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I've been trying to build a level 12 rog/wiz arcane trickster using the spellslinger archetype and its been going so so. On one hand I'm not sure which opposition schools to take, and since I won't be getting opposition research (I'll only have, at maximum, 7 levels in wizard) I'm actually a little concerned about what schools I should take as opposition schools.
Has anyone built this one out before? Is there any advice for making this pretty cool rogue?
Also I was going to use the minor magic rogue talent to get mage hand.
Here's the level 12 build.
Half-Cocked Jack
Female Human Arcane Trickster 6/Rogue 3/Wizard (Spellslinger) 3
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +11; Senses Perception +13
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Defense
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AC 24, touch 17, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +5 Dex, +2 deflection)
hp 80 (3d8+9d6+27)
Fort +9, Ref +14 (+1 bonus vs. traps), Will +7
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee masterwork dagger +7/+2 (1d4/19-20/×2)
Ranged +1 revolver +12/+7 (1d8+1/×4)
Special Attacks sneak attack +5d6
Spell-Like Abilities
. . 3/day—minor magic
Wizard (Spellslinger) Spells Prepared (CL 11th; concentration +17):
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 22, Wis 7, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 23
Feats Arcane Armor Training, Great Fortitude, Gunsmithing, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Penetration, Toughness
Traits magical knack, reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +20, Appraise +13, Bluff +7, Climb +4, Diplomacy +12, Disable Device +21, Disguise +4, Escape Artist +20, Fly +10, Heal +0, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (engineering) +10, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Knowledge (planes) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Linguistics +10, Perception +13 (+14 to locate traps), Ride +9, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +20, Stealth +20, Survival +0, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +10
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Other Language, Gnome, Orc
SQ arcane gun, impromptu sneak attack, mage bullets, opposition schools (abjuration, divination, enchantment, necromancy), ranged legerdemain, trapfinding +1, tricky spells
Combat Gear Potion of cure serious wounds, Ring of invisibility; Other Gear +3 Mithral Chain shirt, +1 Revolver, Masterwork Dagger, Belt of incredible dexterity +4, Blessed book, Boots of speed (10 rounds/day), Cloak of resistance +2, Handy haversack (2 @ 238.96 lbs), Headband of vast intelligence +2 (Acrobatics), Ring of protection +2, Thieves' tools, masterwork, 11948 GP
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Special Abilities
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Abjuration You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Abjuration school.
Arcane Armor Training Swift action: -10% arcane spell failure due to armor.
Arcane Gun (Su) Imbue two firearms with magic; cast spells thru the firearms.
Boots of speed (10 rounds/day) Affected by haste
Divination You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Divination school.
Enchantment You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Enchantment school.
Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead.
Gunsmithing You can use a gunsmithing kit to craft/repair firearms and ammo.
Impromptu Sneak Attack (1/day) (Ex) You can declare any melee or ranged attack to be a sneak attack.
Mage Bullets (Su) Sacrifice a spell to grant an enhancement bonus or special ability to arcane gun.
Magical Knack (Wizard [Spellslinger]) +2 CL for a specific class, to a max of your HD.
Minor Magic (Mage Hand) (3/day) (Sp) Gain the chosen cantrip as a spell-like ability.
Necromancy You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Necromancy school.
Ranged Legerdemain (Su) Can use Disable Device or Sleight of Hand from 30 ft away, but +5 DC.
Ring of invisibility By activating this simple silver ring, the wearer can benefit from invisibility, as the spell.
Construction
Requirements: Forge Ring, invisibility; Cost 10,000 gp
Sneak Attack +5d6 +5d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed.
Spell Focus (Evocation) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Tricky Spells (3/day) (Su) You can cast a spell without verbal or somatic components.
have you thought about an elf?
- you lose 2 points of Con, but the +2 Dex will definitely help offset that (and you don't want to be in melee anyways)
- you can trade your dagger for a longsword, or trade weapon familiarity for +2 concentration
- +2 spell penetration (effectively replacing spell pen feat, making up for lost human feat)
- opens up Arcane Talent feat: Mage Hand 3/day as SLA (take that instead of great fortitude or scribe scroll)
- that feat allows you to take vivisectionist instead of rogue (which i, like Mors, think is a better match)
a half-elf doesn't gain quite as many benefits, but could still take the Arcane Talent feat and could take the Drow Magic racial alternative in order to start AT as vivisectionist 3/spellslinger 1.
a drow could also do what a half-elf does too, but their racial stat bonuses don't line up as well (though their favored class bonus for alchemist is awesome)
just my 2cp, good luck and have fun :)
Rapid shot is nice for firearms and I'd lose eg Gt Fortitude, toughness, arcane armour training or any other feats you have to get it and point blank shot and precise shot. If you intend to fire your gun a lot (and you should, or why be a spellslinger at all?) then you would be better off thinking of yourself as a ranged combatant primarily.
