Karoht
2013-01-07, 04:20 PM
Want to be the best Deus Ex Machina your DM has ever seen?
On demand Arcane and even Divine spell casting.
Requirements:
Half-Elf, or Human with Half-Elf racial heritage feat. Talk to your DM and see which is right for you. You'll see why this is necessary later.
Build A
Sorcerer 9/Pathfinder Savant 3/Cypher Mage 8
You lose a level of of casting with Pathfinder Savant, but all scrolls ever used by you take your level instead of the minimum caster level. Cypher Mage allows you, as a swift action, to add double your casting stat.
Pathfinder Savant also gives you bonuses to Knowledge Arcana, Spellcraft, and UMD, also allowing you to take 10 on those checks. Highly valuable in combat.
Build B
Sorcerer 9/Cypher Mage 10/???
You don't lose a level of casting progression, and even have a level to spare for something else. You will cap on Cypher Mage, meaning that you can use one of your abilities as a Free Action rather than as a Swift.
Recommended Bloodline
Arcane Bloodline with the Sage Archetype. Intellect for Sorcerer casting doesn't sound that amazing at first, but it works well with Cypher Mage, and the extra skill points are very helpful. Knowledges are intellect based as well, as is Spellcraft.
Key Details
Paragon Surge-This spell confers a bonus to Dexterity and Intelligence. But that isn't what we're after here. In addition, it also grants you access to any feat you would normally qualify for. Now this has a variety of uses, but most noteably, you can use Extended Arcana. EA gives you 1 spell known at your highest spell level, or 2 spells known at any level lower than that. Which means as long as you know of a spell, you can bring it to mind at any time, add it to your list of spells known, and cast it as normal.
It is a 3rd level spell. My recommendation is to get a wand, as well as keep it on your spells known list. If it's on your list, you can use metamagic on it, which can prove handy. If it's a wand, you can expend the charges if needed. But ultimately, the wand can prove less useful, and there may be a better expenditure of 10K.
Razmiran Priest Archetype-This is a Sorcerer Archetype. Take it from level 1. You gain a bonus to UMD which is handy. At level 9, you gain Razmiran Channel. This allows you to use spell trigger and spell completion items which use Divine Spells, and keep the item or charge in the item, by subsituting your own, albeit at 1 level higher. Sadly it does not apply to Arcane Spells, but we will be fine without that, as you will soon see.
Cypher Mage/Pathfinder Savant-One way or another, you get to treat any scroll you have as though it's caster level is equal to your own. I am unsure if this stacks with the feat Cypher Scroll, but if it does it now works as 1 CL higher.
The Hook?
You buy a bunch of scrolls. Divine Scrolls. Stick them into a book. This is now effectively your Divine Spell Book. Bear in mind, Divine Scrolls also cover Arcane Spells cast as part of a Domain. Which opens up all kinds of spell casting options such as Druid, Inquisitor, Paladin, and Ranger Spells, in addition to Cleric Spells. The downside is, you don't have any extra spell slots to cast them from, and you effectively cast them one level higher. Cypher Mage gives you a bunch of free metamagic to play with using the scrolls, while Pathfinder Savant lets you use Razmiran Channel by taking 10.
Between Paragon Surge and Razmiran Channel, there isn't much that you can't cast on demand. You have remarkable versitility. There are some excellent spell combinations possible this way.
Examples:
Inquisitor
Wrath-Gain a +3 bonus to CL for purpose of bipassing spell resistance VS a single target, along with +3 to Attack Rolls. Shared Wrath grants this bonus VS a single target to any allies in the area.
Find Traps-Rogue Trapfinding
Silence-Surprisingly, not a Wiz/Sorc spell normally.
Banish Seeming-Dispel Magic for Illusions and Transmutations.
*Hunter's Eye* ignore concealment provided by fog or mist, blur, displacement, invisibility, and similar. Stand in a fog spell of your choice and continue hammering your enemies.
Druid
Dust Form-Quite useful for that squishy spell caster
Meld with Stone-Combo up with Project Image. May cause a DM to throw a book at you.
Spellstaff-Store any spell you can cast into your staff. Extra spell slot effectively. Great place to store a Quickened Paragon Surge.
Liveoak/Change Staff-Want a Treant pet following you for days per level?
Eagle Aerie-Want some Eagles following and scouting for you for hours/level?
Firestorm-Huge area Fireball.
Flamestrike-Fire and unresistable damage.
Fireseeds-No SR fire damage spell. Helpful in a pinch.
Cleric
Plane Shift-5th level slot for clerics, get a scroll, cast it as a 6th level slot. Normally a 7th level slot for Sorcerers.
Heal-Expensive and non-optimal, but handy to have around.
Paladin
The Litany line of spells. Not all of them are great, some can be handy, such as assist someone get out of a grapple, teleport someone out of a grapple, and a few other fun perks.
*Bestow Grace of Champion* Grant Paladin levels and class features to a Lawful Good Non-Paladin. IE-At minimum caster level to obtain the scroll, gives 4 levels of Paladin to the Cleric of the party. Cleric now has Charisma to Saves, Smite Evil (Charisma to AC VS Smite target, Charisma to Hit Smite Target, effective Paladin level to damage Smite Target), Lay on Hands, and a few additional Channels. I don't think you get the Paladin Mercies, but I could be reading that wrong. Summon a Lawful Good creature, cast Bestow Grace of Champion, watch the Summon go stomp all over something for you.
