The Spellcaster who Stares

[dragonkitten]

I have several characters for PFS and a few more blobs of GM credit. I am using one of those blobs to make a spellcaster who casts all of her spells by simply staring at people.

I could simply go with a deaf oracle to get silent spell for free. There is also the birthmark trait so she could ignore the need of a divine focus. My question is what can I do to keep casting time down? Should I multiclass sorcerer to get eschew material? I'll need to also get still spell if this is going to work. Are there any other feats that would help getting any metamagic cost down?

Thanks for any help.

[Vamptastic]

Is her father Chuck Norris?

[Tinalles]

- The deaf curse takes care of verbal.
- The birthmark trait takes care of the focus.
- Eschew materials takes care of the (inexpensive) material.

That just leaves somatic components, which will be harder.

First, remember you only need to worry about action times for spells that you're going to cast in combat. Outside of combat, you can just use Still Spell and not worry about casting time.

Second, if a spell lacks a somatic component to start with, there's no need for still spell -- and you've already got the other components take care of. Here's a list of Cleric/Oracle spells without a somatic component:

Spoiler:

0-level
Light
Spark (specifies V or S, so choose to omit S)

1st level
Command
Forbid Action
Liberating Command
Murderous Command

2nd level
Darkness
Grace
Oracle's Burden

3rd-level
Blindness/Deafness
Borrow Fortune
Vision of Hell (evil)

4th level
Planar Adaptation
Spit Venom
Tongues

5th level
Command, Greater
Forbid Action, Greater
Tongues, Communal

6th level
Truespeak
Word of Recall

Since this is for PFS, I stopped at 6th level spells. There's not a WHOLE lot there, but they'd help with your action economy, and some of them are pretty good spells.

The Metamagic Mastery bloodline ability from 3rd-level sorcerer is relevant, but hard to get without gimping your oracle casting by three levels. The Eldritch Heritage feat chain would work to get this, but you wouldn't get the ability till 11th level, which is right before retirement in PFS.

Still spell metamagic rods would help, though it kind of limits your "I'm just glaring at you" vibe when you have to rummage around in a pack to get the rod out. Perhaps if you get one which doubles as a light mace and then just keep it out most of the time.

[ArmouredMonk13]

1.)Oracles don't need divine focus components to cast spells.
2.)Deaf curse takes care of verbal, Eschew Materials takes care of material components, and Still Spell doesn't use any more caster level, just uses one slot higher.
3.)Magical Lineage can help remove the limitation for your favorite spell with somatic components.
4.)Have a weapon cord around a Still Spell Metamagic Rod.

[ArmouredMonk13]

Name him/her the guy who stares at goats, and take eldritch heritage arcane to have a goat familiar. You have him cast spells while staring at his familiar and make the man who stares at goats.

[Tinalles]

ArmouredMonk13 wrote:

1.)Oracles don't need divine focus components to cast spells.

You're right -- Oracles don't need divine focus components for their spells. I missed that in the class description. Great, frees up that birthmark trait for something else.

ArmouredMonk13 wrote:

[...] Still Spell doesn't use any more caster level, just uses one slot higher.

I think the OP was mostly asking about casting times. An oracle using Still Spell increases the casting time of the spell from a standard action to a full-round action. That's a serious cost -- you can't move and cast in the same turn.

Along these lines, I just found the feat Spontaneous Metafocus, which will let you ignore the lengthened casting time for one spell. Kinda pricey at a feat per spell, but it's available if needed.

ArmouredMonk13 wrote:

3.)Magical Lineage can help remove the limitation for your favorite spell with somatic components.

4.)Have a weapon cord around a Still Spell Metamagic Rod.

These are good suggestions.

[Hawktitan]

Command spells typically would require speech to be effect since it is language dependent. Sure you could CAST the spell but unless you can do sign language that your enemy understands the spell wouldn't have any effect.

I wouldn't worry about removing somatic components entirely, rather just pick your spells such that you use somatic components only rarely.