Arcane armour training eats your swift action which would be more useful activating a Beneficial Bandolier to reload the gun. Reloading hands will do another reload so you can fire 3 times in the first round. If you aren't going to play a low level version you can forgo Rapid Shot. For one shot per round, Focused Shot with a decent Int bonus is slightly better than Deadly Aim.
Spellslingers can use their mage bullets to put 'of distance' on their gun, add sniper goggles and you'll be very dangerous.
Or ignore all this and play it how you want to ;)
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I think I'll mix and match advice here. As wonderful as vivisectionist is, its not really the flavor I'm going for and I'll have to give up a few feats to make point-blank, precise, and focused shot work that I'd rather not part with (like improved initiative or spell focus). But we are optimizing here so I appreciate the advice. I'm also pretty set on being a human, but half-elf is a possibility and I think they get the arcane talent feat.
I'd toss Abjuration, Enchantment, Illusion and Divination, myself. I think every other school except maybe transmutation has spells you can use through the gun.
I think I'll mix and match advice here. As wonderful as vivisectionist is, its not really the flavor I'm going for
Flavor text is not rules text; feel free to reflavor things as desired.
Flavor text is not rules text; feel free to reflavor things as desired.
this . your vivisectionist doesn't need to be a dr. frankenstein type... make him a rogue who has invested a lot of his study into unusual applications of alchemy (which explains why he has less skill points but gains extracts and mutagens)- discoveries instead of talents is simply another expression of this rogues peculiar training.
if you want to optimize your best bet really is probably:
half-elf (with drow magic option), leave stats the same; take Arcane Talent
Vivisectionist 3/Spellslinger 1/ATrickster 8
if you're still committed to rogue the same set up is still probably right.
you'll want to get 9+10th level of AT as quickly as possible. after that- if you think you may hit level 20+ go straight spellslinger (to get up to 9th level spells); if you think you're unlikely to get past like 16th take 1 level each of ss and viv (to maximize BAB, and pick up an extra discovery).
edit: and, in terms of playing up the vivisectionist's roguishness, you can actually choose the bleeding attack rogue talent as your discovery if you want...
also, things like point blank shot and even precise shot seem handy (and they are...) but between spells and guns your attacks will be basically all touch attacks, and if you're starting level 12 you should have Imp. Invis. on pretty much every fight you're ever in...
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if you want to optimize your best bet really is probably:
half-elf (with drow magic option), leave stats the same; take Arcane Talent
Vivisectionist 3/Spellslinger 1/ATrickster 8if you're still committed to rogue the same set up is still probably right.
you'll want to get 9+10th level of AT as quickly as possible. after that- if you think you may hit level 20+ go straight spellslinger (to get up to 9th level spells); if you think you're unlikely to get past like 16th take 1 level each of ss and viv (to maximize BAB, and pick up an extra discovery).
edit: and, in terms of playing up the vivisectionist's roguishness, you can actually choose the bleeding attack rogue talent as your discovery if you want...
also, things like point blank shot and even precise shot seem handy (and they are...) but between spells and guns your attacks will be basically all touch attacks, and if you're starting level 12 you should have Imp. Invis. on pretty much every fight you're ever in...
That's a really great build... Also yeah, I have a ring of invisibility so I doubt I'll ever be seen. Sniper goggles are expensive and I think with my invisibility ring I'll be well out of trouble.
Can I cast spells while holding a musket? I've tried to find an official opinion on that and maybe someone else has come across something on the boards, because I haven't.
Why would holding a musket prevent spellcasting? It's easy enough to release one hand from it. Same as if you were wielding a quarterstaff.
Edit for spelling.
a ring of invisibility is really handy for scouting missions, or pretending there is one less person in the party, but for combat you're much better off biting the bullet and casting improved invisibility- the invis from the ring will end when you attack (because it functions as the base invisibility spell), and then you have to spend another standard action to reactivate it... with improved invis you just stay invisible and attack away :)
also, what he said. (you can cast while holding a musket, just like a quarterstaff... even if you're using the spellslinger ability to 'shoot' spells through a bonded item you should be able to perform the somatic component then regrab the trigger as a free action to finish the spell by shooting it...)