[3.5] early entry Malconvoker

[8wGremlin]

So need help with this concept;
A Malconvoker needs the following
Non evil
Bluff 4
Knowledge (planes) 4
Spell focus (conjuration)
Augment summoning
And be able to cast summon monster 3

My thoughts are you could enter this at level 2 given this as a basis

Cloistered cleric with Spontaneous Domain with summon monster III on it
Patron deity is Galaeros (wood god, from ghost walk)

Heretic of the faith (f) to swap a domain
Circle magic (f)
Spell focus (conjuration)
Augment summoning

Concept
Assumption: when learning circle magic you must have minimum number if casters to learn from: So 2 extra people

Raise any spell to level 3
Sack the spell to spontaneously cast SMIII

So the above concept build does this but lacks bluff as a class skill
So how can I get bluff on my skills list
And get summon monster 3

My initial thought was domain bator, but I think this needs you to be LE
And thus not able for malconvoker

Can anyone help with this puzzle?

[Erik Vale]

Feat: Skill Knowledge. Add any two skills to your class skill list permanently.
[Looking for a book]

Unerthed Arcarna, Page 81.
Or Dnd Tools.

Also, the skills are only for that class. Just notice that.

[Answerer]

Skill Knowledge is really a part of a larger skill system variant, and a lot of DMs aren't going to allow it unless you're playing with that variant.

The Dragon, Envy, and Trickery Domains add Bluff to the Cleric skill list. Trickery is certainly appropriate for a Malconvoker, and is a really good Domain besides.

On the other hand, the Dragon Below Domain grants Augment Summoning as a bonus feat. That's pretty awesome, and if you wanted you could do a Dragon, Dragon Below Cleric. However, "The Dragon Below" refers to Khyber, one of the maybe-mythical world dragons in the Eberron Campaign Setting. Khyber was the progenitor of fiends, and most fiends have been locked within the core of the world that is formed by Khyber's (dormant? dead?) body. So also very fitting for a Malconvoker.

Just realized you need the Summoning domain for summon monster III. Never mind that.

Anyway, feat-wise, Apprentice (Criminal) from Dungeon Master's Guide II adds Bluff and Gather Information to all classes' skill lists. If your campaign allows any homebrew martial disciplines that uses Bluff as a key skill, Martial Study would also work. Greensinger Initiate and Draconic Heritage also work, but not for Clerics (or at least not without even bigger headaches in terms of qualifying).

[Rakoa]

I was doing a little thinking on this, because Malconvoker is one of my favourite classes. Cloistered Cleric is a great idea, because the Knowledge Domain is amazing, and seeing as how you're only taking the first level of Cleric, you won't miss out on any Base Attack Bonus. Really, the only downside is the lack of heavy armour, which probably isn't all that important, anyway.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can always be the Cleric of a cause, not a deity. So if you can think of a cause that involves knowledge, summoning and trickery, you're good. And those are pretty easy to tie together, since the entire idea of the Malconvoker is tricking summoned demons through your superior knowledge. So with that, there is no need to take Heretic of the Faith. Save a feat there.

So assuming you go Human, you can take both feats you need right at first level (Spell Focus and Augment Summoning). Now, I've tried googling it, but I can't for the life of me find any mention of Circle Magic. You put an F next to it in your post, so I assume that means it is a feat, but I can't find anything on it. I would like to help more if you could point me to a book or website, but as it is this is what I have.

Good luck to you with your Malconvoking Cleric! :smallsmile:

[8wGremlin]

Hi Rakoa

the feat is from Ghostwalk, unfortunately you have to have Galaedros as your patron deity, and he only gives Animal, Earth and Plant


Circle Magic [General]
You know how to use your connection to Galaedros the Wood God to channel magical power to another spellcaster of your faith.
Prerequisite: Divine spellcaster with Galaedros as a patron deity.
Benefit: You may participate in circle magic. You gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks.
cite Ghostwalk - page 29


