Help me build a gestalt Shadowcraft Mage please

[senrath]

I'm working on building a level 12 gestalt Shadowcraft Mage. I'm not sure what to gestalt it with. Currently the SCM side is Beguiler 7/Mindbender 1/SCM 4. Race is Whisper Gnome.

Now, the houserules for this game are a little odd, so I've copied them below:
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
d&d 3.5
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
Homebrewed, but mostly generic fantasy. Maybe small amounts of steampunk, but no fancy guns.
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
Five. No more.
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
Right here.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
12th level gestalt (66,000 exp), with 10,000 bonus exp to spend on other stuff. (See below for what to use the spare exp on!)
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? Standard WBL, but once again see below.
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
A reasonable spread of classes would be NICE, but you'll meet a healing NPC at some point.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Try to be at least VAGUELY, well, normal. Have a way of walking through a town without being lynched.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
Roll 5d6b3 eight times, and pick six. If you don't like it, you can take a 48 PB. Yes, I like power, how'd you know? HP you can roll, or take half the hit die plus one. (So 5hp per die for a d8, 7hp per die for d12...) Max at first level, as standard.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
I'd prefer either good guys, or neutral 'with a heart of gold.' Evil is okay ONLY if you have some kind of morality pet, or another PC is keeping you good somehow.
On the plus side, you can ignore class alignment restrictions in almost all cases, because I hate them.
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
No multiclassing penalty, enjoy!
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
You roll in public, I reserve the right not to.
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
1: Fractional BAB and saves.
2: A weapon that can normally be used with Weapon Finesse doesn't need the feat. If you have the feat, you can use any one handed weapon with it. You may take 'Improved' Weapon Finesse to use Dex for any weapon, and to use Dex instead of Str for weapons that normally work with Weapon Finesse.
The bonus exp you gain can be spent on the following things:
Crafting, at the normal rate.
LA, costing 1000exp per LA squared. (So 1000 for LA 1, 4000 for LA 2, 9000 for LA 3)
Bloodlines from Unearthed Arcana. 2000 for a minor, 5000 for an intermediate, or 10000 for a major.
More gold! 5gp per exp.
No, you cannot keep the exp.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
A background, or be someone I know and can trust to have one, even if you haven't written it.
It's the players choice how you came to the dungeon. You can be an established group, or bought together by an outside force, or anything else.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
One or two puzzles, and as much roleplaying as you can fit between the hack & slash.
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material?
Run it past me. I like homebrew, especially mine, but always run everything noncore past me. Psionics and ToB are both in.

Pretty much I'm trying to figure out what to put on the second side of the gestalt, as well as find what free template(s) or bloodline I should pick.

[Urpriest]

Factotum springs immediately to mind. For templates, Dark is decent, especially if you can get the one with (Su) Hide in Plain Sight. Or Shadow Creature, which IIRC is similar.

[senrath]

Yeah, I think I've settled on a Draconic Shadow Creature. And I'll go Factotum if I can't think of anything else, but I'll wait and see if there are any other ideas first.

[Keld Denar]

Beguiler is a decent class, but its inherantly a hybred class. Given the nature of gestalt, you're other side is probably gonna be something skill oriented (like Factotum), which means that there is gonna be a lot of overlap between your other side and your hybred side. Beguiler is also a spontaneous caster, which would either require full round actions or the Rapid Metamagic feat to utilize. Thus, I'd suggest swapping from Beguiler to Wizard. You won't lose much in your versatility, trust me, as probably 3 spells/level will be Heightened Silent Images anyway. With Earth Spell (the feat you need to make Shadowcraft Mage work), you qualify for early entry into ScM as well. Thus, I'd make that side Wizard5/ScM5/X2. Unfortunately, you're probably gonna lose Enchantment, which cuts out Mindbender. It does open up Focused Specialist (CMage) though, which gives you more of the delicious Shadow Illusionness you crave. Another fun Gnomie PrC to consider after finishing up ScM is Earth Dreamer (Races of Stone), which lets you Earth Glide, essentially.

