Hi y'all!
I've got the privilege of playing in a Skull & Shackles game, where I'm playing a character I've wanted to play for a long, long time - a flame oracle. She's a ton of fun to play, and I'm a fan of how she packs some decent firepower even at low levels, but I thought I'd harness the collective hivemind of the forums for advice on things that are clearly too good not to miss. We're not too decked out in gear yet, as we've had very limited opportunities to buy equipment during the campaign so far, but I anticipate that once we hit a decently sized port, we might be able to shop some. We've just hit level 4, and I am the only spellcaster in the party.
Background skills are in play, and we've got a 25 point buy to accomodate for a smaller party size. Our GM is also fairly permissive, allowing minor retraining on level ups (such as swapping out a feat or class feature).
STR 10 / DEX 12 / CON 14 / INT 13 / WIS 12 / CHA 21 (+1 added at level 4)
Initiative: +5
Saves: Fortitude: +5 / Reflex: +2 / Will: +5
AC: 16 (18 in water terrain) / FF: 14 / Touch: 12 (14 in water terrain)
Racial Traits:
Bond to the Land (Water)
Darkvision (60 ft)
Fey Thoughts (Climb, Perception)
Obsessive (Prof. Sailor)
Pyromaniac
Slow Speed
FCB: +1 HP (x2), +1/2 effective level of Oracle curse (x2)
Traits:
Entomophobe (Drawback)
Rivethun Adherent
Touched by the Sea (Campaign)
Vile Domain (Ash) (gives a +1 CL to most fire spells that we get from our mystery)
Feats: (plans in paranthesis)
L1: Noble Scion (War)
L3: Spell Focus (Evocation)
L5: (Varisian Tattoo)
L7: (Flumefire Rage)
Class Abilities:
Healer's Way: "Lay on Hands" 6/day, 2d6 healing on self (swift) or others (standard).
Master Herbalist: Use CHA > WIS and add 1/2 level to Profession (Herbalist) checks.
Revelation: Cinder Dance (+10 ft to movement speed).
Notable skills:
Diplomacy: +12
Profession (Sailor): +9
Perform (Oratory): +9
Perception: +8
Spellcraft: +8
Climb: +6
Swim: +5
Spells Known:
0th: Create Water, Detect Magic, Grasp, Guidance, Mending, Read Magic
1st: Air Bubble, Bless, Burning Hands (Mystery), Cure Light Wounds, Grease (Curse), Murderous Command
2nd: Cure Moderate Wounds, Glitterdust (Curse), Lesser Restoration, Resist Energy (Mystery)
Equipment:
Studded Leather, Obsession Log, MW Buckler, Underwater Crossbow, Iron Vial filled with X doses of Saltpeter (for Burning Hands/Fireball), Climber's Kit, consumed potion of Sow Thought (Sowed thought: Don't set fire to your own ship!).
Things I am pleased with:
- I really enjoy having a +2 CL to certain spells I feel are core to the blaster fantasy (Burning Hands, to be Fireball) with what feels like a relatively small investment (Pyromaniac + Vile Domain). It has felt deeply satisfying to feel like an effective blaster at low levels. On a similar note, adding saltpeter for +1 damage on the 'cheap' has also been a helpful boon.
- Rivethun Adherent essentially gives me a +2 to fortitude saves for 50 gp. Even better if you get to trigger the will save part of the trait.
- I like the variety of spells offered by the Flame mystery and Elemental Imbalance curse.
-Flumefire Rage's drawback (make a fortitude save or become fatigued, and you can't use the feat when fatigued) is mitigated by getting the ability to cure conditions at the level I'd get the feat.
Things I am questioning/would like advice on:
- I would love to pick up a Circlet of Persuasion, both for the social boost and also for the boost to initiative. Similarly, a Tome of Epics would also help with boosting my perform checks, so I can help the party gather infamy. What other items should I keep an eye out for?
- I've found Murderous Command to be a good back-up underwater, but with my limited spell selection, should I perhaps swap it out at level 4 due to getting Glitterdust for free that level? If so, for what?
- Compared to the trait/racial trait combination above, spending three feats on +1 DC, +1 CL, and +1 damage/dice on my fire spells seems like a relatively hefty price to pay. Is there an easier way to achieve something similar - mind, without dipping into Sorcerer? (I'd really like to avoid doing so, to avoid the loss in CL and spell progression)
- I'm debating whether to pick up Hydrophobia/Control Water as spells known later, as a way to shore up my innate challenge with casting fire spells underwater (a lesser MM Rod of Steam Spell is on my shortlist for that reason), but worry that it might just make the game boring at that point. Any play experience with those spells and this campaign?
- How necessary is Make Whole when you're onboard a ship?
- My curse makes it impossible for me to cast spells with the [air] and [electricity] descriptors, making me think that Shield of Wings is my only likely innate flight option (Wings of Fire would also work, but would be harder to fit into the build). However, Ragathiel isn't necessarily a deity or demigod that probably would embrace piracy... thoughts on how to reconcile this thematic mishmash?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
How to play a wizard thread, 2024-10
see how I build the wizards and item choices.casting underwater - a potion in a potion sponge, air bubble:C1@1 will give you 10 rounds of breathing and verbal components for 52gp.
Casting FIRE underwater is a special problem. You've traded some variability for power but just cast something else until you have better battlefield conditions.
Aquatic or Benthic Metamagic (+1) is helpful.
Put useful but infrequently cast spells on a scroll so you can focus your slots on daily/attack spells.Herbalist is a pain to run and the GM has to manage it.
