Advice for a halfling Druid/Wizard/Arcane Hierophant

[Drakhanis]

Hey guys!

I've been stalking these boards for a while now, and I've learned a lot about Druids (and wizards)... But I've got something I would like some specific advice on.

I'm soon to start playing in a fairly high-level campaign, where I'll be the primary caster. Here is my (tentative) character Idea:

Halfling Druid 4/Wizard 3/ Arcane Hierophant 6 (CL 13)
- Vanilla halfing from PHB.
- I took the halfing racial substitution level from RotW.

The DM already okayed a Fleshraker animal companion, because, and I quote, "You'll need him." Also okay is any WotC published books, and stuff outside of it on a case-by-case basis (though he's a really reasonable guy, as long as you avoid munchkining and over-cheesing things)

Basically, the character concept I'm looking at is primarily crowd/battlefield control as a back-liner, as we have at least 3 front liners already in the group. As the primary caster, I'm the only healer/blaster/buffer/whatever in the group, and I am 150% for getting wands and scrolls and whatnot of the spells that the group is going to need (already set aside the gold for Cure wands and scrolls of restoration and the mass buff spells).

In the end, I have a couple of questions that I'd like some advice on from the assembled masses:

1) What are some of the better types of crowd-control spells, preferably ones that I don't need to micro-manage or worry about my allies being caught in (some of them take the "big dumb fighter" motif a little too literally), or if they are consistently getting caught in them, aren't necessarily damaging to them.

2) Feats beyond the seemingly mandatory Natural Spell, Natural Bond, and Augment Summoning. This applies to both my companion familiar and myself.

3) Suggestions about maximising my versatility without sucking up spell slots (good scrolls/potions/wands/etc. to have on hand)

Notes about me: I'm not looking to turn this guy into an engine of destruction, as that is already handled by the rest of the party, and putting *that* much thought into eking out every last possible point of damage is something that I've never had much fun with. Our gaming group is definitely more of a social gaming group than a hardcore gaming group: we play because it's fun and we like to hang out, not because we want to showcase how utterly over-powered our characters are.

I am a big fan of wild shape and summoning, and I plan to use them as part of my overall combat strategy. I'm feeling like this character is going to be more of a druid that uses his arcane abilities to improve his utility and solve some problems that can't be solved through turning into something big and breaking things. Our party has that covered already. :D

Anyway, thanks for any help or advice that you can give, and if you need / want more info, just let me know!

[Gnaeus]

Companion Spellbond. PHB2. Lets you share spells with pet from 30 feet away. So he supports your melee while you don't have to.

Frozen Wildshape or Draconic Wildshape. Frozen is good for armored bear form (lets you talk and use items). Draconic wildshape is even better, and removes need for natural spell.

[Endelehia]

There is a feat called Precocious Apprentice at page 181 of Complete Arcane.You can take it as 1st level character and allows you to cast a single 2 level spell of the arcane class you belong to.

If you choose that feat you can change your built to Wizard 1/Druid 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Hierophant 5. This way you will be only 1 level (instead of 3) behind for druid's spellcasting,and 3 for wizard's (instead of 4).

You may postpone your druid abilities by 2 levels ( including your animal companion ) but in the end you will be a more potent caster.

[Gnaeus]

There is a feat called Precocious Apprentice at page 181 of Complete Arcane.You can take it as 1st level character and allows you to cast a single 2 level spell of the arcane class you belong to.

If you choose that feat you can change your built to Wizard 1/Druid 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Hierophant 5. This way you will be only 1 level (instead of 3) behind for druid's spellcasting,and 3 for wizard's (instead of 4).

You may postpone your druid abilities by 2 levels ( including your animal companion ) but in the end you will be a more potent caster.

This works by RAW but may result in having books thrown at you.

[God Imperror]

You actually suggest draconic wildshape and frozen criohydra wildshape but believe that precocious apprentice gets books thrown at you?

I would go with precocious apprentice before going with criohydra.

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224999) or this (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868490/The_Arcane_Hierophant_Examined) might help.

[Doc_Pippin]

If your DM stated you are going to need over powered builds why not be a VDW Kobold build Get +3Levels of free Sorc And use the same build for the Halfling with the addition of +3 Cha, Int, and Wis. If you want to be a wizard instead of a sorc take the Spellhoarding Template

Edit this way you open up Way more daily spell slots for Arcane and can use Divine as more of a support/ build


Short of that I remember a way to make Cure spells magically appear on the Wizards spell list using two feats. Cant remember right now but still a viable option

[Gnaeus]

You actually suggest draconic wildshape and frozen criohydra wildshape but believe that precocious apprentice gets books thrown at you?

