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Hi All,
I am looking to make a spellslinger (wizard archetype) and would like to know some great spells to choose. Can you help with some suggestions?
Build advice and how the class has played for you is also welcome.
In my experience, there are no good spells for spellslingers.
Or good anythings. The best thing for a spellslinger is the multiclassing rules.
Color Spray seems to be touted a lot till you hit level 5 in general. However, any spells that can be added to an attack seem to be useful. Abundant Amunition and Reloading Hands could also help.
If you're willing to multiclass, five levels of Gunslinger would add to your damage, but makes you quite MAD,
I'm currently playing a musketmaster1/spellslinger5/eldritch knight3
1) If you are an optimiser, then don't bother with spellslinger; it is noticeably weaker than any 'normal' wizard.
2) choose your opposition schools very carefully, you lose 4 schools and it is a real pain! Don't focus on which spells you want to cast through your gun, focus instead on which effects you will feel too weak to be without:
eg if you lose Illusion, you won't get Blur or Mirror Image - immediately, you have lost 2 of the best defensive spells; Mage Armour - also essential for most mages; losing Enchantment costs you Confusion; etc.
3) Then pick your offensive spells from the schools you have left. It actually doesn't matter which ones they are, and you don't have to have 'good' spells available at all levels since about half your spell slots are likely to be sacrificed to gain weapon effects (they only last for one encounter each (one minute per spell level of the spell sacrificed, not character level)).
Oh, and check with your GM about how they intend to play the effects that only work on melee weapons (RAW: they only work if you are trying to hit things with the barrel of your gun as an improvised weapon - will you be allowed to use them as ranged effects, or as melee on eg the axe part of an axe musket?)
And also ask about how he/she sees double-barrelled guns working and how they interact with eg focussed shot.
Color Spray seems to be touted a lot till you hit level 5 in general. However, any spells that can be added to an attack seem to be useful. Abundant Amunition and Reloading Hands could also help.
If you're willing to multiclass, five levels of Gunslinger would add to your damage, but makes you quite MAD,
Abundant Ammunition is less useful than it sounds because it doesn't reload the gun. I only used it once, when money was tight at 2nd-3rd level.
Reloading Hands is useful, but not as good as getting a Beneficient Bandolier (and an Endless Bandolier).5 levels of gunslinger is very good but makes you even weaker as a wizard; but does mean you become much more effective than a straight gunslinger. MADness is minimal since any spellslinger will want a decent Dexterity - 2 high stats is not excessive!
Edit: spelling
arcane strike and magic bullet are decent ways to add to damage, when not shooting spells.
Are there any other good illusion spells to take?
Greater Invisibility; Displacement; see any guide to wizards really. You'll never have a high AC so miss chances/concealment are the way to defend yourself.
Edit: magic bullets still cost you spells. I generally sacrifice one spell and then either fire real bullets with the extra effects on, or a spell with the higher DC/to hit bonus.
I don't find spellslingers weaker than other wizards, but they are far narrower in party niche. There are two main ways to play one, in my eyes.
The first: Buff the barrel of your gun to a +5 and fire spells as if you are an a normal blaster wizard. A level 10 spellsplinger can fire an intensified burning hands (for example) for 10d4 (DC 22); a lot of low level spells stay good. Snowball, Lightning bolt, Burning Arc, are all good, though admittedly the list of spells that fulfill the Arcane Gun's requirements is a little lacking. The feat loadout for this build is like a normal wizard.
The second: Super Ranged Magus Attack. I actually prefer this one. Use spells to fuel Mage Bullets. A 5th level spell on top of a +2 weapon can get you a +5 Seeking Spell Storing gun for 5 minutes. Or a +1 Frost Fire Shocking Vicious Seeking Spell Storing gun. Whichever. For spells, as the Magus, for spell storing barrels, and some crowd control spells, like Web, Fog Cloud (Seeking, suckers!), and Black Tentacles. For feats, as a gunslinger.
TL;DR: Blaster spells if you are going the Arcane Gun route; crowd control and touch spells if you are going Mage Bullet route.
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The correct answer is Wizard(Spellslinger) 1/Sorcerer 19.
You can use all your sorcerer spells through your arcane gun, none of the spellslingers abilities depend on level or anything else. Heck, since this archetypes abilities focus on blasting it even performs better with sorcerer spells since you can select a bunch of blast spells as your spells known and not have to worry about how many to prepare.
You're are now a blaster sorcerer who shoots his spells through his gun.
Seems like it works to me.
It will seem counterintuitive, but start with 11 int, high cha (18 to 20 depending on what you can afford), and high dex. First level (if you start at first level) will suck. After level 4 or so you should be doing alright. Consult regular sorcerer guides on how to make a blaster sorcerer.
The correct answer is Wizard(Spellslinger) 1/Sorcerer 19.
Yes. That is indeed RAW. You can also go Witch, or even Cleric, because the class doesn't specify which spells can be used. That's super cheesy and probably not at all RAI, but totally legit. Also, it means that losing cantrips and 4 schools of magic is meaningless because you'll get those back in your other caster class. If you GM allows it...he's asking for pain, and you should give it to him in spades!
