Hey guys, first off ill start by saying im well aware that Arcane trickster is not a very optimal class but ive always wanted to play one and the introduction of Arcanist has solved my brain freeze on whether to go wizard or sorc since it takes the best parts of both casting styles (choosing your spells from a spellbook daily AND casting them spontaneously)
So that said I am having some issues making all the "pieces" fit together...those pieces being:
- Is an Arcanist (or something that casts the same way)
- Uses a Gun (pref with a rifle look, musket for example)
- Has something like the magus's "spellstrike" (hence spellslinger)
- NO 3rd party or 3.5 stuff, including minimal fluff changes of classes or archetypes (cause DM says so)
- Has a "detective" or "investigative reporter" feel (has no issue with turning invisible and sneaking into a castle to report on what really happens,etc., might take snoop archetype for rogue)
- Has abilities that make it easier to SA with ranged attacks...increased range and fulfilling the trigger for SA (ie. Ninja's Vanishing trick or being able to make opponents flat-footed somehow) without relying on specific magic items.
- Preferably a small race...both personal pref and the +4 to stealth is helpful. Thinking Ratfolk atm but listed a few others....Aasimar might work fluff wise...no one suspects the angel of being a snoop.
- Get into Arcane trickster fairly low level (pref by 9th) but make good use of the classes used to get there so 1) its not boring and 2) its not a waste.
- Has a good array of touch, cone, line, blast and ray spells
ATM I'm looking at SS Wiz1/Arc4-5/Rogue2-3/ATX and based on my notes (shown below) I don't think I have enough feats/talents to take everything id like and its hurting my brain.
Spellslinger Wizard1/Snoop U-Rogue2-3/Arcanist 4-5/Arcane TricksterX/maybe EvangelistX
Feats: PBS, Precise Shot, Accomplished Sneak Attackerx?,Rapid Reload, Extra Exploitsx?, Extra Talentsx?, Focused Shot
Arcanist Exploits: Quick Study, School Understanding (Admixture), Consume Magic Items, Dimensional Slide
Rogue Talents: Ki Pool, Vanishing Trick & Deadly Range
Investigator Talents: Mutagen, Greater Mutagen,Amazing Inspiration
Traits: Magical Knack & Pragmatic Activator
Stats: Int>Dex>Wis>Cha=Con>Str
Races: Elf, Ratfolk, Humans, Peri-Aasimar, Daemon-Tiefling, Sylph, Android, Wyrwood, Wayangs.
...and the rest of my random musings...
Arcane tricksters (maybe arcane archer as well...oh nvm specifies arrows)
Rogue or Vivi Alchemist/Wizard or Sorc Sage (check out archetypes for more flavour)
Ninja/Sorc
Ninja/Eldritch Scion Magus
Bard? (sandman steal spell could be fun)
eldritch scoundrel rogue possibly
caster vmc rogue
accomplished sneak attack?
arcane trickster -> evangelist? (not sure if i want any divine connection)
Vivi+??? Alchy3 or Steel hound+empiricist Invest4/Sage+??? Sorc4, ??? arcanist 4 or ??? wizard3 VMC Magus -> AT10/AA2 (prescient attacks is key!) (Gun?) Dex/Int Primary,, still maybe fit coconut evangelist in there.
Alayer
Card Caster or Eldritch Archer+Kensai Magus/Vivi Alchy or Empiricist Invest or Steel Hound Empiricist/AT1/Evangelist10/AA...maybe vmc sorc.
Spellslinger wizard/rogue type? (or ssw1/otherarcane/roguetype)
musket
oil of silence
Nokizaru Ninja (on the cha caster side, no SA)
Sniper Eldritch Scoundrel Rogue (can use spell slots for ki points so can use vanish)
School Understanding (Admixture)
sanctified slayer?
Harm/Inflict?
Blood Arcanist School Savant
spell-specialist
Accomplished Sneak Attacker
Guile? (kitsune trickster)
Spellslinger Exploiter wizard?
false priest?
mystery cultist?
technomancer?
veiled illusionist?
So uh yeah could use some help with my build plans :D
Okay, let's focus in on the two big problems we need to overcome to get this build to work:
1) You need to increase your spell damage. Without feats or class features to boost their damage output, damage-dealing spells have relatively poor damage output. The Arcane Gun only helps with DC's and attack rolls, so you need to look elsewhere for a solution to this problem. Your multiclassing makes this even worse, as you'll be stuck with lower-level spell slots than a single-class caster and thus have less room for metamagic.
2) You've got a lot of unfavorable multiclassing, and every additional level you take that doesn't progress your primary casting abilities is going to drastically decrease your spell power.