On demand Arcane and even Divine spell casting.
Requirements:
Half-Elf, or Human with Half-Elf racial heritage feat. Talk to your DM and see which is right for you. You'll see why this is necessary later.
Build A
Sorcerer 9/Pathfinder Savant 3/Cypher Mage 8
You lose a level of of casting with Pathfinder Savant, but all scrolls ever used by you take your level instead of the minimum caster level. Cypher Mage allows you, as a swift action, to add double your casting stat.
Pathfinder Savant also gives you bonuses to Knowledge Arcana, Spellcraft, and UMD, also allowing you to take 10 on those checks. Highly valuable in combat.
Build B
Sorcerer 9/Cypher Mage 10/???
You don't lose a level of casting progression, and even have a level to spare for something else. You will cap on Cypher Mage, meaning that you can use one of your abilities as a Free Action rather than as a Swift.
Recommended Bloodline
Arcane Bloodline with the Sage Archetype. Intellect for Sorcerer casting doesn't sound that amazing at first, but it works well with Cypher Mage, and the extra skill points are very helpful. Knowledges are intellect based as well, as is Spellcraft.
Key Details
Paragon Surge-This spell confers a bonus to Dexterity and Intelligence. But that isn't what we're after here. In addition, it also grants you access to any feat you would normally qualify for. Now this has a variety of uses, but most noteably, you can use Extended Arcana. EA gives you 1 spell known at your highest spell level, or 2 spells known at any level lower than that. Which means as long as you know of a spell, you can bring it to mind at any time, add it to your list of spells known, and cast it as normal.
It is a 3rd level spell. My recommendation is to get a wand, as well as keep it on your spells known list. If it's on your list, you can use metamagic on it, which can prove handy. If it's a wand, you can expend the charges if needed. But ultimately, the wand can prove less useful, and there may be a better expenditure of 10K.
Razmiran Priest Archetype-This is a Sorcerer Archetype. Take it from level 1. You gain a bonus to UMD which is handy. At level 9, you gain Razmiran Channel. This allows you to use spell trigger and spell completion items which use Divine Spells, and keep the item or charge in the item, by subsituting your own, albeit at 1 level higher. Sadly it does not apply to Arcane Spells, but we will be fine without that, as you will soon see.
Cypher Mage/Pathfinder Savant-One way or another, you get to treat any scroll you have as though it's caster level is equal to your own. I am unsure if this stacks with the feat Cypher Scroll, but if it does it now works as 1 CL higher.
The Hook?
You buy a bunch of scrolls. Divine Scrolls. Stick them into a book. This is now effectively your Divine Spell Book. Bear in mind, Divine Scrolls also cover Arcane Spells cast as part of a Domain. Which opens up all kinds of spell casting options such as Druid, Inquisitor, Paladin, and Ranger Spells, in addition to Cleric Spells. The downside is, you don't have any extra spell slots to cast them from, and you effectively cast them one level higher. Cypher Mage gives you a bunch of free metamagic to play with using the scrolls, while Pathfinder Savant lets you use Razmiran Channel by taking 10.
Between Paragon Surge and Razmiran Channel, there isn't much that you can't cast on demand. You have remarkable versitility. There are some excellent spell combinations possible this way.
Examples:
Inquisitor
Wrath-Gain a +3 bonus to CL for purpose of bipassing spell resistance VS a single target, along with +3 to Attack Rolls. Shared Wrath grants this bonus VS a single target to any allies in the area.
Find Traps-Rogue Trapfinding
Silence-Surprisingly, not a Wiz/Sorc spell normally.
Banish Seeming-Dispel Magic for Illusions and Transmutations.
*Hunter's Eye* ignore concealment provided by fog or mist, blur, displacement, invisibility, and similar. Stand in a fog spell of your choice and continue hammering your enemies.
Druid
Dust Form-Quite useful for that squishy spell caster
Meld with Stone-Combo up with Project Image. May cause a DM to throw a book at you.
Spellstaff-Store any spell you can cast into your staff. Extra spell slot effectively. Great place to store a Quickened Paragon Surge.
Liveoak/Change Staff-Want a Treant pet following you for days per level?
Eagle Aerie-Want some Eagles following and scouting for you for hours/level?
Firestorm-Huge area Fireball.
Flamestrike-Fire and unresistable damage.
Fireseeds-No SR fire damage spell. Helpful in a pinch.
Cleric
Plane Shift-5th level slot for clerics, get a scroll, cast it as a 6th level slot. Normally a 7th level slot for Sorcerers.
Heal-Expensive and non-optimal, but handy to have around.
Paladin
The Litany line of spells. Not all of them are great, some can be handy, such as assist someone get out of a grapple, teleport someone out of a grapple, and a few other fun perks.
*Bestow Grace of Champion* Grant Paladin levels and class features to a Lawful Good Non-Paladin. IE-At minimum caster level to obtain the scroll, gives 4 levels of Paladin to the Cleric of the party. Cleric now has Charisma to Saves, Smite Evil (Charisma to AC VS Smite target, Charisma to Hit Smite Target, effective Paladin level to damage Smite Target), Lay on Hands, and a few additional Channels. I don't think you get the Paladin Mercies, but I could be reading that wrong. Summon a Lawful Good creature, cast Bestow Grace of Champion, watch the Summon go stomp all over something for you.