Yes. That is indeed RAW. You can also go Witch, or even Cleric, because the class doesn't specify which spells can be used. That's super cheesy and probably not at all RAI, but totally legit. Also, it means that losing cantrips and 4 schools of magic is meaningless because you'll get those back in your other caster class. If you GM allows it...he's asking for pain, and you should give it to him in spades!The correct answer is Wizard(Spellslinger) 1/Sorcerer 19.
My GM offered any of these builds to me, but I thought they were too cheesy! (He did ban 'early entry using SLA' though. Different people, different levels of cheese.)
Since the party has no full caster (apart from me), it didn't matter too much if my wizard wasn't quite as optimised as possible.
Also, it seems to me that focusing on blasting is kinda pointless when you can pump your save DCs so high. I mean, all you get from +5 to DCs with dmg spells is [assumed chance for saving vs your spell]*25%. That doesn't feel a lot. Whereas with save or sucks that's an extra 25% chance to end combat.
No one is saying don't pick up some good Save or Suck spells along the way with your evocation spells. But you're largely going to focus on blasting, because that's honestly what the archetype is set up to do most, and using sorcerer levels complements it quite well. However, a Heightened Feeblemind with a +5 from your gun for the DC against a spellcaster means he can kiss his powers goodbye.
Also, it seems to me that focusing on blasting is kinda pointless when you can pump your save DCs so high. I mean, all you get from +5 to DCs with dmg spells is [assumed chance for saving vs your spell]*25%. That doesn't feel a lot. Whereas with save or sucks that's an extra 25% chance to end combat.No one is saying don't pick up some good Save or Suck spells along the way with your evocation spells. But you're largely going to focus on blasting, because that's honestly what the archetype is set up to do most, and using sorcerer levels complements it quite well. However, a Heightened Feeblemind with a +5 from your gun for the DC against a spellcaster means he can kiss his powers goodbye.
Feeblemind is not a viable spell for the buff from the Arcane gun. Spells need a ranged touch, line, cone, etc. Feeblemind is a great spell, but your gun won't change the DC. Other than that, I'm with Claxon. The Arcane Gun, by its nature, is a blasting tool. There are less save or suck spells that work with the Arcane Gun, than blasty-pew-pew spells.
Add dazing with metamagic to a blast spell. The higher DC makes it even better than normal but not with fireball.
Disintegrate also works.
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Thanks for the advice so far. I am not worried about power level, the group i would play this with can roll with any power level and i am happy if i have fun.
I had been focusing on spells i can shoot, not just being an awesome wizard with a gun.
Conjuration is really hard to drop, it has amazing spells. I can live with out transmutation until lv 9.
what do you think about this PrC Magaambyan Arcanist delayed entry does not hurt so much since you have a higher level druid spells to pick from. I do wish i could avoid scholar though.
I've never much liked that PrC. Though I recommend picking up Fiery Body, Meteor Swarm, and a shotgun when you hit higher levels.
Feeblemind is not a viable spell for the buff from the Arcane gun. Spells need a ranged touch, line, cone, etc.
That is a great point, and for some reason I thought it was a ranged touch attack. Anyway, the general point stands. Though, I'd have to do some hard research to figure out what good Save or Suck spells there are that are also ranged touch attacks/cones/rays/lines/etc.
Words of power > profit
Seeing as the School of the Gun replaces a standard wizard's opposition schools, do you think one could get around the inability to pick Universal as an opposition school?
Furthermore, since it doesn't explicitly mention spell sources, do you think the -4 penalty to crafting magic items follows after multiclassing?
Going Spellslinger Wizard 1 / Dragonic Sorceer 19 still seems the best deal to me.
*Draconic *Sorcerer
...and now I disappear.
Whoops or maybe I don't.
Seeing as the School of the Gun replaces a standard wizard's opposition schools, do you think one could get around the inability to pick Universal as an opposition school?
I don't even know what this question means but it smells like fish.
Furthermore, since it doesn't explicitly mention spell sources, do you think the -4 penalty to crafting magic items follows after multiclassing?
You're probably going to be using your sorcerer level as your caster level, so the answer is no, but what kind of sorcerer focuses on crafting...especially one that's missing a level?
The second: Super Ranged Magus Attack. I actually prefer this one. Use spells to fuel Mage Bullets. A 5th level spell on top of a +2 weapon can get you a +5 Seeking Spell Storing gun for 5 minutes. Or a +1 Frost Fire Shocking Vicious Seeking Spell Storing gun. Whichever. For spells, as the Magus, for spell storing barrels, and some crowd control spells, like Web, Fog Cloud (Seeking, suckers!), and Black Tentacles. For feats, as a gunslinger.
Wooaaahhh hold on there. This isn't 3.0 anymore: enhancement bonuses don't stack. The barrel of your pistol/musket would get +3 seeking spell-storing, not +5. You also cannot modify any enhancements that are already on the gun.
