After reading Treantmonk's guide to Wizards, which was awesomeand fun to read, it left me wanting to play an illusionist.
Are there any guides out there? Or good ideas?
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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After reading Treantmonk's guide to Wizards, which was awesomeand fun to read, it left me wanting to play an illusionist.
Are there any guides out there? Or good ideas?
My favorite combination:
Take 1 level of Heavens Oracle before starting into Sorcerer. Take the Awesome Display revelation, which treats enemies as if they had a number of hit dice LESS equal to your Charisma modifier for illusion [pattern] spells such as color spray and loathsome veil.At 2nd level, your color sprays will knock ANYTHING out, and as you level up and continue adding to your Cha with level upgrades and magic items, it just keeps getting better. You can easily one-shot a boss by starting with loathsome veil which causes creatures to be nauseated (move action only) and then run up and color spray them to knock them out.
Obviously you want to take Spell Focus and Improved Spell Focus (Illusion). I've also found Persistent Spell (metamagic) to be more than worth it, as it forces them to make a second save if they make the first one.
Effortless Trickery is also very nice, which allows you to maintain an illusion that normally requires concentration as a Swift action instead of a Move action. Normally, when we start a combat I'll drop a loathsome veil to nauseate all the enemies before they come in range, then use a Threatening major image in a place which will provide flanking to Rogue-type characters, then if I can catch several enemies in a color spray I do that.
Let me know if you'd like to see my whole build (She's currently a level 10 Sylvan Sorcerer/1 Heavens Oracle with a spinosaurus companion, almost ready for retirement in Pathfinder Society play.)
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The first rule of Illusionism is: talk to the GM. Whether or not illusions are fun, useful and/or overpowered is in their hands.
There are no guide; cartmenbeck has given you a great basis. I'm fond of the "veiled illusionist" PRC myself though.
VRMH is also right in saying that the GM has a lot of influence on the usefullness of most illusions.
Let me know if you'd like to see my whole build (She's currently a level 10 Sylvan Sorcerer/1 Heavens Oracle with a spinosaurus companion, almost ready for retirement in Pathfinder Society play.)
Yes, please!
edit: Also, where is veiled illusionist found?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/s-z/veiled-ill usionist
Voila. Interesting for sorcerers since you still get bonus illusion spells. Wondering what bloodline would be the best for this.
Interesting combo: veiled illusionist+ celestial obedience (arshea); used your quick disguises to become attractive, gain pretty much a constant +4 to cha through the obedience.
Cartmenbeck,
I'd love to see the builds that sounds awesome and way outside of the box.
The first rule of Illusionism is: talk to the GM. Whether or not illusions are fun, useful and/or overpowered is in their hands.
Exactly right. If the DM is willing, cartmanbeck has given alot of good advice.
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If your idea of an Illusionist is someone who uses magical images to deceive and defeat enemies, rather than someone who uses a rainbow taser to knock things out, then I recommend the Illusion school of Wizardry with no reservations.
The first school power makes your figments persist after you cease concentrating on them. That means you can fire and forget static illusions of walls, clouds, fires, sleeping beasts and so on, and they’ll persist the length of a combat. This is better than Effortless Trickery because it doesn’t eat up your swift actions--you will want those for quickened spells and immediate spells.
The 8th level school power, improved invisibility as a swift action, is ridiculously good, a real game-changer. Cloaked in invisibility, you will not attract attacks of opportunity, nor will your opponents be able to use Spellcraft to recognize the spells you’re casting are illusions. This is the equivalent of an 8th level spell, and you can use it multiple times a day!
Stacking up wizard levels also gives you extra metamagic feats. Pick up at least three on the way to level 15 so you’ll be ready for Spell Perfection.
In any case, if Treant’s Guide is what inspired you, stick with a Wizard. Sorcerers are wonderful, but they play differently than wizards do; you’ll end up as more of a specialist, whereas Treant’s God Wizard is a generalist who can swap out spells to face different threats.
