Hey folks, I'm one of the Shadow run cover artists (google Shadow run Hard Targets to see my work) and I dm'ing a 5th level game tonight and have a player joining who wants to play a magic missile focused sorceror. Unfortunately, they are completely new to pathfinder, and have no idea how to build a 5th level character, and I am completey crushed for time. So I present this: if anyone can be our hero tonight and whip together an easy to pick up, super magic missile spamming 5th level sorceror by 5:30/6 central time, I will sketch their pathfinder character for them. I'll pick the winner in a kind of "first in, best dressed" sort of manner Sound good? Ready, go!
Threw this together.... Aimed at making a character that laughs at SR... Unlimited use of Magic Missile via the staff BTW, has Force bolts (basically a less wonderful version), Has the real one (8 times a day), that can be metamagiced to subtract 5 from Spell resistance (for an additional 5 times), adds 4 levels to CL...
You may also want to change the elven weapon proficiencies for +2 concentration
Unnamed Hero
Elf sorcerer (wildblooded) 5 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 70)
NG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+1 deflection, +2 Dex)
hp 28 (5d6+10)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee quarterstaff of entwined serpents +3 (1d6+1)
Sorcerer (Wildblooded) Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +10)
. . 2nd (5/day)—cat's grace, invisibility, see invisibility
. . 1st (8/day)—identify, identify, mage armor, magic missile, shield
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, light, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation, read magic
. . Bloodline Sage
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 15
Feats Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Piercing Spell[UM], Spell Penetration
Traits magical lineage, warrior of old
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Appraise +10, Bluff +5, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (nature) +13, Perception +7, Spellcraft +15 (+17 to identify magic item properties), Stealth +4, Use Magic Device +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan
SQ arcane bolt, elven magic, metamagic adept (1/day)
Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear quarterstaff of entwined serpents, handy haversack, ring of protection +1, bedroll, belt pouch, everburning torch, flint and steel, mess kit[UE], pot, soap, trail rations (5), waterskin, 734 gp, 1 sp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Arcane Bolt (1d4+2 force damage, 8/day) Starting at 1st level, you can unleash a ray of magic force as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This ray deals 1d4 points of damage + 1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. This damage is treated as
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Metamagic Adept (1/day) (Ex) Apply a metamagic feat without increasing the casting time of the spell.
Piercing Spell Affected spell treats creatures with SR as having an SR of 5 lower
Sage When a spell level is increased by a metamagic feat, it gains +1 DC.
Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com
Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Inc.®, and are used under license.
How much do you want to bank on magic missile? Precocious spellcaster + mage tattoo (from tattooed sorcerer, for example) gives you a +2 to caster level, so 1 more bolt. If you want to devote even more resources, spell specialization is another +2 caster level for a CL of 9 at level 5, but it requires 13 intelligence and spell focus (evocation).
You could probably get the orc bloodline or the brutal (mutated abyssal) bloodline for even more damage, if that would fit your concept. IIRC the martyred bloodline gives you a CL boost after you have been injured, and its variant retribution bloodline lets you reduce the adjusment of metamagic to strike back at someone who hit you, but it isn't exactly the best idea for a relatively fragile class at low levels.
Here's how I would go about it, personally. I made choices based on as high power and versatility as I could get with as little bookkeeping to help keep the class simple and effective.
- I cast magic missile at the darkness
Human sorcerer level 5
-"orc" bloodline
Arcana: +1 damage per die rolled when a spell deals damage, Darkvision 60ft, light sensitivity
Level 1 power: (3+CHA bonus) times per day, touch a creature as standard action to give it a (half sorcerer level round down) morale bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and will saving throws.
Level 3 power: +1 natural armor, +4 to will saving throws against fear effects.
-Traits:
"Metamagic Master" trait: select magic missile (-1 spell level when applying metamagic)
"Magical lineage" trait: select magic missile (-1 spell level when applying metamagic)
-20pt buy
STR 8
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 8
CHA 16+2=18
-Skills: 2(sorcerer)+1(Human)+1(INT)=4 per level. put points in knowledge: Arcana, Spellcraft, Perception, and one of his choice
-Spells:
0:
Prestidigitation
Light
Spark
Ray of Frost
Message
Mage hand
1:
Magic Missile
Mage Armor
Shield
Grease
(BL)Burning Hands
2:
Invisibility
See Invisibility
(BL)Bull's Strength
Feats:
Human: Empower Spell (+50% damage, +2 spell levels)
1: Spontaneous Metafocus: Magic Missile (apply metamagic without increasing casting time)
3: Toppling Spell (Knock target prone on failed save, +1 spell level)
5: Spell Penetration (+2 caster level against spell resistance)
Then you would just fill out the rest of the character sheet based on this information. BaB +2 because 5th level sorcerer, AC of 14 without mage armor, 18 with mage armor. HP would be 31 if you apply all your favored class bonus, do average-round up for levels 2-5 with max for level 1.
Basically, everything is chosen to either buff up the magic missile spell, or to provide utility outside of it. The two traits mean you can add empower to magic missile and still cast it as a level 1 spell, and you can use both empower and topple spell to cast it as a level 2 spell and add a knockdown effect to it. At level 5 and with everything considered, the empowered magic missile will end up doing (3d4+6)x1.5 damage per cast. The spontaneous metafocus feat is so that you can still take your move action, which is nice because as a new player it's harder to understand that spontaneous casters can't normally metamagic their stuff and still move.
In later levels, you begin to take more metamagic feats to keep up with using your magic missile in higher spell slots, and you'd take more spells to provide utility. Dispel magic, Fly, etc.
Thank you to everyone that participated! You all made fantastic creations, and at lightning speed. ^_^
And so, I had the player look over the builds, and choose a winner. and ANDREWW, they chose your half-orc toppling meta-magic wielder! The attention to detail, full character inventory, and unique concept of, of all things, a half-orc for a race choice, made the build stand out to them. Congrats!
Thanks again to everyone who came to our aid tonight!
Andreww, send me a private message with the following info on the character you'd like sketched:
-race
-class
-weapon
-armor
-face
-body build (lithe and short, tall and muscular, ect.)
This is similar to my PFS sorcerer with a few tweaks. Caster level 9 magic missile, toppling rod for trip shenanigans, lots of spells for versatility and orc bloodline for extra damage.
** spoiler omitted **...
I recently got the three Shadowrun videogames on Steam (Returns, Dragonfall, Hong Kong). It's a really cool world and it must be nice to draw cyborg samurai troll bankrobbers for a living. Your cover looks great, btw.
Very much inspiring me to try the tabletop game.
I recently got the three Shadowrun videogames on Steam (Returns, Dragonfall, Hong Kong). It's a really cool world and it must be nice to draw cyborg samurai troll bankrobbers for a living. Your cover looks great, btw.
Very much inspiring me to try the tabletop game.
Thank you! I'm glad you like it. ^_^ And it really is, though sometimes the descriptors of the images I have to paint can be pleasantly nanners. >D
Congrats Andreww...I will be honest, I was hoping to win, I have been working on a book for another game and hoped to win to see if I could convince you to do the (Very simple) cover idea I had...
Oh well, hope he enjoyed the game...