Suggestions for themed warlock/wizard

[Snapdragyn]

I'm building a character for a game set in the Pathfinder Rise of the Runelords campaign (my first time playing it, so no spoilers, please). Healer & tank roles are covered, & I'm going for a change of pace away from my usual rogue & into blaster.

My design process has been rather different than usual; taking a page from my Hero campaign, I thought out the character story & what I wanted him to do first, then starting looking for the rules to try to make that happen.

The character is a member of a nomadic tribe. His 'in game' designation is a 'deathwalker' - one chosen by the spirits to return one of the lost tribes, crossing the barrier between life & death to bring them back. He's definitely not evil; I haven't yet decided on good or neutral in a 'good but willing to compromise himself for a greater good' sense. His backstory includes an episode where he summoned spirits to defend himself (Summon Swarm warlock power with the bats described as 'ghost bats' simply for the effect; no change of rules to the invocation or its actual effects).

Help sought with:

• spell choice
• feat choice
• school of specialization (or go non-specialized)
• alternate builds (but see next bit)

Design points:

• Character concept takes precedence over power; the goal in posting here is to make him more effective within his conceptual framework.
  
  Concept foci (in no particular order):
  
  
  • Death
  • Fear
  • Grief
  • Undead (control of, summoning of, possibly raising of)
  • Spiritual Energy (description I'll use for any damaging energy effects)
  • Planar travel (w/ focus on travel to 'the lands beyond' - planes such as ethereal, astral, or shadow which fit the theme of an 'other side')
  
  
• No cap systems (psionics, ToB, Bo9S); the DM is new, so although nothing has been said specifically, I'm voluntarily ruling them out in order to avoid rules overload. I'm willing to use (& DM hasn't ruled out) non-core feats & spells, though; the rules for the odd feat or spell are easier to handle than a whole separate system.
  
  
• Retain party usefulness as blaster/utility caster; the balance between those is something I'll have to discuss with the group, so ideas leaning each way are welcome. Although multiclassing into cleric for turn undead would be an obvious conceptual fit, that role is already covered for the party.
  
  
• Spells don't have to have a necromancy tag to be described in ways that fit the concept. I've actually found some of the illusion spells to fit quite well (phantasmal killer, f'rex). That said, easier fits are, well... easier than ones that require major stretching

What I have so far:

Warlock 1 (PBS & Able Learner)
Wizard 2-4 (Practiced Spellcaster feat at 3)
Warlock 5-6 (feat uncertain; possibly Spell Penetration?)
*Eldritch Theurge 7-16 (feats uncertain; probably an Extra Invocation at some point)
Wizard 17-20 (feat uncertain)

*(Alternate: Eldritch Theurge 7-9, then Hellblast Warlock 10-12, Eldritch Theurge 13-19, 20? - perhaps put an extra Warlock level before Hellblast Warlock in order to get the Deceive Item ability so that he can craft & use wands of lesser restoration to heal himself up from the CON damage after a fight. This build gains a bit in the concept department (tapping his own spirit to make blast more powerful), but actually loses a bit in both utility (delayed teleport & plane shift access) & power (delayed save-or-die spells access). I still might go this way if the game looks to be fairly low-power since I really like the flavor possibilities.)

My thought here is that the eldritch blasts will be described as bolts of spiritual energy, & many of the warlock invocations have a good otherworldly air to them. Multiclassing with wizard opens up utility spells, & the Eldritch Theurge PrC will eventually let him combine a fireball & EB in a single shot (& later on combine EB w/ touch spells). I chose wizard over sorcerer for faster access to the PrC.

Particular spells I've thought of so far (leaving out some of the more obvious PHB choices like Fireball ('Spirit'ball for him?):

1

Burning Hands (his only AoE until 6th level; requires a bit of descriptive alteration)
Ray of Enfeeblement (good spell, good fit)

2

Torrent of Tears from CM (emo strike! great fit)

3

Legion of Sentinels from PHB2 (decent battlefield control spell, good fit)

4

Phantasmal Killer (as mentioned, it makes a great conceptual fit)

The schools are all over the map, which is giving me a headache on specializing. Necromancy would be obvious, but I'm not seeing many spells that I like there. Illusion could also fit well for some spells, but doesn't fit at all for a lot of them. Blergh. I'm leaning toward Abjuration & Transformation as the denied schools (weakens his utility, but leaves open many good attack spells).

