I want to make a conversion to PF of the Mesmer character of Guild Wars 2, with some details from Guild Wars 1.
My idea is similar to the 3.5 Beguiler; a spellcaster of 6 levels with 4-6 skill points, with the spells centred on Illusion, and Charm, with some divination and teleport powers. Or a Illusion/Charm based Magus.
But have no idea on how to do two of the most iconic powers for the Mesmer; the clones and the interruptions.
I really like the clones thematic of the game, but how to do near perfect duplicates of one-self that are enough real to do a bit of damage in combat without being horribly overpowered?.
I know that some of the tropes of the Mesmer can be done with the Bard, but I would prefer a different approach to the class. Any idea is welcome.
I also like the clone aspect, but getting it right in PF is tough. Clones do barely any damage, so they'd just be like mirror images that ran around. Maybe they can only do damage on a crit? Phantasms would be more like summoned monsters, although with less defenses and more damage ability. Maybe look to Spiritual Ally for some inspiration on that one.
Interrupts will be tricky in PF due to the round-based combat. You're best off giving them some bonuses when readying actions. Maybe let them ready an action to attempt to disrupt an attack or a spell, and let them choose which they disrupt after they've readied the action. This is more like a delay than a readied action, but it might work.
The concept has been touched upon previously though.
Here's a 3rd party class that deals with the same themes, but doesn't quite replicate it.
This has a bard archetype called the Umbral Weaver that was heavily inspired by the GW1 mesmer. (Discliamer: I wrote that one.) It should be on d20pfsrd.com sometime, but there's no timeline.
Thanks for the input, cheapy. I like the concept of clone-phantasm in the videogame, but seems a bit too complicated for table games, so my idea was to make only one type of duplicate.
For the interrupts I have thought on some improvements on the Dispel Magic spells. I will take a look on the links.
I've considered a variant on the magus that uses illusion and enchantment spells, and would borrow a lot from the mesmer.
The clones I was planning on having be a variation on the mirror image spell, where the clones can move independently of the magus and occupy their own squares, and are mostly useful for doing aid another actions and flanking for you. The magus would also have powers that let him trade places with his duplicates and cast spells for them. However, they only had a handful of hit points and used the magus's touch AC without any benefit from armor and such. The ability would replace the magus's ability to enhance their blade.
I'm a huge GW1/GW2 fan, but this seems easier to make then anything else. However mesmers between the games are really different, as you know.
Base class for GW1 Mesmer would be Witch or Wizard/Sorcerer if you don't like Pathfinder Hexes.
GW1 mesmer interrupts would be taking a spell like Daze or Ear Piercing Scream, and ready an action to cast it before an enemy attacks/casts a spell (which you can do as RAW at least). Witches get many de-buffing spells and skills, which replicates the hexes and energy denial that mesmers have. To the point where you could use Fumbletongue to completely shut down a caster.
GW2 mesmer is a little more straightforward. Clones are very similar to how Mirror Image works, or Silent Image if you want to go that direction:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/silent-image
GW2 mesmer, I would go either full illusionist wizard, or Magus if you like having a sword like you can in GW2. There are a few metamagic feats that you can use to make it more mesmer-like. Such as Threatening Illusion if you're a gnome (don't quote me, but adopted might be enough).
To replicate the shatter mechanic with illusions, Jinxed Spell works okay with this if you don't mind being a halfling.
Pathfinder is more then capable of making a character like the Guild Wars classes without going into 3rd party stuff or user-created content.
I've considered a variant on the magus that uses illusion and enchantment spells, and would borrow a lot from the mesmer.
The clones I was planning on having be a variation on the mirror image spell, where the clones can move independently of the magus and occupy their own squares, and are mostly useful for doing aid another actions and flanking for you. The magus would also have powers that let him trade places with his duplicates and cast spells for them. However, they only had a handful of hit points and used the magus's touch AC without any benefit from armor and such. The ability would replace the magus's ability to enhance their blade.
That is similar to my idea. Maybe something like this...
