Cameleon Prestige Class

[Nicholas Raine]

I just wanted to get some input on what people thought about this class. I had another thread, but I'm starting a new one for this.

My idea thus far is a human, rogue 3 ranger 1 wizard 1 Cameleon 1.
I've got the stats for it, but I'm still toying with feats, etc. I'm also debating on dropping the level of wizard for either a 4th level in rogue or a 2nd level in ranger. I just like the idea of the wizard because as a cameleon when you do arcane focus, your spells per day will stack.

Stats:
Str: 17 (18 at level 4)
Dex: 18
Con: 12
Int: 18
Wis: 14
Cha: 16

Again, toying with feats. Favored enemy is going to be Humans. In the rangers book, they also have the option of Additional Favored Enemy, req is +5 BaB and previous Favored enemy. Reason Im thinking of taking the feat is because it would let me bump my Favored Enemy: Humans up to +4. Two feats I'm definatly taking though are Combat Expertise, and Improved Feint. (With his bluff skill that high, I'll be getting sneak attacks almost every time.) I'm toying with the idea for some other feats, like Quick Draw, or Point Blank Shot. At Level 2 Cameleon, you get a bonus feat that you can change each day, as long as you meet the prereqs, so at that point I could take Precise Shot.

Anyways, I'm interested in seeing some of the builds that you guys can come up with using those stats and making a level 6 character.


Cheers!
Raine

 

[Jack Simth]

Spells per day only sort-of stack; at your 1st level of chameleon, you'll have access to 2nd level spells (either one arcane or one divine, but not both at once until much later). Your Chameleon spells will have a caster level of 2 (which is really fun, getting 2nd level spells at caster level 2 - what happens when you make a scroll or Wand of Scorching Ray? Does it have caster level 2, and get a nifty price break?). Meanwhile, your Wizard spells are stuck at caster level 1, and you'll only have a handful of them. Peronsally, though, I'd probably go pure Bard for the 5 levels before the class.

Why?

Well, all the pre-requisities for the class are class skills (not that it matters too much, with the Able Learner feat) and you actually have a caster level for qualifying for those Item Creation feats (you must qualify for any feat from the Chameleon-2 Flexible feat, and your focus for the day isn't permitted to qualify you for anything - so no item crafting if you're a Rogue-3/Ranger-2, as you don't have a caster level as far as feat qualifications are concerned). With Practiced Spellcaster, you eventually get your caster level up to 9th (when going this route, take Craft Rod at 9th - Metamagic Rods are fun, and you can make any of them with just Craft Rod and your flexible feat, before just about anyone else could, due to your double caster level progression). Additionally, a Bard base gets you some nifties; spontaneous healing, perhaps, and some other decent spells. Also, with item creation feats and access to any Divine spell up to your level restrictions, and an arcane caster level, you can do some collaberation cheese (with yourself) to make arcane scrolls for you to enter into your spellbook for when you're playing a wizard. Even better, you're not limited to a class list of spells, so you can theoretically have such things as Cure Light Wounds or eventually Heal in your spellbook as arcane spells that you can actually prepare and cast.

What's really fun about the Chameleon PrC, of course, is that you get to cherry-pick off of divine spell lists. For instance, did you know that Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Lightning Bolt are on the Adept (NPC class) spell list, and the Adept is a Divine caster? Even better, it's got Heal as a 5th level spell (with a simple +2 Peripat of Wisdom, you'll be casting Heal at 12th... exactly one level behind the Cleric). And you also get Reincarnate when you have a 4th level spell slot available (again, get a +2 Peripat of Wisdom, and you'll have the bonus 4th level spell slot with your base of 14, the +2 Ability Boon to Wisdom, and the +2 Enhancement from the Peripat)... one level behind where the Cleric gets Raise Dead.

With a bit of work, you can even out-hit the Fighter with those stats after a few levels (although you don't get as many iterative attacks, won't be nearly so grand at battlefield control, et cetera) Ability Boon to strength, get a +strength item (or make one - bardic caster level lets you use the Bonus Feat for Craft Wondrous, and the Divine spell list gets you the stat boosting spells), Greater Magic Weapon your weapon of choice with your enhanced caster level.....

 

[Jack Simth]

Oh, and just for grins; some tricks the Chameleon can do that few other classes can:

At 11th, you'll have a caster level of 12; this means that your Greater Magic Weapon and Magic Vestments spells are working at +3, rather than the +2 that the Wizard or Cleric is dealing with. Moreover, your spells are harder to dispel for the same reason. And, once you get Greater Dispel Magic (or anything else that requires a caster level check) you can pretty much rule the roost in that department.

