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View Full Version : Feat/PrC advice for a pacifist Wizard (3.5).



Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 04:07 AM
I decided that a Wizard who focused entirely on buffs and utility spells would be an interresting character concept, but I'm having trouble picking feats which would work for the character ( http://mydndgame.com/character/1022/sheet ). Also, please could you tell me if you have any ideas for PrCs? Book of Exhaulted Deeds is out for feats because of how much I hate the fluff and my books are limited to Complete Mage, Complete Champion, Crystal Keep and the SDR.

If I'm not allowed to use the custom Domain I made for the character*, I'll use the Abjuration Domain ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#abjurationDomain ). While I know it's not the best fit, I was thinking Loremaster doesn't look too bad. Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil isn;t really an option due to how overpowered it is and I don't want to lose caster levels.


*Assistance Domain.

0 Resistance.
1 Mage Armour.
2 Bull's Strength.
3 Haste.
4 Lesser Globe of Invulnerability.
5 Telepathic Bond
6 Greater Heroism
7 Spell Turning.
8 Mind Blank.
9 Foresight.

arguskos
2009-03-14, 04:12 AM
Sad thing that BoED is right out... since it has the Apostle of Peace, which is a pacifist caster, with full divine casting in 10 levels. Beyond that... uh, I'm at a loss. Just take lots of buffs/disabling spells.

Theodoriph
2009-03-14, 04:18 AM
So your wizard doesn't want to blast things itself...but is quite happy to actively help other people kill things.

Truthfully, I don't see how that constitutes pacifism.



My knowledge of D&D splat is not that good, so I'm confused as to why you have a domain. I thought you were going to be a wizard or is there a class which grants wizards a domain? [EDIT: Nevermind, just noticed the variant rule]

Regardless....spells that may be pacifistic in nature and useful in combat (or at least more useful than "stick" or whatnot:

Cantrip:

Caltrops -- Creates caltrops in 5*5 ft square + 5ft square area/2 levels beyond 1st (max 5)

1st level:

Ectoplasmic armor -- Gain armor bonus against incorporeal touch attacks
Nightshield -- You gain resistance bonus on saves and spell absorbs magic missile damage
Benign transposition -- Two willing subjects switch places
Buzzing Bee -- Bee gives subject -10 penalty to Move silently and hinders concentration checks
Walll of Smoke -- Wall of black smoke obscures vision and nauseates those who pass through
Distract Assailant -- One creature is flatfooted for one round
Inhibit -- Subject delays until next round
Shock and Awe -- Flat-footed creatures get -10 on initiative
Guiding Light -- +2 ranged attacks against creatures in illuminated area
Net of Shadows -- Ordinary shadows that provide concealment to all in the area
Ebon Eyes -- Subject can see through magical darkness
Mage Hand Greater -- As Mage hand, but medium range and up to 40 pounds
Neverskitter -- Subject gains +5 bonus on initiative checks
Shieldbearer -- Shield floats near subject to offer protection

2nd level:

Baleful transposition -- Two subjects switch places
Cloud of Bewilderment -- Generates a nauseating 10ft cube
Ethereal Chamber -- You entrap an ethereal subject in a chamber of force
Slapping Hand -- Hand makes creature provoke attacks of opportunity
Phantom Foe -- Subject is always flanked by one creature
Curse of Impending Blades -- Subject takes -2 penalty to AC
Ray of Sickness -- Subject becomes sickened
Ray of Weakness -- Subject takes -2 on attacks, -10ft speed
Ghost Touch Armor - Armor works normally against incorporeal attacks
Heroic -- Fighter gains one fighter bonus feat
Hurl -- Thrown weapons return to thrower
Infernal Wound -- Weapon deals persistent, bleeding wounds
Ironthunder Horn -- Intense vibrations trip those in area
Lively Step -- You and allies gain +10 increase to speed
Scale Weakening -- Subject's natural armor weakens
Snake's Swiftness -- Subject immediately makes one attack

3rd level:

Reverse Arrows -- As protection from arrows, but negated arrows turn back upon their source (not sure if this is ok via your theme...if it is there are a few 1st and 2nd that damage creature who attack you)
Bands of Steel -- Metallic bands immobilize or entangle subject for 1 round/level
Mage Armor Greater -- Gives subject +6 armor bonus
Mage Armor, Mass -- As mage armor, but one creature/level
Nauseating Breath -- Exhale a cone of nauseating gas
Unluck -- Subject remakes all rolls, uses worse result for 1 round/level
Ray of dizziness -- Subject can only move or take standard actions
Capricious Zephyr -- Gale-force winds push creatures
Curse of Impending Blades, Mass -- Enemies take -2 penalty to AC
Diamondsteel -- Metal armor provides damage reduction
Dolorous blow -- Weapon's threat range is doubled and threats are automatically confirmed
Dragonskin -- You gain a bonus to natural armor plus energy resistance 10
Hamatula Barbs -- Subect grows barbs which damage foes that attack subject in melee
Rust Ray -- Metal objects take 2d6 + 1/2 levels
Shadow Phase -- Subject becomes partially incorporeal
Snake's Swiftness, Mass -- Allies each immediatle make one attack
Spiderskin -- Subjects gains increasing bonus to natural armor, saves against poison, and hide checks
Weapon of Energy -- Weapon deals extra energy damage