Ranks in Acrobatics(3-5 ranks, fighting defensively), Heal(1+), Knw(local 1+, for humanoids), Ride(3-5 ranks, for a horse), Sense Motive(1+), Stealth(1+, for invisibility) would be better than lots of ranks in Climb(to 0 ranks) or Swim(to 1-3 ranks). Maybe a potion of monkey-fish, touch of the sea, or spider climb if you're in trouble.
Thank you for your suggestions! I'll be sure to grab a potion of Touch of the Sea, preferably in a potion sponge and to be put into a Spring-Loaded Wrist sheath. Air Bubble, on the other hand, I've already got as a spell known, and with only somatic components, I think Ill be able to cast it underwater when necessary. Looking for a lesser metamagic rod of Aquatic Spell also sure seems handy, tossing a fireball into water will never get old, I suspect.
The campaign so far has had us make plenty of swim and climb checks, so the investment feels rather warranted from a survival perspective. Granted, I'm not planning on devoting an excessive amount of skill points - I have a philosophy of putting a skill point in most class skills for the free boost, then focusing on a select few core competencies. Right now, as I am the only caster as mentioned, I'm thinking:
- Diplomacy
- Perception
- Spellcraft (for magic item identification, and it's necessary down the line for Magic Trick (Fireball) anyway)
- then pretty much whichever is most necessary of Stealth, Bluff, or any sort of Knowledge skills. I guess UMD might also be relevant somewhere down the line.
You suggest a dip in Diviner Wizard, but wouldn't then a sorcerer dip be more synergistic anyway, if the main point would be to enable spell access without UMD? I'll also readily admit to being hesitant to delaying my spell progression even by one level, as I already have proficiency in medium armor and shields, so the mage armor + shield combo doesn't seem all that enticing.
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As a side note, I realize that my OP wasn't as clear on my goals as I thought (so again, thanks for commenting, I really appreciate it).
My main goals are pretty much the following:
- Have competitive damage output. I think I've got that somewhat covered with the current planned feat layout (as it sets me up for a 9d6+1 fireball at level 6, or 10d6+11 at level 7), but if there are any shortcuts here, by all means, please let me know!
- Always be able to contribute something, whether out of combat or in combat. This means having a back-up in combat for when fire is a bad idea, or being a competent face. Grease, Glitterdust, etc come into play here.
- Be survivable. I somewhat wanted to fit in Planar Infusion (Positive Energy Plane) to boost my 'Lay on Weeds'-ability, but can't really fit it in with my current feat plan. I'm also the first to admit that I've got pretty awful saves, though that's par for the course for an oracle.
I've incidentally considered straight up consuming the infamous Rum Rations from the AP on the regular, for a 1d4 alchemical boost to Charisma for up to 8 hours, in return for 1d3 Con damage and the fatigued condition - both of which could be mitigated with a cast of Lesser Restoration. With my odd Charisma score, it's a pretty much guaranteed DC boost to my spells - but are there any major disadvantages to doing so, other than dealing with the addiction rules?
we're about to finish up that AP, someone in the party needs to max out persuasion and diplomacy. Preferably someone with a high Charisma.
You'll want to invest in ways to do combat underwater, cloak of the manta works, there are a couple of feats that allow you to fight underwater, aquadynamic weapon enhancement, waterproof spell, etc. there are LOTS of underwater stuff.
Duly noted. As the resident charismatic fellow (though, I dare say our entire three-man party is decently charismatic) I'll probably pick up Tap Inner Beauty as a spell known at level 5 to further enhance those charisma-based checks, because I just realized that Liberating Command could have saved our party vigilante's bacon much more easily on Bonewrack Isle - it felt like he got grappled every combat, and now I might be able to prevent that from happening again. Au revoir, Murderous Command. I'll miss you.
In any case, I'll make sure to grab either a MM rod of Aquatic Spell or the like, and it sure seems like Hydrophobia might be worth fitting into my spells known.
Is there a reason behind perform (oratory) over profession (herbalist)? You'll want some points in herbalism to meet those DCs to remove fatigue, etc. If you don't want to dip arcane, UMD is always good, too, especially if you are the only caster.
Make whole is good to have, but get that using scrolls or a page of knowledge.
For metamagic, aquatic, benthic, and steam are all useful. Aquatic is the general purpose, while steam is more specific to fire spells, but it doesn't cost an extra +1 spell slot level.
If you dip for arcane spell list access, sorcerer is more compatible as a CHA-based caster, but the wizard can continue to gain spells and scribe the scrolls. A third option is the arcanist. There are some good exploits. Metamixing is excellent for spontaneous casters.
It is my understanding that in order to garner Infamy (a sort of reputation currency in the campaign), we need to have someone with a strong Perform, Bluff, or Intimidate check that's quite tough. (DC = 15+(party levelx2)). As we're using the background skills subsystem, I figured I could put some of those points into perform for "free", whereas Bluff or Intimidate would cost me real skill points (and are also not class skills).
I've put one skill point into prof. Herbalist too, but as it only really starts getting important at level 7, I thought I'd prioritize our potential for garnering Infamy, before making sure that my herbalist modifier is up to par by the level it'll matter. :)But okay, yeah, I'm seeing a near consensus on the importance of accessing the arcane full caster list. While I'm not sold on dipping for 1st level spells, I'll make sure to crank my UMD up too. I don't suppose there are any easy ways of getting it as a class skill, other than traits and such?