Best way to use Elemental Commixture?

[Serafina]

So, the recently released Blood of the Elements introduced the teamwork feat Elemental Commixture. Two casters simuntaneously casting spells with different elemental descriptors produce an effect based on the combination of elements.

While the effects are pretty good, its most likely rarely useful to have another party member use up a spell slot and an action to do this.
Taking Leadership and having a cohort cast the secondary spell is an obvious solution, but Leadership is of course an iffy feat thats not regularly available.
Hence, i am looking for other ways to gain the benefit of this feat. I have found a few so far, but there might be others so any ideas would be very appreciated!

Taking an Improved Familiar with the Valet Familiar Archetype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar/familiar-archetypes/valet-familiar-archetype) so that it has the feat.
If spell-trigger items are allowed to work with this teamwork feat (not sure on this), then any familiar with an UMD-score can work and supplement spells of up to 4th level.
The other option is to take a familiar that can cast spells with an elemental descriptor. Of course the higher the spells level and the more often it can be cast the more useful it is.

A Tidepool Dragon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/dragons/dragon-tidepool) can cast Slipstream (2nd level) four times per day and Hydraulic Push up to seven times per day. Water is a pretty good admixture - combined with Earth or Air it can knock prone, and combined with Fire it ignores all elemental resistances/immunities (!!) and can blind the targets.

A Nuglub Gremlin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/fey/gremlins/gremlin-nuglub)can cast Heat Metal (2nd level, Fire) and Shocking Grasp (1st level, Air) once per hour. The utility of that is highly dependent on how much time passes between combat encounters. Fire is weak as an admixture (only a bit of extra damage or fortitude-saveable nausea), Air is better but could only be applied to 2nd-level spells.

If spell-like abilities work with the feat (again, not sure on this) we expand the range of possible familiars to Mephits (very thematically fitting) and Homunculi. The latter need to be created with 10 potions to grant that spell as a SLA 1/day, but that can be stacked and go up to third-level spells which is pretty good.
Of course all Mephits could use wands, so if both spell-trigger and spell-like abilities are allowed they are a pretty good option.
Air-Mephits come with a 1/day 2nd-level Air spell.
Dust-Mephits get the same.
Earth-Mephits get a 1/day 2nd-level Earth-spell
Fire-Mephits come with both an 1/hour and a 1/day 2nd-level fire spell.
Ice-Mephits come with a 1/day 2nd-level water spell.
Lightning-Mephits come with an 1/hour 1st-level Air spell and a 1/day 3rd-level Air-spell.
Ooze-Mephits come with an 1/hour 2nd-level Earth spell.
Water-Mephits have ironically the same spell and thus an Earth-admixture.


If you use wands or Homunculi, try to get one of the following spells: Elemental Toch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/elemental-touch) (2nd level), Elemental Speech (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/elemental-speech) (2nd level) Elemental Aura (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/elemental-aura) (3rd), Draconic Reservoir (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/draconic-reservoir) (3rd), Dragons Breath (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/dragon-s-breath) (4th) or Detonate (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detonate) (4th). Their elemental type can be determined on casting, so you have the whole range of elemental mixes available!


So, any other options and your interpretation whether spell-trigger items or spell-like abilities can be used to activate that feat would be very welcome.
Keep in mind that a Ring of Tactical Precision (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rings/ring-of-tactical-precision) could be used to give the teamwork feat to creatures that can not freely chose feats, so that should greatly expand the options.

[stack]

Fairy dragons cast as sorcerers, so no need for UMD. Make sure they are not using spells with saves though since they would have terrible dc's. The primary should have a save, the secondary shouldn't. A wand of summon monster would be nice, summoning elementals gets you all the energy descriptors in one spell, no save to drag you down. Might be tricky with the timing though.

[Serafina]

Sadly summon monster doesn't work, since both spells need to have a casting of Standard Action or less.
However, Elemental Touch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/elemental-touch) works, as do Elemental Aura (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/elemental-aura), Draconic Reservoir (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/draconic-reservoir), Detonate (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detonate) and Dragons Breath (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/dragon-s-breath). Thanks for the idea of using variable-type spells! :smallsmile:

I guess thats another - and probably the design-intended - use of the teamwork feat- spontaneously swap out elemental spells for a range of effects by casting along a teammember. But thats hardly optimal :smallwink:


Fairy Dragons are great if wands are allowed and you want to rely purely on those. Sadly they don't have any elemental spells on their own to contribute - although, is their spells know list fixed?

[Vedhin]

This looks like a Teamwork feat might actually use. The "must be within one level" requirement is annoying, but Heighten Spell could help there.

Anyway, it says Solo Tactics works if you can cast both spells in one round.

Cold Ice Strike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/cold-ice-strike), Ride the Lightning (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/ride-the-lightning), Stone Shield (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/stone-shield), and Windy Escape (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/w/windy-escape), are swift/immediate action spells, that count as water, air, earth, and air spells, respectively. The latter are even 1st level. I only checked the Sorcerer/Wizard list.

Borrow Future (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/wordsOfPower/effectWords/timeWords.html#_borrow-future-(time)) from Words of Power grants extra actions, and it's low enough level you could get a wand for your familiar. A lenient DM might allow you to count the general mechanics for Words of Power and combining Effect Words, though this isn't RAW.

And of course, Quicken Spell and such. Spell Perfection can help with the cost, as could Magical Lineage and Wayang Spellhunter.


If 3.5 is allowed, there's all kinds of stuff you could do.


Edit: By the way, your link to Elemental Commixture (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/teamwork-feats/elemental-commixture-teamwork) is broken.
Looking at the options, I'd have to say that:

Dust (Air/Earth) is very nice against mundanes, but not so much against casters. Having a Fortitude save is unfortunate, as mundanes tend to have high Fortitude saves.
Lava (Earth/Fire) is easily skipped. 1d6 fire damage isn't much, even if it does get repeated with failed Reflex saves. If the subsequent saves to put out the fire use the spell's DC (they don't by RAW), it might be worthwhile, though damage over time is bad in D&D.
Mud (Earth/Water) is okay, but halving movement speed is lackluster compared to some of the other possibilities.
Smoke (Air/Fire) is a real winner. A Fortitude save to prevent being nauseated 1 round, and a Fortitude save to reduce 1d4 rounds of blindness to 1 round.
Snow (Air/Water) looks nice as well. A Sorcerer with a cold focus could really benefit from the desciptor being added, it might help beat energy resistance, and it forces a Reflex save vs prone.
Steam (Fire/Water) is a mixed bag. A Will save vs 1d4 rounds of blindness is very nice. Switching damage to nonlethal explicitly can help get around energy resistance (but with a new set of resistant enemies). It might have potential with the various nonlethal damage buffing effects.


Anyway, point of this is that Air is the best descriptor for combining. Water and Fire are also nice, and Earth brings up the rear.

I wonder, could some sort of Sap Master Rogue with this feat be made? Get a familiar or something, and use jets of steam to beat the opponents? The blinding would make them eligible for sneak attacking. Use something like Frostbite to get iteratives (and can be cast ahead of time).
Wait, I know! Dip Wizard or Arcane Sorcerer, learn Icicle Dagger (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/icicle-dagger), give your Valet Familiar the Spark cantrip (or Flame Jet (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/wordsOfPower/effectwords/fireWords.html) from Words of Power somehow (or another 0-2nd level fire spell). Now go Knifemaster Scout Rogue and pick up Sap Adept and Sap Master. Get River Rat and Blade of Mercy for giggles.