Masters of the Arcane

[Jemal]

DL - +1 lvl of existing arcane spellcasting is the same as for any prestige class that continues caster progression. You gain the spellcasting as though your 'arcane caster level' in whatever class grants you arcane casting were one higher. (Same as for Archmage, Loremaster, etc)

Halford - Do you have a partial character sheet yet? I'm interested in seeing your work up for this concept, it sounds like some fun multiclassing, and I'd like to see how it works.

 

[Dire Lemming]

Dire Lemming, taking a quick look at the Beguiler spell list you seem to have some excellent Illusion spells available to you as things like Timestop and Scintillatinmg pattern would impress me...

Taking any of the Shadow evocation with advanced learning will also open up whole new worlds of impressivness enabling you to replicate evocations, etc.

+1 level of Arcane spellcastng class simply means that you gain spell slots and spells known as per the cass you are using to enter, in your case Beguiler, sometimes you can have more than one viable class maybe Wizard and Sorcerer in which case you select only one to advance. You do not gain any special abilities, etc., from the class you are advancing though just the spells.

Ah, I missed Timestop... and actually I have no idea what scintillating pattern does. This is the first time I've ever made such a high level character, nevermind one with spells. So It's all very confusing to me.

 

[Walking Dad]

DN's doesn't get overtly impressing spells...

with this Ur- Priest "multi-class monster" around I'm thinking about taking a step back and built something more optimised...

(Hm, Necromancer, Ur-Priest, True Necromancer?
or Warlock 4, Cleric 1, Urpriest 2, Eldritch Disciple 10, Mystic Theurge 3)
(Or warlock 5 if you allow the education feat)

Are these classes are fine, too?

 

[Halford]

Yeah sure, its very detailed because it was an arduous task meeting the requirements. For example I needed to take an essentially superfluous level of Druid in order to get speak druidic to qualify for Fochlucan Lyrist.

[Sblock]
Halford Daern

Human: Middle aged 43

Description: An extremely handsome man with the first streaks of gray shooting through a mane of black hair and piercing green eyes. He is exceptionally well dressed, wearing robes more suited to a noble than a mage, and carries himself with tremendous self assurance oozing charisma from every pore.

Stats: Str 8 (1) Dex 10 (3) Con 12(5) Int 14(5) Wis 19(8 + 3 from levels) Cha 19(10 + 2 from levels)

HD: 119 (8d6 + 2d8 + 2d4 + 7d10 + 26)

1.Rogue 1st: Iron Will, Spell Focus Evil
2.Bard 1st:
3.Bard 2nd Melodic Casting
4.Bard 3rd
5.Bard 4th
6.Rogue 2nd Extra Music
7.Lyric Thaumaturge 1st Bard 5th
8.Druid 1st
9.Ur-Priest 1st Craft Wonderous Item
10.Mystic Theurge 1st Bard 6th Ur-Priest 2nd
11.Mystic Theurge 1st Bard 7th Ur-Priest 3nd
12.Sublime Chord 1st Practiced Spellcaster Bard
13.Sublime Chord 2nd
14.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 3rd Ur-Priest 4th
15.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 4th Ur-Priest 5th Rapid Metamagic
16.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 5th Ur-Priest 6th
17.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 6th Ur-Priest 7th
18.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 7th Ur-Priest 8th Quicken Spell
19.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 8th Ur-Priest 9th
20.Fochlucan Lyrist SC 9th Ur-Priest 10th


Base Attack Bonus
1.0
2.0
3.1
4.2
5.3
6.4
7.4
8.4
9.4
10.4
11.5
12.5
13.6
14.7
15.8
16.9
17.10
18.11
19.12
20.13

Saves
1.1/2/6
2.1/4/8
3.1/5/9
4.2/5/9
5.2/6/10
6.2/7/10
7.2/9/12
8.4/9/14
9.4/9/16
10.4/9/18
11.4/9/19
12.4/9/21
13.4/9/22
14.4/11/24
15.4/12/25
16.5/12/25
17.5/13/26
18.5/13/26
19.6/14/27
20.6/14/27

