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Archpaladin Zousha
2009-01-31, 11:50 PM
I'm joining that Spelljammer game I mentioned a while ago. The DM and I have reached an understanding and now all I have to do is make a character. The problem is, I have no idea where to start or what to do. I know I want to play a wizard but that's all. I don't have most of my 3.5 books, so I'm not certain of what prestige classes to shoot for. I don't know what race to be, what familiar to take, what skills to pick, what feats to take or what spells to learn. I don't even have a character sheet to put all the stuff down on so I can send it to the DM! HELP!:smalleek:

afroakuma
2009-01-31, 11:58 PM
Avoid fire spells. The phlogiston is crazy flammable, and one stray burning hands will end the battle and likely your ship.

Try d20srd for the basic info, Crystalkeep has feats and PrC notes.

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-01, 12:06 AM
I've been told by a friend that I should stick with simply wizard and be a halfling. Do they have halflings in Spelljammer?

afroakuma
2009-02-01, 12:09 AM
They have everything in Spelljammer. It's like Planescape - it spans all settings and all worlds.

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-01, 12:23 AM
They're apparently waiting on me to do my sheet, but I don't want to make my character tonight.:smallfrown:

DMfromTheAbyss
2009-02-01, 12:35 AM
But remember this..

In Spell Jammer weirder is better!

Not sure how the game works in 3.5, but in 2nd ed Spelljammer you can take proficiencies in Spelljamming (as in the act of powering a ship) and several other craft proficiencies that would make little sense in a normal game...

I suggest Siege Engineering, carpentry, ship building, stone masonry, ceramics, Navigation (Wildspace) religion and possibly some kind of plant lore or herbalism. (yes all these are good for ship use or repair)

Also you might want to seriously consider multiclassing into something martial if helms work the way they used to. You'll be used as a battery for the ship and not have your spells.. though the good news is that if you don't have your spells you do get to drive.

Some fun classic spelljamming races to consider

Dohwar (salesman penguin people)
Hadozee (flying squirrel ape people)
Grommam (Gorilla ape people)
Aperusa (space Gypsies)

And if you play a Halfling go for a Furchin arctic Halfling... yes they get beards.

The only real advantage to a halfling (aside from the normal advantages/disadvantages) though is they take up less air... if you get a cloud of fog spell or similar conjuration magic it will more than make up for playing any race frankly. As by classic Spelljammer rules it creates clean fresh air.

Just a few hints from the second edition, hope some of this might help if your GM is drawing from 2nd ed source material.

Dacia Brabant
2009-02-01, 01:35 AM
The basic rule of thumb in Spelljammer is long-range attacks are your friend, especially if it's spells that can disable an opposing ship's weaponry and/or personnel. (Enlarge Spell is actually useful.)

Stinking Cloud, Cloudkill and Acid Fog are maybe the best offensive spell choices since they will wreak havoc with a ship's air, though just be careful to keep your own ship out of their airspace if you cast them on an enemy. Gust of Wind, or better yet Control Weather, should counter this.

Shatter would be highly useful if it only had a better range on it, since many ships are composed of ceramics, but it can still be used by a boarding party. The Transmute X to Y spells can be useful to this end depending on what a ship is made of.

Wind Wall is incredibly useful since it will effectively shield your vessel from enemy fire and slow down boarders to a crawl, and any spell that messes with visibility and movement is a good choice too for the same reason. Drop a Wall of Force in front of a ship trying to ram you and watch as hilarity ensues.

Minor and Major Creation and Fabricate will save your butt by repairing damage to your own ship, or giving you more ammunition to use if need be.

Basically go with Conjuration, Transmutation and Evocation (for the force and wind spells) and have fun making life hell for any Gith pirate or Illithid slaver vessel that tries to attack you.

