TOB + Trapsmith + JPM

[8wGremlin]

If I was to make a Trapsmith as the casting part of Jade Phoenix Mage build, what would be the best classed to get entry and why?

Also would this actually be a viable PC?

[Arcanist]

If I was to make a Trapsmith as the casting part of Jade Phoenix Mage build, what would be the best classed to get entry and why?

Factotum 2 / Warblade 2 / Unarmed Swordsage 1 / Trapsmith 5 / Jade Phoenix Mage 10

Gives you all the skills and maneuvers that your little heart could desire and tragically enough you are STILL a better Monk than an actual Monk.


Also would this actually be a viable PC?

Of course it is viable! Is it good? Well... Let's all just be grateful that isn't what you're asking :smallbiggrin:

[Vaz]

Taking Trapsmith 5/JPA10 makes you cast as a Trapsmith 15; but there's a big problem with that. Namely that Trapsmith has doesn't advance past 5.

Duskblade 6/PsyWar 1/Martial Rogue Variant 1/Warblade 1/Trapsmith 1/JPA 10

Gives you Duskblade 9 (for Duskblade 3rd level spells) and Trapsmith 5 Casting, while you can use Psywar to go for a Large Sized Chain Tripping Build. Sure, it's not exactly a huge time for which you can "expand" (needs Practised Manifester and ideally Spellcaster for the Arcane side to really help out); 5 rounds of expand

It requires a Wisdom score large enough to get bonus power points; which can be achieved through items if you so desire.

It's feat allowance is quite decent as well; neither of the PrC's require a Feat to enter, so although burning a feat on Practised Manifester (and likely spellcaster) is a bit of a pain, you still have, for the most part, the 7 (8 if human) feats allowed to all other characters.

You have a BAB of 17, and while you cannot use Duskblade 13 to get the Channelling on a full attack, you still have some precent scores. But you can still cast in Medium Armour, Quick Cast 1/day, blah, blah. You can also use Thicket of Blades in conjunction.

I built this in mind so you could become a bit of spiked chain tripper. If that's not what you want, disregard.

[Fouredged Sword]

You CAN advance trapsmith casting past 5th level. It doesn't grant any extra spells know or add any spell slots, but it does add casterlevel.

[Matticussama]

You CAN advance trapsmith casting past 5th level. It doesn't grant any extra spells know or add any spell slots, but it does add casterlevel.

That is fairly wasteful of a major class feature, though. Especially given the alternatives where you can multiclass Duskblade or Battle Sorcerer to continue advancing another spellcasting class without sacrificing BAB too much.

[Fouredged Sword]

Trapsmith casting isn't bad though, and it suffers a lack of caster level.

One way around this and to improve your caster level in general would be to take a single level of spellthief and take master spellthief. This would also allow casting in light armor with all your arcane casting.

I would dump Psiwar though, for lack of power points and weakness to dispelling later in the game. The wizard can enlarge you if needed, or you can UMD a wand.

Duskblade 3 / Spellthief 1 / Swordsage 2 / Rogue 2 / Warblade 1 / Trapsmith 1 / JPM 10

Or you could get assassin spells if you pull off an alignment shift once you get your assassin level

Spellthief 1 / Swordsage 5 / Assassin 3 / Trapsmith 1 / JPM 10

OR

Spellthief 1 / Swordsage 5 / Assassin 1 / Trapsmith 3 / JPM 10

This opens up wands of scrolls of invis as 1st level spells, haste, and such. Idealy you would get 7th level assassin casting and as much trapsmith you can get after that. Your caster level for all classes would be CL 15. You get wis to AC and casting in a mithral breastplate.

[Vaz]

You CAN advance trapsmith casting past 5th level. It doesn't grant any extra spells know or add any spell slots, but it does add casterlevel.


At each level except 1st and 6th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level.

Emphasis Mine. You cannot gain more than 5 levels in Trapsmith, so how you would advance it past that is questionable. YMMV, but I'd rule it cannot advance past 5.

As it stands, though, there's not much point in advancing it past. All the spells available as a Trapsmith can be cast as a Wizard, and any spiked chain fighter with casting levels should have a Quarterstaff with the Morphing (and Sizing if they have some form of increasing in size) attribute so that they can take advantage of the extra spells. As staffs do not break unless explicitly told, you can have that continually "recharged" when it runs out of charges (doesn't cost any cheaper to give its spells), but especially with a Trapsmith who's limited to a CL of 5, you might as well use a Wizard to enchant it with the most common Trapsmith spells; such as Stoneskin without the cost of the component.

[only1doug]

Spellthief 3 / Crusader or Warblade 1 / Spellthief 1 / trapsmith 1 / JPM 1 / Abjurant champion 5 / JPM 8

take master spellthief as your L6 feat, all of your arcane caster levels now count toward your spellthief caster level.

Pre-requisite: able to cast 2nd level spells: Your GM may disagree with the following so check before assuming use:
A L4 spellthief can steal 2nd levels spells and then cast them on subsequent turns.

Spellthieves can easily qualify for Trapsmith for L6 but there isn't much point in staggering the ToB class to 5th level (for 2nd level stances at initiator Level 3) unless you take able learner (or have a ridiculously high Int score) due to the 3 required skills at rank 8.

at least one of your abjurant champion levels should advance Trapsmith casting so that you can declare martial arcanist (AB Champ 5)to apply to trapsmith casting.

Casting stats:
Spellthief caster Level (and steal spells as a): 19 (from master spellthief)
casts spells as a 12th level spellthief (3rd level spells)
Trapsmith caster level = BAB = 18,
cast spells as a 5th level trapsmith

[Talionis]

Spellthief 3 / Crusader or Warblade 1 / Spellthief 1 / trapsmith 1 / JPM 1 / Abjurant champion 5 / JPM 8

take master spellthief as your L6 feat, all of your arcane caster levels now count toward your spellthief caster level.

Pre-requisite: able to cast 2nd level spells: Your GM may disagree with the following so check before assuming use:
A L4 spellthief can steal 2nd levels spells and then cast them on subsequent turns.

Spellthieves can easily qualify for Trapsmith for L6 but there isn't much point in staggering the ToB class to 5th level (for 2nd level stances at initiator Level 3) unless you take able learner (or have a ridiculously high Int score) due to the 3 required skills at rank 8.

at least one of your abjurant champion levels should advance Trapsmith casting so that you can declare martial arcanist (AB Champ 5)to apply to trapsmith casting.

Casting stats:
Spellthief caster Level (and steal spells as a): 19 (from master spellthief)
casts spells as a 12th level spellthief (3rd level spells)
Trapsmith caster level = BAB = 18,
cast spells as a 5th level trapsmith

Won't the Master Spellthief feat mimic Abjurant Champion 5's ability to replace caster level with BaB? Masterspellthief will have them all casting as level 19 casters?

[only1doug]

Won't the Master Spellthief feat mimic Abjurant Champion 5's ability to replace caster level with BaB? Masterspellthief will have them all casting as level 19 casters?

Yep, I didn't think that through enough, Abjurant champion 5 becomes unnecessary so JPM 10 can be taken instead.

[Talionis]

I'm glad that helps.

I'll also recommend Wu Jen casting over Wizard for JPM. Wu Jen has some specific spells in Body Outside of Body and some others that can be really fun for a maneuver centered character.