Is there any way to make a viable enchanter?
- Thread starter Terath Ninir
- Start date
Humanophile
First Post
Depending on how far outside the box you're allowed to go, keep in mind the duration on many enchantment spells and the fact that muscle tends not to have the best will saves. A little "recruitment drive" before the dungeon delve can net you some cannon fodder/trap springers to avoid wasting party resources. The occasional buff spell can also help, especially given that most enchantment buffs are multi-target and you can use the above idea to acquire more friendly targets.
Still, a lot of this depends on your DM's individual tastes. A DM who prefers several lesser encounters before the big climactic one gives you many opportunities to turn your opponent's resources against them, and probably with pretty good odds against mook saves. One who prefers all battles to feel like grand affairs is probably best indulged rather than risking save or die anticlimax.
Still, a lot of this depends on your DM's individual tastes. A DM who prefers several lesser encounters before the big climactic one gives you many opportunities to turn your opponent's resources against them, and probably with pretty good odds against mook saves. One who prefers all battles to feel like grand affairs is probably best indulged rather than risking save or die anticlimax.
I've been thinking about an arcane enchanter type myself and I have a few ideas.
Races:
Races with a bonus on a spellcasting stat are usually a good choice.
Deep Imaskari (Underdark), Sun Elves (FRCS) and Grey Elves (MM) have +2 Int.
Star Elves (Unapproachable East) and Spellscales (RotD) have +2 Cha.
(There are probably more I've forgotten.)
Humans are also a solid choice, especially for a sorcerer. Lets you pick the Able Learner (RoD) feat.
Ghostwise Halflings have 20' telepathy - a nice touch.
Feats:
Still Spell, Silent Spell and Eschew Materials, the Spell Focus feats, the Spell Penetration feats and Heighten Spell are possible Core chocies.
Chain Spell (CArc) could be worth it.
Unsettling Enchantment (CMag) and Touch of Distraction (CMag) aren't that good, but add some flavor.
Fey Power (CMag) adds +1 to CL and DC on enchantment spells
Frightful Presence (Drac) could be worth it for a "Dominator" type.
It's not a feat, but the Immediate Magic alternate wizard class feature from PHBII has a very nice ability for enchanters. (Daze low HD attacker as immediate action.)
Prestige classes:
The Mindbender (CArc) gets you 100' telepathy. (More than one level isn't really worth it.)
The Master Specialist (CMag) gets you Greater Spell Focus and some nice abilities. The 4th level "no save on charm spells even if under attack" looks especially useful.
Skills:
Able Learner (lets a human buy cross-class skills without the double cost.)
The spells Friendly Face (RoD) and Voice of the Dragon (SC) give bonuses on social skills.
There are items that help too.
Spells:
Spell Enhancer (SC) is +2 CL and +1 DC on your next spell if you're worrying about DCs. Not much, but maybe worth it on higher levels. (4th level spell, swift action.)
I've been meaning to make a specialized sorcerer spell list with mostly enchantment spells, so if there's any interest I may post one.
Races:
Races with a bonus on a spellcasting stat are usually a good choice.
Deep Imaskari (Underdark), Sun Elves (FRCS) and Grey Elves (MM) have +2 Int.
Star Elves (Unapproachable East) and Spellscales (RotD) have +2 Cha.
(There are probably more I've forgotten.)
Humans are also a solid choice, especially for a sorcerer. Lets you pick the Able Learner (RoD) feat.
Ghostwise Halflings have 20' telepathy - a nice touch.
Feats:
Still Spell, Silent Spell and Eschew Materials, the Spell Focus feats, the Spell Penetration feats and Heighten Spell are possible Core chocies.
Chain Spell (CArc) could be worth it.
Unsettling Enchantment (CMag) and Touch of Distraction (CMag) aren't that good, but add some flavor.
Fey Power (CMag) adds +1 to CL and DC on enchantment spells
Frightful Presence (Drac) could be worth it for a "Dominator" type.
It's not a feat, but the Immediate Magic alternate wizard class feature from PHBII has a very nice ability for enchanters. (Daze low HD attacker as immediate action.)
Prestige classes:
The Mindbender (CArc) gets you 100' telepathy. (More than one level isn't really worth it.)
The Master Specialist (CMag) gets you Greater Spell Focus and some nice abilities. The 4th level "no save on charm spells even if under attack" looks especially useful.
Skills:
Able Learner (lets a human buy cross-class skills without the double cost.)
The spells Friendly Face (RoD) and Voice of the Dragon (SC) give bonuses on social skills.
There are items that help too.
Spells:
Spell Enhancer (SC) is +2 CL and +1 DC on your next spell if you're worrying about DCs. Not much, but maybe worth it on higher levels. (4th level spell, swift action.)
I've been meaning to make a specialized sorcerer spell list with mostly enchantment spells, so if there's any interest I may post one.
Mind Blank should never be that much of a concern for PC enchanter as the vast majority of CR15+ encounters will not be capable of casting mind blank themselves. That pretty much limits Mind Blank use on arcane caster BBEG or BBEGs with high level arcane caster lieutenants. In those cases you need to use your heavy duty enchantments on the sub-bosses 
Now Mind Blank is pretty significant problem for a NPC enchanter to deal with once the party has access to the spell but unless the arcane caster is willing to blow most of his 8th slots on mind blanking the party there's a good chance that at least some of the party will be vulnerable.
Now Mind Blank is pretty significant problem for a NPC enchanter to deal with once the party has access to the spell but unless the arcane caster is willing to blow most of his 8th slots on mind blanking the party there's a good chance that at least some of the party will be vulnerable.
Inconsequenti-AL
Breaks Games
I figure the save DCs are pretty nasty for fighter types?
