Necessary Defenses for a Beatstick in Caster Land

[kardar233]

I'm looking at joining a game in which we're playing a dragon, with 24 class levels taken in parallel. No Epic Spellcasting, which is a relief.

My intention is to go for a Persistomancer, using my Sorcerer/Cleric casting to buff my offense and then burn class levels on getting defenses. I specifically want (Ex) defenses whenever possible to I'm not screwed if I'm hit by MDJ.

I'm going to be using 9 of my levels on Incarnate (using feats to grab the other binds that I want) and I'm considering throwing 8 levels at Bone Knight for basically the full Undead immunity suite short Turn Undead vulnerability. Otherwise, I'm looking at Hexblade for CHA to saves and Mettle, Blackguard for more CHA to saves and then I have one or two levels left over.

Once I've covered saves, Mettle, the undead immunities and touch AC (from scintillating scales on my natural armor), what else do I need? Immunity to mind-affecting is one, though I can't think of a good (Ex) way of getting it. Freedom of Movement is hard one.

Other stuff I'm covering is:
True Seeing (I'll be picking up Keeneye Lenses soulbound)
Miss chances out of Fellmist Robe (though I'm not sure if my flying will disperse it)
Dimension Door (is there a version that doesn't eat your turn?)
Dispelling Wards, through very high CL and a Spellblade bound to Reaving Dispel
Mindsight 100' (off of Shedu Crown)

Anything else I need to worry about?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Some things:

1) Meldshapes are unshaped if dispelled. Thus, they are also vulnerable to MDJ

2) Yes, your flight will likely disperse your fellmist robe. Go for a Cloak of Lesser Displacement instead. Failing that, a three level splurge into Umbral Disciple for both Concealment and HiPS.

3) Totemist2 and bind Blink Belt to Totem chakra nets you move-action DimDoor. Combo with Shadowpounce for lulz. Blowing feats on the Shadow Hand discipline teleport moves might also be relevant to your interests. Failing that, there's always Abrupt Jaunt.

4) Mindsight can also be picked up with a one-level dip in Mindbender, considering you already have casting.

5) Repeat it with me: "Contingency Celerity upon a dispelling or disjoining effect targeting the area I am in". For that matter, Craft Contingency pretty much gives you as many get out of trouble free cards as you care to make.

6) Watch out for evil Clerics. Rebuke/Command undead. Sure, you've got a lot of HD, but there's Always Bigger Fish, and many ways to increase effective cleric level for Turn/Rebuke Undead. No save, no SR, no immunities 'you are the NPC's pet now'. Not fun.

[kardar233]

The exact reason I chose Bone Knight is because it doesn't subject me to Rebuke/Command.

I'm trying not to rely on meldshapes for immunities for that reason.

You can't take any actions after you use any effect that cites DimDoor, so Blink Shirt is only really useful for a breath-and-run.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You can't take any actions after you use any effect that cites DimDoor, so Blink Shirt is only really useful for a breath-and-run.

Au Contraire...

First off, you can take your move action after your standard action. So cast obnoxious spell, and port out.

Also, as I said earlier... shadowpounce. Full attack on a DimDoor. So here's a full attack on a move action. If you can't break that, then you need to look up White Raven Tactics again.

[Eldariel]

You're a Cleric? Fiendish Codex II has a feat called "Divine Defiance" that enables an Immediate Action counterspell attempt at the cost of a Turn Undead attempt. Leave a couple from your persistofrenzy and you can try and counterspell any Disjunctions sent your way (and any fight-ending Time Stops, Maws of Chaos and such).

Having a way to keep your spells in AMF and then casting AMF on top of yourself would of course also work but that's quite difficult.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I believe his Dragon casting has access to some cleric spellcasting (IIRC Gold and Red have access to al cleric spells and others have access to some domains)

And wouldn't taking 3 levels of Cleric and Initiate of Mystra be enough for casting through AMF?

[gorfnab]

Read through this: List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851). Basically go through each category and see if you have the ability/defense either through class based stuff or magic items.

[kardar233]

I believe his Dragon casting has access to some cleric spellcasting (IIRC Gold and Red have access to al cleric spells and others have access to some domains)

And wouldn't taking 3 levels of Cleric and Initiate of Mystra be enough for casting through AMF?

Yeah, but I've been burned once by building an IoM in a med-high-op game. I figure that (like Iot7fV) would be too much for this particular game. I'm not using a Delay Death or other immunity-to-damage combo for the same reason.


Read through this: List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851). Basically go through each category and see if you have the ability/defense either through class based stuff or magic items.

I've got most of those except for immunity to [Mind-Affecting] and a good teleportation method. I could Persist Greater Dimension Door (allowing me to use it as a move action just like Blink Shirt would) but I'm really looking for something that doesn't forbid me from doing stuff afterwards.

Also, do any of you know a good way to significantly increase my fly speed? I'll need to be getting right in people's faces and I want to be able to cover any spell range in Travel Devotion move and charge.