|
"We don't fly, and we don't let anyone else either."
-Unofficial moto of the Russian Antiaircraft Corps.
Now my idea here was to make a sorcerer for a mid-level party, that specializes as an anticaster - dispel magic, greater dispel magic and secondary specialization as party support. I, however, am not usually a caster player, so I come to you for help.
What would be the best way to achieve a caster that just doesn't let other magic users do nothing? Starting with readied magic missiles/burning hands? A sorcerer is practically necessary, because not every encounter will be with casters, but I'm open to suggestions.
A sample build from 1-10 will be greatly appreciated.
Help me build the Anti-Arcane Forces!
Thanks.
I believe you'd be better off with a counterspell school wizard focused on using readied actions to counterspell enemy casters. It gives you improved counterspell as a bonus feat at 6th level and gives you 1+1 per 4 levels beyond 6th immediate action counterspells per day. Tag with spectral hand and its disruption lets you lock down enemy spellcasters quite effectively.
You also get the standard abjurer variable energy resistance for when your counterspelling isn't quite as effective as you'd like it to be.
As to race... I'd suggest Drow if you can swing it, Elf if you can't. Drow have spell resistance and a nice set of immunities and resistances that they share with elves in case something gets through, and both can use their favored class bonus to get extra uses of the disruption power. Elves don't get spell resistance but counter with higher int.
Dispel magic is of course your spell of choice, with spells like globe of invulnerability, magic circle against alignment, and other similar defenses being your bread and butter. I believe there's also a few spells that inflict your enemies with spell blights, and while you've got that spectral hand up and about for laying down disruptions a few touch of idiocies and bestow curses should help out too.
Conterspelling is way more unreliable then just hitting them when they are casting.
The main problem with counterspelling of any kind is that 1 for 1 action tradeoff is generally a bad proposition for adventurers since they tend to be outnumbered in more cases then not.
That's where Disruption comes in. once you tag the enemy wizard with it they've got to make a concentration check of 15 + 2x spells level in addition to any other concentration checks they have to make for all spells they cast for the next 1/2 level rounds. At 10th level (the OP's suggestion) that's 5 rounds for 1 standard action, not a bad trade. Follow that up with a debuff against the caster's primary stat and they're pretty much out of the fight.
|
|
I see. I don't think drow is going to be an option, but an elf is the next best thing. Especially with the bonus for more disruption. Will try to build and test that.
Another question, is something other than a counter spell wizard viable at that? Or is just the combination of the school, alternative bonus and general wizardiness that makes it THE choice for counter spelling?
At higher levels, parry spell makes counterspell useful. Don't know if it's third party.
Usurp spell is third party, but makes counter-spell more viable.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm thinking that effects like the Rage spell would be really beneficial. I feel like most of what you're going for is debuffing targeting mages.
Most of that stuff is enchantment and necromancy school.
It's a lot of save or suck, but if you boost your DC's with feats like spell focus and metamagic it should be good.
I feel like the Rage spell is actually really good for disarming mages, because it doesn't allow them to cast spells, they aren't getting alot of bonuses from the strength, and they get a debuff to their AC. And on the fly it's a small buff for your bsf
Also, drop a summoned swarm on the enemy caster. LOTS of concentration checks, probably poison, and some DPR to boot.
Unfortunately the spell Rage can only be cast on willing targets.
Spellscar Oracle can do an alright job, but it runs afowl of the 1 for 1 action exchange thing except a few times per day. On the other hand, wild magic effects can be a lot of fun and flavorful. :)
Magical Lineage - Flaming Sphere.
Disrupting spell metamagic. Applied to Flaming Sphere. (Still uses a 2nd level slot)
Readied action - Cast Magic Missile (or whatever other damage spell you like, for added fun, add disruptive here too for yet another concentration check)
For an enemy to manage a spell casting, while you move action - sphere/standard action -ready MM them... they'd have to make two concentration checks. The first being (12 + stat + spell level) and the other being (10 + MM damage + spell level)
All the while, you're demolishing their HP.
Then pick whatever other anti-magic stuff you like from there on. This tactic goes online fully at level 3 wiz or 4 sorc.
It can be pulled off by other spells too. Any persisting spell that requires a move action to direct, plus any standard action cast. This nets up to three concentration checks.
If you feel like getting crazy, you could also use damage over time spells, these concentration DCs are lower... but you could generate so many concentration checks it'd be nigh impossible to ever cast this way.
These options are far superior to counterspelling. They do stuff + stop casts, and more reliably stop casts too.
I believe you'd be better off with a counterspell school wizard focused on using readied actions to counterspell enemy casters. It gives you improved counterspell as a bonus feat at 6th level and gives you 1+1 per 4 levels beyond 6th immediate action counterspells per day. Tag with spectral hand and its disruption lets you lock down enemy spellcasters quite effectively.
You also get the standard abjurer variable energy resistance for when your counterspelling isn't quite as effective as you'd like it to be.
Can you deliver a Supernatural ability (Disruption) using Spectral Hand?
