| Nik Gervae |
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So after reading BlueFrog's Hideously Biased Guide to the (Spell Blending) Wizard, I decided to start building one out. Goals:
- Spell Blending thesis for more high-level spell slots.
- Halcyon Speaker for even more spells and slots from all traditions.
- Heavy investment in Magical Crafting with staves & wands in mind, scrolls to fill in low-level slots, maybe basic alchemy too.
- Some connection to the criminal element for RP fun.
- Generally aim for versatility in spells, skills, and such.
This being Pathfinder 2, and me still being pretty new to it, things got complicated, of course. I've got more trained skills than I know what to do with, but I'm not sure what order to take skill rises or secondary ability boosts in; whether to get more (Lore?) skills just at trained; I don't know what to pick for some high-level skill & general feats after I've gotten the essentials; what might I retrain out later; and so on. I'm doing this exercise in a vaccuum, of course, so details would change depending on party, but I would like to have a coherent build regardless to feel I have a grip on the process.
Here are the details, with likely halcyon spell picks based on what looks interesting/effective/useful. Let me know what you think.
Key
b) ability start/boost
a) ancestry/background feature/feat
f) class feature
c) class feat
g) general or skill feet
s) skill feat
t) skill training (master available at 7, legendary at 15)
Versatile Human, Artisan background, Wizard
I might go Half-Elf instead, it's always been my favorite for RP reasons, but I'm not planning on taking any Elf ancestry feats, so all I'd get is low-light vision in exchange for an early general feat. (I actually started this build with a dwarf but when I decided not to dump charisma I abandoned that.)
Build Choices
1b) STR 10, DEX 12, CON 12, INT 18, WIS 14, CHA 12
Secondary abilities not min/maxed, I'd like a bit of breadth for RP, but might need some tuning, or advice on later spell/feat selections to compensate.
1a) Natural Ambition (1st-level class feat) - 1c) Familiar
Feat budget doesn't allow for Enhanced Familiar, but I'd still like to have one.
1a) Versatile Human (general feat) - 1g) Canny Acumen: Expert Perception
Boosting Fortitude, Reflex, or Will might be better.
1a) Languages: Common, Draconic, Goblin, Jotun, Orcish, Sylvan
I went for the languages of folks who often don't speak Common.
1a) Background: Artisan - 1t) Crafting, Guild Lore; 1s) Specialty Crafting (wood)
1t) Arcana, Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Occultism, Religion, Society
1f) Wizard School: Enchantment (probably)
1f) Arcane Thesis: Spell Blending
2c) Magaambyan Attendant Dedication (Cascade Bearers) - primal cantrip: Guidance; 2t) trained in Nature, Primal spell attack & DC
2s) Magical Crafting
Is this worth taking so early?
3g) Incredible Initiative -OR- Fleet -OR- Toughness
These three general feats seem to outshine all others by far, but I don't know about ordering them.
3t) Expert Arcana
4c) Reach Spell
4s) Assurance (Crafting)
I hear this is important at lower levels, might retrain out later.
5b) INT 19, ???
5f) Expert Reflex saves
5a) Clever Improviser
5t) Expert Crafting
6c) Halcyon Speaker Dedication (2 cantrip/1st-level) - halcyon spells: Know Direction, Stabilize, Heal, ???
I could just get more Arcane cantrips here of course.
6s) Society - Streetwise
7f) Expert Arcane spell attack and DC
7g) Incredible Initiative -OR- Fleet -OR- Toughness
7t) Expert Society
I could get Master proficiencies starting now and let Society lag behind.
8f) Expert Fortitude saves
8c) Spell Penetration
8s) Impeccable Crafter
9a) Incredible Improvisation -OR-Multitalented (Alchemist, or Champion if I want armor, req STR 14, CHA 14)
Incredible Improvisation won't make me the party skill monkey, but it might save me in a pinch. Then again, making alchemy could be useful/lucrative. I don't see meeting the reqs for Champion but it's a survivability option.
9t) Master Arcana
10b) INT 20, ???
10c) Cascade Bearer's Spellcasting (all traditions! 1 cantrip/1st-level) - halcyon spells: Join Pasts (or Forbidding Ward), Phantom Pain
10s) Assured Identification
11f) Expert Perception, Expert wizard weapons
11g) Incredible Initiative -OR- Fleet -OR- Toughness
11t) Master Crafting
12c) Halcyon Spellcasting Initiate (2 2nd/3rd level) - halcyon spells: Faerie Fire, Sudden Blight, Heroism, Hypercognition
12s) Society - Criminal Connections (req Streetwise)
13a) Advanced General Training -or- something lower-level
13f) Expert unarmored defense
13f) +2 damage with expert weapons, +3/+4 if master/legendary
13t) Master Society
14c) Halcyon Spellcasting Adept (4th/5th level) - halcyon spells: Chroma Leech, Holy Cascade (maybe Spiritual Anamnesis), Breath of Life, Shadow Blast (or Synesthesia)
14s) ??? - I think I've met my available build goals so far, so what would fit well here?
15b) INT 21, ???
15f) Master Arcane spell attack and DC
15g) Incredible Investiture? (req CHA 16)
Having gobs of invested items seems like a nice thing for a wizard.
15t) Legendary Crafting -OR- Arcana
16c) Flexible Halcyon Spellcasting (additional slots)
Not sure if this takes effect when chosen and freezes there, or if I wil get an additional 6th-level slot when I get the next dedication feat. Not that I would give up my level 20 class feat for it!
16s) Crafting - Craft Anything
Since I'll have access to all spell traditions, I'm not sure I need this.!
17a) Heroic Presence
17f) Master Will saves
17g) Canny Acumen (from level 1): Master Perception
17t) Legendary Crafting -OR- Arcana
18c) Halcyon Spellcasting Sage (6th/7th level) halcyon spells: Blanket of Stars (or Stone Tell), Spirit Blast, Regenerate, Finger of Death (or Retrocognition, or Sunburst)
18s) Arcana - Unified Theory
Oh, I was worried earlier about training some other skills, wasn't I? :-)
19g) ???
19t) Legendary Society
20b) INT 22, ???
20c) Spell Mastery
You can never have too many spell slots!
20s) ???
I have no idea what would be useful at final level.
| Nik Gervae |
Ah, for 16c) Flexible Halcyon Spellcasting, I missed that you get additional spells too, so those might be, in order by spell level:
- Liberating Command
- Augury
- Searing Light
- Air Walk (hm, might even take that earlier)
- Chameleon Coat (or Summon Giant :-D )
- Scintillating Safeguard (if the feat adds a 6th-level spell when I get any)
I haven't even given any thought to heightened spells yet, I'm basically just picking what looks interesting or useful.