Forked Thread: Mage-Brute (revisited)

[Dannyalcatraz]

More thinking about this PC has revealed that this PC will make a lousy crafter- he'll lack the spells to make most of the items that would work best for him (or his party mates).

Similarly, few of his spells would benefit from metamagic feats.

Right now, I'm wondering if the Feats that give PCs Spell-like abilities (Soul of the North, Necropolis Born, etc.) would be the way to go.

But even with the feats that improve SLAs, that seems somehow...bleh. Most of the SLAs granted are for spells of great utility but little power...

(It also seemed as if one or 2 were missing, considering the language in some of the Feats- are there other SLA-boosting feats in other books?)

He sure would be flexible, though.

OTOH, I could continue with the Draconic Feats, like Draconic Presence, Resistence, Legacy and Skin (following THAT one with Improve Natural Armor). He'd be more powerful within his limitations, and he'd add a handful of spells to his list as well.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Right now, I've got my options whittled down to a 2 major pathways over 20 PC levels (Sorc16/Ftr4- going with Ftr6 costs the PC 8th level spells and only nets him a few HP and a +1 net BAB gain).

After taking the 2 Draconic Feats (Heritage & Breath) at 1st level, XWP: Maul, Precise Shot and Point Blank Shot with his Ftr bonus feats, Still Spell and Ability Focus: Breath Weapon, he'll have 4 Feat slots to work with.

Either he'll take Practiced Spellcaster and a few more Draconic Feats (Presence, Resistance and Legacy) playing up his draconic nature, or he'll take PS plus some combo of Extra Spell, Arcane Strike and Split Ray.

What will make the decision is my DM's answer to a couple of questions.

I've asked him whether arcane casters could learn permanently metamagically altered variants of spells (e.g. Still Magic Missile is a variant of Magic Missile that is a 2nd level spell).

I've also queried whether Sorcerers could use higher level slots to learn lower level spells. RAW when a Sorc advances to the point where he learns a 3rd level spell, he has to learn a 3rd level spell. I'm asking if he could take that 3rd level spell and learn a 1st or 2nd level spell...and if so, what the exchange rate would be (1 high spell for 1 low; 1 high spell for 2 low, etc.).

If the answer is "Yes" to either or both of those questions, I'll go with the latter build because I'd have more flexibility as a spellcaster.

If "No," its dragon-time.

(I'd hoped to have posted the actual path at this point- he E-mailed our group telling us he'd have answers for our questions after dinner. That was 4 or so hours ago. Th' boy shore can eat!)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Result!

The feat would not be required but the casting time would need to be changed to the appropriate length of time for the caster to use it as if casting it with the feat. (one full round for most spells for sorcerers.) Arcane preperation would not be useable on the spell then either since the spell is actually that way now and not being prepared with using a feat any more.

So with a little careful planning, I might not even have to take Still spell anymore!

 

[Andor]

Result!

So with a little careful planning, I might not even have to take Still spell anymore!

That's cool although the full-round casting time will limit the tactical applications of many spells. Nice that it saves a precious feat however. Enjoy!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

It does more than save a feat- it lets me shuffle spells around on my list.

The spells without somatic components are generally flexible and all, but most lack punch. Still Spell, or this HR, lets me take more offensive spells. However it also lets me move a spell from a level where I have more spells that I desire to a level where I have fewer. For instance, there are only a couple of somatic-less spells at 5th, 6th or 7th level- he has more potential spells known than spells to fill them.

Now with this HR in his favor, his "wish list" now lists Stilled Orb of Force and Polymorph at 5th, Prismatic Ray at 6th, and Disintegrate at 7th.

It also means I'm not going to be taking Tongues at 3rd level- instead, it will be a Stilled Scorching Ray.

With a new emphasis on ray spells (his dex is high, and his BW serves for most AE attacks) and certain tactical spells like Stilled Enlarge (instead of Bull's Strength...which the Clerics have anyway) and Stilled Polymorph, he won't be worrying too much about casting times.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Update:

With everyone in the party now at 2nd level, at least one other arcane spellcaster has been added to the party- a Cleric of Boccob 1/SpecWiz 1.

