I've seen a few builds on these threads that are built nearly exclusively around a specific spell. Such as Fireball, Simulacrum, Flesh to Stone, Dispel Magic and Suffocate. Granted the characters could do much more than that, but their background and flavoring were almost built around this one spell and it came out very intriguing to me.
So, the question is simply, which spell would you want to build a sorcerer or wizard around? What feats, traits and equipment would you use to build around the spell?
Hold Person interests me as a potential spell, albeit it less than others as it has multiple saves. Perhaps Enervation, using maximize and intensify to do some serious negative levels.
While thi sisnt a sorcer/wizrd, I have made a magus build around the "force punch" spell. The most important feat is "spell perfection", combined with the magical lineage, you can intensify, empower & maximize the spell for massive damage (max 60+7d4). Even better if you use a high-crit build, where you can easily crit on a spellstrike. I've been using a similar combo to great effectiveness (though my level isnt high enough to get spell perfection yet).
There are also a lot of magus builds worked entirely around shocking grasp. It's the same basic idea as force punch.
I've been brainstorming along these lines lately as well.
So far I've come up a few fun option... Although I probably won't make use of it for a while.
Magical Lineage/Wayang Spellhunter + Burning Gaze with a Familiar, Dazing Spell feat, and Admixture subschool evoker. Shoulder mounted laser that hits with whatever energy type you need and daze multiple targets, potentially to death if they keep failing saves.
I've seen quite a few builds around Fire Snake as well.
|
In addition to all the [Shadow] spells that Wayangs are to some degree shoehorned into specializing in, my Illusionist has the Wayang Spellhunter trait applied to color spray, so he can cast a Persistent version of it as a 2nd-level spell - even when it gets to the point when everybody he faces is going to have more than 5 HD, a very very hard to resist conefull of 1-round stun isn't bad for a 2nd-level spell. At either 5th or 7th level (he's presently 4th), he's going to take Additional Traits so he can get Magical Lineage (phantasmal killer). Apply Persistent Spell, and you have a 5th-level spell with a very strong chance to kill most living creatures (Clerics notwithstanding) - sound fair to you?
Phantasmal Killer does sound like a juicy one to build around. While creatures that couldn't see or are immune to death effects would be immune to it, I could see it being a great candidate for preferred spell.
I'm curious how one does Animate Dead wrong, but then again, I haven't played a necromancer before.
I like the familiar + burning gaze combo there. "...Is that parrot's eyes glowing?"
I almost wonder if Force Punch wouldn't be better as few creatures if any have resistance to force, compared to electricity.
Good stuff everyone.
I'm half tempted to do a build around Bestow Curse since there's lots of fun things one can do with it.
The main issue with Force Punch vs Shocking Grasp is the whole Knockback dealy it has going on.
Really awesome spell but it sucks having to chase people down every time you hit 'em. =)
I had an inquisitor based around Blistering Invective, which was both awesome and flavorful. I would just yell at everyone and they'd burst into flames. I had an absurdly high intimidate, too.
Bard: Cloak of Dreams. Sure not everything is vulnerable to sleep (would be boring if it worked on everything) but being invisible (greater) and just stealthing around going save-sleep-coup de grace is just so funny.
All in all, the magus doesnt get as much from iterative attacks (unlike another 3/4 bab-caster, the inquisitor). The goals (in my original build) is to get one "nova" attack that is as powerful as possible. Megasmilax shows some strategies to catch up if you want to.
I've read a lot about Blistering Invective. Seems like it'd be fun to play with.
Cloak of Dreams sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that.
As far as Force Punch moving people away, I'd assume that that could still be of use if they survive the initial attack. Direct them towards allies, off a cliff, into a bonfire, into a wall. Not bad overall.
I tend to build around themes, rather than a single spell. My current wizard for instance is 'specialized' in teleportation effects and force effects. The party sorcerer is heavily specialized in shadowy magics - illusions and enchantments mostly, with a dash of necromancy.
Fey sorc: Confusion.
Arcane sorc: Disintegrate.
Those aren't optimal choices, just ones I've wanted to use in such a role.
Crossblooded sorc fey/serpentine with a boatload of compulsions looks fun. You avoid some of the pain of being so far behind on spells by making your hold person affect animals, magical beasts, and monstrous humanoids as well. Makes daze a hilariously effective cantrip, as you can get dc 19 (20 cha, fey arcana, greater/spell focus).
|
|
Animate Dead. Gifted Adept, Secrets of the Impossible Kingdom & Loreseeker traits, Spell Specialisation, Bloat Mage Initiate and Varisian Tattoo feats for a +7CL before items. The character is completely focused on Animate Dead to the point theyve travelled Golarion finding ways to improve the spell.