I would go with precocious apprentice before going with criohydra.

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224999) or this (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868490/The_Arcane_Hierophant_Examined) might help.

Yes. Draconic Wildshape is very clear what it is intended to do. Precocious Apprentice was not in my opinion intended to be an early entry method for a PRC which was designed to be entered at level 7.

If I were DMing, and someone suggested Draconic Wildshape, I might not allow it based on power level in the campaign, but I would not fault them.

If I were DMing, and someone tried to spring a Precocious Apprentice (or Sanctum Spell, or Versatile Spellcaster) type early entry trick, I would view it as someone trying to use RAW to cheat. It would take a very, very long time for them to regain my trust, and I would probably never listen to their rules arguments in the same light. I would have as much respect for a player trying to drown heal.

This does not mean that I think that the entry requirements for the theurge classes are balanced. They are not (well, especially MT, Hierophant isn't that bad, because it gives a lot more). But the answer to a bad rule is to discuss and rewrite it, not cheat around it.

[Darrin]

1) What are some of the better types of crowd-control spells, preferably ones that I don't need to micro-manage or worry about my allies being caught in (some of them take the "big dumb fighter" motif a little too literally), or if they are consistently getting caught in them, aren't necessarily damaging to them.


For your treehugger half, here's my standard advice for druid spells (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12183941&postcount=4). Your spell progression will be slower than a straight-up Druidzilla, so you'll want to focus on lower-level stuff:

Druid 1:

Entangle (Core). Likely will be the first spell you cast, just before enemies and allies close ranks and get too mixed up in melee. If you're underground or your DM is busting your chops about lack of vegetation, cast spore field (from Complete Scoundrel) first.

Faerie fire/obscuring mist (Core). "Paint" your enemies with faerie fire (or Torch Bug Paste, 25 GP in Complete Scoundrel), then follow up the next round with obscuring mist. This cuts down visibility to 5' (and may really piss off your archers), but the targets you lit up with faerie fire don't get concealment, while you and your allies do (20% miss chance). You can also use smokesticks, liquid smoke, bottle of smoke, horn of fog, etc.

Cloudburst (Spell Compendium). Incurs penalties on enemies that rely on ranged attacks, and also provides "storm-like" conditions to upgrade your call lightning damage to 3d10.

Wood Wose (Spell Compendium). Treehugger version of unseen servant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8235936&postcount=8). Generally requires a move action to direct, but since it gets its own set of actions, allows you to perform two standard actions a round. Have your wood wose carry/drop smokesticks, break skull talismans, blow a horn of fog, activate a feather token, drop caltrops/marbles, etc.

Blockade (Complete Scoundrel). Swift action to drop a 5' cube of wood into a square. Good for blocking narrow passages/doors or setting up choke points. Also a good spell to carry in a wand chamber: get a staff and put two wand chambers, one for each end. Put a wand of instant of power in the other end.

Druid 2:

Summon Swarm (Core). Battlefield control, area-effect damage, and nausea all wrapped up into a single spell.

Drifts of the Shalm (PHBII). Blanket your enemies in snow that slows movement and deals cold damage. Then add blood snow (Frostburn) for 1d2 Con drain and save vs. nausea. Or create a leaf drift and light them on fire with produce flame. Or skip the produce flame with ashes that are already on fire. Best of all, the damage is no save/no SR.

Kelpstrand (Spell Compendium). Grapple to set up sneak attacks, debuff high-dex opponents, immobilize an enemy, or shutdown a spellcaster. Particularly useful after everyone closes to melee range and entangle becomes impractical.

Druid 3:

Sleet Storm (Core). Battlefield control to block LOS and force balance checks (slippery surface = more sneak attacks)

Druid 4:

Ice Storm (Core). Not quite as satisfying as flame strike, but a good area-effect damage spell, particularly if you get tired of hearing "Evasion, no damage" or "roll for Spell Resistance".

Druid 5:

Wall of Thorns (Core). Treehugger version of solid fog.

Wizard 0:

Caltrops (Spell Compendium). Creates up to five squares of caltrops.