Anyhoo...I'm not doing anymore :D These are all the ones from the Spell Compendium that I noticed that might be of some assistances. I only looked at the spell compendium (wizard's and sorceror's list), so it's missing some obvious ones from the player's handbook (e.g. protection from arrows). I also didn't include any spell that did any kind of ability damage, since I figure that's a no-no. And I didn't read the limitations on the spells (re: the detailed descriptions...just the one-liners)

I'd suggest you find a way to acquire the Spell Compendium to look at. :)


Out of idle curiosity, have you thought about taking damage spells and attacking their arms and armour (if they have any).

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 05:25 AM
I never considered using offencive spells for that. I was thinking of taking Energy Substitution (Non-Lethal), but I don't think that would really work too well. He would sooner avoid anyone dying altogether, but he knows that fighting is sometimes unavoidable so he fouses on buffing allies in combat situations (he'd also use some non-lethal battlefield control spells suce as Grease and Solid Fog).

Thanks for the spell suggestions (some of them would work well, but others wouldn't due to them harming the target). Does Apostle of Peace use Wis for the Divine spells?

Adumbration
2009-03-14, 05:44 AM
Too bad you don't have access to Heroes of Battle; ironically one of the best buffing prestige classes for an arcane caster is the War Weaver.

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 05:54 AM
I'll check that on Crystal Keep in case it's there thanks (it will only list a couple of levels). In case it's not, what does the class do?

EDIT: It's not on there.

Theodoriph
2009-03-14, 05:59 AM
You need to develop your Google-Fu :smallbiggrin:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=769208


P.S. On your character sheet, your constitution score is listed as 12 and your mod as -2. Does not compute. :smalltongue:

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 06:04 AM
That doesn't seem to lay out what the class does or list the prequisites. Also, I've typically found that using search engines for these things is awaste of time.

Theodoriph
2009-03-14, 06:22 AM
You're right...it doesn't have the pre-requisites. Although you can get a decent idea of what it does by reading about how to break it =D

I *gulp* downloaded *gulp* a collection of books a couple of years ago, so I wouldn't have to ask my friend to borrow all of his when I DMed a campaign. I just checked and lucky for you...I have Heroes of Battle. :smallbiggrin:

Quote:

"Becoming a War Weaver

Entering this prestige class is a relatively straightforward matter: The class is open to any 5th-level wizard who has made the appropriate feat and skill point choices. It's a little harder for sorcerers and bards to get into the class. Sorcerers don't have as many feats as wizards, and bards don't get access to 3rd level spells until 7th level.

Entry requirements

Skills: Craft (weaving) 6 ranks, Knowledge Arcana (6 ranks)
Feats: Enlarge Spell
Spells: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.

End Quote.

Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (Arcana), Profession, Spellcraft

Summarised:

There are 5 levels of war weaver. Upon taking the 1st level, you get nothing with regards to spellcasting, but for 2,3,4,5 you get +1 to your level of existing arcane spellcasting class. The war weaver uses a four side die for their hit dice.

At first level you gain the supernatural ability Eldritch Tapestry. Basically it allows you to "connect willing allies in a magically resonant network known as an eldritch tapestry). It takes 10 minutes and a DC 15 craft check (take a 10). You can connect a number of allies equal to your intelligence bonus (for wizards, cha for sorcerers and bards). The tapestry lasts for 24 hours or until your weave a new one. You don't count against the limit of allies that can be connected.

Basically you can cast a spell and have it affect the entire group as if it were a single creature. But the maximum level of spell you can cast into an eldritch tapestry is equal to your class level (your war weaver level).

You can only do this with spells that have harmless in their designations or ones that require willing targets.

The tapestry doesn't change the range. So you have to touch everyone for it to work and you have to use material components for the number of people you're using it on.

You have to make the same decision for everyone you're casting it on (e.g. no protecting one guy from fire, another from acid, another from electricity)

At 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th levels they let you store a spell in your tapestry for later use (1 for each of 2,3,4 and 5...so 4 in total at level 5). So you can prepare spells you think you'll need in a crisis in advance and throw them in the weave for later use. You can release them all at once as a move action, but you still have to touch your allies if they're touch spells.

