Can you help me with my wizard?

[francoferret]

Hi. Newbie here. I'm starting a campaign at level 5 in a few weeks. I'm the party's caster. A wizard. I've played as a cleric and a rouge before, and this is my first time wizarding. I need feedback of my character so far. Could someone please guide me in the right path.

Race:Hengenyokai (Oriental adventures pg. 10, Updated in Dragon Mag. 318).
Type: Humanoid (shapechanger)
Size: Med Speed: 30 ft Language: Common, Hengnyokai.
Class: Wizard lv 5. Alignment: NG
Stats: Str 9 Dex: 14 Con 15 int: 19 Wis: 13 Cha: 9
AC: 12 (10 + 2 dex)
Racial Traits: Everyday the Hengenyokai can shapeshift into a sparrow or sparrow hybrid once 1/1+level.
- Sparrow hybrid: +2 dex Speed: 20ft fly:20ft
- Sparrow Form: size: Fine, fly 50ft, AC 24 (+8size +6dex). Stats: ( str 1, dex 23, con 10, wis (same), int (same)). Low light vision. Bird language. + 10 disguise.

Feats
-Surrogate Spellcasting (savage species): Allows me to cast spells in sparrow form.
-Alacritous Cogitation (complete mage): Leave a spell lot empty, can cast an spontaneous spell.
- Improved familiar (Small air elemental).

I would like to spend most of my time as a sparrow. That's why is took surrogate casting, and I would let my familiar deliver my touch spells. My air elemental has flyby attack (which allows an standard action anytime during a move actions). Does that mean that my elemental (who has a 5ft reach) can fly by an opponent, delivering a touch spell without causing an attack of opportunity?
Also, during animal form, my magic artifacts that I carry as human are absorbed into my body and cease to function. how can I avoid that?

[Chilingsworth]

Well, you might be able to keep your gear by putting wilding clasps on it, but with your 1 str and fine size, you wont be able to carry much of anything (certainly not if you want to fly.) You're light load will be 3/8ths of a pound.

Therefore, it's probably best if you not try to keep your gear from fusing to your sparrow form.

You'll also want Eschew Materials, unless your DM completely ignores inexpensive material components. Otherwise, you wont be able to cast anything with material components (no hands to hold the components with.) Even then, you'll be unable to cast spells with expensive material components (i.e. components with a listed price) or any kind of focus (either you wont have the hands to hold it, or wieght issues.)

[Amnestic]

This is minor, but since Sparrow form sets your physical attributes, putting your 14 Dex into Wis (say 9 Dex, 14 Wis, 13 Cha) may be preferable to your current setup. A +1 to your Will save is hardly a bad thing. :smalltongue: Swapping the 13 into Cha won't really give you anything, but does help against any attribute drain you might face.

[francoferret]

Well, you might be able to keep your gear by putting wilding clasps on it, but with your 1 str and fine size, you wont be able to carry much of anything (certainly not if you want to fly.) You're light load will be 3/8ths of a pound.
Well. I meant to say if there is a way for my magic items to still work even after having been absorbed into my body.


You'll also want Eschew Materials, unless your DM completely ignores inexpensive material components. Otherwise, you wont be able to cast anything with material components (no hands to hold the components with.) Even then, you'll be unable to cast spells with expensive material components (i.e. components with a listed price) or any kind of focus (either you wont have the hands to hold it, or wieght issues.)
Good catch. I'll see how my dm reacts to a sparrow casting spells, and if he says something, I'll take this feat.