CIRCLE MAGIC
The church of Galaedros has discovered the key to cooperative magic, which allows spellcasters to tie their powers together through their bond to the land and work more powerful spells than they could work as individuals. It is reputed that the church of Orcus is trying to develop its own form of circle magic, using frames of giant bones charged with negative energy, but it has so far been unsuccessful.
PARTICIPATION
To participate in circle magic, a person must have the Circle Magic feat (it doesn’t matter if the participants are of different divine spellcasting classes, such as cleric, druid, and ranger). One participant stands at the center of the circle, usually the most powerful or experienced character present. The center character is known as the circle leader. A circle requires two to five participants plus the circle leader. All participants in a circle must stand within 10 feet of each other and must be in contact with natural earth or stone.
Circle Powers
The first use of circle magic is to empower the circle leader with the strength of all the participants. This requires 1 full hour of uninterrupted concentration on the part of all partic- ipants and the circle leader, during which time they attune themselves to each other through the conduit of the earth under their feet. Each participant casts any single prepared
spell, which is consumed by the circle and has no effect other than expending the prepared spell. The spell levels expended by the circle participants are totaled as circle bonus levels. Each bonus level may be used to accomplish the following effects.
1. Increase the circle leader’s caster level by one for every bonus level expended (maximum caster level 20th).
2. Add Empower Spell, Maximize Spell, or Heighten Spell metamagic feats to spells currently prepared by the circle leader. Each bonus level counts as one additional spell level required by the application of a metamagic feat to a spell. The circle leader may add the feats listed to a spell even if he does not know the feat, or if the addition of the feat would raise the spell level past the highest level of spell the circle leader can normally cast (maximum spell level 10th).
These effects last for 24 hours or until expended. Circle bonus levels may be divided up as the circle leader sees fit. For example, Selorian Firesinger leads a circle in which four participants each cast 2nd-level spells. Selorian chooses to use three circle bonus levels to maximize his flame strike spell, and five to increase his caster level from 10th to 15th level for all level-based variables in his spells. The maximized spell is used up when he casts his flame strike, and the increased level effect remains for the next 24 hours. Many high-level spell- casters of Galaedros in Sura-Khiri lead circles on a daily basis to better defend their lands against the yuan-ti.


I have been looking at the OA Shaman as well to see if this can be achieved using that

[8wGremlin]

Just dug out my Oriental Adventures, and dusted it down.

Now Human's in OA have clan and the Scorpion clan, gets bluff as a class skill!

Human(Scorpion Clan)
Cloistered cleric - Patron deity: Galaeros
ACF - spontaneous domain
bluff 4, knowledge(planes) 4

Heretic of the faith (f) Summoning Domain
Circle magic (f)
Spell focus (conjuration) (via flaw)
Augment summoning (via flaw)

1st level: Cloistered Cleric
2nd level: Malconvoker

the only caveat is the circle magic feat requires other people with the circle magic feat.

My only recourse is that you had to learn the feat, so must have participated in the circle. Other than that hire the services of a spellcasters

Spell level x caster level x 10gp: So to get Summon monster III you would need 2 extra 1st level spells given to you... so 20gp! and an hour of your Circle Magic friends time.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Just dug out my Oriental Adventures, and dusted it down.

Now Human's in OA have clan and the Scorpion clan, gets bluff as a class skill!

Being from any OA clan automatically excludes the character from taking the Cleric class, though:

Characters native to Rokugan may not choose
any of the following classes from the Player's
Handbook: bard, cleric, druid, paladin, or
wizard.

The Trickery domain gets Bluff as a class skill.

Also from this helpful list (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uTKkLJ2mTBAJ:brilliantgameologists. com/boards/index.php%3Ftopic%3D6832.0+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us):
Bluff
Apprentice (criminal) - DMG II (also gather info)
Greensinger initiate – Ebberon campaign setting (requires spontaneous summon natures ally) (adds others)
Draconic heritage (Type) – Races of the dragon (sorcerer only)

Note that Draconic Heritage is available to any class via the feat Dragontouched.

[8wGremlin]

Bluff
Apprentice (criminal) - DMG II (also gather info)
Greensinger initiate – Ebberon campaign setting (requires spontaneous summon natures ally) (adds others)
Draconic heritage (Type) – Races of the dragon (sorcerer only)

Note that Draconic Heritage is available to any class via the feat Dragontouched.

All of these are feats, which I can't use as I've already tied up my 4 feats available to me at 1st level, I need a way to get Bluff as a class skill with out taking feats or trickery domain.

or if I was to use OA Shaman, I'd need to get a way of domain spontaneity, which is a cleric AFC, or the feat, which uses turn attempts

or see if my DM can waiver the OA restriction.


In other Oriental Adventures campaigns, these classes are
usually not available, but check with your Dungeon Master.
As I'm a human from Rokugan, cast out for learning Gaijin ways...

[Rakoa]

Alright well Circle Magic sounds like something I should have come across before. So with that you can scratch what I said about Cleric of a cause...I will need to do some more research in order to help out more. Stay tuned. :smallwink: