[3.5] Help me build a Two-Faced Wizard

[A.A.King]

I always like the idea of my Rogue-ish Character having 1 or more false personas and although I have not yet played a Changeling character, they seem to be the best at doing that. Especially combining the Changeling Rogue Substitution Levels with the Changeling Wizards Substitution levels seems to make a great Man-of-a-thousand-faces kind of character. Not only can you have two clear main personas, the Transmuter and the Illusionist, you can create characters around different kinds of familiars (The Raven with his +3 to Appraise could spawn a "Merchant" Alter Ego).

The Rough Build Looks something Like this:

Changeling Rogue 1 / Changeling Wizard 5/ Unseen Seer 10/ ???

Feats:
1. Able Learner
3. Persona Immersion
6. Obtain Familiar
9. ???
12. ???
15. ???
18. ???


As you can see I haven't thought it out too far yet, because I'm not much an expert on playing Changelings. So I was wondering if people had tips for such a build, on feats, potential ACFs or prestige class to finish it (No Arcane Trickster though) I have for one not yet decided what to trade my familiar for. I know it has to go because I prefer the stronger familiar based on all of my caster levels but don't know what's the best trade for this build (normally I just go Combat Wizard but I need to keep my Metamagic feats to trade in for Morphotronic Familiar. Tips on potentail Familiar Based Alter Egos are also appreciated.

[Galvin]

A familiar can be greatly appreciated for this type of build. If your running a con, you can have your familiar watching from the rooftops, mentally relaying information if any guards are coming, or any tricked customers, realizing they've been tricked.

Remember to keep your wizard casting level as high as possible, you don't wanna sacrifice 9th level spellcasting.

Take a look at Daggerspell Initiate in Complete Adventurer. It's a good prestige for mixing rogue like dual dagger combat with the casting style of a wizard. With changling rogue 2/wizard5/daggerspell initiate 10/something other with full progression 3, you can get wizard casting of 18, allowing for 9th level spell casting.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

If multiclass penalties aren't in effect, consider using Spellthief and the Master Spellthief feat in place of Rogue. You lose out on the Changeling substitution level, but you get a better caster level and the power to steal spells!

[A.A.King]

Yeah, familiar is pretty much a given, but to make fully use of it I'll wait trade my normal familiar out and get one back at level 6 using Obtain Familiar, which will immediately be able to morph between shapes.

I don't know a Daggerspell Initiate, only a Shaper and a Mage so I'll guess you meant the Mage. This build won't focus much on Sneak Attacks, it will focus mostly on the Social Part and the Magic Bit, and I don't think I can fit it Weapon Focus (Dagger) and Two Weapon Fighting. My main weapon will probably be a crossbow.

Right now I also don't plan to take more then 1 level of Rogue. I need it for the Class Skills and the Skill Points and being able to always take 10 on Bluff and so forth is just extra

EDIT: Multiclassing Penalties aren't a problem, but I rather not lose the 1 level of Rogue I have. I feel it's essential to the character and it is a class that very much speaks to me, something that Spellthief just doesn't seem to do.

[MilesTiden]

Master of Masks sounds like something that would fit in well here, if nothing else. Its caster progression is rather poor, but the fluff is great and the abilities are neat.

[Waker]

Probably the best replacement for your familiar is Immediate Magic from PHBII. Being an Illusion/Transmuter you would gain the ability to create a minor Mirror Image effect or grant yourself a movement speed, like Flight or Swimming.
You definitely should look into the Skill Tricks from Complete Scoundrel, several of them boost social skills, like Second Impression. Going along with the skill suggestion, you could benefit from Able Learner (RoD) so that you only need to spend 1 skill point on CC skills.

[A.A.King]

Immidiate Magic sounds great, with it working for both Specialist Subjects it becomes easier to make this guy into two wizards. Able Learner was already part of the plan but I forgot about the great Skill Tricks for social characters.

[Greenish]

Racial Emulation could come in handy. PHBII has Wanderer's Diplomacy and Master Manipulator that also seem to fit, and Fade Into Violence is interesting (though maybe not worth the feat with wizard's decent defenses).

Don't forget the skill trick to mask casting spells into normal behavior. (There might be just a skill use for that from somewhere.)


[Edit]: Improved Familiar should also prove interesting in expanding your familiar's capabilities.

[gorfnab]

The Recaster prestige class from Races of Eberron would fit nicely into your build.

[Galvin]

I don't know a Daggerspell Initiate, only a Shaper and a Mage so I'll guess you meant the Mage.


Of course. Mage. My apologies.

[A.A.King]

Recaster definetly might be a great thing to finish of this build with, but I'm also looking into prestige classes that could maybe make use of my Sneak Attack Damage by giving me some Melee powers. Something like Abjurant Champion for example. Because if I'm right, Improved Familiar lets your familiar take a form which is suited for combat. Though I am aware that a gish build should always be focused as such to be effective. But maybe a more Ranged Gish PrC might help me create a combat persona.

Racial Emulation is definetely a must have, and I'll take a flaw for it so I can have it at first level (and probably one for Persona Immersion as well)

Now I would like to create personas for my 3 different specializations (counting Divination as one too thanks to Unseen Seer). What would be the best race + familiar combo? I know that the race doesn't do anything, but if Minor Change Shape allowed it then pretending to be a Gnome for the Illusionist part would have been very convincing. Any tips?

[Fouredged Sword]

I would suggest the standard unseen seer build with a focus on your changling abilitites.

Rogue 1 / Wizard 4 / unseen seer 10 / (arcane trickster 5 or spellwarp sniper 5)

You get 19 caster levels and can pull in spells like hunter's eye to throw your sneak attack through the roof and sniper's shot to remove the 30ft cap on the range of said sneak attack (and trustrike to make sure it lands).

[A.A.King]

I forgot about Spellwarp Sniper, that one is good. Not going for Arcane Trickster because I'm not planning on having any ranks in Disable Device. I also definitely want that 5th level of Wizard for the Racial Substitution Level. And I feel that Ray Mastery is better then the extra 1d6 of damage gained from the final Unseen Seer level so it would go:

Rogue 1 / Wizard 5 / Unseen Seer 9 / Spellwarp Sniper 5