My hands down favorite enchantment is Confusion - throw at a bunch of mooks and it's practically guaranteed to stick to some of them?
Other thing I'd look at is chopping down the targets saves:
Touch of Idiocy is fantastic, D6 Chr/Int/Wis damage... no save.
Mind fog - situational but horrible in the right place?
Bestow curse can inflict a -4 to everything, albeit with a will save to qualify.
Humble old Prayer knocks 1 off saves.
Even limited wish if you're feeling wealthy on the magic stakes?
Personally, I think sorcerors do well with enchantments, you can keep throwing them out until one sticks?
My hands down favorite enchantment is Confusion - throw at a bunch of mooks and it's practically guaranteed to stick to some of them?
Other thing I'd look at is chopping down the targets saves:
Touch of Idiocy is fantastic, D6 Chr/Int/Wis damage... no save.
Mind fog - situational but horrible in the right place?
Bestow curse can inflict a -4 to everything, albeit with a will save to qualify.
Humble old Prayer knocks 1 off saves.
Even limited wish if you're feeling wealthy on the magic stakes?
Personally, I think sorcerors do well with enchantments, you can keep throwing them out until one sticks?
Boondoggle
First Post
The most powerful enchanter type is, by far, a telepath (psion). With the ability to scale up lower power DCs and the massive versitility psionics provides, telepaths are the most effective at changing others' minds. Dominate, Psionic is a very powerful power that scales nicely. Psionics also provides an amulet that boosts DCs by 1 for 8k. And psicrystals effectively provide telepathy with a 30' range from it for everything except manifesting powers.
Besides, psionically controlling someones mind is much cooler than doing via magic.
Besides, psionically controlling someones mind is much cooler than doing via magic.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
The million dollar question is "what do you mean by an enchanter?" Do you mean a character whose schtick is enchantment spells? Or do you want a character who only uses enchantment spells? (I'm assuming in combat here because I don't think an enchanter's viability is in question anywhere else).
If you want the character whose schtick is enchantment spells but uses other abilties, then you have a lot of options.
A wizard specializing in enchantment (or maybe not specializing at all but just using a lot of enchantments) is a pretty good possibility. The wizard always has spells like heroism, confusion, otto's irresistable dance, dominate person, etc prepared, but keeps a few crude fireballs, magic missiles, summon monsters (maybe even with augment summoning since wizards get a decent number of feats), etc available. Or maybe, you keep scrolls of things like halt undead, command undead, and rust construct available for the encounters when your enchantment abilities won't work.
Another option would be bard. (Maybe with, and maybe without the sublime chord prestige class from (IIRC) Complete Arcane). You don't quite have the enchantment potential of a wizard or sorcerer in terms of spells per day, but you somewhat make up for it by getting a lot of the better enchantment spells earlier--Tasha's Hideous Laugther at 1st level, Confusion at 3rd level, etc. When enchantment spells don't work, you have inspire courage (which is tremendously effective with Inspirational Boost (Complete Adventurer)), inspire Greatness, and a few odd spells that you can pick up like Dispel Magic, glitterdust, etc. And, depending upon how you build your bard (and how generous your stats are), you could also take Arcane Strike and Arcane Preparation (to let you use pearls of power to recover your few spell slots), and mount a credible offense in melee when it comes to that.
I haven't seen a beguiler in action, but, looking at the class in the PHB II, it looks to fit more into the category of a character who makes enchantments and illusions her sole contribution to combat thus doesn't have much to do whenever up against plants, constructs, or undead.
If you want the character whose schtick is enchantment spells but uses other abilties, then you have a lot of options.
A wizard specializing in enchantment (or maybe not specializing at all but just using a lot of enchantments) is a pretty good possibility. The wizard always has spells like heroism, confusion, otto's irresistable dance, dominate person, etc prepared, but keeps a few crude fireballs, magic missiles, summon monsters (maybe even with augment summoning since wizards get a decent number of feats), etc available. Or maybe, you keep scrolls of things like halt undead, command undead, and rust construct available for the encounters when your enchantment abilities won't work.
Another option would be bard. (Maybe with, and maybe without the sublime chord prestige class from (IIRC) Complete Arcane). You don't quite have the enchantment potential of a wizard or sorcerer in terms of spells per day, but you somewhat make up for it by getting a lot of the better enchantment spells earlier--Tasha's Hideous Laugther at 1st level, Confusion at 3rd level, etc. When enchantment spells don't work, you have inspire courage (which is tremendously effective with Inspirational Boost (Complete Adventurer)), inspire Greatness, and a few odd spells that you can pick up like Dispel Magic, glitterdust, etc. And, depending upon how you build your bard (and how generous your stats are), you could also take Arcane Strike and Arcane Preparation (to let you use pearls of power to recover your few spell slots), and mount a credible offense in melee when it comes to that.
I haven't seen a beguiler in action, but, looking at the class in the PHB II, it looks to fit more into the category of a character who makes enchantments and illusions her sole contribution to combat thus doesn't have much to do whenever up against plants, constructs, or undead.
Sorcerer with a careful selection of Spells Known.
Wizard (Enchanter) moving into the Master Specialist PrC from Complete Mage.
Psion (Telepath)
Spell Focus: Enchantment bloody well is worth a feat slot if you're an enchanter!
Silent Spell and Still Spell are your friends: Dangerous is the enchanter whose enemies arn't aware that they have been enchanted.
Wizard (Enchanter) moving into the Master Specialist PrC from Complete Mage.
Psion (Telepath)
Spell Focus: Enchantment bloody well is worth a feat slot if you're an enchanter!
Silent Spell and Still Spell are your friends: Dangerous is the enchanter whose enemies arn't aware that they have been enchanted.
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