Wizard 1:

Grease (Core). One of the quintessential battlefield control spells. Note that even if your target makes the Ref save/Balance check, he still has to treat those squares as difficult terrain.

Obscuring Mist/unseen servant (Core). Already mentioned.

Silent image (Core). Create pit traps, walls, lava, green slime, whatever you can imagine. At worst, an enemy has to spend an action to determine if the illusion is real.

Benign Transposition (Spell Compendium). Get a wand for this ASAP. Helps you keep your frontline summons/meatbags up front and your REMFs in the back.

Wall of Smoke (Spell Compendium). Another good spell to combo with faerie fire/Torch Bug Paste (which negates concealment). You can also ready an action to cast it just before an enemy charges, forcing him to save vs. nausea.

Instant Diversion (Races of the Dragon). Mini-me version of mirror image.

Sticky Floor (Races of the Dragon). Ref save to immobilize, even if your target makes the save they are considered entangled while in the affected squares.

Fetid Breath (Ghostwalk Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20030607a)). 1st-level version of stinking cloud (Fort save vs. nausea), only as a 10' cone.

Kaupaer's Quickblast (WotC online article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050112a)). When you need to light something on fire but have already cast a spell that round. This is a 3.0 spell, so ask your DM if he wants to treat it as a free action, immediate action, or swift action.

Wizard 2:

Glitterdust (Core). Don't leave home without it. Although it doesn't negate concealment like faerie fire, it probably should. Ask your DM if he can house-rule that has a similar effect.

Mirror Image (Core). Make the enemy waste its actions.

Web (Core). Another good auto-entangle spell, only even better: it's flammable.

Pyrotechnics (Core). Somewhat difficult to use, as it requires an existing fire source to be in the right place, but offers two different effects: Will save vs. blindness, or Fort save vs. -4 penalty to Str/Dex. Unlike most other fog/smoke effects, it also completely blocks all vision, including darkvision.

Cloud of Bewilderment (Spell Compendium). Mini-version of stinking cloud, but a whole spell level earlier.

Kelgore's Grave Mist (PHBII). 1d6 cold damage, no save/SR, plus fatigue.

Wizard 3:

Dispel Magic (Core). Indispensible.

Stinking Cloud (Core). Fort save vs. nausea. While most creatures tend to have high fort saves, nausea pretty much completely removes them from combat. If you can't spare a 3rd level slot for it, consider cloud of bewilderment or fetid breath instead.

Caustic Smoke (Complete Mage). Fog cloud + 1d6 acid damage (no save/SR) + Fort save vs. -5 attack/Spot/Search penalty. Also, if anyone in the cloud takes acid damage (from acid splash or flask of acid), Fort save vs. blindness.

Melf's Unicorn Arrow (PHBII). Ranged touch attack, untyped damage, up to five targets, and free bull rush to push them into your other spell effects.

Heart of Water (Complete Mage). If you didn't pick this up on your druid half, take it here.

Wizard 4:

Evard's Hentai Collection (Core). The definitive "cast one spell and walk away" encounter-ender.

Solid Fog (Core). Slow down or isolate enemy meatbags.

Wall of Fire (Core). The good ol' faithful burninator.

Firestride Exhalation (Dragon Magic). 30' cone of 8d6 fire damage + teleport anywhere within the cone.

Wall of Sand (Spell Compendium). Similar to solid fog, but anyone within the wall is automatically blinded and deafened, and spells with verbal components can't be cast at all.

Wizard 5:

Cloudkill (Core). Another old favorite.

Wall of Force (Core). Whenever you absolutely, positively do not want to be touched.

Earth Reaver (Spell Compendium). 4d6 untyped damage + 3d6 fire damage (no save), plus save vs. fall prone.

Daltim's Fiery Tentacles (Shining South). All the fun of Evard's Hentai Collection, plus the tentacles are *on fire*.



2) Feats beyond the seemingly mandatory Natural Spell, Natural Bond, and Augment Summoning. This applies to both my companion familiar and myself.


I'm fond of Extend Spell and Sculpt Spell. After that... I'd probably consider Craft Skull Talisman so I could hand-off those to my companions so *they* could cast some spells on their own.



3) Suggestions about maximising my versatility without sucking up spell slots (good scrolls/potions/wands/etc. to have on hand)


I already mentioned wood wose/unseen servant, staff + two wand chambers, and skull talismans. Quick potion, craft magic tattoo, and lots of Glyph Seals (Magic Item Compendium).

