Help with Arcane Hireophant build

[Aerris]

So, my current build goes like this:
Gray Elf Druid 3/ Generalist Wizard 2/ Green Whisperer 1/ Arcane Hireophant 10/Green Whisperer 4
And I'd really like to get some suggestions for optimizing it/making it more fun to play.

The DM has allowed me to use Green Whisperer to progress Wizard spell casting.

Two flaws allowed, my current feat selection goes something like this:

1. Greensinger Initiate, Faerie Mysteries Initiate, Extend Spell
3. ???
6. ???
9. Natural Spell
12. Arcane Strike
15. Frozen Wild Shape
18. Persist Spell

As you can see, this build is really focused on high levels and i don't mind it. I don't really like any of those summoning feats, except maybe Greenbound summoning but I'd like to avoid it anyway since it gets weaker on higher levels.
I've been thinking of taking Natural bond or maybe even extra familiar and improved familiar so i can get a fun little pseudo-dragon to play with.

I've got absolutely no tactics on playing this character except for persistent wraithstrike -> WS into hydra -> Arcane strike for tons of dmg.

Same goes for items, only item i know I'm gonna get asap is Wild Shape Amulet, have no idea what to get beside it.

The biggest problem i have with this build now is the second level of Wizard since it's pretty much a dead level and i cant find a good prc to take instead of it, I'd also really like to sneak a level of Swordsage or any other ToB class but it seems impossible to do so and still get dual 9s. As a side note, i don't want to use Sublime Chord or any other fast progressing prc.

So, that's about it, any opinions/suggestions/criticism/insights are greatly appreciated. :smallsmile:

Also, if someone can think of fun spell combos, please post 'em. :smallsmile:

[Jeff the Green]

You don't qualify for Arcane Hierophant. You need BAB +4 and only have 2+1 = +3, so you'll need another level of Druid or Greensinger.

If you want to focus on wildshape, you'd be better off ditching Greensinger for more Druid levels and getting the 2nd-level Wizard spells with Precocious apprentice. Seven lost HD is painful (though less so with the wildshape amulet) and hurts your companion, and most good Gish spells are 6th-level or below anyway. The standard wildshape/companion build I think is Wizard 2/Druid 4/Arcane Hierophant 10/Druid +4 (8). (A more casting-centric build is Wizard 1/Druid 3/Mystic Theurge 4/Arcane Hierophant 10/Mystic Theurge +2 (y), which would be essentially what you're planning on doing except you're trading a level of Druid casting for earlier entry.)

Good feats include Natural Bond, Companion Spellbond (Enspell Familiar is better, but a little iffy on whether it works), Rashemi Elemental Summoning, Arcane Thesis (wraithstrike)—this to allow you to cast an Invisble Extended Persistent wraithstrike from a 6th-level slot—and speaking of, Invisible Spell.

You don't need Extra Familiar; you need to trade away your familiar for something (since you're not a specialist, the only real option you have in 1st-party is Wizard of the Sun and Moon, though I'm sure there are some in Dragon) and Obtain Familiar. You don't actually have to have a familiar to make your animal companion a familiar companion, and you're free to summon a familiar after your 1st level of AH.

[Aerris]

First for all, thank you for your suggestions :smallsmile:

I guess I should've mentioned that we are using fractional BAB from UA. :smallbiggrin: But still, the build would remain pretty much the same if i took one level of Green Whisperer earlier.

I'm not that focused on wildshape, I'm actually planning to use it only as a last resort kind of thing, 10 levels of AH + 3 levels of druid and Amulet are more than enough for me. The Animal Companion hit hurts tho, thats why i was thinking of taking the Natural Bond, but +3 doesn't look like a big improvement to me. :/ Are there any items that could further enhance this?

Enspell Familiar is awesome, I think my DM will me to use it on the Companion Familiar, I'll have a talk with him about it. Rashemi Summoning is powerful but i just don't like playing that type of a druid, don't know why.

Somehow, I'm missing the point of Silent Spell, can't see whats it useful for. And correct me if I'm wrong, using extended persistent spell with arcane thesis lasts for two days? So, I actually have a free slot on the second day?

And nice catch, thank you for pointing that out. I will be taking Obtain Familiar/Improved Familiar only if my DM allows me to use Shun of the Dark Chaos on my racial proficiency feats for rapier and longbow (and i somehow doubt that is going to happen), keeping only longsword since i like using them. Checked the dragon, nothing to interesting to get instead of a familiar, guess I'll be taking Wizard of Sun and Moon since my dm wont allow me to take abraupt jaunt.