There's a 3.5 gish prestige class built around the Haste spell called the Swiftblade. It was apparently in playtesting when WotC stopped working on 3.5 and thus never published in a book, but the creators went ahead an finished it up and put it up on the Wizard's site.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327
I've made a Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple build around Shocking Grasp before, and it was a lot of fun.
A spell that has no saving throw and can be part of a full round attack? Yes, that sounds lovely.
Magical Lineage and Spell Perfection are a requirement. The fact that Draconic Sorcerers get Quickened Spell (metamagic) as a bonus feat is a big plus.
As a draconic sorcerer, you can choose a dragon color to add +1 to every damage die, so I choose blue dragon to get that extra boost.
Because of the level 9 limit for spells after metamagic feats, I've found you can do more damage with Shocking Grasp than you can with Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning on a single target, and on average it's a close call on 2 targets. Once you get 3+ targets, you should certainly be using the other spells. However, you need to remember that saving throws can also give you diminished returns for your average output (also, the ability to deliver touch attacks affects your damage return).
Because of this, it depends on the types of encounters you expect from your GM when choosing.
Quickened Intensified Empowered Shocking Grasp + full round attack in Form of the Dragon III = 67.5 + full attack dmg average
or
Quickened Intensified Empowered Shocking Grasp + Intensified Empowered Shocking Grasp = 135 dmg average
(10d6 + 10) x 1.5
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Center around ENERVATE which makes the "Save or Lose" spells that much more viable.
|
|
Take a level of Heavens oracle and take the Awesome Display revelation. Now your sorcerer treats all of his enemies as 4 HD lower than they actually are.
Read that again. Awesome Display lowers their effective HD by the Oracle's Charisma modifier, which in my Illusionist's case would only be 1.
|
I built my wizard around Spectral Hand and the various touch spells. They tend to be some of the nastier combat spells and Spectral Hand mitigates their biggest drawback (swordtothefaceitis). I'm particularly attached to Intensified Shocking Grasps supported by Magical Lineage and a Lesser Elemental Metamagic Rod. I also tend to boost my available 1st level spell slots via Mnemonic Enhancer. The spare slots make it easier to sacrifice a held charge I missed with in a previous round when I need to drop a Fireball or Black Tentacles.
I'm also rather fond of Calcific Touch vs low DEX targets. >=D
|
There's a feat that gives you more than 5 magic missles? What gem is this and where can I find it????
Intensified Spell will increase your level cap by five, which will give you two more magic missiles (one at 11th level, another at 13th level).
Dominate Person for my Fey-Serpentine Crossblooded Sorcerer.
Suffocation for my Void Wizard.
Ball Lightning or Fire Snake if our group had not agreed to ban Dazing Spell.
In all cases Spell Perfection would be worked towards with Quicken Spell, Persistent Spell and the appropriate Focus/Penetration feats selected along the way.
I have a character I never got to play that specializes in polymorphing people. I wanted him to have a custom version of Baleful Polymorph that transforms his victim into an attractive lady that has no memory of her previous self. He has a philosophy that this is a more humane way end an evil person. A polymorphed villain has a new chance at life whereas a dead villain suffers pain and an eternity of torture in Hell/Abandon/Abyss. And if the bad guy makes his Will save, then, well, at least he's nicer to look at.
I'm half tempted to do a build around Bestow Curse since there's lots of fun things one can do with it.
I'd really like to see something like this. I'm a big fan of the curse spells.
How do you build a caster around simulacrum and why exactly?
Animate object. Commission large sized adamantine statue of yourself with a hidden compartment that you hide inside. You get to be a construct.
build an animate objects + permanency build for lots of statues.
|
|
Animate object. Commission large sized adamantine statue of yourself with a hidden compartment that you hide inside. You get to be a construct.
Large-sized? Make it Huge - then build one for each of your party members, each with its own collection of tricks and strengths to reflect the character it's for. Then make rules for a "gestalt construct" template so you can all form a Megazord (especially since the Bestiary 4 introduced kaiju).
Witch, Ear Piercing Scream.
Wizard, Colour Spray.
obviously I've been playing the lower levels for far too long
You have my deepest sympathies.