Skill Points & Ranks

1.44 Bluff, Dec Script, Dip, Gath. Info, Lis, Per S, Per Si, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Spot, Tum
2.53 Spellcraft 5, Knowledge Arcana 4
3.62 Spellcraft 6, Bluff 6, K. Arcana 5, Per S 6, K. Nature 3
4.71 K. Planes 6, K. Religion 3
5.80 K. Arcana 6, K. Religion 7, Per S 8, K. Nature 4
6.91 Listen 9, Slight of Hand 7, Gather Info 7
7.98 Spellcraft 10, Per S 9, K. Arcana 7, K. Religion 8
8.105 Listen 11, Pro. Astrologer 5
9.110 Listen 12(x 2 cost as CC), K. Arcana 8
10.115 K.Arcana 11, Listen 13(x 2 cost as CC)
11.120 K. Arcana 13, Pro. Astrologer 6, Spellcraft 12
12.127 K. Nature 6, Decipher Script 5, Per S 13
13.134 K. Nature 7, Decipher Script 7, Diplomacy 7
14.143 Per S 17, Bluff 11
15.152 Per S 18, Bluff 18, Spellcraft 13
16.161 Per S 19, Bluff 19, Spellcraft 19, Sense Motive 5
17.170 Per S 20, Bluff 20, Spellcraft 20, Diplomacy 13
18.179 Per S 21, Spellcraft 21, Diplomacy 20
19.188 Per S 22, Spellcraft 22, Diplomacy 22, K. Nobility 3 = 2 points spent on False Theurgy
20.197 Per S 23, Bluff 21, Spellcraft 23, Diplomacy 23, K. Nobility 5, Listen 15, Sense Motive 5

Skill Modifiers

Bluff 25 (21 ranks, 4 Cha Mod.)
Decipher Script 9 (7 ranks, 2 Int Mod.)
Diplomacy 33 (23 ranks, 4 Cha Mod, 6 Synergy Bonus Bluff, Sense Motive, K. Nobility)
Gather Information 11 (7 ranks, Cha Mod. 4)
K. Arcana 17 (13 ranks, 2 Int Mod., 2 Synergy Bonus Spellcraft)
K. Nature 9 (7 ranks, 2 Int Mod.)
K. Nobility 7 (5 ranks, 2 Int Mod.)
K. Religion 10 (8 ranks, 2 Int Mod.)
K. Planes 8 (6 ranks, 2 Int Mod.)
Listen 19 (15 ranks, 4 Wis Mod.)
Perform Strings 29 (23 ranks, 4 Cha Mod., 2 MW Instrument)
Perform Sing 8 (4 ranks, 4 Cha Mod.)
Profession Astrologer 10 (6 ranks, 4 Wis Mod.)
Sense Motive 9 (5 ranks, 4 Wis Mod.)
Sleight of Hand 8 (7 ranks, -1 Dex Mod., 2 Synergy Bonus Bluff)
Spot 8 (4 ranks, 4 Wis Mod.)
Tumble 3 (4 ranks, -1 Dex Mod.)

Skill Tricks

False Theurgy (Taken at 19th level): Page 86 of Complete Scoundrel.

Class Variants

Bard: Healing Hymn (Replaces Fascinate ability): Page 47 of Complete Champion

Bard Spells Known

1st Improvisation, Inspirational Boost, Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat Swift,
2nd Mirror Image, Glitterdust, Detect Thoughts, Sonorous Hum
3rd Glibness, Phantom Steed

Sublime Chord Spells Known

4th Dimension Door, Invisibility Greater, Ruin Delver's Fortune, Ray Deflection
5th Dispel Magic Greater, Mirage Arcana, Overland Flight, Telekenisis
6th Otto's Irresistable Dance, Shout Greater, Anticipate Teleportation Greater, Disintegrate
7th Spell Turning, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Teleport Greater
8th Maze, Horrid Wilting
9th Timestop

Arcane Spellslots

1st 5 (3 Bard, 1 Cha Bonus, 1 Lyric Thaumaturge)
2nd 4 (2 Bard, 1 Cha Bonus, 1 Lyric Thaumaturge)
3rd 1 (Cha Bonus)
4th 4 (Sublime Chord)
5th 4 (Sublime Chord)
6th 4 (Sublime Chord)
7th 3 (Sublime Chord)
8th 2 (Sublime Chord)
9th 1 (Sublime Chord)

Ur-Priest Spells Prepared

0th Detect Magic x 3, Create Water, Cure Minor, Light
1st Divine Favor, Sign x 2, Pro. Good, Shield of Faith x 2
2nd Divine Insight x 2, Cure Moderate Wounds x 4
3rd Invisibility Purge, Cure Serious Wounds x 2, Magic Vestment x 2
4th Giant Vermin x 2, Restoration, Divine Power
5th True Seeing, Break Enchantment, Quickened Divine Favor
6th Resistance Superior, Energy Immunity Fire, Heal, Quickened Divine Insight
7th Destruction, Quickened Shield of Warding, Quickened Sonorous Hum
8th Spell Immunity Greater, Firestorm
9th Summon Elemental Monolith

Equipment

Chainshirt MW
Platinum and Diamond Hourglass (Focus for Anticipate Teleportation Greater)
All Focus Components for Spells, etc.
Lyre MW
Lute MW
Spell Component Pouch x 5
Selection of Holy Symbols for every god wooden
Heavy Steel Shield MW
Nobles Outfit x 5[/Sblock]

On a side note, can you guys tell me if I need to do anything other than make my rolls on Invisible Castle? I have not been saving them or anything is this done automatically? I entered all the info such as character and campaign name, do I need to do anything else?

