Transmutation School in PFS a reasonable choice?

[Folkish Elm]

Hi All

Planning my 2nd PFS character in prep for the UK Games Expo in May (yay! I had a great time at the 2013 one - we be goblins was especially awesome!). My first PFS character was a fighter to keep things simple.

Want to try a wizard I think. I've played one at higher levels in a 3.5 campaign and really enjoyed it - especially using haste and fly and generally buffing the party.

Therefore thinking of the transmutation school. Is this a reasonable choice for PFS play? I figure if I have a wand of magic missile on standby too I should have enough to do that is of use during combat right?

One thing I found in 3.5 is that the 2nd level characteristic boosting buffs (bulls strength) etc were of limited use. Is this the case in PFS?

[andreww]

The stat boosting spells are not that great anymore as their duration are pretty much too short. Transmutation is OK as a school. You will certainly find some useful spells at each level. Enlarge Person, Levitate, Haste, Slow, Elemental Body, Baleful Polymorph are all excellent options.

From a pure power perspective however Foresight and Teleportation are the better specialisms. Foresight because they can act in the surprise round (which can be very common in PFS with some GM's) and Teleportation for Shift giving you effective immunity to grappling.

[Chris O'Reilly]

Reasonable yes, game shapingly disgusting no. Getting free physical attributes for yourself is a nice perk and you can find a spell of every level that you want to have. The stat buff spells arent anything to build a character around but they are nice early on or later to buff a secondary stat once people have their main stat boosting item of choice. Minute per level buffs are not all day buffs but they last a combat if you precast them and often times will last two or three as the encounters are all grouped together in a nice cozy dungeon in pfs.

[Silbeg]

I have seen very effective transmutation specialists in PFS, especially a certain polymorph specialist. There are a lot of things you can do with a transmuter... a lot of interesting spells.

I say, play whatever specialization you want to... do it well, and people will enjoy having you at your table. Have fun, Cooperate, Report!

[Dhjika]

Folkish Elm wrote:

Hi All

Planning my 2nd PFS character in prep for the UK Games Expo in May (yay! I had a great time at the 2013 one - we be goblins was especially awesome!). My first PFS character was a fighter to keep things simple.

Want to try a wizard I think. I've played one at higher levels in a 3.5 campaign and really enjoyed it - especially using haste and fly and generally buffing the party.

Therefore thinking of the transmutation school. Is this a reasonable choice for PFS play? I figure if I have a wand of magic missile on standby too I should have enough to do that is of use during combat right?

One thing I found in 3.5 is that the 2nd level characteristic boosting buffs (bulls strength) etc were of limited use. Is this the case in PFS?

I have seen very effective transmutation wizards with manipulation of the SLOW spell - combining magical lineage trait and metamagic feats can lock down multiple opponents from taking more than one attack. But that is more in the mid-to-high game.

It used to be lots of people wanted to have Enlarge or Reduce Person cast on them - not so much any more as there are more tieflings and aasimars that cannot get the spell.

The stat buff spells are not too common because of their short duration and very quickly become less effective as people start buying their first stat boost items.

Being a buffer character or support character can be rewarding - but it is not for everyone - if you want to be doing the action rather than helping others acting - a transmuter/buffer is perhaps not for you.

[Yiroep]

I actually own one of the Slow wizards Dhjika is talking about. There's a few other tricks I use with this particular wizard

First of all, he's an elf, so I put my transmutation bonus into constitution for a very long time until I bought a belt of constitution. It allowed me to purchase other things I needed first before getting that, and helped offset my low constitution for being an elf. His bonus now sits in dexterity, which I made an odd number so that it will matter when he gets to level 10 and his transmutation bonus is also an odd number.

I couldn't really find a level 2 transmutation spell that intrigued me, so I prepared Darkvision in that slot so I can see in the dark with the others that have darkvision. Now that he is higher level, he can afford to prepare more than 1 of those, so if others can't see in the dark, he will provide it for them (unless he has to do the entire party or something, but that's usually not the case as many races possess darkvision). This way, the party doesn't have to travel around with light.

Buffing spells aren't the only spells available in transmutation: Burning Disarm, Slow, Shifting Sands (Has no SR check), Obsidian Flow (Also no SR), Telekenesis, Disintegrate, just as examples.

I do feel the real power of transmutation, from my experience, is the versatility you have. There are SO many useful spells in transmutation: Feather Fall, Magic Weapon, Enlarge Person, Expeditious Retreat, Liberating Command, and Reduce Person just to name a few, and that's just the first level spells!

[Kyrie Ebonblade]

Transmuter is most Assuredly a valid and good choice for PFS. You have buffs of all sorts at all levels (like Andrew Roberts, I like darvision but I lean towards communal). You have some really fun combat spells and some dire Save or Sucks.

I ended on fight right off with a Baleful Polymorph at the right moment with mt transmuter/ maagamban Arcanist.

Transmuter is DEFINITELY a viable choice for a buffer/battlefield controller type

[Jokon Yew]

In addition to the above information, transmutation wizards should strongly consider the Transmuter of Korada trait. This trait not only gives you a +1 CL on any transmutation spell you cast, but it lets you extend one of the short duration 2nd level stat buff spells once per day (does not stack with extend metamagic). In fact, you can have a CL modifier of +3 with transmutation spells if you choose Bloodmage Initiate, Varisian Tattoo and ToK, which is exceptionally helpful at low levels and does not hurt at high levels.

As far as grand strategies go, transmutation is definitely the most flexible wizard school in Pathfinder. Focus on controls, don't neglect your saves and you'll do grandly.

