Unseen Seer Build Help - Feats and ADV Learning options

[Tonal Architect]

So, after the last thread, I've settled on creating a run-of-the-mill USS build. Since I usually play rogues, rather than wizards, I'm having trouble nailing down the good feats for that class.

I've already estabilished that Master Spellthief is good, and Persist Spell is a must. Invisible spell might be interesting to mix with Arcane Thesis, but I'm not sure if they can result in lowering a level for metamagic (likely not, but the idea crossed my mind and I haven't yet read the text for those feats).

I'm interested in feats that'll work to strenghten the caster side of the class. What do you suggest?

I'm also looking for Advanced Learning suggestions. Hunter's Eye is what everyone agrees on, and then you usually get Guidance of the Avatar and Find the Gap as suggestions, but I welcome any additions you might have to those.

Btw, the game will likely run up to 25th level, so epic stuff is an option, as well as well as a few dips.

Class progression will probably be:

1 Spellthief
5 Wizards -> Spontaneous Divination
10 USS
??????

Well... What do you suggest?

[Keld Denar]

Depending on your foes, Gravestrike is decent to poach off the Cleric list, but is also really easy to put in a wand.

Minor Shapeshift (CMage) is an incredibly good feat for any caster who might have a spare polymorph spell hanging around.

If you are doing any metamagic shananigans, consider Residual Magic (CMage) as well. Also, very awesome is if you get a wand of the spell you want to SA with (like a Lesser Orb). When you cast the spell at max CL, and then use the wand in the second round, the wand is activated at max CL instead of min CL. Nice for squeezing some extra damage out.

Darkstalker is also very nice. High level things might have True Seeing to thwart your Greater Invis spells and have Blindsight. It won't matter, though, since you'll have a turbo maxed up Hide skill and Darkstalker to keep you out of trouble in most situations.

Don't forget to Persist Cloud of Knives. Its pretty much the sexiest spell ever for an Arcane Rogue type character. Free attacks every round that qualify for SA damage.

Melf's Unicorn Arrow is a decent spell to SA with. It has an attack roll, does ok damage, and the bullrush effect is very nice if your BDF is standing in front of the foe and gets to claim an AoO from the effect.

For your last few levels, Archmage isn't bad, especially if you want to blast with Orb of Fire for the rider daze effect, but don't want to deal with Fire Immunity, or hit foes with bad touchs like Wrack or Night's Carress, but don't want to get that personal. Nasty feat prereqs though. Arcane Trickster is pretty much a shoe-in, but doesn't really give you THAT much good stuff. Spellwarped Sniper, on the other hand, is kinda goofy and really fun. SA with AoE spells out to 60'. Pick an AoE that has an effect that happens on a failed save like Frost Breath or Great Thunderclap, and laugh as your foe doesn't get a save against it. Otherwise, a 1 level dip in Wayfarer Guide is pretty useful for any caster who has to teleport his companions along, and Divine Oracle2 picks up the Evasion ability you won't have but might want. All good choices, depending on what you want. Oh, and if you are really hungry for skill points, I think there is a PrC called Urban Savant in Cityscape that gets 3+Int like Unseen Seer does.

[Darrin]

Invisible spell might be interesting to mix with Arcane Thesis, but I'm not sure if they can result in lowering a level for metamagic (likely not, but the idea crossed my mind and I haven't yet read the text for those feats).


You can use 0-adjustment metamagics to offset other metamagics, but you can't lower the overall adjustment below the original spell level. An invisible energy-substituted empowered scorching ray with Arcane Thesis is still a 2nd level spell, but if you tried to add Born of Three Thunders to lower it another level, it would still be a 2nd level spell.



I'm also looking for Advanced Learning suggestions. Hunter's Eye is what everyone agrees on, and then you usually get Guidance of the Avatar and Find the Gap as suggestions, but I welcome any additions you might have to those.


Revelation (Dragons of Faerun, Cle 3, Dru 5, Sor/Wis 4) might be an interesting pick-up as a 3rd level spell. 20' burst of true seeing for 1 round. Vision of punishment (Champions of Valor, Sanctified 1) can be a fun little debuff and is already on your list as a preparable wizard spell... Will save vs. nausea, sickens on a successful save.

[Gotterdammerung]

Craven is a nice feat for spell based sneak attackers.


Keep UMD high and buy a wand for each of the strike spells.


If you have a wisdom score of 15 or higher, arcane disciple (darkness domain) will give you darkbolt as a 5th lvl spell. This with cloud of knives will give you 2 free action attacks per round that deal sneak attack dmg.

Theres a nice magic item in the tome of magic that gives a cool shadowy template to ya.

The extra spell feat, from the complete arcane, could arguably be used to gain access to spells that aren't on your classes casting list. A lot of people would instantly have a problem with using it this way but the feat does say "For classes such as wizard that have more options for learning spells, Extra spell is generally used to learn a specific spell that the character lacks access to and would be unable to research." Thinks like arcane fusion and greater arcane fusion come to mind.

On a side note, change your mindset on how you look through spells. Some spells are not as useful to normal casters, but when you add in a large dose of sneak attack damage they increase in value. For instance enervation is decent sort of for a normal caster. But my trickster's (15th lvl) enervation does 1d4 negative lvls as well as 19d6+15 sneak attack dmg. And vampiric touch is another one that increases in value, you can really sop up a lot of temp hit points this way (29d6+15 for me). Disintegrate becomes pretty strong too since even if they pass it will do 5d6+sneak attack (for me it is 53d6+15 if they fail the save, 24d6+15 if they pass the save). So just doing a quick re-read of spell books with a sneak attack mindset can show you some old spells that became much more powerful for your character.

[hex0]

Take a trick to get you free stealing of spells. My two favorites are playing a Neraphim (Planar Handbook) 1/encounter in conjuction with an attack or taking Arcane Trickster 3 to steal any spell for free 1/day with no limit.

[Runestar]

Rogue1/focused conjurer4/unseen seer all the way, finishing off with spellwarp sniper. Practiced spellcaster negating the caster level penalties and able learner letting you continue maxing out critical skills. Forget about all the spellthief tricks.

[hex0]

Rogue1/focused conjurer4/unseen seer all the way, finishing off with spellwarp sniper. Practiced spellcaster negating the caster level penalties and able learner letting you continue maxing out critical skills. Forget about all the spellthief tricks.

If you are only taking Rogue 1, wouldn't Spellthief 1 always be superior?

A few less skills is all you lose but you gain another trick.

[Tonal Architect]

Tricks are a no-go; the DM has already ruled that.

Ok, so... Here's what I've gotten so far:

Darkstalker (no, your dog can't sniff me)
Persist Spell (wraithstrike all day long? gimme that)
Extend Spell (requirement)
Master Spellthief (guess who's got that Gate now)
Invisible Spell (for the true seeing vs Fog Cloud combination, and random awesomeness)

That leaves me with three open feats. What are your suggestions?

...

Alternatively, I could go gish by adding Dragonfire Adept (for Blend into shadows and Dragonfire Strike), Swashbuckler (for Weapon Finesse) and... Urgh, a Fighter level for TWF, but I'm not entirely convinced that would be an optimal route.

Should I go this route, I'd probably take twin spell and fight with Flame Daggers or a Decastave.

What are your thoughts?

[hex0]

Tricks are a no-go; the DM has already ruled that.


I meant Steal Spell, not skill tricks, if that is what you thought.