorekeeper as mentioned above to get more blasty spells for your oracle. The only thing I don't like about that is you give up getting icy prison at level 10 as your level 5 mystery spell. It's an absolutely marvelous spell, and it's evocation which you're going to specialize in anyway, which is why it's so sad to give up.
Also, if you multiclass oracle/sorcerer, you're better off just going 1 level of oracle and rest sorcerer instead of going for mystic theurge. Then I would recommend going dual-cursed oracle so you can get the misfortune revelation, which is great for save-or-suck spells (for both your enemies and your allies). You can take extra revelation or a ring of revelations to get more revelations anyway. Also, you would still get level 5 spells at level 11, and one of your curses would advance to the 2nd stage at level 9.
Dual-cursed is rough, though...
THhere are some good spells, like Grease, slow, and tiny hut which could be easily renamed, and explained as a layer of frost on the ground, or a magic igloo....
I like the witch idea, myself. Cast at full power, and have a great time with it. Otherwise, it's going to really hurt to be 6th level, and still only have first level spells. Theurge is a tough choice for PFS, the character retires at the exact point where the PrC gets good.
Improved familiar can do good things for you too.
You might also check out Druid, there's good stuff there too.
I'd like to see you do better.
Her blood money spell (from "Rise of the Runelords") allows her to possess and control infinite simulacrums for free.
She never travels alone, always accompanied by her bodyguards (never less then four) who make a point of keeping close (making it impossible to approach her from any angle without provoking multiple attacks of opportunity). Her fortress is always nearby as well, hidden in the clouds when not needed, ready to swoop down and rescue her if necessary.
She puts her simulacrums to good use, often sending a few of her trolls and one of her doubles (sometimes accompanied by illusions and other trickery) to test a possible foe's abilities. She is cold, calculating, and cautious in all she does. She respects strength and is known to ally herself with the giants of the north (who fear and respect her).
Like a chess player, she's quick to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of her enemies, as well as herself, and is all too willing to sacrifice a few of her pawns if it wins her the match. She is deceptively tough, and relishes tricking her foes into attacking her with fire or targeting her Fortitude-saves, where she is most strongly defended.
When facing many adversaries (such as an army) or one powerful foe (such as a dragon) she hides behind the walls of the Cold Fortress (which in itself may be hidden in clouds or storm fog) and wears them down with powerful storms from her orb of storms and hit and run spell bombardments.
When facing a large force, there is inevitably one or more sim-clone spies already planted in their midst ready and waiting to wreak havoc with their sabotage (think of the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica).
If things are looking grim, she uses her blizzard ability to keep enemies at bay and attempts to escape with icy teleport while her minions run interference and buy her time to escape. She might also use that spell to capture prisoners, placing them into cells within Helch Barad.
She uses seeming to disguise her sim-clones and bodyguards if necessary (such as to look like a group of traveling performers or harmless pilgrims).
When expecting an engagement, she and her body doubles often cast protection from energy on the trolls to ensure their continued service, making them incredibly difficult to kill. They also use cold steel on the trolls' weapons. She personally may subject herself to both elemental body IV (air elemental) and ice body, causing her to take the form of a living blizzard (which is then wrapped in her snow shroud ability).
She relishes the opportunity for personal combat, and when fighting an obviously weaker foe, she often transforms into a living blizzard, as above, and also casts transformation upon herself.