[Theodum]

If you ask me as Venture Captain and Transmuter 12 / Pathfinder Chronicler 1 - I would say - can there be anything else that is more useful. I have proven it again and again - but maybe your question should be reworded.

Lets start with Transmuter or not Transmuter - well - your first question should be Wizard or Sorcerer.
Both are reasonable - in the hands of the right player - but I have seen players struggle with either. My player - Thod - is a great Wizard player - he loves the versatility, he loves to find new uses to spells crammed somewhere in my spellbook. But I have known other people who just work better with a sorceror.
Actually - one Ice Sorceress went with me through the Eyes of the 10. There wasn't a competition who was more useful - we both played our (different) roles.

This out of the way I would say not what you select but what you despise form more of your character. You know - I come from Andoran. I adhore the use of slavery - and this includes slavery of the mind. I also adhore the use of the undead. As such I never followed the spells of Compulsion or Necromany.

This lack of spells can be more defining as the school you follow. After all - a wizard knows nearly every kind of spells - apart of the ones he doesn't like to cast.

The next is your spell book. Transmutation is only a small part of spells you memorize each day. There are many to choose from - but that doesn't prevent you from learning other spells. Actually I would advise to be versatile. But if you choose the part of the wizard then I don't have to tell you.

So follow in my foot steps. I will look out for you should I ever meet you.

[Kyrie Ebonblade]

I agree with Theodum... Transmutation is an awesome school but only part of the whole of any wizard you do.

There are a LOT of spells out there that are way useful. I like for my Trans/Magaambian Arcanist for the fact that she can literally pull a spell out of memory in a minute and use it in any blank spot. (I have 28 spells under spell mastery at the moment).

-Buffing. Transmutation is awesome at this. BUT there are a few spells in other categories you should check out. Adjuration for protection, Necromancy for False Life/Greater False Life alone. Even Divination has 'buffs' you can use (Cultural Adaption)

-Combat Utility. This is where Evocation rules.. but Conjuration and Transmutation have good spells too. You got Snowball, Flurry of Snowballs, the entire Create Pit series. Transmutation has spells that help out.. like Greater Magic Weapon, Obsidian Flow. Not to mention the dozens of form spells (Monstrous Physique, Form of the Dragon, ect), and such.

I confess that the Transmuter has been so much fun that I have gone slow advancement upon hitting 10th level. :D

[Folkish Elm]

Wow! Some really useful tips and things to think about here. Many thanks all!

From the descriptions it looks like this is indeed the option for me. My 3.5 wizard was mainly a blaster I guess but towards the end I started prepping more and more non blast spells. I loved the fact that I could cast haste at the beginning of the combat and (at a high CL) boost everyone in the party by so much. Everytime someone did lots of damage with that extra attack or out ran something super fast I really enjoyed the fact that my character had done that with one action.

I'll keep an eye on variety but it sounds like I won't have trouble filling that transmutation slot at each level.

The wizard I'm planning is also a bit of a knowledge buff using the fast learner and improvisation feat tree to have a reasonable score in all knowledges. I think she will also abhor the use of necromancy and enchantments. I'm also thinking she will be an outgoing practical type of person obsessed with finding old stuff. Should be fun!

Many thanks again! :)

[BigNorseWolf]

Very.

Transmuter is the specialist school for non specialists. It gives you access to a huge and diverse toolbox, which is incredibly useful for all the weird things pathfinder society will throw at you.

[Angelo Gaius Cassius Fierro]

My specialization is actually Conjurer. However, I have learned that there are times that the very effective Conjuration spells are not the best choice. To that end, I've been making a study of the low level (1-3) force based-attack spells (Magic Missile, Admonishing Ray, Force Punch, to name a few) to use with my Lesser Metamagic Rod of Toppling Spell. I've also recently added a new spell focus, Transmutation. Why? So certain transmutation spells, such as Slow, Baleful Polymorph, and Disintegrate are as hard to avoid as my "Pit" spells (which, I'll argue are about the most effective spells out there!).

While I've always been fascinated with the prospect of summoning spells (even to the point of taking Augment Summoning), I've been using these awesome spells less and less. Probably because it seems like the critters I can summon are just not potent enough to make as big of a difference as I would like. I am hoping that has changed, now that I can cast Summon Monster V, but I can also now cast Baleful Polymorph and Hungry Pit. OH, the decisions that I need to make!

[Paz]

Folkish Elm wrote:

I had a great time at the 2013 one - we be goblins was especially awesome!

I'm really glad you enjoyed it and that you're coming back for more!

-- Your WBG! GM

[ARGH!]

Transmuters can be very fun to play. I was actually thinking of playing one in RotRL so that I could counter the BBEG's spells with my own. I ended up going with conjurer for a flavor choice, but it was close. At the very least, never ban transmutation, because that will crimp your versatility greatly. Transmutation may not be the absolute best choice mechanically,but it is still solid and flexible.

[Kyrie Ebonblade]

BEST follow up spell to ANY pit spell is.. Summon Deadfall. WITHOUT a doubt. I'm so wanting a rod of Quicken spell so that I can do JUST that in one round..

POOF.. a pit.. then.. POOF.. Acme Safe falling from the sky.

[John Compton]

ARGH! wrote:

At the very least, never ban transmutation, because that will crimp your versatility greatly. Transmutation may not be the absolute best choice mechanically,but it is still solid and flexible.

Seconded.

I'm playing through Kingmaker with an arcane spellcaster that does not have access to transmutation spells, and it's tough. I'm also looking at a transmuter as one of my next PFS or Adventure Path characters, and they look like a lot of fun.

[Mahtobedis]

When I build a sorcerer I almost always find myself going really have on the transmutation spells. There are just a lot of them that are really helpful to have around.