Cleric, Wizard or Sorcerer?

[Titan]

I'm planning out a character, who specializes in Electricity Magic but am not sure about what class to take. The rules I'm working with to not have splatbook cheese is that it must be done using the CRB, APG and Ultimates. I'm trying to make a decision between Holy Lightning (Cleric), Prepared Arcane Lightning (Wizard) or Spontaneous Arcane Lightning (Sorcerer). I understand a Druid would also be a viable option, I just don't enjoy using Wild Shape or an Animal Companion.

I've narrowed it down to the Domain/School/Bloodline.

Cleric (Travel/Weather) - DM doesn't care about the Deity, will probably just go with Thor.

Wizard (Air Elemental School) - That Level 10 At-Will Fly (O_O)

Sorcerer (Elemental Air or Stormborn Bloodline; I am not opposed to going Crossblooded for both) - Those Bloodline Arcana ($_$)

Would be fine with prestiging into a Master of Storms at a later time.

Using a 20pt buy for ease of character so the DM doesn't have to watch people roll, since some of the other players take a bit longer or have other priorities than chilling for a few days. Starting as a Level 1 Human, but would like to see what people think at levels 5,10 and 15 as well.

Now that the boring number stuff is out of the way. My character concept for the roleplaying is that, this (Male Human) was born with a strange ability to conjure storms and shoot electricity from his finger tips. (Depending on class this could be that he went to a monastery to study, a college to learn or just chilled in town and practiced on his own) After a tragic event where he accidentally injured another person, the shock put them in a coma. He (The PC) has set out on a journey to acquire an item/knowledge on how to restore the person to their health. On this journey he meets a merry band of adventurers (Most likely Murder Hobos) and is on his way to acquiring fame and wealth.

[Extra Anchovies]

Agreed with you on the druid. Whenever I play one I'm too tempted to just be the storm-summoning polar bear supertank with his tyrannosaur friend, and it just gets out of hand :smallbiggrin: Wish there was a class that had druid-style casting and secondary abilities (e.g. woodland stride) that didn't have wild shape or didn't have the animal companion.

Cleric would certainly have the most flair to it ("Feel the thunder of the LORD" and all), but might not be the best option because they generally aren't as big on damage spells.

Wizard, eh. Everyone plays a wizard.

My recommendation, then, is on Sorcerer. They're eccentric and flashy, both of which you want for someone who shoots lightning everywhere (electricity is, by the way, my favorite of the four normal energy spell types).

[andreww]

You could go Arcanist and grab the admixture school ability to swap energy types about with School Understanding and Bloodline Development with a dip into sorceror giving you full bloodline abilities.

[grarrrg]

Now that the boring number stuff is out of the way. My character concept for the roleplaying is that, this (Male Human) was born with a strange ability to conjure storms and shoot electricity from his finger tips. (Depending on class this could be that he went to a monastery to study, a college to learn or just chilled in town and practiced on his own) After a tragic event where he accidentally injured another person, the shock put them in a coma. He (The PC) has set out on a journey to acquire an item/knowledge on how to restore the person to their health. On this journey he meets a merry band of adventurers (Most likely Murder Hobos) and is on his way to acquiring fame and wealth.

Your fluff fits much better with Sorcerer or Oracle than the other options.
Oracles do not seem to have a "Lightning Mystery".
The closest is that Heavens gives Chain Lightning at level 12, and Wind has a good number of Electricity related Revelations (including a "touch > ZAP"), but you'd want the Off-List Spell Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?296803-Pathfinder-mini-guide-Casting-spells-from-other-lists) to see how you could get better/more lightning spells. Especially at lower levels.
Some quick searching mostly reveals higher level stuff, Jolting Portent (7), Stormbolts (8), etc...
Lightning Lash is the lowest at 3rd, but it doesn't scale.

But seriously, give the Wind Mystery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/mysteries/paizo---oracle-mysteries/wind) a readover, even if you don't have Lightning spell, the Revelations look like they can fill in.

[avr]

For a electrical blaster sorc the draconic bloodline is also a option. I'd see the elemental (air) bloodline as a trap BTW; it's not good enough on its own and its not worth sacrificing half a spell level via crossblooded.

A wizard doesn't sound like your concept exactly. I'm not sure why at-will flight at level 10 impresses you, you can get Overland Flight a level earlier as a wizard anyway, or make an item for it via Craft Wondrous Item well before this point. That said a blasting wizard is good enough for most games if not optimised.

I'd prefer a storm druid (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/archetypes/paizo---druid-archetypes/storm-druid) with the cloud or storm subdomain for this concept over a cleric. No one's making you wild shape if you don't want to and storm druids don't get an AC.

Andreww's Arcanist is outside your list of sources though I'm sure it could do the job too.

