Kensai-Style Artificer

[Corwin_of_Amber]

You guys helped me build a Bone Knight recently, but my DM has decided that it's a little too close to evil for the campaign he has in store. Being the nice guy that I am, I will play something else. My idea is an Artificer refluffed to something similar to the Kensai, an ascetic warrior dedicated to honor and his trusted weapon. I will mostly use the Scribe Scroll, Craft Weapons and Armor, Wands (most likely reflavored to look less wizard-y), and Infusions (reflavored to be my ability to channel my spiritual energy through my weapon).

I'm going to be a Human, and most likely just take Artificer all the way to 20 and use a quarterstaff, so I can use Mighty Wallop and Shillelagh. Do these stack so I can make my quarterstaff deal the damage of a colossal weapon with a base of 2d6?

I think the best way to do this is to get as many buffs for as long as I can. While looking over potential infusions, I came upon the Metamagic Item infusion. It's 3rd level and it allows me to apply one Metamagic feat to a wand for 1 round per level. There is no mention of a cap on adjustment, can I use this to persist a wand of Wraithstrike at level 5?

Are there any good melee PrC that advance my infusions?

[Acanous]

Artificer has no good PRC. However, the PRC "Legacy Champion" will advance your infusions, give you a free weapon of legacy, and fits with your fluff.

Yes, you can persist a wand of Wraithstrike, but I don't think you can do so at lv 5. IIRC there's some kind of check involved.

[shadow_archmagi]

It's 3rd level and it allows me to apply one Metamagic feat to a wand for 1 round per level. There is no mention of a cap on adjustment, can I use this to persist a wand of Wraithstrike at level 5?


So it would seem, yes. No check required on Metamagic Item, either.

[Telonius]

No check is involved. You just have to have the Metamagic Feat in question. Extend Spell is a prereq, so that's two of your feats occupied at low levels.

A Wand of Wraithstrike is 4500 gp. That's half your wealth at 5th.

So yes, it's expensive at low levels, but possible. However, I would caution you that if you try to apply this, you'll start encountering lots and lots of people with high dex, high deflection bonuses, or high natural armor with Metamagic Item-persisted Scintillating Scales.

[Corwin_of_Amber]

So it would seem, yes. No check required on Metamagic Item, either.

That seems like a serious oversight. I suppose if I don't abuse it too much, my DM might not care. And, it occurs to me that at 5th level I could be making wands of Divine Power. :smallamused:



Any word on the stacking of Might Wallop and Shillelagh? If it helps, MW uses the wording, "...increases the damage of a bludgeoning melee weapon by one size category without increasing the dimensions or weight of the weapon." Shilleglagh says, "...deals damage as if it were two size categories larger."

Do they stack for total size change (2+1)?

Or do they overlap (largest change only)?

Or does MW change the size by one as if the weapon had a base damage of 2d6 (allowing GMW to create a colossal weapon with 2d6 original damage)?

[eggs]

Any word on the stacking of Might Wallop and Shillelagh? If it helps, MW uses the wording, "...increases the damage of a bludgeoning melee weapon by one size category without increasing the dimensions or weight of the weapon." Shilleglagh says, "...deals damage as if it were two size categories larger."
They're both based off the base weapon size, so they don't stack (the size bonuses, anyway). Only the highest would apply.

They would each stack with an actually larger weapon via Enlarge, Expansion, Giant Size, Strongarm bracers, etc.

And you could still mix in Brambles/Spikes or Entangling Staff, which all give decent Quarterstaff-specific bonuses.