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Benejeseret
2010-05-02, 03:53 PM
Hoping to get three questions polled/answered regarding making a Dwarven Runesmith:

1. I am thinking of entering into it via Battle Sorcerer. Would the Dwarven Sorcerer Substitution levels stack with Battle Sorcerer?

(p.s. mainly, the dwarven substitution levels raise the HD up one catagory, would this stack onto battle sorcerer to make it D10?)


2. The Runesmith class ability Share Rune mentions it works as if it were metamagic - would it be feasilble / RAW to apply Easy Metamagic Feat to reduce the 'metamagic' level adjustment from 2 to 1?


3. The capstone is to turn one spell into a permanent Spell-like ability (SLA). What are my best options to optimize this feature from Level 10 through 20?

(asuming I can change it as I advance)

Benejeseret
2010-05-02, 04:10 PM
1a. However, I am very tempted by the Duskblade, or at least its third level arcane channeling.

Pluto
2010-05-02, 06:26 PM
3. The capstone is to turn one spell into a permanent Spell-like ability (SLA). What are my best options to optimize this feature from Level 10 through 20?

(asuming I can change it as I advance)

1. No. Both replace the d4 with larger dice. Neither increases the size of the dice. Battle Sorcerer gives up so much, though, that it wouldn't be an unreasonable houserule.
Stalwart Sorcerer, on the other hand, from Complete Mage, would stack. (And if you're using Fighter 1/Sorcerer X to enter Runesmith, you can ignore most spell failure pre-entry, with the CM Fighter ACF and a bit of retraining.)

2. It's not a metamagic feat, so no.

3. Spells with expensive components and regular demand (like True Seeing, Stoneskin, Simulacrum and Forcecage) are the obvious answer.

edit:
1a. What would a Duskblade gain from Runesmith? Their spells don't have expensive components, they ignore ACF out of the box and they lose HP/BA by taking Runesmith levels. The Craft Wand feat would provide the party similar benefits to Share Rune.

gbprime
2010-05-02, 07:22 PM
I played a Runesmith build once. Lantan Forgelight, Dwarf wizard who started with 1 level of cleric. He suffered in armor for a while, but the addition of two domain powers made it worth it. Nowadays, I'd spend a feat or two on Protection Devotion and perhaps Earth Devotion, powered by that otherwise useless 1 level of turn undead.

Ishcumbeebeeda
2010-05-02, 07:58 PM
1a. However, I am very tempted by the Duskblade, or at least its third level arcane channeling.

If that's all that interests you about it, check out Smiting Spell(PHB2 92) It's not exactly the same, obviously, but it's still pretty cool.

Benejeseret
2010-05-02, 08:09 PM
I had not considered Stalwart Sorcerer, that does actually seem like a good option to put onto a dwarf.

Kinda expected the Easy Metamagic answer, but thanks.

What would a Duskblade get out of Runesmith, in my mind it is the other way around. What the Runesmith gets is Arcane Channeling. Nothing says that the spell Channeled must be from the Duskblade spell-list (unless there's been an errata?). So a Duskblade 3 / Caster X / Runesmith X could advance the other arcane caster class but still Channel any touch spell.

The thought of a dwarven runesmith smashing through combat by bringing down the hurt through a super-charged hammer is just so....BAM!!


________________________________

Let me put forward a further idea then:

Cooperative Spell Metamagic with Share Rune

There is nothing to say that metamagic effects cannot be applied to a Rune (shared or otherwise), and the Share rune entry even states that

it is just as effective as a spell cast by the runesmith
So this means that a runesmith could create Cooperative Spell Runes for his allies all of the same spell.

Then, if they all cast it at once it could be used to boost the Runesmiths spell against powerful opponents.

ie. Runesmith Heighten/Earth Spells a spell like Hideous Laughter to a Lvl9/10 level spell (base DC20, +7 Caster Levels) and his three companions also cast the spell from the rune (normal variant) to add a further (+5 DC, +3 to overcome spell resistance).
And the Balor falls over laughing for over 2 minutes straight.

erikun
2010-05-02, 08:14 PM
3. The capstone is to turn one spell into a permanent Spell-like ability (SLA). What are my best options to optimize this feature from Level 10 through 20?

(asuming I can change it as I advance)
Limited Wish? Although if it asks you to give up one spell slot below your highest level, you can wait until level 21 to get a 10th level spell slot, then give up a 9th level slot for Wish.

I don't think you can change it after choosing. If you can, and get the capstone at level 15, I'd think Limited Wish is your best choice for a 7th level spell. Prismatic Wall/Polymorph Any Object might be preferable with an 8th level spell slot, although it gives up a lot of versality.

Keld Denar
2010-05-02, 08:29 PM
So a Duskblade 3 / Caster X / Runesmith X could advance the other arcane caster class but still Channel any touch spell.


The major issue with this is the loss of caster levels. If you did something like:

Fighter1/Wizard4/Runesmith5/AbjChamp5/Spellsword1/SacEx4, you'd have the casting of a 19th level wizard by 20th level, or the casting of a 9th level wizard by 10th level (5th level spells).

Duskblade3/Wizard2/Runesmith5/AbjChamp5/Spellsword1/SacEx4, you'd have the casting of a 17th level wizard by 20th level (you still get 9s, but only a couple). The big difference, however is while leveling. You'll consistantly be a whole spell level behind, so at 10th level you'll only have 4th level spells available, instead of 5th. Thats a big difference, especially when you consider the strength of some of the higher level "Bite of the X"s and other such buffs.