Help making a Shenanigans Wizard

[thematgreen]

Hello!

I am looking to make the most least optimized for damaging in combat wizard that I can. I want him to excel in tom foolery and shenanigans (And not that resturant with the mozarrela sticks and all the junk on the walls, don't make me pistol whip you).

Overall:

He doesn't want much to do with damage inflicting spells, he just wants to make it frustrating and enraging to try and attack him by using his magic.

He CAN have damage dealing spells, but will only kill as a last resort. He doesn't mind others doing the killing, he just wants to avoid killing on his own, if possible. Summons are something he may be interested in.

Out of combat I want him to have a bunch of utility and fun, Prestdigitation is going to be a staple, but things that enhance jumping, shape shifting, colors and smells and other shizzlewhizzle will be what he likes.

Anyone have suggesstions?

(Disclaimer: I am not talking a random spell selecting moron, I want him to be skilled, but skilled in fun, choosing things for the fun rather than for min/maxing.)

[Miss Disaster]

I've played a character like that once before. And really, the ideal chassis to build such a character archetype is probably moreso the Beguiler (due to the mass quantity of skill ranks for associated social shenanigans involving Bluff, Sleight of Hand, Hide & Move Silently and whatnot). I played that tomfoolery Beguiler from levels 1 through 8. And I was very cognizant about being a goofball, but a very tactically efficient and battlefield-dominant goofball who was very sensitive about not pissing off my partymates. :-P

But the Wizard can do it equally as well (and in some ways, better) - and that's obviously your preferred base class. I do recommend that if you go with Wizard, that you eventually acquire "Skill Wizard PrCs" that give you 4 to 6 ranks per level (and preferably with a Rogue-ish stealth and trickery skill list).

That all said, we need to know what level are you starting at. Since a 1st Level Shenanigan Wizard is gonna have a real lean repertoire of zaniness whereas at 10th level, you could be easily hitting on all cylinders for all 4+ combat encounters per day.

Right off the bat, I can see Illusion, Transmutation, Enchantment & Conjuration spells being your go-to Schools of the Arcane. If you chose a Specialist Wizard of some sort, you should be thinking of nixing either Evocation, Necromancy or both.

So once we know starting level, racial preference and certainty of the Wizard chassis, we can better suggest PrCs, spells, feats and skills. Also, it would be good to know what type of campaign will you be playing in. An Underdark cavern exploration campaign will require significantly different buildcraft from a social/urban/intrigue based campaign.

[LunaLovecraft]

So, if you can take traits:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/social-traits/clever-wordplay
I would definitely take if they let you. Use it on bluff. Because that works out nicely for you.

I would probably go with Enchantment as your school, because
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/enchantment/manipulator
works out really nicely.

I mean the most annoying thing I can think of is not having control over myself for some reason. "Why are you hitting yourself" becomes much more literal.

I would go for improved familiar so you can get something that can either UMD or something like an Imp, which has at will invisibility for itself letting it do plenty of shenanigans.

Don't forget unnatural servant, it's a great prank tool. Have it carry a skull with a cloak over it (way less than 15 lbs of force) and cast dancing light in both eye sockets to make an impromptu lich to scare the locals.

In terms of really good spells to use,
Unnatural lust is funny
Hideous Laughter is cruel
Aqueous Orb can be really frustrating
Shadow Anchor is really useful for controlling an area while helping out allies
Vomit Twin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/v/vomit-twin) is good in case you think someone is gonna bull rush you, as well as good for fast escapes in general.
At a higher level Ice Body (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/i/ice-body) lets you inhabit your Simulacrum (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/simulacrum) in a pinch.

I would take craft wondrous item definitely, because there are a lot of troll items you can use to distract and attack, like Origami Swarms (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/m-p/origami-swarm)

A phantasmal gem (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/phantasmal-gem) is necessary for any tricksy illusionist that's not an illusionist wizard.

Those are the ideas off the top of my head, based on shenanigans done with me and the other party wizard.

[Diachronos]

Grease is one of the best annoyance spells against melee fighters. Plus you can do things like drop it on a ladder you just climbed up to buy yourself time to run away

[Dalebert]

Out of combat I want him to have a bunch of utility and fun, Prestdigitation is going to be a staple, but things that enhance jumping, shape shifting, colors and smells and other shizzlewhizzle will be what he likes.