 

[Jemal]

I sincerely hate it when people do that. Soon as one player proposes a character concept that someone thinks is 'overpowered', people start to either quit or 'Reoptimize' their character.

Stick to your guns. If your concept isn't good enough to play now, then why did you want to try it in the first place? This is my main problem with ENWorld, everybody's too worried about how their character stacks up against everybody elses.

Sorry for that rant, it's just a very big pet peeve, and I've yet to sign up for a campaign above ~ 12th lvl where it hasn't happened.

 

[Dire Lemming]

Well, I'm terrible at putting together killer builds and whatnot. I just want cool tools to roleplay with and enough survivability to keep doing it.

I suppose my build sounds terrible, but I've got no idea how I'd improve it. All I really care about is the character not sucking, and being fun to play.

 

[Dire Lemming]

I've got another question.

It says that it requires 4 ranks in intimidate, but since intimidate is for some reason a cross class skill for a beguiler does that mean I have to put 8 skill points into it?

 

[Halford]

To be honest guys as long as you have 9th level spell castng your character is going to be a power house. Play at this level is usually dictated by who wins Initiative and careful spell selection than anything else.

I am also under the impression that we will be working together rather than against each other, and even in the worst case scenario death is not permanent if caused by magic.

 

[Dire Lemming]

Sure, we'll be working together against Balors... :\

That's one thing I'm concerned about. Some of these characters are combat focussed while others are significantly less so... So, are both groups going to get to do stuff?

Anyone got any non-CRB feats to suggest for me?

 

[Jemal]

'not sucking' is more about HOW you play than WHAT you play. A straight 20th lvl sorceror 'doesn't suck'. The sucker's got 9th level spells!! It just doesn't have as many extra abilities as someone with prestige classes. It DOES however, have it's own benefits.. It isn't spending feats on meeting requirements, meaning it has more feats to spend on other things. One of my alternate character concepts was a straight 20 Silverbrow human(Dragonblooded) sorc with a crapload of metamagic and the practical metamagic feat (Each time you take it, pick a metamagic feat you know and reduce it's lvl adjustment by 1).

As for optimization...

There are Three types of "killer builds"
#1 - The type made by people because they want to make a 'killer build'. These almost always fail in one aspect (Usually roleplaying/purpose, they exist soley to kill or be unkillable).
#2 - The kind that come out of picking a really cool concept that you think would be fun to play and then going "OK, now how do I make this happen in D&D?"
#3 - you see a class/prestige class/Feat combo that you think could make for an interesting character, and then build everything else around that, starting with WHY it's cool.

Option 2 requires you to come up with your concept, then work out the rules. Option 3 requires you to see something that catches your attention, then expand THAT into a concept, and add the remaining rules.
Option 1 is for when you just go "I wanna deal a gajillion damage and be invincimable", and then attempt to tack on a concept afterwards.


Personally, I love powerful characters. Not because I'm worried about sucking in relation to other characters, but because the cool concepts almost always lend themselves easily to being powerful.
Wolverine, Elminster, Raistlin, Superman, Vegeta, Ichigo, Neo.. All cool concepts. ALso all very powerful.
I can't think of many 'uncool' characters off the top of my head.. probably cuz they're not cool, and thus not easy to remember, but I think you get the point.

What is the point, you ask? The point is simply this: Your goal should be to play a cool/interesting/amusing/deep/whatever character, not a 'powerful' character.
IN more depth, this means that If you think your character won't be able to keep up, that doesn't mean he's too weak, and it doesn't mean other characters are too strong. What it MEANS is that you obviously aren't quite as fond of the concept as you originally thought, b/c you're now finding yourself desiring more power rather than desiring to continue with the current concept. If such is the case, then by all means abandon the concept, b/c it's probably something you wouldn't have enjoyed playing in ANY campaign, if it was unable to hold your attention when someone dangled the elusive 'killer build' nearby.