[3.5/PF]How would you build an earth themed caster?

[Hurlbut]

Use Pathfinder ruleset, 3.5 splatbooks are allowed. How would you put together a caster that consistently use earth themed spells? :smallbiggrin:

[Eldariel]

Use Pathfinder ruleset, 3.5 splatbooks are allowed. How would you put together a caster that consistently use earth themed spells? :smallbiggrin:

Druid, Sorcerer or Wu Jen, IMHO. Rest is just spell selection and maybe entering Earth Dreamer and such.

[Jack_Simth]

Probably a Dwarf Druid, using a lot of Summoning spells, taking Terran as a language known, picking up Summon Elemental, Clutch of Earth, and similar reserve feats. Also maybe stuff to boost Summoning (Elemental Spellcasting (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Elemental_Spellcasting,all), Rashemi Elemental Summoning (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Rashemi_Elemental_Summoning,all), Augment Summoning, and so on ... maybe Speaking Wild Shape as well). Plus, of course, Natural Spell.

So, once you reach the point where you have Elemental Wild Shape, you turn into an Earth Elemental, summon some Earth Elementals, and tell them to do stuff.

[Ryumaru]

And I know it might be a bit strange talking about stats other than your casting one for casters, but. =P I'd probably put some of your points into Constitution and Wisdom, to represent the whole 'tenacity of the rock' which might have rubbed off on you from your spells/ideology.

[Hurlbut]

Oh shoot I forgot, if you had to use arcane magic, what school would be the primary focus (and prohibited schools) if not universal?

[Pluto]

Oh shoot I forgot, if you had to use arcane magic, what school would be the primary focus (and prohibited schools) if not universal?
The most interesting Evocations are things like Wind Wall. Those don't seem to really fit, so I'd drop that.
(Also evokation sux RAWR)

Earth Dreamer from Races of Stone is a very fitting class and it feels like a good fit with Diviner. So I'd probably go with that.





Or Transmuter, for all its Flesh to Stone/Rock to Mud/Elemental Body-sorts of spells.

If I did that, I'd probably also drop Enchantment. ...or Conjuration, but nobody heard that. >.>

[deuxhero]

Ask the DM if you can take the goliath druid sub levels that give better earth elementals, but prevent use of the other 3.

[subject42]

Oh shoot I forgot, if you had to use arcane magic, what school would be the primary focus (and prohibited schools) if not universal?

I would look at the pathfinder sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/basic-classes/sorcerer). There is an elemental bloodline that has an earth specialization. It's mostly acid, but it does give you the elemental body spells as bonus spells known.

[Guilliaume]

In Pathfinder, you can be an Earth elemental Sorcerer. It's means that you derive your arcane power from some earth outsider in your bloodline, (Squick) or were exposed to some powerful elemental force. It let's you make all your spells deal acid damage, eventually gives you 30 ft Burrow speed, and a burst that makes people who fail vs the save vulnerable to that damage type, and eventually immunity to crits. I think elemental is one of the under rated sorcerer bloodlines.

edit: curses, ninja'd

[jiriku]

Sandstorm has a number of thematically appropriate spells with the Earth descriptor.

[Tahoo]

Or you could play any caster you want and just flavor the spells to be earthy. D&D is a game of imagination!

[Roderick_BR]

And I know it might be a bit strange talking about stats other than your casting one for casters, but. =P I'd probably put some of your points into Constitution and Wisdom, to represent the whole 'tenacity of the rock' which might have rubbed off on you from your spells/ideology.
There's a substitution level for dwarves sorcerers in Races of Stone that let you cast sorcerer spells using Con instead of Cha.

[Hurlbut]

I don't like to use acid spells a lot, so if I use the sorcerer bloodline I'll probably look at swapping out some of the acid spells for transmutation spells and attack spells that use any form of earth.

[AtwasAwamps]

Or you could play any caster you want and just flavor the spells to be earthy. D&D is a game of imagination!

Essentially, take Spell Thematics: Rocks

...

Magic Missile = Throwing Rocks

High end magic missiles with all those feats and PrCs that eventually let you hurl huge amounts of rocks = Fantastic

[Critical]

Dream Dwarf Wu Jen is cocher. :smallbiggrin:

[Mongoose87]

There's a substitution level for dwarves sorcerers in Races of Stone that let you cast sorcerer spells using Con instead of Cha.

Actually, it just adds you Con to your Cha to determine bonus spells.


Dream Dwarf Wu Jen is cocher. :smallbiggrin:
You mean Kosher?

[arguskos]

Essentially, take Spell Thematics: Rocks

...

Magic Missile = Throwing Rocks

High end magic missiles with all those feats and PrCs that eventually let you hurl huge amounts of rocks = Fantastic
Beat me to it. Spell Thematics: Dirt/Rocks/Earth would all be hilariously perfect. :smallamused:

Also, possibly play a Shugenja? They have an Elemental Focus, and can choose Earth. I heartily recommend them for this exercise. They aren't arcane though, if that's an issue for you.

[Hurlbut]

Essentially, take Spell Thematics: Rocks

...

Magic Missile = Throwing Rocks

High end magic missiles with all those feats and PrCs that eventually let you hurl huge amounts of rocks = FantasticWhere do I find that feat?


Beat me to it. Spell Thematics: Dirt/Rocks/Earth would all be hilariously perfect. :smallamused:

Also, possibly play a Shugenja? They have an Elemental Focus, and can choose Earth. I heartily recommend them for this exercise. They aren't arcane though, if that's an issue for you.Actually that's helpful as I can look up the shugenja's spell list and see which spells fit with Earth theme beside acid and earth manipulation/transmutation spells.

[arguskos]

Where do I find that feat?
Like six different sources. I think the most recent is Player's Guide to Faerun.

[Optimystik]

Earth Shugenja is a shoe-in for Earth Dreamer. Be a Dream Dwarf (RoS) - they take a Dex penalty instead of a Cha penalty - it won't matter, you should be trying to wear fullplate anyway.

EDIT: Gold Dwarves get the same bonuses (-2 Dex, +2 Con) in the FR setting.