All,
I'm in the process in trying to prep a character for the upcoming WotR AP.
I'm considering running a wizard but could use some suggestions on good builds for fighting the primary foe of the AP demons. I know their will be other foes, but want to be prepared for the known challenges.
I realize the direct damage will be challenging due to SR and Energy Resistance.
I was thinking Conjurer but don't want to flood the combat with more things to keep up with.
Thanks
JDragon
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First of all, slaying outsiders is a cleric's job (especially a human cleric). Paladins are especially good at slaying demons as well.
That said, I'm not going to just throw your whole op away on "this class could do it better". You want to play a wizard, so I'll help you play a wizard.
Demons are immune to electricity, and they have resistance to acid, cold, and fire. Unlike clerics, wizards cannot deal untyped damage based on a creature's alignment, so you're going to have to do something else.
Since you can't slay these demons yourself, you're probably going to be in the support/utility role. (Blasting is incredibly ineffective against outsiders, as you stated, so killing these things is not your strong suit, pure and simple).
It would help immensely if you could tell us what the rest of your party looks like.
Spells like haste, greater invisibility, magic circle against evil/chaos and fly are your bread and butter. Spells that try to harm the demons won't work, because of spell resistance. Even if you try to use conjuration spells like stinking cloud and ice spears, you're still going to have to beat their saving throws and if you don't, you've wasted your actions.
Arcane magic is generally pretty awful at dealing with demons, so support is how you can move forward. Be a transmuter or a diviner (or a universalist) and keep your party safe with buff spells and premonitions. You can't be the attacker, but you can be the defender.
Well doesn't this new AP use mythic rules. If so the damaging wiz works too just not all the time. Mythic fireball can ignore fire immunity.
Demons have resist fire 10. SOme, however, have the fire subtype, so if you want to blast, you'll need acid as backup. 10 Points of fire resistance isn't going to slow down a blaster mage build much once you have Firesnake and are putting out 150 points of damage per spell, or so.
The PF Blaster Mage build subsumes caster level bonuses and Spell Penetration at least once. It gets roughly +5 vs Spell Resistance, and +10 when you get SPell Perfection at 15, meaning you will make spell resistance checks pretty much all the time against CR appropriate foes. Be an elf and stack the odds more.
==Aelryinth
Blockbuster Wizard (Blaster Guide)
EDIT: Again, tags! Also, this'd be so much easier to edit if the website wasn't so slow...
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out the Blockbuster Wizard and see what it looks like.
The thoughts on the support role make sense as well.
JDragon
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Some suggestions on fighting demons.
1: You will need a starting casting ability score of 18-20. There are only so many ways to ingress your spell DC. This is the biggest one so starting with a lower save DC makes demons almost immune. This is all before you start looking at SR.
2: Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, and Persistent Spell (Metamagic). This is to help over come there natural high saves you will be targeting.
3: Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Varisian Tattoo, and Piercing Spell (Metamagic). You will need every tool you can get to over come high level SR. Most of the time you will not see this level of SR till after level 13 to 15. However you will find it around level 10is for this AP. No I have not read it. I just know what your looking at for CR in your level range.
4: Elemental is not worth it. If you want to do damage start looking for force effects. Pit spells I normally think are some of the best spells. Will not work 80% of the time as almost every thing above CR5 can fly in a variety of ways. Thus making many other good spells null.
5: Slow is one of the best spells to use. Due to high number of natural attacks, and multiple attacks demons get. Forcing them down to one attack a round will lower damage taken better then any buff will help kill it off. The only exception can be hast. So expect your level 3 spells to be tight. How ever if you prepare hast as level 3. and Piercing Spell Slow at level 4. You have a good chance of rocking encounters with min spells needed.
5: Slow is one of the best spells to use. Due to high number of natural attacks, and multiple attacks demons get. Forcing them down to one attack a round will lower damage taken better then any buff will help kill it off. The only exception can be hast. So expect your level 3 spells to be tight. How ever if you prepare hast as level 3. and Piercing Spell Slow at level 4. You have a good chance of rocking encounters with min spells needed.
This. Battlefield control is very hard against flying creatures even before resistances, immunities, and SR are added in. Blasting is completely out. Buffing and debuffing is going to be your best use of resources much of the time. (Be aware, you will likely face a lot of non-demon things, like cultists and demon-warped flora and fauna. So, be prepared for that, as well.)