I don't think more than 1 level of Rogue is tenable here. If you really want to go that direction, you'll probably need to give up on other aspects of your build, because three levels of multiclassing is just untenable on this build. If we were going to add a third level of multiclassing over Rogue 1 / Spellslinger 1, it would be Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 to bolster spell damage with its bloodline arcanas.
For traits, we'll need to take Magical Knack and Wayang Spellhunter (normally we'd take Magical Lineage, but it's mutually exclusive with Magical Knack). Recovering caster level and lowering metamagic costs are simply way better than what any other traits offer.
For feats, we need to focus on boosting spell damage. That means Spell Specialization is our top priority for a caster level boost. Potent Magic is top priority. As you gain in levels, work in metamagic to make use of these bonuses.
This build would work smoothly if you'd be willing to drop something (dropping firearms, using Sorcerer instead of arcanist, or dropping arcane trickster) but it does look like it should be possible to get something usable out the other end without sacrificing the concept. Just make sure you minimize your unfavorable multiclassing and maximize the damage of your blasting spells.
Feats: PBS, Precise Shot, Accomplished Sneak Attackerx?,Rapid Reload, Extra Exploitsx?, Extra Talentsx?, Focused Shot
As mentioned, most of your feats will need to be going into bolstering your spell damage. Precise Shot is still very good for ray spells, and you'll need to take Accomplished Sneak Attacker at least once to qualify for your prestige class. Rapid Reload is useless; you will be firing spells, not bullets, out of your gun with this build. As such you will never reload in combat, so rapid reload is unnecessary. Focused Shot is bad for the same reason; spells, not bullets.
Sniper Eldritch Scoundrel Rogue (can use spell slots for ki points so can use vanish)
I was going to suggest something along these lines. You wouldn't be using direct damage spells, but you would have the roguish-spellcaster flair with firearm attacks so it should work. You'd also still have a good melee attack to fall back on thanks to finesse training, so the build should be quite balanced. You'd probably take a one-level dip in Gunslinger and the rest in Eldritch Scoundrel.
false priest?
If you want to go with a gun-using Sorcerer, my suggestion is to go with Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) 1 / Sorcerer 6 / Eldritch Knight. While you would lose out on the ability to shoot spells through your gun, and won't get sneak attacks, a good Sorcerer spell selection can easily cover a clandestine spy concept. Moreover, with the combination of the Primal Elemental bloodline with the Blood Havoc bloodline mutation your damage-dealing spells will be good with just the Spell Focus feat, allowing you to mix them in while still having your feats available to support your firearm attacks.
Another option that may be worth considering is Gunslinger 1 / Eldritch Archer Magus X. Although you won't get sneak attack, you do get the ability to shoot through your gun.
I'm not sure which of those elements is most or least important to you. I'm guessing they're ordered from most to least, but if that's wrong please say so.
There's only one class which gets to cast quite like an arcanist and it's the arcanist itself. A skald with spell kenning or a psychic with the rebirth discipline get a little more flexibility with their spells known, and a sorcerer (mostly or entirely single-classed) can have enough spells known with the right favored class bonus that they can have something for every situation. Or a spellslinger wizard can spend feats on preferred spell and/or magical epiphany to gain tactical flexibility.
The trouble is taking two spellcasting levels (one for spellslinger, at least one for a class with sneak attack) off an arcanist is pretty crippling until late levels both in the highest level spells available and the number of spell slots, which an arcanist doesn't get a lot of.
I'm going to see if I can make an unchained rogue 1 / spellslinger 4 / arcane trickster 10 work by way of feats. Here goes.
1: point blank shot
Rogue 1: weapon finesse
Spellslinger 1: EWP (firearms), gunsmithing
3: precise shot
5: accomplished sneak attacker
7: magical epiphany
9: deadly aim
11: persistent spell
13: quicken spell
It sort of works. You can shoot bullets pretty well with enough buffs ((quickened) sense vitals, maybe reloading hands, greater invisibility). Using spells to gain the bonus of the arcane gun works providing there aren't too many targets - the chances of rolling a natural 20 and breaking your gun get quite high if you routinely fire fireballs, though persistent spell will help once it's available. I personally think that 4 schools is enough to make an effective character but some people feel otherwise.
if you have to have arcanist and spellslinger I suggest not taking arcane trickster, which frees up a feat and gets you out of having to take a level in a class with sneak attack. Sense vitals can give you some sneak attack when you want it. The harrowed society student archetype can give you off-class divination spells to help with the investigation or the blood arcanist (rakshasa) archetype helps make you a social demon (literally), or school specialist (scryer or mage of the veil) can help make you a sneaky investigator.