I've been refining an Arcanist build for a while now and think I've come up with an interesting final product... but, there is a serious downside and wanted to get the opinion of the board on how likely they were to play it given that particular downside.
What's the downside? Significantly delayed casting. Two levels, to be specific. I posted about the build before in this thread. The real 'sweet spot' is level 13, where everything planned comes online but it is functional long before that.
So, what can it do? The same thing as any Arcanist/Crossblooded Unicorn-Phoenix Sorcerer can. Heal with fire spells and do some trickle healing with every spell it casts, except its casting is delayed an additional level. What does it get for that?
1) More trickle healing - up to 4x spell level + half character level healing to one of the targets in the effect of the healing fireball. Even if a character is NOT the target, they still get 2x spell level + half character level, plus a +1 morale to hit for the round.
2) The ability to cast Fireball as a divine spell multiple times (using 4th level or higher spell slots). This is what is getting us that + half character level and +1 to hit for ally.
3) The ability to cast while in a rage, pumping up damage/healing while doing so.
4) Probably the only real unique ability is the interaction between Versatile Spontaneity, Rewind, and Consume Spells which would allow you to essentially turn your Temporal Pool into Arcane points at a 1:2 ratio depending on spell level.
The only ability I really regret not being able to fit in is the Creative Destruction arcane discovery. Since Arcanist only allows one discovery with its exploit, and any other only applies to wizard spell specifically... Well. Throwing around a bunch of temporary HP and acting like an HP battery for the party in addition to a healing font didn't work out.
As far as damage output goes... Well, that's never really a problem. To the degree that taking Orderly Casting and averaging all of our damage/healing still leaves numbers that prove more than adequate. You will pretty much ALWAYS outperform a Cleric using their channel energy class feature, even with a Phylactery to boost their effective level. And outperform them a LOT.
Outperforming a cleric using channel energy for damage is not a boast, and not necessarily adequate. Blood havoc only works with sorcerer spells*, past character level 3 those are going to fall behind rapidly.
It's a solid amount of HP healed, sure. Lets see how much: at level 8 your caster level with arcanist spells is 7 so with orderly casting the fireball heals 7*3/2 (phoenix arcana) + 3 (healing grace; divided among targets) + 3*2 (unicorn arcana; one target) = 19 HP to one target, 10 HP to others, at the cost of a 3rd level spell slot (you have 3 probably) and an arcane reservoir point in the past minute. Probably enough to undo a rounds damage from whatever you're fighting and then some.
On damage that same fireball would do 21 points on a failed save, probably 1/3 the HP of a CR 6 which is the sort of thing you might be fighting multiples of at level 8. ~1/6 if it makes the save of course. By Derklord's bench-pressing spreadsheet that's about orange level damage to a single target (poor) but significantly better if you are hitting multiples (as you'd hope with a fireball). Seems legit if not impressive; reliable rather than good.
I'm not seeing the rage element, or any means of casting divine spells, and creative destruction is listed so you've probably updated the build since the linked post.
Whenever you cast a bloodrager or sorcerer spell that deals damage, add 1 point of damage per die rolled. This benefit applies only to damaging spells that belong to schools you have selected with Spell Focus or that are bloodline spells for your bloodline.
I wasn't so much as looking for a critque/breakdown of the build's mechanics (mostly because I haven't shared the specifics) but more about the potential to see play. I haven't posted the full build yet, merely linked back to a previous proto-type build. If there was little to no interest in playing the build, I'd take the hint and just not share it.
A stipulation about the Blood Havoc ability. There is some room to wiggle with the Spell Focus feat on whether or not the ability applies. I tend to lean towards the affirmative, since the Arcanist is picking up a bloodline, has an effective sorcerer level, and the fireball is on the sorcerer spell list. But it won't really matter in the long run too much.
I haven't formatted the build properly yet for posting and will get to it sometime later, if there is enough interest. Suffice it to say that the Arcanist caster level is always maxed out, and is generally +3 higher than actual level for evocation spells (and +2 more with Potent Magic exploit). Out performing a channel energy isn't meant to be a boast. It is merely a statement that in combat healing is a valid tactic for this character, if it comes down to it.
