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I have only theory crafted an Archaist, and the coin flip landed on Archaist over Oracle for my new PFS level 1. This will be my second PFS character, the first I am playing by the seat of my pants, but this one I want planned in complete detail because otherwise, spell casters seem to slow down games, a lot.
So here goes:
This is a gnome just because I like Gnomes. No other reason.
8 Str, 12 Con, 14 Dex, 18 Int 10 Wis, 10 Cha (don't want negative uses)
Archetype: Occultist
Traits: Seeker: +1 Perception, perception is a class skill; and, Excitable: +2 Initiative.
RP Validation: Constant danger and reward? Does that describe a Gnome? Check. Does it describe a magic user in general? Check.
Special Skill: Linguistics: Aquan, Auran, Terran, Ignan, Celestial, Infernal, and Abyssal. It is important to be able to direct your summons.
Skills: UMD, Perception, Craft Alchemy, and Spellcraft at maximum/level. Rotate other skill points through the various Knowledge Skills.
Feats/Exploits:
1: Spell Focus (Conjuration) / Replaced by Occultist
3: Augment Summons / School Understanding (Teleportation)
5: Extra Arcanist Exploit (Familiar) / Lepidstadt Shifter
Level 6: Arcane Reservoir now refreshes to 7, maximum of 9
7: Improved Familiar / Replaced by Occultist
9: IExtra Arcanist Exploit Consume Magic Items / Quick Study
11: Superior Summons / Counterspell
Level 12: Arcane Reservoir now refreshes to 11, maximum of 15
Gear by priority:
Int Headband +N
Cloak of Resistance +N
Pathfinder Pouch (Mini version of Handy Haversack, doesn't detect as magic, and appears empty unless you use the magic word. A smugglers best friend! all for only 1000)
Wayfinder
Burdenless Slick Hamaki +1 (I hate being grappled, and encumbrance . . and some things just don't fit into a haversack)
fortification Mithral Buckler +1 (I hate crits . . . against me. Roll this before burning Jingasa)
Dueling Spiked Gauntlet +1 (Doesn't interfere with spell casting, lets me get off AoO if I ever need to, allows me to Aid Others if I can't cast something else, and +4 Initiative)
Ring of Seven Lovely Colors (RP reasons more than anything else, also reason for Lepidstadt Shifter)
Dex/Con belt +2 (Never can have saves too high, or too many HP, or too much initiative . . . )
Clear Spindle Ioun Stone (for Wayfinder, I hate mind control)
Handy Haversack (I hate encumbrance)
Cracked Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (No one ever lost by going first too often, only 500g)
Ring of Freedom of Movement (I hate being grappled)
Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier (Negate 1 crit/day, and +1 AC for only 5000 gold)
Mnemonic Vestment (Cast 1 spell/day from spell book without memorizing in advance)
Eyes of the Eagle (+5 Perception)
Boots of the Cat (Creatures that fall take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of 20d6 . . . Never take more than 20 points of falling damage! Leap from zeppelins, mountain tops, cliffs, and castles, all for a maximum of 20 points of damage!)
Necklace of Adaptation (Pairs nicely with Wayfinder + Ioun Stone) no mind control, no air, no food, no water)
Seducer's Bane (nice bonuses to save v. enchant spells for when Wayfinder resonant power is not enough)
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Mundane Stuff:
Obsession Log (+2 Craft: Alchemy)
Alchemists Lab (+2 Craft: Alchemy)
Permanent bonuses from equipment, feats, racial bonuses, and traits affect your Day Job check as they would any check for the rolled skill, but temporary bonuses such as those granted by spell effects, other than crafter’s fortune, do not contribute, as the duration over which the Day Job check is made is undefined and represents a longer amount of time than a spell’s duration would permit the bonus to remain. You may take 10 on a Day Job check, but you may not take 20 nor can you aid another.
Taking 10, I should earn 150 gold/level with 2 ranks in Craft: Alchemy by taking 10. (150X12=1800, not a lot overall, but it is something for almost nothing.)
So here goes::
This is a gnome just because I like Gnomes. No other reason.
No, no, no! You can't select races just because you like them! Optimized choices only! ;)
Seriously, it looks like a pretty good build. I'd be a little concerned about the low strength for encumbrance purposes, but I see you plan on getting burdenless armor to help with that. With low strength and no weapon finesse you don't have many good combat options, though.
My main combat option, outside of arcane casting, will be Aid Another actions, that way I only ever need to be able to hit Armor Class 10, assuming I am brave enough to enter melee . . . highly unlikely.
That seems reasonable. In my experience, though, sometimes combat comes to you. I usually like to have at least one good physical option available, but that is probably my personal bias talking. From my name you can probably guess how I build spellcasters..
From my name you can probably guess how I build spellcasters..Straight rogue? ;P
LOL.
I actually did play a straight rogue once. But back then they were called thieves.
I'm not sold on School Understanding: Teleportation when there's Dimensional Step. While D. Step takes a move action and cannot get out of grapples, you are not limited to three times a day and it can take you a much farther distance (ex: at level 6 you will go 60 feet instead of 15).
Also, you want quick study by the time you get third level spells. Quick Study is what makes an Arcanist so strong, giving you access to your whole spell list at the cost of a full round action. By 3rd level you'll be getting spells you'll want to cast once a day and then switch out, or pull out a silver bullet in combat.
I would take dex 10 and con 16. Now where you are a gnome. Lots of hit points and good fortitude save is better than a little bonus to initiative and reflex IMOP.
