Making an "Arcane Paladin" (Was: Martial Arcanists: I need a reminder)

[Jackinthegreen]

Mage Armor is conjuration, but Luminous Armor is thankfully not, if your game has some support for BoED. Yeah, there are some broken things in there (Vow of Poverty comes to mind as not working as promised except in a few situations like Incarnum), but it does have some pretty good stuff in it. A spontaneous caster like a sorcerer base would need Arcane Preparation to cast any Sanctified spells, but since the spell is 1/hour per level, doubling that up means it'll last all day barring dispels.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yes, but they're not very good at it. It's wasted investment.

It's not an investment in character optimization (mechanics), but in character realization (fluff). It would be done to make the character operate like he should, given his own personal decisions, not game mechanical reasons.

Yes, but it's a bad idea. Trust me, getting first level spells in a banned school is not worth losing nines, especially if you banned Evocation.

Same answer- losing nines isn't of any concern to me if the character looks and feels right as the best representation of the concept I can do. I don't have any particular spells chosen as essential yet, nor which school I'd have the PC specialize in- I'm just trying to figure out the options.

Reserve feats are bad. Expensive and don't do much.

Perhaps, but if they do exactly what I want- and some do- I'm cool with that.

 

[Cyclone_Joker]

It's not an investment in character optimization (mechanics), but in character realization (fluff). It would be done to make the character operate like he should, given his own personal decisions, not game mechanical reasons.

That's my point. If you want a character to be a martial arcanist, to be skilled in both magic and the sword, then that is a bad way to go about doing it. Especially since reserve feats don't function. At level 5, a damage reserve feat will be doing 10 damage on average. Ten. That's what a warrior on standard array will be doing with a greatsword.

Or, in other words, mechanics and character backgrounds are inseparably tied.

Same answer- losing nines isn't of any concern to me if the character looks and feels right as the best representation of the concept I can do.

Let me rephrase it in a way that's maybe more clear: Is it in your character's concept to be not just an unskilled mage, but one infinitely weaker than one who was a straight wizard?

I don't have any particular spells chosen as essential yet, nor which school I'd have the PC specialize in- I'm just trying to figure out the options.

Why do you want to specialize?

Perhaps, but if they do exactly what I want- and some do- I'm cool with that.

Then perhaps you should clarify, so we can be of assistance. What is it, exactly, that you want?

But, eh, if you're dead set on losing 9s and taking reserve feats, I really hope you have fun with your character, and I'll bow out here.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) part of (one of) the concept(s) is that the PC has LOTS of arcane spells, usually channeling them via feats (draconic breath, celestial lance, infernal shout, arcane strike, etc.) into a supernatural attack that has no ASF. Reserve feats expand on this, allowing the use of minor magical effects at will.

2) as such, between the large number of spells to channel and reserve feats, he will never use a mundane ranged attack. That a given use of a reserve feat's power only does damage as an average greatsword wielding warrior is immaterial to my goals.

3) über-power spells have zero to do with the concept, it is about using his own personal (i.e. not item based) magic 100% of the time, in unusual ways. So the loss of 9th level spells is immaterial.

And in fact, I have played versions of this build before. The first version of this PC was a PHB-standard Sorc with Draconic breath, scale mail armor, and wielding a maul. He never cast a spell in combat; he did contribute to party goals. Had a blast.

Those channeling feats let you channel any arcane spell, and Specialists have essentially the same number of spells as Sorcs. Thus, multiclassing Sorc & SpecWiz essentially doubles the size of his arcane arsenal. They also get bonuses to casting specialized spells and bonus Crafting/Metamagic/Reserve feats.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Double post

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

OK- the concept is a bit more refined now: "Arcane Paladin"

Known DM Limitations: PC is 10th level. PHB races only. 2 Major & 2 Minor magic items (or @49,000gp worth).