[Red Fel]

I'm planning out a character, who specializes in Electricity Magic but am not sure about what class to take. The rules I'm working with to not have splatbook cheese is that it must be done using the CRB, APG and Ultimates. I'm trying to make a decision between Holy Lightning (Cleric), Prepared Arcane Lightning (Wizard) or Spontaneous Arcane Lightning (Sorcerer). I understand a Druid would also be a viable option, I just don't enjoy using Wild Shape or an Animal Companion.

I've narrowed it down to the Domain/School/Bloodline.

Cleric (Travel/Weather) - DM doesn't care about the Deity, will probably just go with Thor.

Wizard (Air Elemental School) - That Level 10 At-Will Fly (O_O)

Sorcerer (Elemental Air or Stormborn Bloodline; I am not opposed to going Crossblooded for both) - Those Bloodline Arcana ($_$)

Would be fine with prestiging into a Master of Storms at a later time.

Using a 20pt buy for ease of character so the DM doesn't have to watch people roll, since some of the other players take a bit longer or have other priorities than chilling for a few days. Starting as a Level 1 Human, but would like to see what people think at levels 5,10 and 15 as well.

Now that the boring number stuff is out of the way. My character concept for the roleplaying is that, this (Male Human) was born with a strange ability to conjure storms and shoot electricity from his finger tips. (Depending on class this could be that he went to a monastery to study, a college to learn or just chilled in town and practiced on his own) After a tragic event where he accidentally injured another person, the shock put them in a coma. He (The PC) has set out on a journey to acquire an item/knowledge on how to restore the person to their health. On this journey he meets a merry band of adventurers (Most likely Murder Hobos) and is on his way to acquiring fame and wealth.

I'd go with the Sorcerer, but I'd take it a step further: Consider the Arial (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/wildblooded/arial) Wildblooded archetype (applies to Stormborn (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/stormborn-bloodline)). Arial makes two changes: First, replace your Stormborn Arcana (increase [Sonic] and [Electricity] save DCs by 1) with the Arial Arcana (increase CL by 2 in precipitation). As this guide (http://www.pathfindercommunity.net/tyler-s-pathfinder-guides/magic-in-the-blood-a-guide-to-eldritch-heritage-and-sorcerer-bloodlines#TOC-Stormborn) points out, there are a lot of ways to cause precipitation, and frankly a +2 CL to all spells is better than a +1 DC to two categories. It also fits your fluff as a storm conjuror. Second, it replaces your Thunderbolt ability (which a level 20 Stormborn Sorcerer can only use 3/day) with Control Winds for 1 min/level, with the ability to make yourself immune. I tried something like this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?363006-Building-a-Tempest) for a 3.0/3.5 setting, and found getting that immunity to be a pain; you get it just for hitting level 9.
As an additional aside, if you want to go Crossblooded, consider Djinni (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/djinni-bloodline) instead of Elemental (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/elemental-bloodline). Similar powers, same bonus feats, but Djinni gets a better spell list and a magnificent capstone.

[Titan]

I'm not sure why at-will flight at level 10 impresses you

I'd prefer a storm druid (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/archetypes/paizo---druid-archetypes/storm-druid) with the cloud or storm subdomain for this concept over a cleric. No one's making you wild shape if you don't want to and storm druids don't get an AC.

I just like that it frees up a slot every day for other shenanigans, there are plenty of 3rd level spells that are still very useful at later levels, Fly being one of them. I looked at that Storm Druid, and it looks great, I drop the animal companion and I can just ignore my Wild Shape until I can turn into an Air Elemental.


if you want to go Crossblooded, consider Djinni instead of Elemental. Similar powers, same bonus feats, but Djinni gets a better spell list and a magnificent capstone

That does look like a better option.

[Frostthehero]

If you want to be overpowered, go with one of the suggested classes. To me, it seems that the playstyle you want is more warmage.

[Spore]

Why so much hate on the wildshaping Storm Druids? Air Elementals, Lightning Elementals and Crows/Birds calling down lightning? What's not to love here? I know you would love blast spells but after a while this gets really boring.

Sorcerer Combat begins:
1) You kill the minions with a ball of lightning (damage subbed fireball).
2) You shoot at the evil guy with electricity spells.
a) You win.
b) You fight creatures immune and loose.

Druide combat begins:
1) You are a crow and cast Call Lightning.
2) You control the weather making the battlefield muddy. The enemy advance is stopped and slowed. While the enemies wade through waist deep mud you shoot them and kill precisely.

Storm, Thunder, Rain and Lightning is a lot more interesting and epic than simple electrocution via sorcerer spells.


I just like that it frees up a slot every day for other shenanigans, there are plenty of 3rd level spells that are still very useful at later levels, Fly being one of them. I looked at that Storm Druid, and it looks great, I drop the animal companion and I can just ignore my Wild Shape until I can turn into an Air Elemental.

I overlooked that you consider a Druid now. For wildshaping, huge or small birds fit the storm theme pretty well (Pidgeot, use Whirlwind!) and for a caster that doesn't want to attack physically it just gives AC (natural, size and via increased dex) and flight.