I'm uncertain about Conjuration as a potential focus; summoning (or reanimating) undead would fit well, but I've never played a summoner & am not sure a) that I want the headache of handling all of them in battle, or b) how effective they really are (especially if I go the alternate build above, in which case they'll end up 2-3 levels below party level even with Practiced Spellcaster). He could potentially control a lot, making even weak ones more useful, but then this adds to the concerns about taking up so much combat time to deal with all of them.

Anyway... thoughts?

 

[irdeggman]

From Complete MAge

Fey heritage feats.

Fey Heritage - +3 Will saving throws against enchantment spells

Prereq for:

Fey Power - CL and save DCs for enchantment spells and warlock invocations increase by 1

The enchantment school might not be exactly what you want but there is some cross over there.

There is also the Fearsome Necromancy feat from the same book that might be interesting.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Things to consider:

1) Check out Alternative Class features, found in the PHB2 and some of the latter Core books- they add both function & uniqueness. I like Specializing my Wizards, and Focused Specialist is, IMHO, even better. Divination fits thematically (your spirit buddies give you various insights) and costs you the fewest schools.

Conjuration is also pretty cool, and there are a LOT of things that improve your spellcasting.

In addition to their other benefits, Dimensional Reach & Summon Elemental (CompMage) also boost your CL on summon/conj spells.

Imbued Summoning, PHB2 p92 (summoned critters arrive w/beneficial spells)

Cloudy Conjuration, CompMage p40 (summoned critters accompanied by choking cloud)

Summoner Domain, CompDiv p141 (adds +2Cl to summon spells)

Domain Wizard ACF, CompChamp p52, lets a Wizard exchange a Wiz bonus feat for access to a Domain's granted power. If the PC has any Cleric levels, he gets full access to the Domain. As a gestalt Wiz/Cleric, that means you'd have full access to 3 Domains...and I think the above mentioned Summoner Domain would be an excellent choice.

Combined with the reserve feats I mentioned before, you'd be adding +4CL to your summonings.

UA, which I don't have on hand, has ACFs for conjurors that boost your summoned critters' power.

2) Check out the Oriental Adventures Shaman or the Complete Divine Spirit Shaman- both deal with "spirits," so they may add some flavor you like. (FWIW, OA was updated to 3.5 in Dragon Magazine #318.)

 

[Set]

The Invocations I've found most useful at lower level are Baleful Utterance, Summon Swarm and the one that allows you to Spider Climb (replaced asap with the one that allows Fell Flight).

For the visuals;
I'd have his Eldritch Blast appear as a spirit that seems to flow out of the Warlock (his body might shudder dramatically as if the spirit is channeled up into him from the earth, or pours down into him from above, and then rips out of him to attack his foe, sinking into said foe like water into a vase, damaging him from within).

Baleful Utterance would be a word that causes a thrumming physical sensation (like standing too close to the speaker stacks at a concert), but is inaudible to the living, seeming to pass right through them to target the item, and spirits can be dimly seen drawn to the object and tearing at it with spectral claws.

Summon Swarm could appear as some sort of carrion-animals or animals associated with graveyards, rats or flesh-stripping beetles or ravens or vultures. Alternately, as wailing spirits that tear at the flesh of the living in the area (mechanically identical, but seeming ghostly).

Spider Climb doesn't feel terribly thematic (it was my defensive preference, to hang out of reach and blast away), so you might want to ponder that one, or go with the one that gives a miss chance for ranged attacks (chaotic aura? Er, no idea what it's called) and makes one hard to track, defining it as a shield of spirits swirling around the Warlock, attempting to turn aside incoming ranged attacks with their semi-intangible bodies.

Given his nature, I'd probably want to pick up a few skills relevant to his 'profession.' Some of it could be handled by Bluff or Sense Motive (to tell people what they want to hear, when they come asking for guidance from their ancestors). Knowledge (religion) and / or (the planes) seems like a fairly necessary skill as well. Perform (oratory) could be useful here as well. Or perhaps just a Profession skill in funerary arrangements or embalming or something.

Any Knowledge or Gather Information-type skills he could use the same, mechanically, but explain to others as coming from his ability to attune to the secrets of the spirit world, which give him uncanny insights. He could also use this to explain any information he gets from his Detect Magic at will ability, or even from a successful Search, Spot or Listen check, attributing his own successes to warnings and advice from the spirit world. As he gains Damage Reduction, he could grow paler and greyer of skin, as well as somewhat colder to the touch, proclaiming that his closeness to the dead is making him somewhat leathery and more durable, perhaps even with a drawn and gaunt look that exaggerates his skull-like features.