The core is built around a Battle Sorcerer with Celestial Heritage and Celestial Lance at the very least. Arcane Strike, Battle Caster, Good Devotion, Knowledge Devotion, Reserve feats and other Celestial feats are under consideration.

Magic under consideration: Ring of Wizardry 1, slightly enchanted Mithril armor, and a magic weapon seem to be in order (leaning to some kind of sword or axe...for use with Whirling Blade).

Multiclassing options under consideration: Beguiler (armored caster, more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Warmage (armored caster, more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Focused Specialist (spells & bonus feats), Fighter (feats & armor/weapon proficiencies, etc.), Paladin (armor/weapon proficiencies, etc.), Favored Soul (armor/weapon proficiencies, etc.), Marshal (armor/weapon proficiencies & auras), Duskblade (armored caster, armor/weapon proficiencies, more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Human Paragon, Eldritch Knight, Abjurant Champion.

Suggestions?

 

[TwoSix]

OK- the concept is a bit more refined now: "Arcane Paladin"

Known DM Limitarions: PC is 10th level. PHB races only. 2 Major & 2 Minor magic items (or @49,000gp worth).

The core is built around a Battle Sorcerer with Celestial Heritage and Celestial Lance at the very least. Arcane Strike, Battle Caster, Knowledge Devotion, and other Celestial feats are under considertion.

Magic under consideration: Ring of Wizardry 1, slightly enchanted Mithril armor, and a magic weapon seem to be in order (leaning to some kind of Battleaxe...for use with Whirling Blade).

Multiclassing options under consideration: Beguiler (more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Warmage (more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Fighter (feats & armor/weapon proficiencies, etc.), Marshal (armor/weapon proficiencies & auras), Duskblade (armor/weapon proficiencies, more spells & increase number of spells slots for channeling), Eldritch Knight.

Suggestions?

Have you considered tacking on Stalwart Sorcerer (from Complete Mage) onto the Battle Sorcerer build? Extra hit points, weapon focus + proficiency in a martial weapon, in exchange for one less spell known of your highest level (min 1). Since Battle Sorcerer only has one spell known of their highest level, I'll leave it to your interpretation whether a Stalwart Battle Sorcerer would either a) lose nothing, b) lose one spell of their 2nd highest level spell known (my preferred interpretation), or c) be an illegal class substitution.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The SS & BS are very similar classes, and I doubt the DM would permit MCing them together.

 

[TwoSix]

The SS & BS are very similar classes, and I doubt the DM would permit MCing them together.

Oh, that wouldn't work, since you can't multiclass classes with different alt. class features together. (Barring houserule, of course.) I was thinking more of stacking them, being a Stalwart Battle Sorcerer 10.

 

[Nezkrul]

Sorcerer 6 / Paladin 2 / Incantatrix 2; Silverbrow Human (give up extra skill points to get [dragonblood] subtype)

Feats- flaw- Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, flaw- Celestial Sorcerer Lance, H- Extend Spell, 1- Iron Will , 3- Knowledge Devotion, 6- Arcane Disciple (competition domain), 9- Arcane Strike, 9b- Persistent Spell; future feats- 12b- Easy Metamagic (persistent), 12- Acidic Splatter, 15b- Twin Spell, 15- Practical Metamagic (twin), 18b- Easy Metamagic (twin), 18- Practical Metamagic (persistent); that is all 10 levels of Incantatrix, so at 19th and 20th just take 2 more Sorcerer levels.

This is a build-up build, waiting to get spell slots big enough to take advantage of all day buffs, but it has high saves and plenty of options before then.

Gear Options- Celestial Armor but base it off of Chain Shirt instead of Chain Mail and add Twilight to it, stats would be +7 armor bonus, +10 dex bonus, 0% ASF, 0 ACP, Weighs 6 lbs, Total Cost- 29,350gp
Headband of Charisma +2 -4,000gp, Ring of Protection +2 -8,000gp, 7,650gp to spend