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Okay- long story short, i've lost two characters in the game, and the GM is recommending an int-based class, trying to convince me make an occultist and getting the Mage's Paraphanelia panapoly for the free-metamagic.
Consensus is discouraging, as many would say that Occultists wouldn't make good casting-oriented class. [When you have access to weapons, armor, and the transmutation school- why aren't you playing it that way? bah.]
IMO- Applying Bane to a weapon is a great ability, but strictly limits what i can effectively do as an Occultist.
Current party is-
Ranged-oriented Fighter/Slayer/Ranger
Earth/Fire Kineticist
Bloodrager
and a healbot Cleric.
We are lacking in the blasting/AoE department. The Kineticist and Ranger are good at taking down threats that assaulting the Bloodrager.
So, I'm leaning towards an Arcanist, and grabbing the metamagic based exploits, and humorously grabbing a Sage Pooka with Improved Familiar.
Or, going into Occultist archetype and assisting as much as i can with various summons.
This character would be introduced to the current party as level 8 [20pt buy, no-third party, race at GM's decision]. I'm currently open to possible build directions, with either a non-transmutation based occultist or Arcanist builds.
i will tweak the builds to my own flavor.
I can only speak to what sounds like fun to myself (and with sticking within your own restrictions), but a School Savant Arcanist with the variant Multiclass Sorcerer (Or Blood Arcanist with the variant multiclass Wizard, depending on your tastes) with a focus on the Admixture School powers and liberal use of the Benthic Spell [metamagic] feat.
One question though ... HOW, exactly, are you lacking for BLASTING when you have a kineticist? My experience with them shows them to deal a respectable amount of damage, equivalent to if not greater than, a dedicated archer build.
Anyway... Yeah.
Build to deal with the environments such as forests, mountains, darklands and battlefields. You know you'll face hobgoblins, hobgoblins and more hobgoblins! There is also a smattering of fey and various encounters in the wild.
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The arcanist is great are you thinking of an archtype?
What's the plan for the familair? Polka are great little umd users.
If you want to blast there are ways to get the orc bloodline and admixture school powers.There is an int cha aasimar that gets +1 per die on fire spells.
Potent magic is also good. High dcs or more dice on you blasting spells.
I like controll casters if you are interested in playing one of those. If you pick up the right spells you can be control and blaster.
Quick study makes you more versatile.
Spell Specialist make you a precision blaster.
Brown fur transmuted is a blast. Polymorph all your friends.
There is an int cha aasimar that gets +1 per die on fire spells.
Peri-Blooded? How does the race give the +1 per die to fire damage spells? I am not familiar with that.
Emberkin Race Traits: Pyromancer
Oh, it’s a trait not a racial ability. It also only gives +1 to fire spell damage, not +1 per die. It would be pretty strong for a trait, otherwise. Traits are not supposed to be equivalent to a class ability like a Bloodline Arcana or bloodline mutation (Blood Havoc).
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I can only speak to what sounds like fun to myself (and with sticking within your own restrictions), but a School Savant Arcanist with the variant Multiclass Sorcerer (Or Blood Arcanist with the variant multiclass Wizard, depending on your tastes) with a focus on the Admixture School powers and liberal use of the Benthic Spell [metamagic] feat.
One question though ... HOW, exactly, are you lacking for BLASTING when you have a kineticist? My experience with them shows them to deal a respectable amount of damage, equivalent to if not greater than, a dedicated archer build.
Anyway... Yeah.
No VMC'ing allowed. Also, the Kineticist is a single-target ranged build. Primary element is Earth and gives him DR and a bit of tankiness.
What the party composition is missing- is a dedicated arcane caster.The arcanist is great are you thinking of an archtype?
What's the plan for the familair? Polka are great little umd users.
If you want to blast there are ways to get the orc bloodline and admixture school powers.There is an int cha aasimar that gets +1 per die on fire spells.
Potent magic is also good. High dcs or more dice on you blasting spells.
I like controll casters if you are interested in playing one of those. If you pick up the right spells you can be control and blaster.
Quick study makes you more versatile.
Spell Specialist make you a precision blaster.
Brown fur transmuted is a blast. Polymorph all your friends.
I was considering, ironically, the Occultist archetype for the Arcanist- get some Summon Monsters to to my spell list, and use them as scouts, flank buddies, path blockers, etc.
The plan for the Pooka is to be the "walking encyclopedia" of the party, with the Sage archetype [if Improved familiars can take archetypes]- since he has Telepathy through touch; it would go invisible, crawl up someone's leg and convey all the information that way.
Not entirely neccessary, but a nice flavor for the character and campaign.
My Skald, before she got blasted and melted, was going a "save/suck" direction with her spell list.
I could try to vary my spell list to include some blasting AoE spells, some save/suck control spells, and some Summons spells.
Our healbot is an Aasimir, so i'd rather not flood the AP with uncommon races. The Kineticist is a hobgoblin, and the bloodrager is a Suli, we had a changeling spiritualist- but he hasn't been around for a while and the gm is holding his spot so we don't have a random person try to join the table.
