Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber
Hi
I'm a transmuter in a campaign that will go to level 20, and where our primary opponents are demons. I mostly polymorph and fight, but I do like to carry combat spells for situations when I don't have time to get all my buff spells up or when I can't full attack.
I have persistent spell and plan to pick up spell perfection (enemies must roll to save twice). I am debating between spell perfection (persistent spell) for disintegrate or flesh to stone. Overall, both operate similarly as single-target spells, medium range, and both hit fortitude saves.
Which one should I pick for spell perfection?
Advantages of disintegrating: Has utility outside of killing people (e.g., make a hole in a castle wall); works on undead (unlike flesh to stone), it is easy to recover equipment from a disintegrated enemy (getting equipment from someone you turned to stone is a tedious process).
Disadvantages of disintegrate: Some enemies will have so many hit points, that even after failing the save, they don't die. Disintegrate requires a ranged touch attack before the target needs to save.
I'm also open to suggestions of another transmutation spell that fits persistent spell better and falls between spell levels 6 to 7....it's just that these two seemed head-and-shoulders above the other candidates I saw.
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Flesh to Stone.
You will need to optimize for Save DC either way, but FtS dodges all the challenges with landing a touch range spell (mirror image, touch AC, displacement, etc). Disintegrate does average 7 damage/level on failed save, where enemies have ~12-15 hp/CR. You can push your damage up without much effort, but all the resources that go towards increasing damage are resources that aren’t available to push up your save DC. You can still use disintegrate for utility whenever you need. I do think immunity to petrification is more common than immunity to disintegrate, but other than that, pretty easy FtS victory.
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You may want to go with Weapon Focus (Ray), SF/GSF (Transmutation, SP/GSP, and then pick up Spell Perfection in Calcific Touch and put +3 Reach Spell Metamagic for free with Spell Perfection.
Now you can do 400ft + 40ft/level range touch attacks that slows a target (fort save) but it causes Dex damage that gradually petrify a target with No Save. Larger creatures that have lower Dex Scores, such as dragons, can be petrified in about 2-3 rounds, depending on if you decide to also Empower that Calcific Touch for 1d4 +50% dex damage. Once they reach 0 dex, they're petrified.
Going with a Spell Perfected Calcific Touch and Reach Spell makes you an insanely competent ray caster, so now every Touch Spell, Ranged Touch, and Ray Spell on your entire list can be upgraded to Close, Med, or Long with Reach Spell, and both your Flesh to Stone and your Disintegrate stays well above average because you're getting Weapon Focus (Ray) and SF/GSF (Transmutation).
And now you have Spell Perfection in a No Save spell, while still staying highly competent with Flesh to Stone and your Disintegrate, and now your utility with Touch, Ranged Touch, and Ray spells is pretty stellar.
Crank this up a notch: Get Heightened Spell and then get Preferred Spell (Calcific Touch), now you never need to prepare Calcific Touch ever again. Load up your entire daily spell slots with all the utility spells you could possibly want, and then trash them as needed when you really need to petrify something.
Get an Improved Familiar and use Deliver Touch Spells to imbue your Familiar with Empowered Calcific Touch !
drsparnum wrote: I'm a transmuter in a campaign that will go to level 20, and where our primary opponents are demons. I mostly polymorph and fight, but I do like to carry combat spells for situations when I don't have time to get all my buff spells up or when I can't full attack.
I have persistent spell and plan to pick up spell perfection (enemies must roll to save twice). I am debating between spell perfection (persistent spell) for disintegrate or flesh to stone. Overall, both operate similarly as single-target spells, medium range, and both hit fortitude saves.
Which one should I pick for spell perfection?
interesting.
Does your Transmuter have any levels in monk or rogue?
I'm thinking that polymorphing and entering melee combat is not such a wise thing for a wizard. It's okay if you know your foe is another spellcaster but demons? no. As a form to give you movement flexibility and defenses it is fine.
You should have Traits Wayang Spellhunter on a spell and Magical Lineage on another. Dual classes need Magical Knack.
Metamagics: Heighten(+N), Reach(+1 to +3){Rng:Cls, Med, Lng}, Persistent(+2){save twice}, Consecrate(+2)Aasimar{Maximize vs E}.