Create Duplicate: 3+ Charisma bonus time/ day, you can create near perfect duplicates of yourself that lasts 1/minute level. Those duplicates have AC of 10+CHAR bonus, HP equal to 1/4 of that of the mesmer and a base attack equal to the mesmer caster level, with the Charisma bonus instead of the Strengh bonus to attack. They duplicate the weapom used by the mesmer, but without any magical bonus or power. This power creates one duplicate a level one, and one more every five levels, with a maximum of 3 duplicates.
Something like make the illusory duplicates like temporary and weaks Animal Companions. Totally expendibles, but with stats.
Ideas?
You wouldn't be making a mesmer at that point, you'd be making a summoner with humanoid summons.
Like I said before, Silent Image does exactly what you want. Then there is Minor image as you level up. You can move the image as well. It creates a perfect duplicate of 1 creature (could be yourself).
The only point of the illusions in Guild Wars 2 is to distract enemies, then to shatter them. They don't give any stat bonuses or give any sort of help. They don't do damage in the game. Only Phantasms do, and that's what later levels would help you with spells.
If you really want it to give flanking, you use Threatening Illusion, as that will not only threaten an area, but flanking as well, without doing damage.
What you're suggesting is giving a magus a 3 times a day Simulacrum spell. A 7th level spell.
Illusions do damage in GW2 once you get high enough level. With sharpened images, they can inflict bleed, and the illusions will inflict whatever conditions their base weapon does as well. Staff illusions will add illusions, sword illusions will do vulnerability, etc.
Silent Image doesn't quite work for that.
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As I understood it from when I played a Mesmer, the images did do damage, but only a percentage of the characters own damage. Shadow magic guidelines seem well-suited to this, with the image appearing for a short time and using the basic 'blast' attack, but doing only 20% damage at lowest levels, and maybe bumping up to 40% at higher levels.
Rather than give them hit points, the idea of basing them on mirror image and just winking out if hit, seems like a good idea. The more mechanics that can be pillaged from already-present-rules, the less likely the concept is to overly complicate things, or to run into unforeseen balance / interaction issues, I think.
The trickier part would be that most tabletop RPG characters (3.5 Warlock, various superhero RPGs and 4th edition D&D casters excluded) don't fire blasts all day long, unlike the Mesmer, so these shadow clones wouldn't likely work like Guild Wars Mesmer's anyway, but be limited to either mimicing your current action (which could be unbalanced if you've optimized a single spell via metamagic, etc. to be able to throw off a couple of crazy awesome blasts a day, and whip up a bunch of shadow clones just before doing so, and funky if he activates a wand of wall of fire or something next round...) or duplicating a physical attack only (which doesn't feel very 'Mesmer-y').
I only played the Mesmer at low levels, but it seemed like a mechanic by which it throw some sort of shadow damage bolt, that on a critical hit would spawn a clone for a number of rounds equal to half level (minimum 1), with the clone only being able to throw similar shadow bolts (that don't spawn clones!) and not use any of your higher level spells or abilities, might be one route to go. The rate of clone appearance in the game seemed a lot higher than 5%, so a higher than normal threat range, or some other mechanic (appears when you hit by five? flat 20% chance of appearing on any hit?) might be more accurate to the source...
You're right, they do conditions, not weapon damage, which is key. Which is why I said Jinxed spell or Threatening Illusion. Sadly, base Pathfinder weapons don't do conditions on-hit. So replicating that is a whole other ballgame.
And at higher levels in pathfinder you have things like Shocking Image, if you actually do want a Mirror Image-type duplicates with damage. Then you can replicate Phantasms with Phantasmal Killer.
EDIT: I am wrong, I checked the Guild Wars 2 wiki, they changed it since I played Mesmer back in the beta, they actually do very low damage. I still say for the sake of balance, I wouldn't allow anything similar to Simulacrums at level 1 into my game. But that's just a personal thing. I still say that Silent/Minor image does the job just fine, but I see the need for a 3rd party/user conversion now.