Once he can take Fell Flight, translucent barely-visible spirits appear to rise up from the ground (or down from the skies, depending on his worldviews idea of where spirits dwell) and grab his arms and cloak and bear him up into the sky.


For the Wizard side, Animate Rope (using spirits to possess the inanimate), Sleep (of the dead, mwa-ha-ha) or even Color Spray (visually described as a pale grey and white and black burst that leaves it's stunned targets grey like corpses, their eyes coated in darkness, to the same mechanical effect, but less 'colorful'). Magic Missiles could appear as screaming spirits, perhaps skulls floating at the end of 'tails' of smoke and bone, as if some elongated 'spine' momentarily connects the spellcaster and target while the skull bites at him. Buff spells like Bull's Strength or Bear's Endurance or Cat's Grace could have the caster naming specific individuals reknowned for their great strength, stamina, etc. and temporarily 'possess' the recipient with the spirit named, allowing them to channel and share the great attribute of that legendary figure. Web could appear as a shadowy morass of wailing clutching spirits that attempt to grapple all within (as usual, same mechanical effects, including the spirits being 'afraid of fire' and 'explosively vanishing at the touch of fire,' just a different 'graphic') and hold them fast. Ray of Enfeeblement or Slow could make the target(s) appear momentarily frail and aged, or even grey and corpselike, or involve spirits flying into (or through) the target(s) appearing to 'tear free' some of their strength or vitality.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far! Keep them coming!

irdeggman: I had a look at the fey stuff - good power, but it just doesn't fit the character's backstory or theme, unfortunately. Good to know about for future builds, though. I definitely like Fearsome Necromancy, & it is on the list of feats I'm strongly considering.

dannyalcatraz: I'm still uncertain if I want to go the summoner route or not (a lot of good reasons to do so, but I just dread the combats), but there's certainly some good stuff there if I do. I'll have to check the UA stuff; hadn't been through that book for ideas yet (sooooo many books!).

Set: Love love love the descriptions! I'd already decided on Summon Swarm as his 1st invocation, & Spider Climb either 2nd or 3rd. I agree that Spider Climb is hard to describe 'in theme'; I was thinking of something like 'his shadow lengethens & seem to reach out for the wall, climbing up it independent of any movement of torch or lantern. As his shadow creeps along, he is drawn upwards with it, feet and hands enveloped in clinging darkness that binds him to the wall as he moves.' Not death-related per say, but certainly creepy enough.

I figure Ray of Enfeeblement will feature sort of the opposite of a lot of the other things - instead of spirits rushing toward the target to attack, there will be a thread of spirit pulled out of the target, flowing away & drawing some of the target's strength with it as his very essence is ripped from his flesh.

 

[Set]

Set: Love love love the descriptions!

Thanks, my last Warlock was a Daelkyr Half-Blood for Xendrik Expeditions, so I was big on making all of his Invocations creepy and Lovecraftian in theme.

I'd already decided on Summon Swarm as his 1st invocation, & Spider Climb either 2nd or 3rd. I agree that Spider Climb is hard to describe 'in theme'; I was thinking of something like 'his shadow lengethens & seem to reach out for the wall, climbing up it independent of any movement of torch or lantern. As his shadow creeps along, he is drawn upwards with it, feet and hands enveloped in clinging darkness that binds him to the wall as he moves.' Not death-related per say, but certainly creepy enough.

To make it a touch more 'death-related,' bony arms could appear to protrude from the surface he's climbing and reach out to hold him, as if the spirits of the dead are coming out of the surface, 'meeting him halfway,' and helping to 'carry' him up the surface somewhat.

I figure Ray of Enfeeblement will feature sort of the opposite of a lot of the other things - instead of spirits rushing toward the target to attack, there will be a thread of spirit pulled out of the target, flowing away & drawing some of the target's strength with it as his very essence is ripped from his flesh.

Also a neat visual. He might even make a drawing motion, or a 'sewing' motion and a thread of silvery energy is pulled out of the victims shuddering body.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Also a neat visual. He might even make a drawing motion, or a 'sewing' motion and a thread of silvery energy is pulled out of the victims shuddering body.

Oooh, got it - he inhales (not like that), & the victim feels their lungs squeeze tight as their breath is drawn forth in a glowing cloud that moves quickly from their mouth & into his.

After checking out Spell Compendium, I'm now leaning toward specialist (or even the UA variant) necromancer - there's finally enough decent necro spells to make it worthwhile, & having extra slots for those frees up slots for good stuff in other schools while keeping the thematic focus.