How to build an Occultist?

[Secret Wizard]

Any cool ideas on how to build one? Feats that may be awesome? Any synergies that are not apparent?

[cavernshark]

Secret Wizard wrote:

Any cool ideas on how to build one? Feats that may be awesome? Any synergies that are not apparent?

Implement Focus (requires level 3) seems like a great way to pick up an implement that you don't care at all about the resonant power for, but want to access the spells and focus powers from (e.g. Necromancy but you don't plan to raise undead).

I had to build out a table that listed each school and their various focus powers at each level. It helps to see where you might be making trade-offs. One thing that really becomes evident is that a lot of focus powers replicate strong spells from that school, which can be useful to fill a hole in your spells known given how few spells you'll end up knowing (especially if you take an archetype).

For a more melee-centric Occultist, Transmutation seems like a top choice. You'll have no difficulty picking a spell each level. I played one of the pregens yesterday (he has Transmutation and Necromancy at level 1) and found action economy to be the biggest challenge if you want to go melee. Legacy weapon is a standard action to active, but so is casting something like Lead Blades or using Philosopher's Touch. Sudden Size does let you Enlarge for a standard action, but it's rounds / level instead of minutes. I think I'd really like Burst of Speed since it's essentially a swift-action expeditious retreat. Abjuration has a pretty good resonant power (doesn't stack with cloak of resistance but just frees it up) and has several powers you can use as an immediate action. Divination is also a strong choice to grab some powers you can use while still taking full attacks (e.g. Danger Sight) though the resonant power is a little weak.

So for Melee, I'd probably go Transmutation / Abjuration / Divination. I'm torn on if Battle Host is worth it or not. You'll end up with only two schools until 10 which is pretty limiting both from a focus powers perspective and spells known. You also lose the bonus to UMD on anything except weapons and armor, which might have offset it a bit. Still, you could potentially make it work.

I haven't begun to think about what a caster Occultist might look like.

Of note: Conjuration seems like a trap no matter what you're doing. The spell list and powers seem quite off, and some of them may not really work at all.

[Secret Wizard]

Implement Focus is great, I was looking for exactly something like that for perhaps Illusion or Conjuration.

I am really liking everything in the suit of Divination.

Any suggestions for combat styles?

I imagine 1H weapons are very important to keep a hand free to cast or show implements for swift action powers.

[Hrothdane]

What clinched battle host for a melee occultist for me was that you can choose armor and have all your schools accessible from it without needing to juggle implements.

Also, you dont need a free hand to cast psychic spells in general. Psychic spells dont have somatic components.

[Secret Wizard]

Disillusioned = Very good trait for psychics in general?

[Gisher]

Secret Wizard wrote:

Disillusioned = Very good trait for psychics in general?

Nice find!

[Jack of Dust]

Reach weapons seem pretty good for more melee oriented Occultists. Combined with Combat Reflexes and the Size Alteration Focus power, you can get quite a few attacks off. Transmutation and Abjuration seem to be solid schools to pick too. Being able to use legacy weapon to apply bane to your weapons on the fly is incredibly useful especially at low levels. I myself am building a necroccultist which gives bonuses to your necromancy DCs so I'm curious if a caster type Occultist is viable.

[cavernshark]

Secret Wizard wrote:

Implement Focus is great, I was looking for exactly something like that for perhaps Illusion or Conjuration.

I am really liking everything in the suit of Divination.

Any suggestions for combat styles?

I imagine 1H weapons are very important to keep a hand free to cast or show implements for swift action powers.

Some of the schools actually let you use a weapon as the implement. Transmutation has a weapon, Abjuration has a shield, Evocation is a staff. Almost all of them have some kind of object you could be wearing. It's not clear what "presenting" entails, I'd just interpreted it as being out and visible and then the normal psychic spell casting rules apply.

As Hrothdane said, you could go also Battle Host and basically just cast from your armor or weapon. I just struggled a bit with it because you get fewer implements, meaning you've really got to focus on one or two schools. Transmutation is the obvious pick as there are strong options throughout. I just found myself wanting to cherry pick from other schools.

My thought for any melee Occultist not using reach was to rely mostly on swift/immediate action focus powers in combat (buffing with Legacy Weapon before entering) and then using spells for mostly long term buffs or utility. That way you're never really trying to cast in combat so you can avoid the nasty psychic spell penalties to concentration checks.

I know I read in another thread that people were looking at making Archer Occultists as well to get the Dex bonus from Transmutation and Legacy Weapon for Bane + Gravity Bow as a spell.