[Dread_Head]

Somehow, I'm missing the point of Silent Spell, can't see whats it useful for. And correct me if I'm wrong, using extended persistent spell with arcane thesis lasts for two days? So, I actually have a free slot on the second day?.

Invisible Spell, not Silent Spell as it is a +0 adjustment Metamagic with Arcane Thesis it becomes a -1 Metamagic.

Power Attack could be good on this build to add damage when using Wraithstrike and Arcane Strike.

You could take Persist Spell earlier even if you won't be able to use it allowing you to pick up one of the other Wild Shape feats at higher levels like Dragon or Exalted Wild Shape.

[Aerris]

Ah, got it, thank you for explaining it. Not really sure if the extended persisted wraithstrike combo is worth two feats tho. The regular persisted just takes one of my 8lvl slots, and i've got 5 of those without bonus spell slots.

Power attack could do wonders indeed, but how does it interact with natural weapons?

And I think I'm getting most out of wildshape with the hydra, since it has most attacks per round (doesnt it?).

Thank you for your tips :smallsmile:

[Dread_Head]

Ah, got it, thank you for explaining it. Not really sure if the extended persisted wraithstrike combo is worth two feats tho. The regular persisted just takes one of my 8lvl slots, and i've got 5 of those without bonus spell slots.

Power attack could do wonders indeed, but how does it interact with natural weapons?

And I think I'm getting most out of wildshape with the hydra, since it has most attacks per round (doesnt it?).

Thank you for your tips :smallsmile:

As far as I know Power Attack works with natural attacks as it would with a one handed weapon.

Hydra might be the most effective in combat (I don't know for sure) but the other form adders are nice for utility. For example Exalted Wildshape lets you shape into a Blink Dog for free blinking and Dimension Door as a free action once per round. Exalted Wildshape also applies the celestial template to any animal you wildshape into which is fairly nice and lets you gain all extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the form you shape into (rather than extraordinary special attacks only) which is very useful. Dragon Wildshape adds some forms with great NA and fly speeds for added utility.

[Aerris]

Awesome, i think I'll add power attack then, although i was thinking of TWFing while not ws-ed (yeah, i know, TWF sucks and i got no feats but that wraithstrike does wonders) :smallbiggrin:

Dragon wildshape certainly looks useful, guess I'll take it if i find out I'm lacking utility. Celestial wildshape is still a no-go for me tho, primarily because of fluff, (I'm chaotic neutral, big on fey and whole "chaos is the only natural thing in the world" thing, just like the Greensingers)

[sleepyphoenixx]

You can get Power Attack with some of the higher tiers of the Bite of the WereX line of spells, so there's no need to spend a feat on it.
You're losing a lot of HD though for a Wild Shape focused build.

If you want to do melee damage Multiattack is a good investment, at least until you get Cryohydra shape (since all its attacks are primary). You can retrain it later.
Damage shouldn't be too much of a problem either with high strength and Power Attack from spells. You don't really need the classic wizard-gish spells for a melee druid to function well.
If you're only going AH to burn your arcane slots for Arcane Strike you'd be better off going straight druid and using other sources of bonus damage though.

A caster build would make more sense with your class selection. You definitely want Quicken Spell for that to take advantage of your higher number of spells/day. Sculpt Spell works pretty well for BFC and has only a +1 adjustment. Practiced Spellcaster for at least one casting side is also not a bad idea.
If you want to do blasting you'll need something to boost the base damage of your spells. Ring of Mystic Fire/Lightning is nice and inexpensive.
If you want to focus in that direction the Snowcasting, Frozen Magic, Cold Spell Specialization line works pretty well, as does Born of Three Thunders if you can get daze immunity.

The thing is that druids do all of melee, summoning, bfc, blasting and buffing pretty well "out of the box". If you want melee as a last resort there is no need to invest feats in it. Prepare a few spells and you can pretty much go to town. BFC and buffing are pretty well served with Extend Spell alone, maybe with Sculpt Spell if you have the feat free.
Blasting is weak in general but works well enough with a little investment, too.
Summoning is probably the biggest feat hog if you want to go all out with it, but you already said you don't want to go that way so it's a moot point.

If you're not sure what you want you could take a bit of everything and do well enough in 95% of all games. Natural Spell, Natural Bond, Extend, Quicken, Dragon Wild Shape and Companion Spellbond or Enspell Familiar are a pretty solid allround spread.

Why do you want to go theurge over straight druid casting? The answer to that question should be a pretty good starting point in deciding what feats you need.