My group is planning on starting a new game on Saturday (8th level gestalt, 3rd tier mythic) and a friend of mine really wants to play a fanciful character (he's thinking something like Luna Lovegood). Right now, the combination he's thinking is an Alchemist//Card Caster Magus (so he can use spellstrike with his bombs). What he'd really like is for his bombs to explode in rainbow colors and/or glitter, but the spells I suggested, after further research, wouldn't work (color spray, glitterdust, etc.) since they aren't targeted.
His whole reason behind using Card Caster is so he can have that effect on his bombs. He is willing to just ask for a special effect, but I was kinda hoping to help him find some other way to make it work.
So here's the question. Would it be outrageous to allow a non-targeted spell to be used with spellstrike? Maybe as a metamagic feat or something else like that... he might even go for a mythic path ability at this point. Then he can cast illusions, glitter bombs, etc. Or if allowing an area effect to be used is too much, what about a way to change the effect of a spell (from area to ranged touch, for example).
I know the player pretty well and I trust that he isn't looking for something to make him uber powerful (at least not this time :)), but I'm not the GM. So anyway I can help him achieve his goal would be nice. But if he has to just ask for a flavor-text change (his bombs explode in confetti but have the same effect as normal, type of thing) he'll still be happy with that.
Thanks! :D
Area spells with ranged weapons are more that province of the Arcane Archer than the Card Caster. Obviously that is for Bows, but using that as a guide something similar might work.
Just in the alchemist, there are a number of discoveries that modify bombs. I don't think a glitter-bomb (includes the revealing and possibly blinding effects of glitter dust) is really more powerful than the stink bomb, and the existing confusion bomb flavored to have a rainbow pattern on explosion would fit very well.
Gestalt is usually best (i.e. most playable) when it removes weaknesses rather than when it synergizes very strongly. Unless the rest of your group is building characters whose two classes amplify each other, I'd recommend against card caster spell strike with bombs, as an alchemist bomb can already be powerful and adding in ranged touch to a spell strike spell would be pretty powerful as well.
Area spells with ranged weapons are more that province of the Arcane Archer than the Card Caster. Obviously that is for Bows, but using that as a guide something similar might work.
Just in the alchemist, there are a number of discoveries that modify bombs. I don't think a glitter-bomb (includes the revealing and possibly blinding effects of glitter dust) is really more powerful than the stink bomb, and the existing confusion bomb flavored to have a rainbow pattern on explosion would fit very well.
Gestalt is usually best (i.e. most playable) when it removes weaknesses rather than when it synergizes very strongly. Unless the rest of your group is building characters whose two classes amplify each other, I'd recommend against card caster spell strike with bombs, as an alchemist bomb can already be powerful and adding in ranged touch to a spell strike spell would be pretty powerful as well.
That's funny. I never even CONSIDERED suggesting a discovery :D
Thanks!
I think the deweomer your friend wants is Prestidigitation. Or just roleplay, whatever. He tells the GM, that it "bursts out in rainbow colors." The GM should say, "Okay, whatever."
Or how about this? Your friend asks the GM if a successful Craft: Alchemy check makes the special colors they're supposed to make. Or perhaps your friend can take some ranks in Perform: Pyrotechnics.
Ya, it may just end up being a matter of role-playing.
He's been going back and forth over different concepts he wants, but this one he keeps coming back to, so I hope it can work out for him.
I don't know for certain what anyone is playing, but the stuff I'm hearing it sounds like everyone is going for a concept character (Luna Lovegood, crazy cat lady, group leader...) I'm debating whether I want to just go with the flow or not :)
If he is just looking for RP/visual effect, I would say just allow it. Who cares if purple butterflies flutter around instead of hell fire.
If he is looking for mechanical effects, then we need to work on it.
Discovery/Arcana/Mythic ability would be my suggestion. I am thinking something along the lines of
Magical Bomb Discovery*: When you cast an area spell, you may have that area spell take effect within the area of your bomb.
Mass Magics Arcana: When you cast an area spell, you may have the origin point for the area be centered on your weapon.
Something similar for the mythic ability.
He seems to be willing to lean more towards flavor, but that offends my Min/Max sensibilities :D (JUST KIDDING!) I'm gonna send him the link to this thread so he can ponder it all :)
Thanks!