Voila. Interesting for sorcerers since you still get bonus illusion spells. Wondering what bloodline would be the best for this.
I'd recommend Shadow, since you'll get the shadow spells (all illusions) for free. The bloodline arcana also gives you bonuses to casting illusions without being detected.
I've had a lot of success with a max Cha gnome sorcerer using the arcane bloodline. At 11th level, he can do a Piercing phantasmal killer using a rod of persistent spell (self-crafted) for DC 27 (reroll successful saves). Barring immunity/specific resistances, that's pretty much instant death.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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Alright boys and girls, here you go:
Nalshene, Trade Princess
Female gnome Sylvan Sorcerer 10 / Heavens Oracle 1
CG Small humanoid (gnome)
Init +5; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
-----Defense-----
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 deflection, +1 Dex, +1 size)
hp 59 (10d6 + 1d8 + 11) [add False Life]
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +9 (+2 vs. fear)
Defensive abilities eternal hope (1/day, re-roll a 1 on a d20)
-----Offense-----
Speed 15 ft. (lame curse)
Melee cestus +4 (1d4-2) or sickle +4 (1d6-2)
Ranged ranged touch spell +7 (by spell)
Gnome spell-like abilities (CL 11th, concentration +19)
1/day - dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals
Bloodline spell-like abilities (CL 10th, concentration +18)
At will - greater invisibility (9 rounds/day)
Sorcerer spells known (CL 10th, concentration +18)
5th (4/day) - shadow evocation (DC 25), Persistent loathsome veil (DC 23)
4th (7/day) - beast shape II, poison, shocking image, Threatening minor image (DC 23), Persistent hypnotic pattern (DC 22)
3rd (8/day) - deep slumber (DC 21), loathsome veil (DC23), fly, major image (DC 23), Threatening minor image (DC 22), Persistent color spray (DC 21)
2nd (9/day) - burst of radiance (DC 20), create pit (DC 20), false life, hypnotic pattern (DC 22), minor image (DC 22), Threatening silent image (DC 21)
1st (10/day) - color spray (DC 21), detect evil, illusion of calm (DC 21), mage armor, silent image (DC 21), stumble gap (DC 19), summon monster I
0th (at will) - acid splash, daze (DC 18), detect magic, light, mage hand, read magic, unwitting ally (DC 18)
Bloodline Fey [Sylvan]
Oracle spells known (CL 1st, concentration +9)
1st (5/day) - ant haul, cure light wounds, tap inner beauty
0th (at will) - detect poison, enhanced diplomacy, guidance, stabilize
Mystery Heavens
-----Statistics-----
Str 6, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 26
Base Atk +5, CMB +2, CMD 13
Feats Boon Companion, Effortless Trickery, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Persistent Spell, Spell Focus (Illusion), Threatening Illusion, Versatile Spontaneity
Traits Two-World Magic (unwitting ally), Eastern Mysteries (from Guide to Pathfinder Society Play), Eyes and Ears of the City (from Extra Trait boon)
Skills Appraise +10, Bluff +17, Diplomacy +29, Fly +5, Handle Animal +19, Heal +3, Intimidate +14, Kn. Arcana +15, Kn. History +6, Kn. Nature +6, Kn. Planes +6, Kn. Religion +6, Linguistics +4, Perception +11, Spellcraft +14, UMD +14
Languages Common, Draconic, Gnome, Osiriani, Sylvan, Thassilonian, Varisian
SQ bloodline powers (animal companion [spinosaurus], woodland stride, fleeting glance), academician (Kn. Arcana), curse (lame), eternal hope, gnome magic, gnome weapon familiarity, revelations (awesome display), prestige awards and vanities (caravan, expert entrepreneur, master of trade, trade prince, underground ring)
