Arcanist Build

[Kane0]

Hey all, could I get some critique on an arcanist build?

Lawful neutral Human arcanist 1-20
Str 10
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 18 (+5 from level increases)
Wis 10
Cha 10

All favored class bonuses to HP
3 + Int skills per level, maxing out arcana, spellcraft, UMD, then points in nature, religion and a handful of others.

Feats
1 Improved Initiative
1 Scribe Scroll
3 Spell Focus
5 Spell Specialization
7 Spell Penetration
9 Empower Spell
11 Craft rod
13 Extra reservoir
15 Metamagic Feat
17 Spell Perfection
19 Expanded Preparation

Exploits
1 Quick Study
3 Potent Magic
5 Consume Magic Item
7 Counterspell
9 Metamixing
11 Metamagic Knowledge: Quicken Spell
13 Crafting Feat: Craft Staff
15 Improved Metamagic Knowledge: Floating Metamagic Feat
17 Dimensional Slide
19 Greater Counterspell

Craft rod is to get access to metamagic rods for myself and the other casters in the party, craft staff is for a custom magic item that i'll be making, part of the backstory. Scribe scroll is handy as it is but also allows me to make scrolls to burn using consume magic item.

Any glaring holes I missed? Things I could swap out? Suggestions on the metamagic feat that isnt the floating one? I'm primarily going to be a blaster with some debuffs and BFC, the wizard and I are sharing buff and utility duties.

[arkangel111]

1. I would swap quick study and counterspell to further in your build. Quick study is useful but at that level you don't have enough spells known to make use of it very well. Counterspell is almost worthless at that level since you have to spend a spell level higher than what you are countering. You just can't make use of those abilities at those levels.

2. Potent magic is by far the best that you can grab at level 1. At 17th level its doing almost nothing for you.

3. You might want to consider moving dimensional slide up in your build but it doesn't have to be. You'll get slightly more use out of it in the earlier levels than in the later.

A quick note: If you really want to counterspell then go ahead and keep them, but there is actually no way to boost your counterspell chance using the arcanist ability as written:


Counterspelling in this way does not trigger any feats or other abilities that normally occur when a spellcaster successfully counters a spell.

I wrote a small guide to the Arcanist exploits, its in my sig.

[Phelix-Mu]

Might wanna tag this PF. Arcanist isn't a class in 3.5, but it is a catchall for those that use some form of arcane magic via class levels. Also good to net the PF experts right away, I think.

[Kane0]

Gotcha, shifted some of the exploits around a bit.

Will do, cheers.

[andreww]

Hey all, could I get some critique on an arcanist build?

Lawful neutral Human arcanist 1-20
Str 10
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 18 (+5 from level increases)
Wis 10
Cha 10

All favored class bonuses to HP
3 + Int skills per level, maxing out arcana, spellcraft, UMD, then points in nature, religion and a handful of others.

Feats
1 Improved Initiative
1 Scribe Scroll
3 Spell Focus
5 Spell Specialization
7 Spell Penetration
9 Empower Spell
11 Craft rod
13 Extra reservoir
15 Metamagic Feat
17 Spell Perfection
19 Expanded Preparation

Exploits
1 Quick Study
3 Counterspell
5 Consume Magic Item
7 Dimensional Slide
9 Metamixing
11 Metamagic Knowledge: Quicken Spell
13 Crafting Feat: Craft Staff
15 Improved Metamagic Knowledge: Floating Metamagic Feat
17 Potent Magic
19 Greater Counterspell

Craft rod is to get access to metamagic rods for myself and the other casters in the party, craft staff is for a custom magic item that i'll be making, part of the backstory. Scribe scroll is handy as it is but also allows me to make scrolls to burn using consume magic item.

Any glaring holes I missed? Things I could swap out? Suggestions on the metamagic feat that isnt the floating one? I'm primarily going to be a blaster with some debuffs and BFC, the wizard and I are sharing buff and utility duties.

1. Neither Str or Charisma are really doing much of anything for you. You could easily dump both for Int17/Wis14 or Int 18/Wis11.

2. What are you planning to do with spell specialisation? Generally it is only really useful in certain specialised blasting builds. You are better off dumping it.

3. Craft Wondrous Items is probably going to give you more payoff than Craft Rod, especially in the earlier levels. I would consider having both.

4. Depending on what sort of spells you are using I would want to grab Greater Spell Focus. If you are pushing conjurationn save or suck or dazing then you want it. You can skimp on spell penetration if you go with a strong conjuration focus.

5. Expanded Preparation could come earlier and you could retrain it as you go up in levels.

6. Consume Magic Items is a pretty terrible exploit. You really shouldnt need it as you level. Similarly extra reservoir seems like a waste.

7. Counterspell exploits are iffy, enemy casters are often higher level than you and you have delayed spell access which means you are unlikely to be able to counter their top 2 levels of spells which are liable to be the ones they are using.

If I wanted to do a generic save or suck arcanist I would do something like this:

Feats
1 Improved Initiative
1 Scribe Scroll
3 Spell Focus
5 Craft Wondrous Items
7 Greater Spell Focus
9 Dazing Spell
11 Spell Penetration
13 Quicken Spell
15 Spell Perfection
17 Expanded Preparation
19 Greater Spell Penetration

Exploits
1 Potent Spells
3 Dimensional Alide
5 Quick Study
7 Metamagic Knowledge: Persistent Spell
9 Crafting Feat: Craft Rod
11 Improved Metamagic Knowledge: Floating Metamagic Feat
13 Metamixing
15 Familiar
17 Counterspell
19 Greater Counterspell

[Incorrect]

Arcane bloodline development for a bonded item staff, would give you Craft Staff for that specific one. It also gives you some additional spontaneous utility if you spend a point to count arcanist level as sorcerer level. It could fit well with the staff from your back story.