School undestanding is not really worth it IMOP. It is 5 feet teleportation 3 times a Day, not really enough to escape any thing since the turn ends when you shift. Get the familiar early(pehaps a Dodo or another +4 initiative in pocket size). And improved initiative at level 5.
Also the cast when shapeshifted is a week choice IMOP since you wont be using polymorph to turn in to big scary things. It is mainly gonna be usefull if you work as a scout and there you can do without. Get the teleport as a move action instead.
Edit: i would also consider pulling one from int to boost 2 of the lowish stats with 2 each like wis and dex to 12( or con to 14 if you stay with dex 14)
Agree about the Dex/Con shift.
I would suggest you have Escape Artist as one of your skills in the headband of Int. That will help a lot against those Grapples you say you hate.
If you want to be able to better control your summoned monsters, you would need some Handle Animal skill. Unfortunately that is not a class skill for the Arcanist. It is only needed for the animals, which is the early levels, but it is worth considering.
I presume FCB is going towards Arcane Reservoir refresh?
As an occultist you will be burning through your Arcane Reservoir. You may want to pick up Consume Magic Items so you can drain wands found on an adventure.
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I was told there'd be cookies... ?
I lied :) Evil!! But it may have made you look?
I'm not sold on School Understanding: Teleportation when there's Dimensional Step. While D. Step takes a move action and cannot get out of grapples, you are not limited to three times a day and it can take you a much farther distance (ex: at level 6 you will go 60 feet instead of 15).
Also, you want quick study by the time you get third level spells. Quick Study is what makes an Arcanist so strong, giving you access to your whole spell list at the cost of a full round action. By 3rd level you'll be getting spells you'll want to cast once a day and then switch out, or pull out a silver bullet in combat.
I will shift some things around, and see what I can do. Might be able to add both Dimensional Slide and Shift.
I would take dex 10 and con 16. Now where you are a gnome. Lots of hit points and good fortitude save is better than a little bonus to initiative and reflex IMOP.
School undestanding is not really worth it IMOP. It is 5 feet teleportation 3 times a Day, not really enough to escape any thing since the turn ends when you shift. Get the familiar early(pehaps a Dodo or another +4 initiative in pocket size). And improved initiative at level 5.
Also the cast when shapeshifted is a week choice IMOP since you wont be using polymorph to turn in to big scary things. It is mainly gonna be usefull if you work as a scout and there you can do without. Get the teleport as a move action instead.
Edit: i would also consider pulling one from int to boost 2 of the lowish stats with 2 each like wis and dex to 12( or con to 14 if you stay with dex 14)
I will adjust to 15 Con 12 Dex for a modest bump, and I can take Con at level 12.
So the redo looks like this now:
01: Dimensional Agility -/- Replaced by Occultist
03: Extra Arcanist Exploit (Familiar) -/- School Understanding (Teleportation)
05: Extra Arcanist Exploit (Consume Magic Items) -/- Dimensional Slide
07: Extra Archaist Exploit (Quick Study) -/- Replaced by Occultist
09: Additional Traits (Pragmatic Activator; Clever Wordplay [Diplomacy]) -/- Lepidstadt Shifter
11: Improved Familiar -/- Counterspell
This way, at level 6: I am grappled! Shift 5', to get out of the grapple. Dimensional Agility means I can continue on using actions. I can then move 10 feet away, dimension slide another 60' (counts as 5' of movement) and then move the remaining 5' for a total of 80'. Dimensional Agility means I can continue using actions. Standard action, I cast Summon Monster III.
0 (Shift) + 1 (Slide), +3 (Summon Monster III) = 4 points.
SKILLS:
4 Int +2 Class = 6 ranks/level 1-7; 42 Ranks.
5 Int +2 Class = 7 ranks/level 8-12; 35 Ranks.
= 77 total Ranks.
Assuming 26 Int, +8 mod, it will take 8 ranks to get any Int based skill to 19 (taking 1 grants a 20).
12 Ranks in Perception = 65 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in Use Magic Device = 57 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in Diplomacy = 49 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Arcana = 41 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Local = 33 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Nature = 25 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Dungeoneering = 17 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Religion = 9 Ranks to go;
08 Ranks in K. Planes = 1 Rank to go; and,
01 Rank in K. History = 0 Ranks to go.
Skills via Headband:
1) Spellcraft
2) Escape Artist
3) ???
Skills via Headband:
1) Spellcraft
2) Escape Artist
3) ???
I don't think you want Spell Craft in the headband. Having it there means you wouldn't be able to add any except the free spells to your spell book until you could afford the head band.
Like a wizard, you are going to want a large selection of spells in the spell book.
You might be able to get by without perception until your first headband. I wouldn't do it for spell craft.
Dimentional Agility can't be taken until you have a way to cast dimension door. Since it says "cast", I don't think that Dimensional slide works as a prerequisite. You may have to wait until your 9th level feat before you can take it.
You could either swap your 1st and 9th level feats, or slide stuff down.
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Meh! Missed that as a pre-req.
Also: Will put Perception on the Headband. . .
Lvl: . . . . . Feats . . . . . . . . . . -/- . . . . Arcanist Exploit . . . . . . . . . .
01: Additional Traits (Pragmatic Activator, Clever Wordplay (Diplomacy) -/- Replaced by Occultist
03: Extra Arcanist Exploit (Familiar) -/- Dimensional Slide
05: Extra Arcanist Exploit (Quick Study) -/- Consume Magic Items
07: Improved Familiar -/- Replaced by Occultist
09: Spell Focus (Conjuration) -/- Lepidstadt Shifter
11: Augment Summoning -/- Metamagic Knowledge (Dazing or Persistent Spell)