Thus, I can get this guy a bit closer to his original inspiration.

PC background exerpt
Adragon Von Basten, born the child of a part-Succubus courtesan and a Half-Dragon mercenary Captain, grew up in the Pleasure District. The brothel's garden was his haven, the bars and back-alleys the forge that tempered his manhood...largely because of his combination of (vaguely Half-Elven) good looks and a lack of common sense. Eventually, his mother employed him as a bouncer in her brothel (The Moonlit Rose), where he also found love with a young seamstress (Kassea) who made and repaired the whores' loungewear and lingerie. Life was good...

So, he'll be going back to the Draconic build with his Feat selection.

In addition, his potential spell list will contain almost nothing but Electrical or Sonic based damage spells, Enchantments, Illusions and those that are lacking somatic components.

The damage spells will take advantage of the HR I mentioned above- some will be EnSubbed spells that will be electrical now, like Flaming Sphere (now "Adragon's Ball Lightning) or Blistering Radiance (now "Adragon's Electrical Airburst"). Others will actually address weaknesses in his spell selection caused by his obsessive nature, like Orb of Electricity (now at 5th level as the Transdimensional "Adragon's Spectral Sphere") or Lightning Bolt (now at 6th level as the Sculptable, Explosive and Born of the Three Thunders "Adragon's Thundering Doomstrike")

In concord with his lower than average Wis, few spells (and none of the Electrical ones) will be Stilled, despite his preference for wearing armor...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

hornedturtle
Duh he was built by a dragon Artificer.

Dude, I was in the ER a week ago or so, and the treatment I received afterwards had me spending a lot of time flat on my back watching TV.

I was lying there in a vicodin-induced haze thinking about Adragon and watching Hellraiser: Bloodlines and your post suddenly sprang to mind. I thought of another PC design, inspired by your post, that movie, and a bit of Hellboy.

BOX
Warforged Ftr/Sorc

Using the basic Mage-brute theory, he takes Adamantine Body as his first level feat, maximizing Str, Con, and especially Cha. His weapon should be the spiked chain.

Instead of the Draconic Heritage & BW feats, take Infernal Heritage and Infernal Sorcerer's Howl ASAP.

Describe him as having an adamantine body, somewhat darkened by blackish-red enamel paint, with elaborate golden filigree.

That's right- he's a walking, talking LeMarchant Box, a living Lament Configuration- contstructed to be an autonomous key to the gates of hell.

Like Hellboy, however, he rejects his intended destiny, and seeks to travel a different path.

 

[Knightfall]

It also looks like, after that, I'm going to concentrate more on spellcaster themed feats...Empower spell, Craft Wonderous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Forge Ring.

Once you can make a magic sword, I suggest you add the Skillful special quality from Complete Arcane (pg. 144) to it. Sure, it's a +2 hit but what it gives your PC is worth it.

The caster level requirements are a bit high, so you might have to pay an NPC arcanist to enchant one for you if you want the higher BAB sooner.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That could be interesting...

I may have to apply it to a later PC, though. The current guy- someone I've gamed with for 20+ years- has been a bit off of his game the first few sessions. Essentially, he's been more wooden than a Shambling Mound named Al Gore.

Part of it could be the module he's running- only time will tell if the group gives him enough time to shake it off.

 

[insanogeddon]

Just had to mention the obvious option: Bard: Dragon Touched, Draconic Heritage, Dragon Breath at 3rd. Nets the same result but with better casting, bab, skills, (music) 'roar' etc. A blasting bard pops eyes and isn't competing against spells she can cast at diminished returns as their current damage spells are puny.

tho for a fire breather I have to say a Cleric with the earth and fire domains and 'dragon fire chanelling' (Dragon Magic) has always been hard to beat.. 1st level and a chr of just 14 nets 15x breath weapon at 1st level with half of the damage being 'sacred'. Elemental slaves sooner or later thru turn/rebuke elementals just round out the charm.