Battering blast Arcanist

[Errant_Epoch]

Hello, I'm trying to design an Arcanist that focuses on the battering blast spell. He'd be about 10th level, with a 25 point buy, and is restricted to Paizo material but otherwise I could use anything. any suggestions?

[ShroudedInLight]

I know that immediately suggesting you use another class might sound silly, but have you considered the Eldritch Archer magus?

Then you could fire two arrows that double as Battering Blasts while still making a full attack.

[Errant_Epoch]

the character in question doesn't use weapons and has already used dimensional slide in front of the PC's.

I really want him to have a spellcaster theme and would prefer an Arcanist but I'm open to wizard or sorcerer if someone can make a good case for it.

[Tarik Blackhands]

Take a Blood Arcanist and take the Orc bloodline for the sweet, sweet +1 per rolled dice damage. From there it's really just taking the standard things like CL boosters (spell specialization, Varisian Tattoo, etc) and enough metamagics (intensify, empower, and quicken are my top choices) to qualify for spell perfection. You can also take traits like Magical Lineage or Wayang Spellhunter but I frankly would avoid that simply to keep yourself from spiraling completely out of control.

Now you can make this extremely goofy by going straight sorcerer (and thus have Orc bloodline and Blood Havoc for +2/die), but in my experience the Arcanist version is more than sufficent if you focus on it. Do note that there's a non-0% chance your martials will dislike the build as you vaporize big targets before they can do anything.

[andreww]

I might do something like the character below. With quick study you can switch to a mix of extended long duration buffs at the end of the day and have the spell slots free to use on the following day of adventuring. The stat block includes the benefits of mage armour, darkvision, countless eyes, overland flight and heroism. Other options include things like life bubble, ride the waves and ablative barrier. My arcanist uses it to build a house with secure shelter and hide it with mirage arcana while travelling to avoid annoying encounters.

This character has a lot of gear as he has crafted all of his own wondrous items. That may or may not be viable in your game.

Options picks are something like this order:

Level 1: Spell Focus, Spell Specialisation (Magic Missile), Potent Magic
Level 3: Varisian Tattoo, Item Crafting Exploit (Craft Wondrous)
Level 5: Toppling Spell, Dimensional Slide
Level 6: Switch spell specialisation to battering blast giving CL11 with potent exploit
Level 7: Additional Traits, Metamagic Exploit (Dazing)
Level 9: Greater Spell Focus, Quick Study

At level 1 we are casting CL3 magic missile by default, pushing it to CL5 with potent exploit for 3 missiles. At 5th we start using toppling missile using spell slots, you may want to buy a lesser rod early on if playing from level 1. We get battering blast at level 6 but don't have the trait support for it until level 7 unless you use retraining. I would swop varisian tattoo for additional traits at 6 then pick it back up at 7. At level 7 you have CL10 blast, 12 with potent exploit, and can add toppling. At level 8 you can use dazing blast or toppling blast at CL13 with potent exploit.

At level 10 you have dazing toppling blast as an option. With spell specialisation, varisian tattoo and potent explot you have CL15 blast which gives you three attacks each doing 5d6 with a base +24 on the CMB. Bull rushing people into hungry pits with battering blast is all kinds of funny. Having them stuck down there for at least 3 rounds while dazed is even funnier.

The build lacks some stuff which might help. You don't really have the feats for precise shot or improved trip but you are targeting touch. If you have issues hitting then use greater invisibility or obscuring mist and the goz mas but be careful not to piss off your party.

Quick study adds an immense amount of versatility so I would make sure to take every chance to add spells to your spellbook. This character has about 2500gp unspent when you account for the crafting cost of items.

Arcanist:

Male human arcanist 10 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 8)
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Darkvision, all round vision, Perception +22

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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 armour)
hp 72 (10d6+30)
Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +16; +4 and one size larger to resist effects of wind

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Offense
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Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.

Special Attacks arcane reservoir (8/13), arcanist exploits (dimensional slide[ACG], item crafting[ACG], metamagic knowledge[ACG], potent magic[ACG], quick study[ACG]), consume spells

Arcanist Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +19)

. . 5th (4/day)—hungry pit[APG] (DC 24)
. . 4th (6/day)—dazing battering blast (DC 24), greater invisibility
. . 3rd (6/day)—dispel magic, haste, heroism
. . 2nd (6/day)—glitterdust (DC 21), toppling magic missile, mirror image, pilfering hand[UC]
. . 1st (7/day)—heightened awareness[ACG], magic missile, obscuring mist, shield, snowball (DC 20)
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, ray of frost

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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 28, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 18

Feats Additional Traits, Craft Wondrous Item, Dazing Spell[APG], Greater Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Specialization[UM], Toppling Spell[UM], Varisian Tattoo[ISWG]

Traits magical lineage (battering blast), eyes and ears of the city, student of philosophy, wayang spell hunter (battering blast)

Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +12 (+23 to lie (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Diplomacy +12 (+23 to persuade others but not to gather information (as a result of using Int instead of Cha)), Disable Device +21, Escape Artist +21, Fly +18, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +15, Knowledge (engineering) +15, Knowledge (geography) +15, Knowledge (history) +15, Knowledge (local) +15, Knowledge (nature) +24, Knowledge (nobility) +15, Knowledge (planes) +24, Knowledge (religion) +24, Linguistics +16, Perception +22, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +17

Languages Ancient Osiriani, Aquan, Auran, Azlanti, Celestial, Common, Elven, Ignan, Infernal, Jistka, Terran, Thassilonian

Gear extend metamagic rod, lesser extend metamagic rod[APG], belt of physical might +2 (Dex, Con), boots of the cat[UE], cloak of resistance +4, cracked dusty rose prism ioun stones (bluff, diplomacy, sense motive, stealth), cracked pale green prism ioun stone (saves), eyes of the eagle, goz mask[ISWG], handy haversack, headband of vast intelligence +6, lesser talisman of freedom[OA], lucky horseshoe[OA], vest of escape, arcanist starting spellbook, masterwork thieves' tools

I should add that this character is really set up to control stuff as well as having a lot of versatility. If you just want damage then go down the blood arcanist route and probably empower or intensify. It is trickier as you lose 3 exploits and you want a crafting feat and potent exploit. Losing quick study is a major strike to just how versatile you can be and dimensional slide is incredibly helpful. A bonus metamagic feat is very useful as the build is feat hungry and it opens up greater metamagic exploit at level 11.

[Errant_Epoch]

Thanks Guys those two builds seem to be what I was looking for. I should say that this is for an NPC but it is still very helpful and instructive to see how they came to be what they are, it helps me understand the character better.

Essentially he's going to be high damage and CC and mobile, throw in some minions and I think it'll be a very challenging encounter!

[andreww]

If he is an NPC consider emergency force sphere as a level 4 spell. That allows him to defend himself as an immediate, move action dimensional slide out and still cast a spell.

Depending on your party make up I might also swop hungry pit for roaming pit for extra hilarity.

[Darksol the Painbringer]

Errant_Epoch wrote:

Hello, I'm trying to design an Arcanist that focuses on the battering blast spell. He'd be about 10th level, with a 25 point buy, and is restricted to Paizo material but otherwise I could use anything. any suggestions?

Read this guide.

[Zwordsman]

This ain't effficient but its just something I"ve made before as a force specialized caster..

Simply went dual blooded into dragon disciple. Since all the force spells are fairly close ranged, i wanted him to be durable. I flavored the force blasts as a high level refinement of his lighting though.

but mostly I foudn when using most of the force spells, I was sure i the line of death and for me, nothing is quite as durable as a dd. though that isn't actually true, there are more durable stuff now.