I'd also suggest going vanillia Gnome rather than Whisper Gnome for this. WG loses the racial +1 DC for Illusions. Even if you are playing where you can get your quasireality over 100%, for the bulk of your career, it won't be. Also, you don't want your foes to succeed in their saves for the spell you are emulating after successfully taking 120% spell effect. Regular Gnome gets a free Spell Focus: Illusion that stacks with SF and GSF Illusion. Given that the only real way to increase DCs is higher spells, higher int, and SF, thats a nice boost. IIRC, Whisper Gnomes also don't qualify for the Gnome Illusionist ACF which gives you Silent Image as a 0th level spell (and thus gives you +1 CL since you are Heightening the spell a whole extra spell level).

As far as your other side, I mentioned Factotum above. Factotum has ALL skills, which is really nice. It also has a fair number of Int based abilities. I would be REALLY careful about abusing Cunning Surge, since it could basically allow you to dump ALL of your spells in a single round. You won't be able to blow a bunch of feats on Font of Inspiration, though, since ScM requires like, 4 feats for its basic schtick, plus another 3-4 really strong feats. No, I'd utilize most of your inspiration for defensive abilities (Cunning Defense) and other such abilities. It might also be worthwhile for a short 4 level dip in Warlock to pick up a couple of synergistic powers. Devil's Sight is VERY useful for a darkness based caster, and having that and the Darkness SLA together makes you a tough target to target. Either Factotum or Warlock could give you back Charm Person as an SLA, which would requalify you for Mindbender (which you should be able to tack on the other side).

As far as the other stuff...feats you need:
Earth Sense
Earth Spell
Heighten Spell
Spell Focus: Illusion

Stuff you should also get:
Residual Magic (CMage) FREAKING AMAZING for spells/day
Enhanced Shadow Reality (some Dragon Mag, +20% quasireality)
Blend Into Shadow (DotU, if you get the Warlock darkness SLA)

I'd avoid Signature Spell. That puts you back into the realm of spontaneous casting, and with proper planning, you'll have enough Shadow Illusion fodder without having to burn other spells.

Don't forget that while its rather inefficient, you can use your Earth Spell trick for other spells. Greater Magic Weapon, for example, is 3rd level. If you bump it to 4th level, you get +2 CL with it. If you bump it to 5th level, you get +3 CL, and if you bump it to 6th level, you can get +4 CL with it. That means you could get +5 GMW a number of levels early.

[senrath]

Question. Is the Illusion Mastery ACF worth it?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'm working on building a level 12 gestalt Shadowcraft Mage. I'm not sure what to gestalt it with. Currently the SCM side is Beguiler 7/Mindbender 1/SCM 4. Race is Whisper Gnome.


I see that you're taking Beguiler 7 to get Advanced Learning, but it's not worth it. You should take as few Beguiler levels, and as many prestige class levels, as possible. Alternatively, go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Beguiler 6+ on one side, and X 7/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ etc. on the other side.


The bonus exp you gain can be spent on the following things:
Crafting, at the normal rate.
LA, costing 1000exp per LA squared. (So 1000 for LA 1, 4000 for LA 2, 9000 for LA 3)
Bloodlines from Unearthed Arcana. 2000 for a minor, 5000 for an intermediate, or 10000 for a major.
More gold! 5gp per exp.
No, you cannot keep the exp.

Start out with the Shadow Creature template from Lords of Madness, and the Dark Creature template from Tome of Magic. That's a +3 LA, which will cost 9,000 of your 10,000 bonus XP. Use the last 1,000 XP to have Permanency: See Invisibility.

