Building and playing a pure archivist. How fun is it?

[Kafana]

I've been thinking about playing an archivist, but I'm not sure if the class will bore me. Basically, I want a versatile class out of combat that plays like an archivist (knowledge buff), but I want to be able to deploy interesting tactics in combat.

Can you recommend a build for an archivist that will allow me this versatility? The idea isn't power, it's just fun and utility.

I have access to all of the Completes, PHB 1 & 2 and HoH (obviously).

[Deca4531]

I like the class, given you have access to pretty much any divine spell. I tend to mix it with the divine meta magic feat and persist meta magic. take 1lv of cleric to start then archivist. I also went into a few prestige classes that granted lvs of current class like Evangelist (the 3.0 one not the 3.5 one).

[Urpriest]

In terms of interesting tactical options in combat, you could focus on summoning. Go for Spontaneous Summoner, plus the various Druid feats that boost summoning.

[Captnq]

Well, first i would go HERE (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=5044.msg72093#msg72093).

The list of every spell and every class is now at your disposal. You will find that 90% of all spells are divine in some form or another. It's also why an artificer is disgusting. Do you have any idea how many spells are normally cast at say... 5th, but have one oddball class that casts it at 2nd? Make friends with an artificer. By 9th level he can scribe any spell on a scroll. You can have him scribe the lowest divine version of any spell you want on a scroll, then you copy it into your book.

So, in theory, you can have 90% of the spells available to you. If you can't figure out how to abuse that, you shouldn't play the class.

[Urpriest]

The list of every spell and every class is now at your disposal. You will find that 90% of all spells are divine in some form or another. It's also why an artificer is disgusting. Do you have any idea how many spells are normally cast at say... 5th, but have one oddball class that casts it at 2nd? Make friends with an artificer. By 9th level he can scribe any spell on a scroll. You can have him scribe the lowest divine version of any spell you want on a scroll, then you copy it into your book.

Doesn't work. Artificers explicitly make scrolls that are neither divine nor arcane, as per the errata.

However, a Warlock might still work, as might a Chameleon. And regardless you can collaborate with someone else of the correct casting class to make a scroll together with your Scribe Scroll feat, so it's good to make friends with people with odd classes.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Check out the Archivist Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=ivhemnghk3d29hk5tdqlqde6b2&topic=3545.0), particularly the DM's Power section in the first post right under Why Archivist? Definitely get plenty of spells from the Druid, Archivist, and various Domain spell lists, plus Divine Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantDivineBard) and Divine Magician (CM p33) as well if possible. Learn Bone Talisman (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) if you want to be able to turn undead (and actually use it to turn undead instead of powering divine/devotion feats), put Unguent of Timelessness on the spell foci so it lasts 365 times longer and even cast it Extended, the unguent never wears off and they can be reused indefinitely.

I'd pick up some Reserve Feats (CM, CC) if you want to spam magic without running out of spells. Summon Elemental is worth getting regardless.

It's pretty standard to go Archivist 11 before taking any prestige classes, unless you dip a single level of Sacred Exorcist asap for DMM: Persist then resume taking Archivist until its 11th level. If you're not good aligned then Hexer from Masters of the Wild is a great choice (Venerable Dragonwrought Desert Kobold can qualify and is one of your strongest options for race). It's also possible to dip a single level of Cloistered Cleric for Knowledge Devotion, two more domains or devotion feats, more 1st level skill points, and being able to get DMM: Persist sooner and without being forced into a good alignment to dip Sacred Exorcist. You could easily just skip Divine Metamagic altogether and go Archivist 11/ PrC 9 for your build.

[Roguenewb]

I played 13 levels of an archivist every week for most of a year.

It's a struggle. I mean a literal struggle. Every new spell becomes "Hey DM, are there divine bards in this world? Can I buy a first level scroll of divine Silent Image?" then the DM says there isn't, and you make a rational argument why there should, you both look each other in the eye, try to balance social grace, and each person getting what they want, then the DM makes a ruling, and its awkward if you got it, and awkward if you didn't. You buy the scroll, scribe it in, and then ask away again, "Are there divine magicians in this world? Can I buy a scroll of divine glitterdust?" and have the exact same argument.

Not a single pre-constructed world has any prepared data about the presence of all the tricks that get arcane spells on your list. There is no Eberron splat about divine bards, divine magicians, all the various deep-slat domains. How many paladins on Eberron have scribe scroll? There is a solid argument that its zero. How many rangers are selling scrolls of Swift Haste in the marketplace of Fairhaven, or Waterdeep? What happens when a cleric of Mystra uses Anyspell to make a scroll? Does it count for archivist? Can the cleric do that? How many are there? Are they for open sale? How do I find out IC what domains a local clerical church has, so I can get one of them to scribe with me? If I provide all materials and XP, what does it cost to hire a paladin to scribe with me? How do I find a favored soul of Bahamut to get all arcane spells of less than 6th level?

That huge block of questions is only the start of your hard life. "But" you might say, "Surely all the normal spells I have access too are fine!" Yeah? How do you find an evil domain cleric to scribe Unholy Blight? Will he help you? How much does he charge? What about chaos? Shapechanger? If I get a scroll of Summon Elemental Swarm scribed by an Air Domain cleric with their domain slot and then scribe it into my book, can I use it to summon fire elementals? Where do level 14 rangers live? Does this world even have any level 14 rangers? Level 14 paladins? Why would either one of these help me for the tiny amount of gold that is a normal scroll fee? Do clerics in this world even sell scrolls?

Its an uphill battle. Talk to your DM. Get these questions answered, and then, if you like the answers, play the class. In-delve, its a blast. Some of the spell combos and wierd things you can learn are so unusual compared to what is normally involved that you feel wierd and awesome and exciting. Summon Nature's Ally->Haste is funny, as is polymorph into arrow demon ->arrowmind. Just stuff from very different lists that was clearly meant to be available to different people.

Just, don't do it blind.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It's a struggle. I mean a literal struggle. Every new spell becomes "Hey DM, are there divine bards in this world? Can I buy a first level scroll of divine Silent Image?" then the DM says there isn't, and you make a rational argument why there should, you both look each other in the eye, try to balance social grace, and each person getting what they want, then the DM makes a ruling, and its awkward if you got it, and awkward if you didn't. You buy the scroll, scribe it in, and then ask away again, "Are there divine magicians in this world? Can I buy a scroll of divine glitterdust?" and have the exact same argument.

Silent Image and many others are on various domain lists, which WotC has officially stated (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20070522a) are totally legit for an Archivist to learn. Furthermore, it's easy enough to ask the DM before you even make the character what types of divine caster lists will be available to learn spells from. Druid, Adept, and domains should be a given, as well as Paladins and Rangers. Noncore classes like Shugenja, Healer, etc. and class variants like Divine Bard and Divine Magician are possible, but it's safe and easy to ask the DM once before even making the character and write down the answer he gives for future reference. Get an idea of what specific spells you want from a given class/domain list, and get as many scrolls of those as possible made at the first opportunity you get, starting with the most important spells. Bookkeeping and metagame decisions should not make a character difficult to play.

Edit: You can also pick up Leadership and at 14th level a Warlock 12 cohort can use Imbue Item to substitute a given spell when you create a scroll. As long as a given class/domain/variant exists in the setting, you can get a scroll of a spell from its list made without ever actually finding a character with that spell who's willing to help you make a scroll. Edit2: Before making your Archivist character or even expressing interest in the class, ask your DM if you can make a Shugenja, a Divine Bard, a Cleric with Divine Magician, etc. to get it nailed down whether or not any of the above exist in the campaign setting.