At Chamelon-3, You can Rebuke/Command low powered undead. While being a good guy. Or Turn/Destroy low powered undead, while being a bad guy. After Chameleon-6, you can do both.... on the same day. It's a really good class for keeping people guessing.

 

[szilard]

What about Beguiler?

-Stuart

 

[Jack Simth]

What about Beguiler?

-Stuart

Not familiar with the class, and...

In what respect?

 

[Nicholas Raine]

Jack,

Thanks for the responce. You brought up some very interesting points to consider. I've never been much of a bard player personally, but I'll have to take a look at it now and see if it tickles my fancy. You did have an excellent point though about the item creation feats needing a caster class. One of the things that I've thought about doing is a 3 rogue 1 ranger 1 wizard. (I'm not concerned about the exp hit). Reason for this, is I'll have 2d6 sneak attack, great skills, trapfinding and evasion. (Yes, the PrC gives me trapfinding but only in that mode.) I want the level 1 ranger for track, and favored enemy humans (+2 bluff, dmg etc will stack great with the PrC) and also tie in with the sort of bounty hunter aspect. It also gives me perminate access to all martial weapons, +1 BaB, and good skill points. The wizard is where it gets tricky.
At lvl 1 you get 1 spell per day. 18 int gives another +1, so there is two. I'm thinking of taking a specalization in either Conjuration or Aberation, and prohibit Necromancy and Enchantment. (I've looked through all the spells and the ones from those schools appeal the least to me.) So right there I've got 3 spells a day, and they will basicly be utlity spells. Shield, Expd Retreat, Obsc mist, Enlarge, etc. And when I do the arcane focus, they will stack. So, 2 from the PrC, +1 int, +1 school. I'll be able to cast 7 first level spells. And with that, I'll be able to do the item creation feat as you'd mentioned.

My big seller for Rogue over Bard is mostly the sneak attack. My character is going to be fighting with a great sword, 2d6. Sneak attack +2d6. Thats 4d6 on a sneak attack, and I'm taking Combat Expertise, and Improved Feint. Which all the ranks in bluff, and how few classes have sense motive. And thats without touching the PrC. I could primarly stay in Arcane or Divine mode, (The wild mode would be kinda useless since I'd get wild empathy from the ranger class..and I don't think wild mode gives you druid spells, correct?)
I wouldnt need the sneak mode often, since my base class is rogue. So I could also rotate in the fighter for the +2 attack and Dmg.

Thats my thoughts, feel free to poke holes in it where appropriate.

 

[szilard]

Not familiar with the class, and...

In what respect?

Beguiler is in PHBII. It is an enchanter/illusionist class with some roguelike abilities. Think of it as a tricksy Bard with better spellcasting, but no music/buffing.

It is a spontaneous caster from a set list of spells, but uses Int as a casting stat. It gets 6 skill points/level. d6 HD. Full (9-level) spellcasting.

It's big drawback is that its spell list is fairly limited (almost all enchantment, illusion, and divination spells). Chameleon would enable it to overcome that. Thematically, Beguiler is a very versatile class that emphasizes cleverness - it seems like it would work well as a Chameleon lead-in.

-Stuart

 

[Jack Simth]

Jack,

Thanks for the responce. You brought up some very interesting points to consider. I've never been much of a bard player personally, but I'll have to take a look at it now and see if it tickles my fancy. You did have an excellent point though about the item creation feats needing a caster class. One of the things that I've thought about doing is a 3 rogue 1 ranger 1 wizard. (I'm not concerned about the exp hit).

What XP hit? You pretty much have to play human, doppleganger, or Changling anyway; Humans have a favored class of whatever's highest (rogue - PrC's don't count for XP penalties, RAW), dopplegangers and changelings have Rogue as their favored class. All non-favored, non-Prestige classes are within one level of each other.

Reason for this, is I'll have 2d6 sneak attack, great skills, trapfinding and evasion. (Yes, the PrC gives me trapfinding but only in that mode.) I want the level 1 ranger for track, and favored enemy humans (+2 bluff, dmg etc will stack great with the PrC) and also tie in with the sort of bounty hunter aspect. It also gives me perminate access to all martial weapons, +1 BaB, and good skill points. The wizard is where it gets tricky.

Ah, flavor - the best reason for a build there can be.