Shadow Creature gives you Fast Healing, Evasion, and Shadow Blend (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/shadowMastiff.htm) among other benefits. Dark Creature gives you Hide in Plain Sight, some amazing Hide and Move Silently bonuses, and both of those increase your land speed. With Cloak of Shadows from Shadowcraft Mage and Hide in Plain Sight, plus Total Concealment in anything short of direct daylight, nothing should ever be able to use a targeted (i.e. no attack roll, non-AoE) effect on you, and attacks against you will be extremely unreliable assuming they're even directed at the correct square. For the movement bonus, apply the +10 ft. from Dark Creature first, for a 40 ft. speed, then add the x1.5 for Shadow Creature for a 60 ft. land speed.

Definitely get one level of Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) for the Gnome and Illusion domains, probably take that along side the Mindbender level. Get the PH2 ACF for one of those so you can spend all your Cleric spell slots on Silent Image. You'll also want at least one Wizard (llusionist) level for Chains of Disbelief (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#illusionistVariants) and Master Specialist 4, and get the Gnome Illusionist 1 substitution level so Silent Image is a 0-level Wizard spell, plus use Focused Specialist. Use Martial Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) to get Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll. Finish out the build with Shadowcrafter from Underdark (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003a). Two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) and the Spellgifted trait (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#spellgifted) (Illusion) are highly recommended.

Whisper Gnome, Dark Creature, Shadow Creature
1. Beguiler 1// Wizard (Illusionist) 1, Chains of Disbelief, Improved Initiative, Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell, Spell Focus: Illusion
2. Beguiler 2// Wizard (Illusionist) 2
3. Beguiler 3// Master Specialist 1, Skill Focus: Spellcraft, Earth Sense
4. Beguiler 4// Master Specialist 2
5. Beguiler 5// Master Specialist 3, Greater Spell Focus: Illusion, Silent Spell
6. Mindbender 1// Cloistered Cleric 1, Illusion and Gnome domains, Earth Spell
7. Beguiler 6// Master Specialist 4
8. Beguiler 7// Shadowcraft Mage 1
9. Beguiler 8// Shadowcraft Mage 2, Residual Magic
10. Beguiler 9// Shadowcraft Mage 3
11. Beguiler 10// Shadowcraft Mage 4, Still Spell
12. Beguiler 11// Shadowcraft Mage 5, Quicken Spell
13. Beguiler 12// Shadowcrafter 1
14. Beguiler 13// Shadowcrafter 2
15. Beguiler 14// Shadowcrafter 3, Enhanced Shadow Reality (Dragon 325) or Mindsight
16. Beguiler 15// Shadowcrafter 4
17. Beguiler 16// Shadowcrafter 5
18. Beguiler 17// Shadowcrafter 6, Ability Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#abilityFocus): Silent Image or Rapid Metamagic
19. Beguiler 18// Shadowcrafter 7
20. Beguiler 19// Shadowcrafter 8

Those prestige classes on the Wizards side should advance Wizard, you'll still be able to use Cleric wands of any spells that your Wisdom score is high enough to cast. All of your 0-level Wizard spell slots should be Silent Image, and most of your 4th-level and higher Wizard spell slots should be Quickened Silent Image, with Still and Silent mixed in there for the higher level slots.

Versatile Spellcaster allows you to spend two Beguiler spell slots of the same level to cast any spell you know of one level higher, which includes any Wizard spell you've made the Spellcraft check to understand as well as every spell on the entire Cleric spell list, all of which use your Int score and Beguiler caster level. This also gives you early access to higher level Beguiler spells, thus early qualification for Master Specialist and higher level Advanced Learning spell choices. Your Advanced Learning spells should be Ray of Stupidity, Shadow Form, (7th level), Superior Invisibility, and (9th level). Those 7th and 9th level spells would normally be Greater Shadow Conjuration and Greater Shadow Evocation, but a Shadowcraft Mage has no need of such things, so maybe get Rebuke, Final and Wierd. You definitely want Plane Shift as a Wizard spell known since you'll be native to the plane of shadow and subject to Dismissal effects. Your Wizard prohibited schools should be Evocation, Necromancy, and Enchantment.