I already love this character.

http://www.pathfindersrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mad-monkeys

[thematgreen]

I've played a character like that once before. And really, the ideal chassis to build such a character archetype is probably moreso the Beguiler (due to the mass quantity of skill ranks for associated social shenanigans involving Bluff, Sleight of Hand, Hide & Move Silently and whatnot). I played that tomfoolery Beguiler from levels 1 through 8. And I was very cognizant about being a goofball, but a very tactically efficient and battlefield-dominant goofball who was very sensitive about not pissing off my partymates. :-P

But the Wizard can do it equally as well (and in some ways, better) - and that's obviously your preferred base class. I do recommend that if you go with Wizard, that you eventually acquire "Skill Wizard PrCs" that give you 4 to 6 ranks per level (and preferably with a Rogue-ish stealth and trickery skill list).

That all said, we need to know what level are you starting at. Since a 1st Level Shenanigan Wizard is gonna have a real lean repertoire of zaniness whereas at 10th level, you could be easily hitting on all cylinders for all 4+ combat encounters per day.

Right off the bat, I can see Illusion, Transmutation, Enchantment & Conjuration spells being your go-to Schools of the Arcane. If you chose a Specialist Wizard of some sort, you should be thinking of nixing either Evocation, Necromancy or both.

So once we know starting level, racial preference and certainty of the Wizard chassis, we can better suggest PrCs, spells, feats and skills. Also, it would be good to know what type of campaign will you be playing in. An Underdark cavern exploration campaign will require significantly different buildcraft from a social/urban/intrigue based campaign.

Thanks for that awesome post!
To give you guys some help:

Race: I don't care. I was considering Goblin or Kobold, but I am open to whatever.

Class: I've never seen a beguiler, is that PF? I can use Core PF, all the books, and some of the better 3rd party stuff.

Level: Either level 1 or level 3 or level 5 (Once the GM decides)

[inertia709]

Since you're allowed some 3rd party material, I strongly recommend the pants (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/3rd-party-spells/rite-publishing---3rd-party-spells/p/pants) spell. Great for spamable out-of-combat shenanigans.


He doesn't want much to do with damage inflicting spells, he just wants to make it frustrating and enraging to try and attack him by using his magic.

He CAN have damage dealing spells, but will only kill as a last resort. He doesn't mind others doing the killing, he just wants to avoid killing on his own, if possible. Summons are something he may be interested in.

It sounds like your group likes damage dealing spells. You'll find that direct damage spells are generally considered worse on this forum than most other spells of their level (unless you're a "mailman" sorcerer), so no worries about that.

[Dalebert]

Thanks for that awesome post!
Class: I've never seen a beguiler, is that PF?

Nope. PHB2 I believe. It's also a great spontaneous caster to combine with a wizard for an Ultimate Magus from Complete Mage.

[Vhaidara]

Nope. PHB2 I believe. It's also a great spontaneous caster to combine with a wizard for an Ultimate Magus from Complete Mage.

Pathfinder, not 3.5. No PHB2 and no Complete Mage.

[thematgreen]

Since you're allowed some 3rd party material, I strongly recommend the pants (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/3rd-party-spells/rite-publishing---3rd-party-spells/p/pants) spell. Great for spamable out-of-combat shenanigans.



It sounds like your group likes damage dealing spells. You'll find that direct damage spells are generally considered worse on this forum than most other spells of their level (unless you're a "mailman" sorcerer), so no worries about that.

The group is full of new players who aren't too serious, so I can do whatever I want, character wise.

In a previous game I played a blaster, a Kobold (Alternate traits to be as dragony as possible) Red Dragon Blooded Sorcerer. Due to breeding he was freaking tiny, only 14" tall (Had to change his size to Tiny), but could blow up a mountain.

The group loved him, after they got over the fact that I played his moral compass as WWKD, what would Kobolds do? From attempting to burn a ship because I got tossed into the water, to eating delicious cooked mammal flesh, regardless of the fact that said mammal was a living dwarf at one time.

He spoke like 9 languages, but refused to admit he could speak even common, so the group believed he was either mute or just didn't understand what they were saying. It carried OOC too, I never said if Sic Sic could understand them or not. Most interaction was "I glare at you, snapping my tail like an angry cat" or "I am either ignoring you or don't hear you".

Way later he finally yelled at the group because they couldn't figure out some riddle that he knew the answer to.

Why did they travel with him? He didn't care too much about shinies, and he could burninate anything they were having issues with, and he didn't try to kill and eat anyone, and I guess he was hilarious.

One of the more fun RP sessions had Sic Sic pretending to be a weird looking Imp Familiar for the wizard in our group since he had wings at that point. It worked since I had so many ranks in Bluff and so much charisma (a 14" fire lizard is pretty adorable).

/end babbling

[Dalebert]

Pathfinder, not 3.5. No PHB2 and no Complete Mage.

He asked if it was PF. I was just answering his question.