At lvl 1 you get 1 spell per day. 18 int gives another +1, so there is two. I'm thinking of taking a specalization in either Conjuration or Aberation, and prohibit Necromancy and Enchantment. (I've looked through all the spells and the ones from those schools appeal the least to me.) So right there I've got 3 spells a day, and they will basicly be utlity spells. Shield, Expd Retreat, Obsc mist, Enlarge, etc. And when I do the arcane focus, they will stack. So, 2 from the PrC, +1 int, +1 school. I'll be able to cast 7 first level spells. And with that, I'll be able to do the item creation feat as you'd mentioned.

Nothing says they stack, so the default rules apply; they only sort of stack, as it would if you had a few levels in Cleric to go with your single Wizard level; at character level 6, you'll have one Wizard spell, one specialist spell, and one wizard bonus spell, all at caster level 1 (5, with Practiced Spellcaster(Wizard)), limited to Wizard spells (so your Shield, Obscurring Mist, and Expeditous Retreat last exactly one minute (five, with Practiced Spellcaster(Wizard))). With an Arcane focus, you'll have 2 first level chameleon spells, one bonus 1st level chameleon spell, and one bonus second level chameleon spell (high Int), all at caster level 2. The biggest advantage of a level of Wizard is that it lets you scribe spells into your own spellbook with no hand-waving whatsoever. It can be considered stretching to scribe your own spells with the Bard build - some DM's will permit it, some will not. Do remember to take Practiced Spellcaster at some point, though; it will only get your caster level up to 5th, so you won't be able to use Craft Rod (requires caster level 9), Craft Staff (requires caster level 12), or Forge Ring (requires caster level 12), but it will cover Brew Potion (3rd), Craft Wondrous Item (3rd), Craft Wand (5th), and Craft Magic Arms and Armor (5th) (and Scribe Scroll, but you'll have that from your Wizard level). Sure, at Chameleon-10, you have a caster level of 20... but it can't be used to qualify for feats or Prestige Classes, and your flexible feat requires you to qualify for what you're emulating.

My big seller for Rogue over Bard is mostly the sneak attack. My character is going to be fighting with a great sword, 2d6. Sneak attack +2d6. Thats 4d6 on a sneak attack, and I'm taking Combat Expertise, and Improved Feint. Which all the ranks in bluff, and how few classes have sense motive. And thats without touching the PrC. I could primarly stay in Arcane or Divine mode, (The wild mode would be kinda useless since I'd get wild empathy from the ranger class..and I don't think wild mode gives you druid spells, correct?)

Ranger Wild Empathy is limited to your actuall ranger levels - so 1d20+charisma modifier+1, while the Wild Focus Wild Empathy is based on your chameleon level (and thus increases with level). Wild Focus doesn't give you Druid spells.... but the Divine focus lets you prepare Divine spells off of any divine spellcasting class - so Druid spells, Ranger spells, Cleric spells, Paladin spells, and Adept spells (NPC class - which includes Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Lightning Bolt ... on it's DIVINE spell list). You prepare them as a cleric (but are able to cherry pick off of other divine spellcasting lists) so you're not required to have them in front of you as a Wizard does.

I wouldnt need the sneak mode often, since my base class is rogue. So I could also rotate in the fighter for the +2 attack and Dmg.

Thats my thoughts, feel free to poke holes in it where appropriate.

Holes? What holes? You're doing a flavor build (which is a good thing), and here I'm being silly and giving you some mild optimization tips......

 

[Jack Simth]

Beguiler is in PHBII. It is an enchanter/illusionist class with some roguelike abilities. Think of it as a tricksy Bard with better spellcasting, but no music/buffing.

It is a spontaneous caster from a set list of spells, but uses Int as a casting stat. It gets 6 skill points/level. d6 HD. Full (9-level) spellcasting.

It's big drawback is that its spell list is fairly limited (almost all enchantment, illusion, and divination spells). Chameleon would enable it to overcome that. Thematically, Beguiler is a very versatile class that emphasizes cleverness - it seems like it would work well as a Chameleon lead-in.

-Stuart

Could very easily be perfect, if it's got the needed skill list.

The biggest problem with the Chameleon PrC, though, is that there's nowhere to go after you've capped it (those who don't expect the campaign to play past 15th don't have to worry about this). As a Rogue entrant, you've given up half your sneak attack progression. As a spellcaster entrant, you've given up ten caster levels and several levels of spells (presuming the campaign stops at 20th). As a Melee entrant, you've given up three points of BAB and lots of hit points. These are all off the most important list for most classes. You won't catch up. Sure, you can Focus on something that stacks with whatever class you continue with.... but then to remain effective, you're basically locked into that mode... which is against the Chameleon's flavor.

 

[szilard]

Could very easily be perfect, if it's got the needed skill list.

It does.

-Stuart