[PF] "Converting" 4e Enchanter to Pathfinder

[theonesin]

So, due to complaints about the slowness of combat in 4e, the group I'm in is thinking of switching over to Pathfinder, and the DM wants us to remake our characters as best as possible.

I was playing an Essentials Mage, focused on the Enchantment school. The main thing he did, and what I as a player had the most fun doing, was making enemies smack each other.

I don't know PF as well, but I've played a lot of 3.5, and while stuff like Dominate exists, it's not as easily accessed/spammable as in 4e. So I feel like I won't be able to really "remake" the character in a satisfying way(if we switch, we're starting at level 6).

Any advice on the matter? Classes/etc that could work well? Things that could replicate the "make enemy smack each other" mechanic?

One more added question(though I know this isn't the 4e section): Any advice on potentially speeding up combat in 4e?

Thanks.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

I didn't play a lot of essentials but my 4e experience suggests that your enchanter's "smack each other" effect durations are measured in rounds, if they even last longer than an action. With that in mind, I'd suggest playing a Cleric or an Oracle who makes ample use of the Murderous Command (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/murderous-command) spell. There are also metamagic feats to use with this spell that I'll edit in... one moment...

Edit: You'll want the trait Magical Lineage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/magical-lineage) on Murderous Command.

Metamagics of note: Extend Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/extend-spell-metamagic---final), Bouncing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/bouncing-spell-metamagic), potentially Heighten Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/heighten-spell-metamagic---final), Persistent Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/persistent-spell-metamagic). In the early game you'll get enemies to attack each other pretty reliably with Extended Bouncing Murderous Commands cast from 2nd level spell slots. Later you can add heighten and persistent to make it even more likely you affect someone. Even later you can add Quicken Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/quicken-spell-metamagic---final) to the mix and double your enemy-slap output. Beware Globes of Invulnerability, and immunity to mind effecting in general. Those kinds of counters are much more common in 3.5/PF than 4e.

As far as how to make 4e combats go faster... The short answer is to avoid solos, especially MM1 solos. If you want to go down the road of houseruling reduced HP/increased damage on enemies, it's very hard to calibrate IME.

[StreamOfTheSky]

For an enchanter class....Witch is heavily focused in enchantments and gets an at will Sleep effect Su ability that works on creatures of any HD. Beyond that, Wizard Enchanter certainly works, as does Bard and Sorc depending on spell choice. Most optimal save DCs would probably be a Kitsune Sorcerer with the fey bloodline. Fey is +2 to compulsion DCs, and Kitsune has a favored class option for sorcerer levels to boost enchantment DC by +1/2 per level.

For a spell to make foes attack each other, Confusion is great. Murderous Command (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/murderous-command) is a good low level choice (best paired with silent spell and bouncing spell and used from hiding :smallamused:).

There is also the Bard spell Song of Discord (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/song-of-discord).

[doko239]

For your purposes, a Serpentine bloodline Sorcerer (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/coreClasses/sorcerer.html) may work out quite well, just for the bloodline arcana:

Bloodline Arcana: Your powers of compulsion can affect even bestial creatures. Whenever you cast a mind-affecting or language-dependent spell, it affects animals, magical beasts, and monstrous humanoids as if they were humanoids who understood your language.

[Alienist]

Although I haven't played one in the heat of battle, the Pathfinder Telepath (specialization of Psion) looks game-breakingly good at level 7, where he gets Mind Control, which is like Dominate only better.

Keep in mind (sic) that if third edition combat is faster, it is because the effects are more powerful.

At sixth level a third edition wizard can fire off multiple fireballs, each doing 6d6 damage to a wide area. A fourth edition wizard can fire off one per day, and it only does 3d6 damage. Oh, and the 3rd edition wizard doesn't even need to roll to hit.

That said, keep in mind that the blaster (ie damage dealing wizard) is usually considered the weakest way to build your wizard.

Even the humble fighter, whose suckfulness is loudly proclaimed on this board, when properly built in 3.5 is expected to one hit kill anything he can charge.

My point is that in 3.5 combats can go a lot quicker, simply because they might not last longer than one round. That's not hypothetical either, in one of my previous 3.5 campaigns we had four combats and my character got to act three times (total) in those four fights. And that was with the DM putting their hand on the scales to make the fights a lot tougher than the suggested CR.