PDA

View Full Version : Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]



jcsw
2009-01-01, 04:36 AM
I don't have a physical build yet, but we're starting at level one and it's a 36 point buy.

Basically it's a sorc going into dread witch.

(Before anyone asks me to play a wizard, consider the fact that half of the fear effects available are charisma based. Consider also that I don't need battlefield control all that much when my character is focusing on a specific aspect)

Intended Build:
Silverbrow Human Sorceror 4/Dread Witch 5/Etc

Feat: Dreadful Wrath: Gain frightful presence whenever I cast a spell (PGtF)
Feat: Draconic Heritage (Bonus from the Dragonblood Sorc. Racial Sub and taken as an entry feat)
Feat: Draconic Presence: Gain frightful presence whenever I cast a spell

Meanwhile, I have two more open feats from flaws and the DM has ruled that everyone gets able learner and jack of all trades as bonus feats. (Meaning that UMD effectively becomes a class skill for me because of the dragonblood sorc racial sub.)

Any suggestions?

Ideas: Fel Frighten is an interesting metamagic to consider, especially as it allows no save. However, the +2 metamagic cost is crippling. Does anyone know of a cheap way to reduce this?

Kyace
2009-01-01, 01:37 PM
Ideas: Fel Frighten is an interesting metamagic to consider, especially as it allows no save. However, the +2 metamagic cost is crippling. Does anyone know of a cheap way to reduce this?

Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon, pg 101) will reduce the cost of a chosen metamagic by 1, min +1.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-01-01, 09:46 PM
Get the feat Frightful Presence from the Draconomicon (Page 106), since Dread Witch gives Intimidate as a class skill. Take Ability Focus from the Monster Manual for Dreadful Wrath and other fear feats for +2 DC, and remember to make the one with the highest DC trigger first since if they fail they'll be shaken for the next one and be at -2. Versatile Spellcaster from Races of the Dragon is another good choice for any spontaneous caster.

If you can use feats from Dragon magazine, Necromantic Bloodline (http://crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Feats.pdf) (page 114) would be a good choice to get some free spells known, one of which is a prerequisite for Dread Witch. Take the feat Obtain Familiar from Complete Arcane to qualify since the racial substitution level trades it out. That will even count prestige class levels for your familiar's abilities rather than just your Sorcerer class levels. Since your Familiar is considered to have as many HD as you have, and as many skill ranks, it could probably also take Frightful Presence, Ability Focus, and similar feats. Get Improved Familiar from the DMG for an Imp or Quasit, since you'll be maxing out UMD you can give it a few wands of useful low-level spells.

jcsw
2009-01-02, 03:25 AM
Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon, pg 101) will reduce the cost of a chosen metamagic by 1, min +1.

That's the easy part, it's getting it to +0 I really want.

Arcane_Snowman
2009-01-02, 03:32 AM
Nightmare Spinner from Complete Mage can 3+Cha mod times per day make an Illusion spell have the Phantasm descriptor, as well as making any enemy who tries to disbelieve the illusion shaken for 1 round.

Additionally, you deal non-lethal damage to anyone you scare (whether by spell, ability, or Intimidate), depending on the degree (Ie. Shaken is 1d6 points).

Think Mirage Arcana (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mirageArcana.htm).

jcsw
2009-01-02, 03:49 AM
Nightmare Spinner from Complete Mage can 3+Cha mod times per day make an Illusion spell have the Phantasm descriptor, as well as making any enemy who tries to disbelieve the illusion shaken for 1 round.

Additionally, you deal non-lethal damage to anyone you scare (whether by spell, ability, or Intimidate), depending on the degree (Ie. Shaken is 1d6 points).

Think Mirage Arcana (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mirageArcana.htm).

Solid Choice, but it loses yet another caster level on top of dread witch and sorc. :(

Arcane_Snowman
2009-01-02, 03:52 AM
Personally I wouldn't really care, you still get 9th level spells if you're really worried about that.

jcsw
2009-01-02, 04:37 AM
Sounds fun, but I thought of another fun tactic which kicks in sooner. Sadly they are mutually exclusive, one won't work with the other.

Cumbrous Will, a feat which allows you to gain a +6 to a will save, but you become shaken after the save for the rest of the encounter.
I gain +6 to a will save and then gain +1 Caster level, or a free cantrip.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-01-02, 04:52 AM
If you make the character a Kobold you can get the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), which can make up for the loss of a level of spellcasting. That way you can take Dragonwrought and start out Venerable for +3 to all your mental stats without taking penalties to your physical stats, according to the Kobold section of Races of the Dragon. You'd even qualify for dragon-specific feats from the Draconomicon, many wouldn't be worth taking for a spellcaster, but still worth a look. You could get Endure Blows with Thick-Skinned from Savage Species and Greater Resiliency from CW to have DR 5/-, for example.

jcsw
2009-01-02, 08:20 AM
Sadly, Draconic Rites of Passage are not allowed. In any case, that has a very high feat expenditure.

(And yes, I knew about that already, my avatar is a Kobold for a reason :P)