Gear, 88,000 gp for 12th WBL:
Sandals made from stone slabs, so you're always 'standing on stone' and can use Earth Spell even if flying, swimming, mounted, etc. Make them Sandals of the Vagabond (CC) for 4,000 gp.
Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC) plus +6 Enhancement bonus to Intelligence (MIC), 51,000 gp.
Ring of Sustenance, plus +1 Deflection bonus to AC (MIC), 4,500 gp.
Necklace of Adaptation, plus +1 Enhancement bonus to natural armor (MIC), 11,000 gp.
Wand of Lesser Vigor, 750 gp.
+1 Mithral Buckler, 2,165 gp.
Handy Haversack, 2,000 gp.
12,585 gp remaining, see this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) for suggestions on what else to get, but keep in mind you can cover miss chance, flight, and teleportation on your own.

Buffs! Cast Superior Resistance every day via Wizard. Use Heightened Silent Image to mimic Phantom Steed and Greater Mage Armor every day.

Most of your offensive spellcasting should be in the form of Heightened Silent Images. Earth Spell increases your caster level by as much as you Heighten it by, and adds +1 level so you can mimic an evocation or conjuration of the same level as the spell slot used to cast it. Your Chains of Disbelief and Minor School Esoterica will apply to every Silent Image you cast, as will Greater Spell Focus, the Gnome and Illusion domain powers, Spellgifted, and Ability Focus: Silent Image, regardless of what spell you're using it to mimic. You can cast a Heightened Silent Image via Beguiler to mimic something like Black Tentacles or Freezing Fog, and on the next round cast a Quickened Silent Image via Wizard and it will be Heightened by just as much thanks to Residual Magic. You can then cast another Heightened Silent Image via Beguiler in that same round, and repeat that process to throw out two powerful spells every round, round after round.

Note that your Wizard caster level is one lower than your Beguiler caster level. However, your Beguiler Silent Image is a 1st level spell and your Wizard Silent Image is a 0-level spell, so it's Heightened by one more level and its caster level boost from Earth Spell is one higher, so your caster level for all your Silent Images from either class are at the same caster level. Cleric Silent Images can benefit from Residual Magic as well, but the caster level will be only four plus however much it was heightened by.

Just to clarify, your caster level for a Heightened Silent Image from a given spell slot is equal to your level plus two, plus the level of the spell slot used. The spell is actually Heightened one level higher than the spell slot used due to Earth Spell, the DC is based on that level, and it can mimic a spell level up to that of the spell slot used. At your current level, to mimic a Fireball you would use a 3rd level spell slot and it would be at caster level 17. The reality of a shadow illusion is 10% per spell level, the same spell level as the DC is based on, plus an additional 20%. The above Fireball would be 60% effective against someone who made the Will save. Shadowcrafter will further increase this by 10% then 20%, and Enhanced Shadow Reality adds another 20%.

[Fouredged Sword]

The reading of versitle spellcaster above is touchy with many DMs. I would simply go with a spellthief // wizard or spellthief // bugiler mix. Tack on master spellthief and your caster level will max out rapidly. Spellthief adds some nice anti caster abilities and a little damage to your shadowcraft mage base.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The reading of versitle spellcaster above is touchy with many DMs. I would simply go with a spellthief // wizard or spellthief // bugiler mix. Tack on master spellthief and your caster level will max out rapidly. Spellthief adds some nice anti caster abilities and a little damage to your shadowcraft mage base.

It still has Versatile Spellcaster and Heighten Spell, thus early access to the next higher level of Beguiler spells. The main reason to mix Wizard with it is to cast Heightened Silent Image via Beguiler, then Residual Magic Heighten a Quickened Silent Image via Wizard, so having twice as many spell slots is actually useful since you're able to cast twice as many spells per round.

[Fouredged Sword]

Very true, and it is a good build. I just wanted to warn the thread starter of the potential for a DM ruleing issue.