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View Full Version : Wizard Feats? [PF maximization shadow diviner]



TomeGnome
2013-08-04, 04:08 AM
I'm building an elf diviner and I need help deciding on feats. What feats do you feel are indispensable for a wizard?

This guy is using the foresight subschool, but specializing in illusion (in particular, shadow spells, and even more specifically, shadow evocation). The plan is to take him through bloodmage so I can get some extra spells per day and use the 10th level ability to take the bloodline powers of sorcerers.

Feats I know I'm taking:
Spell Focus (Illusion)
Brew Potion (To distill blood of enemies down into bloodline elixirs)
Bloodmage Initiate
Spell Specialization (Shadow Evocation)
Greater Spell Specialization (Shadow Evocation)
Spell Perfection (Shadow Evocation)
Metamagic - Piercing Spell, Quicken Spell, Tenebrous Spell

The main idea is to use magical lineage to reduce the metamagic level by 1, spell perfection to get one free metamagic, and use tenebrous spell because there's no added cost to spell level for dark/shadow spells, so in essence, once I have spell perfection, I can have a quickened, piercing, tenebrous shadow evocation at no added cost that I can turn into any low level evocation spell and spam that for damage in the same turn as whatever other spell I want to cast.

Another thought for a potent combination is to use improved critical (rays) to combine with the auto-confirmed crit ability of the destined bloodline. With an intensified scorching ray, that's 4 rays per casting, each with a 1/10 chance of critting. The thing about that is... This would only really become incredibly useful at level 20, and most spells at that level are too powerful to waste my time worrying about that little damage. The only thing that makes it all that useful is that it's quickened, so I can cast bigger spells and still squeeze that in, but that's hardly worth the feats that that point, right?

Anyways, lots of things to consider, hence reaching out for advice. Thoughts?

Korahir
2013-08-04, 06:16 AM
The shadow evocation focus is a neat trick, but you are incredible feat starved for quickened blasting targeting will saves basically. A little underwhelming to me given what you invest.
I don't really see the benefit of going bloodmage as the bloodlines don't really add much, but i guess that's more of a style choice. I'd also like to know what you plan on casting next to shadow evocation.

If you stick with everything:
I consider improved familiar and craft wondrous item to be pretty much staples. I would fit them in the build by giving up brew potion and go human.

TomeGnome
2013-08-04, 10:43 AM
The idea behind the feat chain is that between shadow evocation, shadow conjuration, and the actual spells in the illusion school, I'm very rarely ever going to cast magic that is unbuffed. Usually it's just a +2 to all of the save DC's (+3 if I decide to add something like Greater Spell Focus), but with shadow evocation, I'm getting a +5 to caster level, +5 to save DCs against will, -5 to enemy SR, plus a quickening all for free. I also get to sacrifice spell slots to cast it spontaneously later on because of greater spell specialization, so I don't even need to have it in my spellbook to spam it.

As far as what I'd cast beside it, I'd probably end up using a lot of shadow conjuration/phantasmal killer/major image to keep the pressure on enemies, or illusory terrain/illusory wall/greater invisibility to make it harder for them to do anything... I mean, it's really going to be almost exclusively illusion spells, and there's no shortage of them to choose from.

The reason I went bloodmage was initially for extra spells, but the versatility of the bloodlines ended up cinching it. With fey, I get to reroll any and all caster level checks to overcome SR. Several of them let me grow wings that can help make up for bloodmage's poor movement without having to waste a spell slot on a flight spell. Elemental makes me immune to crits, etc. Acrane can further buff all of my illusion spells and give me more benefits to metamagic. It's almost like making myself a kinda flimsy alchemist only without having to sacrifice any spellslots to get there.

I really can't give up brew potion. I need it for the bloodline powers, and going human means sacrificing a bunch of extra uses of the prescient ability from the foresight subschool which is a staple for me. I don't need to though. This build may be feat intensive, but it hasn't used up every feat slot. I still have slots at levels 17, 19, and 20 that are unused, which is why I started the thread. I didn't state that exclusively before, so sorry if that was misleading, but that's where things stand now.