[God Imperror]

One thing to consider when making an arcane hierophant is that you don't actually need a familiar, for it to work. It might be worth it to trade it away for another feature.

I personally like the feat Enspell familiar from dragon magazine compendium (the compendium is available in most games I play, even when the individual magazines are not, but check it with your DM).

Similarly I am of the opinion that one of the advantages of being a theurge is that you can have more buffs than you need. So I never leave home without a ton of buffs.


Precocious Apprentice was not in my opinion intended to be an early entry method for a PRC which was designed to be entered at level 7.

But the answer to a bad rule is to discuss and rewrite it, not cheat around it.

2 things.

First Precocious apprentice (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041114a) by a strict RAW reading doesn't work.


When you become able to cast 2nd-level spells, you lose the previous benefit described above. Instead, you simply have an extra 2nd-level spell slot, which you may use to prepare (or spontaneously cast, if you are a spontaneous caster) 2nd-level or lower spells as you normally would.

So the moment that you become able to cast 2nd level druid spells you stop being able to cast the 2nd level wizard spell.

But it is still more balanced power wise than draconic wild shape, and it solves one of the biggest problem of theurges at the price of a feat (which are limited resources).

Second I would personally appreciate to leave intention behind rules aside from rules discussion. But Imho the best/only worth considering early entry method is earth spell which requires you to be human or take flaws.

[Drakhanis]

If your DM stated you are going to need over powered builds why not be a VDW Kobold build Get +3Levels of free Sorc And use the same build for the Halfling with the addition of +3 Cha, Int, and Wis. If you want to be a wizard instead of a sorc take the Spellhoarding Template

Edit this way you open up Way more daily spell slots for Arcane and can use Divine as more of a support/ build


Short of that I remember a way to make Cure spells magically appear on the Wizards spell list using two feats. Cant remember right now but still a viable option


He didn't say we needed overpowered builds, I told him my character concept and asked if a Fleshraker would be appropriate for the setting. He said it was fine, and that I'd need it, but didn't elaborate as to why. It could mean that he felt that my character when compared to the rest of the party (not 100% sure what the other builds are, but they've been playing these characters a while) would need a campanion familiar that could stand on it's own in melee, Or that he had something fairly devious planned for the adventure.

This is the type of DM that doesn't particularly like killing characters, but has no problem putting them in what he feels are "appropriately challenging" situations and letting them die if they are being dumb about things (like picking a fight with a bunch of feral triceratops, or desperately spaming fire spells in a heavily wooded area).

As for the comment about Precocious Apprentice, I'm not trying to munchkin my way into the prestige class early. Years of being a DM myself have made me very wary of any feats/spells/abilities that let you obtain or do things before the "game" intends. As a general rule of thumb, most prestige classes are structured requirement-wise such that most characters need to be at least level 5 before they can get into them because of the benefits that they garner. Of course, there are exceptions both ways (The Archmage, for example, and I know there are several racial ones from splatbooks, but I can't recall their names), but in general, that's the deal. And in my experience, limited as it is, any time someone brings up abilities that exploit RaW loopholes, or what I like to call "Vague Rule" loopholes, the only reason for it is to increase a character's power beyond what is intended at that level. Really, Druids, if played well, are broken right from the start. Or maybe not from the start, but pretty close to it if you have more than 2 or 3 characters under your belt amd have been playing more than 3 weeks.

Not to trash the advice. If I offended, I apologize, for it was not my intention.

[Spuddles]

There is a feat called Precocious Apprentice at page 181 of Complete Arcane.You can take it as 1st level character and allows you to cast a single 2 level spell of the arcane class you belong to.

If you choose that feat you can change your built to Wizard 1/Druid 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Hierophant 5. This way you will be only 1 level (instead of 3) behind for druid's spellcasting,and 3 for wizard's (instead of 4).

You may postpone your druid abilities by 2 levels ( including your animal companion ) but in the end you will be a more potent caster.

You lose wildshape that way, unfortunately. I would go druid1/wiz1/druid4 into AH, using partial BAB rules to qualify. Pick up versatile spellcaster and use druid slots to cast wizard spells. You may only have 8 levels of wizard, but you can still learn high level spells and use druid slots to cast them.