Flamboyant Magician Gestalt

[ganchovi]

My friends and I are playing in a Victorian themed team punk style gestalt campaign. I (black powder and airships).

A friend of mine is looking to play a flamboyant magician (as in the prestige or illusionist.)
We are starting at level five with no real restrictions. Right now she id using sorcerer and arcane trickster on one end, with rogue (for trickster requirements) and bard on the other.

I am looking mostly for feats to help fit the crunch to the fluff, but I am open to other suggestions as well to help the theme.

[ganchovi]

Edit: this is a fairly low op campaign, so the flavor is the most important bit.

[Axier]

I do not have access to my books, but there is a feat somewhere called Spell Thematics, or something like that. It gives pretty spell effects, like casting a fireball that looks like a rose, or a skull with flaming eyes. All of it up to the player, and complete fluff.

On top of it though, you also can pick a signature spell that gets a +1 to CL.
Ill try to find it later if someone else doesn't find it first.

[Slipperychicken]

I'm not clear on what this character is supposed to accomplish, mechanically. You mention illusions, do you want a really good Illusionist? When you say "flamboyant", do you want a charismatic magician?

[ganchovi]

The character is meant to be very charismatic, building initially from a bard\sorcerer gestalt. Illusionist would be fine as a school, but I was initially referring to the film the Illusionist (based on the short story eisenheim the illusionist).

Edit: spell thematics is an amazing idea.

[Gildedragon]

An artificer-bard would be a sensible combo. Make magic items for the performances/shows, and enhance them with bardic music: fascinate using oratory

[nedz]

Flamboyant normally has a non-mechanical meaning.

Without Cheese you need 3 levels of Rogue and 6 of Sorcerer to get into Arcane Trickster, so you won't be taking any levels in the PrC to begin with.
Assuming 10 levels of Arcane Trickster you won't be seeing Bard levels any time soon.

Now you could do this with Rogue 3/Bard 7/Arcane Trickster 10 ?

You could use Sorcerer into Prestige Bard, but that wouldn't speed anything up.

Ignoring for the minute power options for feats, there are the following
Arcane Flourish (PH2) — Sacrifice a spell slot for a perform skill boost
Arcane Strike (CWar) — Sacrifice a spell slot for a damage boost
Spell Thematics (PGF) — purely for flavour, as already mentioned
Steam Magic (Storm) — sounds very steam punk, but it's for underwater spellcasting

[Story]

Beguiler's also good at illusions but it's int based, not cha.

[nedz]

Actually I missed the Gestalt word, it doesn't normally feature in Low-OP.

[Slipperychicken]

Spell Thematics is a horrible feat. If you really want to re-skin your spells, ask your DM about it. Try not to blow a feat for reflavoring.

Conjuration specialist Wizard is excellent as a stage magician. I'm mostly talking about Abrupt Jaunt ACF (teleport around as an Immediate action, flourish your coat when you do it for extra flavor), Cloudy Conjuration feat (clouds appear on all your summons, teleports, and give concealment and penalties), and the fact stage magicians are all about the Conjuration school. Throw around summons and control spells like a boss. For extra spontaneous power, Uncanny Forethought. Factotum on the other side of the gestalt makes you awesome enough at skills that your lower Charisma doesn't matter, versatility (healing = "behold, as I make these wounds disappear!"), and more spells.

Cloudy Conjuration (requires SF: Conjuration, or Conjuration specialization) gives you big puffs of smoke whenever you summon anything.

[ganchovi]

Is there, perhaps, a more bardy full casting progression prC alternative to arcane trickster I could use on one end with the artificer on the other?

[nedz]

There are several.

If you told us what the actual build progression is then we would be able to give better advice. All we really need are the class progression and the feats; though the stat array might also be handy.

[ganchovi]

I was considering originally rog 3/brd 2//sorcerer5 in order to qualify for the arcane trickster. Depending on the prereqs, I would consider brd X/with anything needed for the PrC//sorc X ultimately going into the PrC on that side of the gestalt.

Once prereqs are met and. PrC is maintaining spellcasting with some other benefits, I could move into artificer on the other side.

[DMVerdandi]

Really guys?
No Beguiler? C'MON!!!

How about this, boss.
Beguiler8/Shadowcraft mage 5/Arcane Trickster 8//Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Sneak attack thug 19


Charismatic like hell. Beefy, sneaky, and a full spellcaster.

On the casting side, you get the Beguiler's full spell list, the shadowcraft mage allows you to use image spells as conjuration and evocation spells. Arcane trickster gives ranged ledgermain and continues the spellcasting.

On the Fighty side, Lion totem barbarian gives pounce, and the sneak thug (Thug variant fighter with the sneak attack ACF) Gives you sneak attack without the HD of a rogue.


Altogether you get an enchantment/illusion specialist that can also cast conjuration and illusion spells, and can beat some ass as well, having the ability to full attack on a charge.

Pick up the feats arcane strike, heighten spell and power attack for those outside of pre-requisites.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Go with some sort of Gnome, to qualify for Shadowcraft Mage.
Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Beguiler 14// Wizard (Illusionist) 2/ Master Specialist 3/ Wizard 1/ Master Specialist 1/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter 8.

You'll need at least one flaw to get Spell Focus: Illusion and Versatile Spellcaster at 1st to qualify for everything on time. You'll also want Earth Sense, Heighten Spell, Earth Spell, Residual Magic, Enhanced Shadow Reality, Ability Focus: Silent Image, and Signature Spell: Silent Image.

For ACFs you'll want the Gnome Wizard 1 sub level, Chains of Disbelief (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#illusionistVariants), Martial Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) to get Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll, and this free class feature (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) would actually be quite fitting.

[Telltale]

How about no caster at all !!?
Make a straight up Rogue build-pump everything into skills a "stage mage" would have. IE: slight of hand, escape, bluff, etc. put less focus on the more traditonal Rogue skills- like disable device.
However if still want to use little magic toss in a few Factotum (Dungeonscape) levels in there- it would add some nice flavor for the kind fo build your asking about.
As far as feats...anything that boost Bluff and Slieght of Hand..they are solid skills with surprising uses in many kinds of situations.
Also I am thinking some Craft/Alchemy in there?

I really like the idea for the character and would love to hear more about it. Maybe a bio?

[DMVerdandi]

How about no caster at all !!?
Make a straight up Rogue build-pump everything into skills a "stage mage" would have. IE: slight of hand, escape, bluff, etc. put less focus on the more traditonal Rogue skills- like disable device.
However if still want to use little magic toss in a few Factotum (Dungeonscape) levels in there- it would add some nice flavor for the kind fo build your asking about.
As far as feats...anything that boost Bluff and Slieght of Hand..they are solid skills with surprising uses in many kinds of situations.
Also I am thinking some Craft/Alchemy in there?

I really like the idea for the character and would love to hear more about it. Maybe a bio?

Heck, why not just go factotum 20 on one half?

Changeling Factotum 20/Marshal 20.
MFW the party face has no face.