At 5th level, touch spells become close range (huzzah! No need to touch everyone anymore!), close-range become medium range, and medium range become long range for the purpose of your tapestry. Long range spells and spells with fixed ranges are unaffected.

Does that help?

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 06:44 AM
It does thanks. The CL loss is a problem for me, though, so I probably wouldn't take that PrC. Is Archmage really worth it for this sort of character?

Theodoriph
2009-03-14, 06:59 AM
One thing to keep in mind. The loss of a spell casting level with respect to pure wizards is something that will only affect you 50% of the time.

The benefits from the PrC are quite impressive for what you want to do though. If you want to sit there and buff, being able to for instance, to cast displacement or draconic might (+4 str, con, cha, natural armor and immunity to sleep and paralysis effects) or whatnot on every member of your party with one spell slot and one standard action may just be worth it. You could even polymorph your entire party...that could be amusing. =D

Actually, in my opinion, the benefits of the class if you're playing a buffer more than outweigh the loss of one spellcasting level.

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 07:09 AM
You could be right about that. Can you think of anything else that would work well?

Leon
2009-03-14, 07:34 AM
Oh No, you lose a SL!!!

Really don't let a lil thing like that stand between you and a good option.

Arcane_Snowman
2009-03-14, 07:37 AM
Initiate of the Seven Fold Veil is a pretty protective and good prestige class:
Spells like Save or Suck are quite likely to still be effective for you, like Glitter Dust etc. Sight Obscuring and Movement Impeding spells are also quite useful.

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 07:41 AM
I already mentioned why IotSFV isn't really practical. :smalltongue: It's kind of awkward because I tend to believe that characters should be as optimized as possible for the sake of realism and not dragging other players down but I'm uncomfortable with doing anything too powerful or doing things which go against a concept which I really want to use. I would probably use IotSFV if the DM and the other players were okay with it, though. I'll consider War Weaver as an alternative as well if I decide against Loremaster. By the way, which Domain do you guys think works better out of the Abjuration Domain or my Assistance Domain?

Arcane_Snowman
2009-03-14, 07:50 AM
I already mentioned why IotSFV isn't really practical. :smalltongue: It's kind of awkward because I tend to believe that characters should be as optimized as possible for the sake of realism and not dragging other players down but I'm uncomfortable with doing anything too powerful or doing things which go against a concept which I really want to use. I would probably use IotSFV if the DM and the other players were okay with it, though. I'll consider War Weaver as an alternative as well if I decide against Loremaster. By the way, which Domain do you guys think works better out of the Abjuration Domain or my Assistance Domain? You include the word Wizard and prestige class in the OP, while at the same time commented on not wanting to lose of caster level: you've already exceeded what I consider any potential realism and balance, but then again I just dislike Vancian casting, high magic and would have suggested a reflavored Psion instead.

Paragnostic Apostle from Complete Champion has a lot of potential, and is by no means broken.

I apologize for not having read through the OP thoroughly enough thought, that was my mistake.

Tempest Fennac
2009-03-14, 07:57 AM
It's okay (I often miss things as well). I like Vancian casting a lot to be honest (Psionics never struk me as that interresting for some reason). Paragnostic Apostle looks quite neat thanks. I'll need to think about whether it's abilities are better then Loremasters or not, though.

Theodoriph
2009-03-14, 07:59 AM
I looked over the loremaster and I know which one I'd prefer. :smalltongue: What can I say...for buffing purposes the weaver is awesome.

At 10th level, the Weaver can cast up to 4 short duration (round/level or minute/level) spells into her weave. When combat occurs...as a move action the weaver can release those spells....they all go off. The weaver then can use his standard action to cast another buff.

That's 5 buff spells being applied in the first round (where they'll have the most effect on the outcome of the battle) to every member of your party. You can then merrily go on your way casting Hold Monster or whatever peaceful spells you choose. :smalltongue:

After combat, you can throw new spells into your weave for the next combat. I don't see how the loremaster beats that. :smalltongue:

I want to play one now :smallfrown:




I honestly can't think of anything else. I've never played a buffer, so I've never investigated the possibilities. =) If you need me to look up anything though and I remember to check the thread (and have the book), I shall.

Arcane_Snowman
2009-03-14, 08:11 AM
It's okay (I often miss things as well). I like Vancian casting a lot to be honest (Psionics never struk me as that interresting for some reason). Paragnostic Apostle looks quite neat thanks. I'll need to think about whether it's abilities are better then Loremasters or not, though.
Well, if you're not restricted in any way, I can't see why you wouldn't do a little dipping in the Apostle, I know that it has a few benefits for buffing casters, but it probably wouldn't have merit all 5 levels, the rest can be Loremaster.