Spell Perfection Feat(free metamagic to 9th, *2 numerical bonuses).
Flesh to Stone is better than Disintegrate for sidelining foes. Also 6th is Flesh to Ooze AND it works on targets that have been turned to stone.
Sure Casting can be handy and usually replaces two feats, but you may need those feats in your campaign.
I'd leave non-combat casting metamagics to Rods.
While you are a Transmuter you could buff(Trait, Spl Focus, Spl Perfctn) Conjurations which tend to avoid SR and are good against constructs or go with Evocation force effects. Opposition Research can be very handy. This happens with Diviners in play as they don't focus on their school.
While Calcific Touch:T4 is effective it takes TIME(at 2 pts Dex/hit) and allies may die before it hits home. You also need Long Arm and/or Reach metamagic AND you have to roll to hit every round AND must overcome SR (failing Fort is just gravy).
If your party can fight under water, Control Water:T6{Raise} might be very effective at battlefield control and getting some water is not that difficult. There's also the *cast a fog* trick with Goz/Fogcutting Lenses.
So a transmuter who intend to fight demons?
polymorphing is nice when you got to fight one or few demons but I think you might find this little gem of a spell very useful when you will face the mandatory demon army.
-very large area of effect ('spread' effect so work around cover etc), no save nor spell resistance allowed. a spell to face evil armies.
(as a bonus, it won't attack your allies in the area of effect as long as they are not evil, or ping as such. so no infernal healing while at it)
-not to use indoors, unless you want to make it into outdoors. On the other hand has the potential to take down an enemy's base and stationed garrison.
If you rather not ruin buildings an elf with the alt racial ability of 'Illustrious Urbanite' get spell focus (conjuration, illusion, or transmutation) instead of keen senses (+2 racial to perception) and when casting a spell from that school can leave any building undamaged by it.
worth looking into. (i think an elf wizard would start off better then a human in this case if the human planed on taking spell focus with his extra feat, what with the elven racial immunities and elven magic to overcome SR, or start off with another spell focus in a different school with the alt ability of 'Overwhelming Magic')
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber
Thank you all for the great advice. Based on it, I'm going with flesh to stone. It is a bit of a hassle (you need to undo it to get the enemies gear back), but it is the better choice and the enemies we have been facing are no joke - I need the better spell.
In response to some of the other great discussion:
1. I have calcific touch and I love the spell. I don't need to deliver it through reach because I polymorph into something and make a series of natural attacks anyway. It is more risky, but it is also more effective. If all I did each round was 1d4 DEX damage, I wouldn't be carrying my weight as a L11 wizard. There is also an item called annihilation spectacles. I plan to make these next. When wearing them, a wizard can convert any prepared transmutation spell into any other transmutation spell he knows of the same level or lower. That is amazing-ness well beyond just calcific touch.
2. No rogue or monk levels for me. When I planned this character, I specifically wanted to take a prestige class because at our table no PC had ever made one in Pathfinder after multiple campaigns. I'm a L5 transmuter/L7 arcane savant. Arcane savants have an ability (esoteric magic) to pick up a few spells off of the spell list of other classes. I use these spells to increase my combat readiness. I have wizard squishiness, but worse, I have wizard attack bonus. So far I've grabbed: Veil of Heaven, Deadly Juggernaut, Arcane Concordance, Mighty Strength, and Eagle Soul. When I have those, and the usual wizard buff spells up I can hold my own in combat. We call this time "Buff o'Clock" and it lasts about 10-20 minutes per day and I need about a minute to set it up. It usually works well, and if we get jumped/surprised by enemies outside of buff o'clock I always have a few combat spells and items ready so I can contribute.
The party's unchained knife master rogue probably does the most damage, but I tend to deal 50-75% as much damage as him during Buff o'Clock. Considering I'm also good on knowledge checks, utility spells, craft the party's items, etc., I only need to be useful in combat to be happy and I am.
I just asked my GM about Jatembie's Ire. Thank you for the suggestion. It looks like it will work like black tentacles, but I'll be able to apply spell focus transmutation.
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