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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mistwell" data-source="post: 2574094" data-attributes="member: 2525">Well, Snow's Killer Gnome should be included in this thread.  I take no credit for any of this:Gnome Illusionist 5/Shadowcrafter 2 (Underdark)/Shadowcraft Mage 5 (Races of Stone)/Shadowcrafter 10 (or add a level of Shadow Adept for +1 DC to illusions and +5 SRP, at some minor costs and loss of full 10 levels of Shadowcrafter).Works better if you take the first level Gnome Illusionist replacement level from Races of Stone (which reduces the level of Silent Image to 0 and most of the other image spells by 1), but that  isn't necessary.Also works best if you take some of the illusionist speciality replacement stuff in Arcana Unearthed (Chains of Disbelief and the one that gives Spell Mastery in new illusion spells I think are both good), but again not necessary.Feats: Heighten Spell, Spell Mastery in at least Silent Image, Signature Spell: Silent Image, Earth Sense (Races of Stone), Earth Spell (Races of Stone), Spell Focus: Illusions, Greater Spell Focus: Illusions.The third level ability of the Shadowcraft Mage lets you convert Silent Image (and several other image spells) into either a Shadow Evocation or Shadow Conjuation (creation or summon only).  ANY evocation or conjuation (creation or summon) spell in the Wizard/Sorc list, even those you do not know or even those you cannot cast because you eliminated that type of spells when you specialized in illusion.  The only catch is it has to be a spell of at least 1 level lower than the spell slot used to cast the image spell (but see below).  It sets the "reality" of those shadow spells to 10% * level of the spell slot used.  That is key to this build.The fifth level Shadowcraft Mage ability increases the reality of your shadow spells by 20%.The level 2-3 and level 6-7 abilities of Shadowcrafter each add 10% reality to one of the two types of shadow spells, so combined it's another +20% reality to your shadow spells.There is an issue of Dragon that can add yet another +20% reality to your shadow evocations with a feat, but that isn't necessary for this build.  So the reality of your shadow spells with this build is [Spell Slot Level * 10%] + 20% + 20% (plus another 20% if you take that Dragon Mag feat).  So, use your signature spell to spontaneously cast Silent Image, heightened to whatever spell slot level you want to cast the spell at (this will unfortunately take a full round action instead of a standard action, since you are adding a metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell).  Using Earth Spell your cost to heighten the spell is -1.  Use your 3rd level Shadowcraft Mage ability to convert that spell into any Shadow Evocation or Shadow Conjuation (creation or summon) of your choice, up to a 9th level spell (due to your use of Earth Spell to make the actual cost -1 less to heighten the spell).  I believe there is a version of this build that makes the cost to heighten your spells another -1 (through a Dragon Magazine feat called Easy Metamagic I believe), but no need for that silliness as this build is good (or bad) enough as it is.A ninth level spell slot used would = 90% + 20% = 110% + 20% = 130% reality (meaning it does more damage if you make your will save to disbelieve than if you actually fail your save!)(150% reality if you use the Dragon Magazine feat as well).  Since Shadow spells use the time to cast and material componants of the Shadow Illusion used and NOT the spell being replicated, you could also shadow-replicate minor or major creation to create a big area (up to 20 cubic feet) of Black Lotus Extract poison as a full round action, for example.  Or, if you know a deadlier poison than BLE, use that.</blockquote>

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