Personally I still think the Anti-Magic Field shooting Arcane Archer is the best shut down to casters. Can drop a AMF from outside the wizards range AND still have Full BAB+Combat Feats to be able to pelt the wizard to death with arrows before he can even do anything.
Oh and if you feel like being real froggy, shoot them with the Arrow of Slaying. Hope the wizard can make a fort save....
Having a Feeblemind or two memorised can be very effective against anything that casts Arcane spells. Decent save penalty. Shuts down casters unless their friends have heal or limited wish to hand.
Needs more Spell Sunder Barbarians and Fighters with Step Up, Following Step, and Disruptive.
Also, as Corvino mentioned, a sorcerer with Feeblemind can shutdown any arcane caster pretty well. Strangely enough, it also works to stop wisdom based caster (usually divine) as the spell just outright says you can't cast spells. However, it doesn't give the penalty to the save for divine casters as it does for arcane.
Also, casting Silence on your Fighter and having him run at the spell caster can work pretty well, especially with Following Step.
Personally I still think the Anti-Magic Field shooting Arcane Archer is the best shut down to casters. Can drop a AMF from outside the wizards range AND still have Full BAB+Combat Feats to be able to pelt the wizard to death with arrows before he can even do anything.This works great in the middle levels but as soon as you hit 17/18 you may start coming across Aroden's Spellbane. I know it is a spell I would be extremely tempted to take as my first 9th as a sorcerer, even over time stop, gate, wish or shapechange if paragon surge is not available.
But no one plays at that level. Also, at that level, you still have your Arrow of Slaying to take out Arcane Casters. You can also drop many other spells to screw with casters (any area spell [pretty much anything that is not a single target]). Additionally, you are still pretty much a full martial, so you can really lay on the hurt on a person while pelting them with spells.
Additionally, with abilities like Phase Arrow, you can use Stone shape to make a wall to block their view and then use Phase Arrow with Arrow of Slaying or Imbue arrow to lay hurt on a caster while being safely out of distance.
|
If you are looking for wizard, then with lower-level spell slots use Snowball and Magic Missile to disarm, as SB will do a nice helping of damage[up to 5d6] to force a concentration check, and a distraction check[1's happen], and a save v. stagger[which could end the turn], and MM will do damage and depending on choices, possibly knock down the target forcing free checks with auto-hit. You probably want Flaming Spheres in 2nd level slots, as they allow you to ready actions to move them into caster squares when they cast so you can do a fair amount of damage. 3rd and up Dispel Magic and similar come into play.
If you are looking for a wizard-type, the ACG Arcanist has an ability that helps you use the counterspell action without having the spell "prepared", along with massive versatility [prepare spells known], and a few more cool abilities.
If you are looking for just any caster who does anti-caster tactics, then a spellcaster12/Arcane Archer2+ or a more balanced level progression with martial mixed in lets you shoot arrows of Antimagic Field, in addition to save-for-half evocation spells[like Fireball] through your bow, so a readied action Antimagic or Fireball will ruin the caster's day.
If you are looking for wizard, then with lower-level spell slots use Snowball and Magic Missile to disarm, as SB will do a nice helping of damage[up to 5d6] to force a concentration check, and a distraction check[1's happen], and a save v. stagger[which could end the turn], and MM will do damage and depending on choices, possibly knock down the target forcing free checks with auto-hit. You probably want Flaming Spheres in 2nd level slots, as they allow you to ready actions to move them into caster squares when they cast so you can do a fair amount of damage. 3rd and up Dispel Magic and similar come into play.
If you are looking for a wizard-type, the ACG Arcanist has an ability that helps you use the counterspell action without having the spell "prepared", along with massive versatility [prepare spells known], and a few more cool abilities.
If you are looking for just any caster who does anti-caster tactics, then a spellcaster12/Arcane Archer2+ or a more balanced level progression with martial mixed in lets you shoot arrows of Antimagic Field, in addition to save-for-half evocation spells[like Fireball] through your bow, so a readied action Antimagic or Fireball will ruin the caster's day.
Wizard 1/Fighter 1/EK 5/AA 2
That gives you the most optimal mix of Full-1 BAB and spell casting.
You could also check out the Spellscar oracle mystery.
You should actually stay away from it. It has some nice features for an antimagic feel but the Spellscar is actually about primal magic and not dispelling. The counterspell school is probably your best bet. You don't get features as obvious as, say, the spellscar, but it's more flexible and won't leave you mechanically constrained to just dispelling/counterspelling. Resist the temptation to see the su's and get caught up in them not being subject to spell resistance. A well built wizard, especially an elf, can deal with spell resistance easily.
Any spell that causes on-going damage will work, even if it's just setting someone on fire.
|
|
I will check the arcanist, since I wasn't looking so much to 'prevent casting in the best way possible' but rather 'counter everything'. The full BAB idea is good, but I'd be tempted to go more martial and go against the original idea. However, the antimagic field on an AA is pretty close to the concept.
Is the arcanist a prepared caster? If so, does he have more features than 'cast spell and then do it again' as wizards do?
If your real goal is 'counter everything' then go dwarven paladin 2/synthesist 8. Seriously.