Combat gear spring-loaded wrist sheaths (wands of cure light wounds and shield), vermin repellant (5), dweomer's essence (2), minor rod of Selective Spell, minor rod of Piercing Spell, mask of the tiger's eye, potions [feather step, bristle], scrolls [mage armor (4), stumble gap (2), unprepared combatant (2), expeditious retreat (2), grease (2), bull's strength, bear's endurance, blur (2), reduce person (12), create pit (2), wind wall, false life (2), color spray (2), gravity bow (2), burning hands (4), major image (1), comprehend languages (2), animal aspect, ill omen, magic fang, haste (2), true seeing, distracting cacophany, honeyed tongue, invisibility sphere, tongues (2), remove blindness/deafness (2)], wands [shield, enlarge person, protection from evil, web, summon monster I (CL3), cure light wounds, lesser restoration, dispel magic (CL 14), gaseous form, invisibility purge]
Other gear headband of Cha +4, cloak of resistance +1, mnemonic vestments, ring of protection +1, ring of spell knowledge type III, ring of feather falling, meridian belt, handy haversack, page of spell knowledge (create pit), page of spell knowledge (stumble gap), bracelet of bargaining, wayfinder (jade and diamond encrusted enhancements containing cracked pink and green sphere ioun stone), various sundry items
Narshala, spinosaurus companion
Effective druid level 11
Female spinosaurus
N Large animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5
-----Defense-----
AC 28, flat-footed 25, touch 12 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +11 natural, -1 size) (+2 vs. demons)
hp 76 (9d8 + 36)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +4 (+4 vs. enchantments)
Defensive abilities evasion, DR 2/- (only vs. demons)
-----Offense-----
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +11 (1d8+14) and 2 claws +12 (1d6+14)
or bite +13 (1d8+14)
or claw +14 (1d8+14)
Space 10 ft. Reach 5 ft.
-----Statistics-----
Str 30, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 3
Base Atk +6, CMB +17 (+23 bull rush), CMD 30 (36 vs. bull rush, 34 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Bull Rush, Greater Bull Rush, Narrow Frame, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Climb +14, Escape Artist +4, Fly +7, Perception +5, Stealth +3, Swim +22 Racial bonuses +8 Swim
Other gear +1 Demon-defiant studded leather, cloak of resistance +1, menacing amulet of mighty fists
Edit: A couple things I put on here that are slightly "non-standard" on NPC blocks: I included metamagic versions of spells that I use often in the "spells known" section, so they don't actually count as separate spells known.
As you can see, I have a TON of scrolls that I've picked up throughout the many PFS sessions I've played with her and either forgotten to use or just not needed at the time. Her armor class is obviously super low, but I keep mage amor and false life on her pretty much all the time (10 hours a day for one cast pretty much takes care of it). I also cast shield on the animal companion often for an additional +4 to her armor class.
The most important part of the build, and what makes her devastating to enemies, is the revelation "Awesome Display" which treats enemies as if they had your Cha mod fewer hit dice for the effects of illusion [pattern] spells, which means things like hypnotic pattern, loathsome veil, and color spray.
I also like to drop the Threatening images on the other side of enemies when Narshala is beating on them, since she gets an additional +2 flanking bonus thanks to her Menacing amulet of mighty fists.
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Could also try out Sorcerer (Any bloodline) using the build from 3.5 "The Arcane Spy"
Feats (that are still in Pathfinder)
Extend Spell, Spell Focus [Divination], Silent Spell, *Eschew Materials [if not a sorcerer]
Best Spells
1- Disguise Self
2- Invisibility
3- Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
4- Arcane Eye
5- Prying Eyes
6- True Seeing
7- Greater Scrying
8- Discern Location
9- Time Stop
So far the build has proven to be very much problem inducing for the GM who is running giant slayers, currently at level 13 I've been spying on pretty much everything, With Craft Alchemy I've been poisoning armies and even infiltrating them on many occasions.
adding Image spells and maybe Still Spell you can walk in and disrupt a great deal.