Baron Malkar
2009-02-01, 06:09 AM
A few things I learned from spelljammer:
-lifejamming helms + trolls means you can still cast your spells.
-undead crews don't use air, same goes for constructs.
-magic spoons of infinite gruel are lifesavers, same goes for bottles of air.
-keep gnomes at least 10' from your ship at all times.
-ammunition that bursts into flame *after* impact is well worth any price.

hope that helps any.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-02-01, 06:31 AM
Make a Shadowcraft Mage (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=655556). Go Whisper Gnome (RoS) Illusionist 3/ Master Specialist (CM) 4/ Shadowcraft Mage (RoS) 5/ Shadowcrafter (UD) 8. Use all of the UA Illusionist variants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#illusionistVariants) and get Signature Spell (PGtF): Silent Image via Illusion Mastery. Use the Focused Specialist variant (CM) and ban Evocation, Enchantment, and Necromancy. If possible take Ability Focus (MM): Silent Image, since spells are a special attack and it does have a saving throw. Spontaneous Heighten Spell + Earth Spell + Silent Image + Shadow Illusion = keep utility/situational spells prepared and swap them out as needed. The character will need to be from or taught by someone from the Forgotten Realms for Signature Spell and Shadowcrafter, so while you're at it get Mercantile Background (PGtF) if you can use flaws, which you should.

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-01, 05:23 PM
I'm playing a halfling generalist type, shooting for the Mage of the Arcane Order.

A friend of mine who's been helping me build the character is encouraging me to take fire spells, since apparently just the threat of having them can be enough to make enemy ships surrender.

afroakuma
2009-02-01, 05:32 PM
Yeah, but preparing too many can lead to disaster, since you really can't afford to crack one off without some serious expertise.

Stick to alchemist's fire for threats, maybe retain a fireball if they're pesky.

Better yet, keep handy a spell or two specifically to counteract fire. You'll be a real boon to the ship.

Decimating their air capacity (or improving yours) is also invaluable.

Lastly, select spells to fight aberrations with. Beyond scro and giff, other ships are going to be crewed by neogi, mind flayers and beholders, the last of which can ruin a fireball just by glancing at it. Disintegrate will eventually be your friend, since you can carve amusing shapes out of their bow and stern. Shapes with holes. :smallamused:

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-01, 06:41 PM
I think I'll keep Alchemist's Fire on hand (or maybe some Redcrosse cocktails!:smallbiggrin:)

Does Dispel Magic counteract fire? That's one of the spells on my must have list, which includes the following:

Magic Missile
Invisibility
Dispel Magic
Dimension Door
Hold Monster
True Seeing
Greater Teleport
Horrid Wilting
Wish

Yes, these are begged, borrowed and stolen from the reccomended spells for generalists in Complete Mage.

afroakuma
2009-02-01, 06:51 PM
I'll check Lords of Madness when I get home for tips against aberrations.

One spell I strongly advise is stinking cloud. They can't afford to dump that much air to rid themselves of it.

Actually, anything that foes would normally just run outside of works, because their options are less prevalent. Even ice storm.

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-01, 07:18 PM
Here's my 1st-level spellbook:

0-Level Spells (cantrips):

Resistance
Acid Splash
Detect Poison
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Daze
Dancing Lights
Flare
Light
Ray of Frost
Ghost Sound
Disrupt Undead
Tough of Fatigue
Mage Hand
Mending
Message
Open/Close
Arcane Mark
Prestidigitation

1st-Level Spells:

Magic Missile
Sleep
Identify
Enlarge Person
True Strike
Obscuring Mist
Animate Rope

Good? Bad? Ugly?

afroakuma
2009-02-01, 11:41 PM
Try to con Evil Crazy Reformed DM into letting you take Ship's Mage from Stormwrack for one of your feats. For a measly 2 points in Profession (sailor) and four in Spellcraft, your spells are cast at +1 CL while on your ship and don't do damage to it. :smallbiggrin:

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-02, 01:25 AM
I don't have Stormwrack though. I doubt I'd need to con him into it though. He doesn't really seem to care what books we use. I'd have better luck talking to the guy who I'm collaborating with to build the character though. He's more knowledgeable about character building and infinitely more approachable. He's the one who suggested taking True Strike and casting it on the ship's ballistas.

Archpaladin Zousha
2009-02-02, 01:30 AM
On a related note, I'm trying to come up with a believeable backstory for this guy. I don't know much about Spelljammer, as I've said before, and when I asked the DM about it, he simply replied "Gods are *****," and when I asked him to clarify, he replied "I mean they're *****," so naturally I'm not getting much help there.

That friend of mine suggested amnesia to keep it simple, but then I also wanted to incorporate this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDgpalcmAY&fmt=18) into it somehow. Perhaps I could get some help with this part as well? I've got the character sheet sorted out, so now I have time to work on the finer details.