We had a Duergar, Ifrit, and a Ratfolk in the party before they all died.
No VMC'ing allowed. Also, the Kineticist is a single-target ranged build. Primary element is Earth and gives him DR and a bit of tankiness.
Oh, well that limits the options a little bit but meh. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to dip a level into Crossblooded Sorcerer (Orc/Draconic)? Probably not. The backlash against delayed spellcasting is strong with the optimization boards, especially with the Arcanist. I’d still do it, because I like a challenge.
Anyway, picking Human and trading away bonus feat for Shadowhunter nets you Iron Will as a bonus feat, plus other situational boons. Pick up a familiar as an exploit and pick a hedgehog (Protector) to help with the Will save penalty (or get a Fort save booster if you took Shadowhunter). Blood Havoc to replace your 1st level sorcerer power. Spell Focus (Evocation) [+1 DC], Varisian Tattoo (Evocation) [+1 CL], and Flumefire Rage. That will net you a +3 dmg per die of spell damage (fire) with the additional ability to make a Fort save to add another +1 per die (you risk fatigue should you fail). Complete the list with Benthic Spell and pick up the Magical Lineage and Wayang Spellhunter traits (Sorching Ray and Fireball).
Benthic Spell (Fireball) [3rd] = 8d6+32 dmg [fire and/or bludgeoning] (boost CL +1 with Arcane Reservoir for 9d6+36)
Benthic Spell (Scorching Ray) [2nd] = 2x(4d6+16) [fire and/or bludgeoning]
If you feel up to it, taking Raging Blood and then Mad Magic will up the damage another +1 per die, but I can understand balking at the feat costs. These are just tips, use as you will.
And if i wanted to be more of a "save/suck" Control caster, instead of the typical blaster?
Between Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, and the Arcanist's ability to boost the DC of their own spells, making the save or suck spellcaster is merely a matter of allocating the correct number of points to your casting stat (including with magic items), and using the right spells for the occasion.
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I'm leaning more towards that control/summon aspect, because the rest of the party handles damage output well- especially between the Kineticist and Bloodrager, few lackeys last more than a few hits.
I do like the idea of taking the Shadowhunter alt. racial trait for human, as the other benefits- aside from Iron Will may come in handy at later levels.
Human Arcanist [Occultist?] 8
10/13/12/21+**/10/13 [no gear yet allocated]
T: Blight-touched (campaign), Pragmatic Activator, ?
1> Varissan Tattoes/Spell Focus (Enchantment/Conjuration)/Shadowhunter; Occultist Exploit
2> -
3> ? , [E] Quick Study
4> - [+1 spell known fcb]
5> ?, [E] Familiar
6> - [+1 spell known fcb]
7> Improved Familiar [Sage Pooka], [E] Potent Magic
8> - [+1 spell known fcb]
now comes the difficult tasks of spell selection.
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Well, i just realized two things-
1> If I take the Occultist archetype, my first and seventh level Exploits are replaced, so I can't take Familiar if i want Potent Magic.
2> my spell selection doesn't lend well to Spell Focus; if i want to go Save/Suck mentality- i don't get any good spells until 2nd lvl.
I could just get a Familiar through spending feats, since Shadowhunter gives me Iron Will "for free" though it'd be longer to get an Improved Familiar. So, i may just drop the whole Familiar idea.
Human Arcanist [Occultist?] 8
NG
10/13/12/21+**/10/12
Alt Racial: Shadowhunter
Trait: Blight-touched (c), Arcane Temper, Seeker, Artistic Dilletante/Tattooed Focus (b)
Drawback: Shadow-scarred
1> Toughness/Improved Initiative/Scribe Scroll(?), Iron Will (b) [E]Conjurer's Focus*
2> -
3> Spell Focus (Enchantment), [E]Quick Study
4> +1 Int, +1 Spell Known
5> Spell Penetration, [E] Potent Magic
6> +1 Spell Known
7> ? [E]Planar Augur*
8> +1 Int, +1 Spell Known
0 (8k)- Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Message, Read Magic, Scrivener's Chant, Spark
1 (6k)- Summon Planar Ally*, Summon Monster I, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Mount, Enlarge Person
2 (4k)- Summon Monster II, Oppressive Boredom, Blindness/Deafness, Boneshaker
3 (3k)- Haste, Heroism, Hold Person
4 (1k)- Terrible Remorse
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GM has told me I have 25,000g to work with for gear. Aside from a +4 Headband, what would be worth it? [party stockpile has plenty of Cloaks, so i don't need to get one for myself]
I was also considering venturing down a crafting route- with Scribe Scroll and Craft Wands.
so, the feat progression would look something like- 1/Toughness, Iron Will, 3/Scribe Scroll, 5/Craft Wands, 7/Spell Penetration
because, honestly- my spells are too varied to make Spell Focus useful.
If you're trying to use summons you need the feat Summon Good Monster to get the angels on your summoning list.
For gear, Rod of Giant Summoning is likewise essential.