Personally, I would not. I don't like going all in on one element, and I think I would rather play a Soulthief Vitalist if I wanted to be a 1/2 BAB "healer" converting damage dealt into recharging a life battery health pool.
What is it, the Shaman, that can get Life-Link and a Protector Familiar? It's not converting damage dealt into HP for the party, but it is also not locked into anything specific, either.
This character of yours does have a lot of cool stuff going on with it. Neat combination of tricks. Just doesn't look like it would play well with my expectations. Maybe it is the delayed spell progression... I don't know. By the time it all comes together, I think it's more important to be able to branch out/overcome a plethora of different problems... it can finally do it's one thing, and that's it. Still a spellcaster, so never out of the runnings entirely.
Just not something I would be excited to play... by the time it's online, it's all you can do... like by the time you read this, you've already read it. Lol.
Oh, I apologize if I gave the impression that you are locked into ONE specific element. You only need to use fire if you want to HEAL. There is nothing stopping you from using any other element that you want, only that you use evocation spells to deal your damage.
Fair enough.
I probably wouldn't play the exact build for a couple different reasons, but if there are tricks to steal that aren't in your January post I'd be interested to see those.
Hmm, well, I've got the build ready and a longer breakdown of the individual levels sort of 'guide'-style explanation for the choices, but that's only up to level 13 at the moment.
So, here is the 'skeleton' of the build, minus the exposition (and math). At least up to level 15. Hyperlinked for convenience.
Half-Elf
Multi-disciplined (+1 to all caster levels)
Moon-kissed (+1 to all saves)
Dual Minded (+2 to will saves)
Elf-Blood
Low-Light Vision
Classes:
Arcanist 18 (no archetype)
Sorcerer (Crossblooded: Phoenix & Unicorn)
Wizard (Chronomancer, Necromancy [Life])
Traits:
Bifurcated magic (Arcanist & Wizard) +1 caster level each
Magical Knack (Sorcerer): +2 caster level
*Total Caster Level Boosts before feats/class abilities*
Arcanist +2
Sorcerer +3
Wizard +2
Level 1: Arcanist 1 [CL: A1]
1st Level Spells
Arcane Exploit: (Bloodline Development)
Feat: Extra Arcanist Exploit: School Understanding [Necromancy: Life]
Bloodline power (1st): Blood Havoc (Bloodline Mutation)
Level 2: Arcanist 1 / Wizard 1 [CL: A2, W2]
Optional: Trade off Scribe Scroll for Spell Focus (Evocation) *PFS option*
Level 3: Arcanist 1 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A3, W3, S3]
Feat: Varisian Tattoo (Evocation)
Level 4: Arcanist 2 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A4, W3, S4]
Bloodline power (3rd): Blood Intensity (Bloodline Mutation)
Level 5: Arcanist 3 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A5, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Orderly Casting (this is entirely optional)
Feat: Spell Specialization (Burning Hands/Scorching Ray/Fireball.....)
Level 6: Arcanist 4 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A6, W3, S4]
2nd Level Spells
Level 7: Arcanist 5 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A7, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Potent Magic
Feat: Versatile Spontaneity (make use of those Temporal Pool points with your Arcanist spells)
Level 8: Arcanist 6 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A8, W3, S4]
3rd Level Spells
Level 9: Arcanist 7 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A9, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Quick Study
Feat: Magic Trick (Fireball)
Level 10: Arcanist 8 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A10, W3, S4]
4th Level Spells
Bloodline Power (9th): Vermillion Wings
Level 11: Arcanist 9 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A11, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Metamagic Knowledge (Selective Spell)
Feat: Flumefire Rage
Level 12: Arcanist 10 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A12, W3, S4]
5th Level Spells
Level 13: Arcanist 11 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A13, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Arcane Discovery (Faith Magic [Fire Domain: Fireball])
Feat: Glorious Heat
Level 14: Arcanist 12 / Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A14, W3, S4]
6th Level Spells
Level 15: Arcanist 13/ Wizard 1 / Sorcerer 1 [CL: A15, W3, S4]
Arcanist Exploit: Greater Metamagic Knowledge (Furious Spell)
Feat: Raging Blood
Bloodline Power (Bloodrager: Phoenix): Dispelling Strikes
*Note: You can retrain Varisian Tattoo for Mad Magic if you are of a mind to do so.