|
Goal: 25 pt. buy arcane caster using bad touch spells
Restrictions: Only wizard or witch, paizo only, multiclassing is allowed. No Vmc, sadly.
By level 20, I'd like to have access to ninth level casting. I was thinking an arcane trickster would work, but there is a distinct lacking of schools that emphasize bad touch spells.
However, being in the midst of combat might be a bad idea for a wizard or witch, so going with three levels of unchained rogue into three wizard and then AT with the toughness feat in there should make the character feasibly durable.
Stat spread at level one will be 10, 16, 14, 16, 10, 10, or at least that's my thought.
Suggestions?
Edit: I was even thinking of utilizing the surprise attack talent with the foresight - divination school.
Witch might be the better choice if you're going for touch as you could use your prehensile hair and get int. to your touch attacks. I'd recommend trickery patron to get mirror image - witch is very squishy.
Alternatively, you could just stand back and use the Spectral Hand spell.
Eldritch Knight ends up with 9th level casting, and also makes you less squishy. I would take the longarm spell so you don't have to worry about concentration. I think Gripplis can use their tongue to deliver touch spells. You can also enlarge yourself.
If it weren't for the "only wizard or witch" restriction, I'd go with a whip-wielding [some full BAB class with all martial weapons] 1/arcanist (blade adept*) 6/eldritch knight X with Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Weapon Finesse, and the Eldritch Blade and Spellstrike exploits (one through an Extra Arcanist Exploit feat); possibly investing in the Whip Mastery feat chain.
As it is, I'd second going with a witch. Possibly with the gravewalker archetype to gain Deliver Touch Spells at 3rd level; Bonethrall is pretty decent, as well. Note that gravewalker can be combined with the hex channeler archetype and the Command Undead feat depends of the level of the channeler, not the number of dice.
*- a whip is a "one-handed... slashing weapon," after all
You don't have to get all your spells from one school. Some touch spells don't even have saves, spell focus does nothing for them.
Spectral hand really is the best way to deliver them. Put both traits (or get the additional traits feat for 2 more) on reducing the cost of metamagic and you can get a reach spectral hand from wizard level 3, quickened spectral hand from 7.
Why a wizard? Shocking grasp, force punch and calcific touch are not witch spells, and I'd bet there's more. Witches only get frostbite over a wizard that I know of.
|
|
Why eldritch knight over arcane trickster?
I see the usefulness of both, however, I'm seeing additional class features from the AT versus the couple from EK. Yes, the EK has full bab, but most touch spells are touch spells. You don't need a lot to hit touch ac, even in the higher levels, right?
Correct me if I'm wrong. And thank you for the advice. I hadn't really taken a look at the witch. I simply prefer prepared spellcasters, although, arcanist might be an option, too...
Cartomancer witch is a good bad touch option that doesn't have to be up in the thick of things, since they can use their harrow deck to deliver touch spells. Another way would be to use a familiar to deliver your touch spells (this obviously works better if your familiar isn't also your spellbook - pick something that can fly and be prepared to pay to replace a couple).
Why eldritch knight over arcane trickster?
Specifically for the whip arcanist, it's the increased BAB to use the whip and Spellstrike to deliver touch spells with 15 ft reach. Spellstrike allows the touch spell to be delivered through a weapon, but the weapon must make a normal attack (not a touch attack).
Arcane trickster, IMO, works much better as a ranged touch spell blaster. Especially as a sylph with the Cloud Gazer feat, or another race with a Goz mask, and obscuring mist to gain ranged sneak attacks most of the time. It does not (again IMO) work very well as a skirmisher/flanker; too fragile.
Witches don't gain some of the same touch spells that wizards get, but they do gain inflict spells, slay living, and harm.
The witch has both the cartomancer and gravewalker archetypes which allow them to deliver touch spells at range. I'm currently playing a witch with the hedge witch/herb witch archetypes and some home brew adjustments. One of the home brew changes gave him the ability to deliver touch spells at range in a similar fashion to the gravewalker (his "familiar" is a quasi-sentient spirit in a skull and there no 'aura of desecration') and having this ability has proven invaluable.
At no point have I felt lacking in options for touch spells. The witch's spells tend to focus on debuffs such as touch of idiocy, pox pustules, bestow curse and the delightful excruciating deformation but that is not to say they lack in direct damage; as already mentioned they still have access to the inflict spells, slay living and harm. Though you might be more focused on offence instead of healing with the witch you have the option of both, in my experience I have found the ability to heal allies at a safe distance without having to take the scar hex to be a life saver. Also you can eventually get a house on chicken legs.