Shadowcraft Mage Illusionist Gish

[Vaz]

I'm wanting to play in a lower powered game, as a 14th level character, and the party has 4 other players, a Barbarian, a Sorcerer Evoker, a Ninja Avenging Executioner, and an Archivist healer. Despite the possible high power of a couple of the classes, they're all extremely new to the game, and are still in the phase where a "Barbarian Pick wielder with Weapon Specialization, if it gets a critical can get +8 damage, that's good!"

It's a fairly casual game, so I wanted to try out something that could be a nice assist to the party without stealing the limelight. It doesn't need to be a god wizard because it's fairly low level - so I don't really want to break the game, as I'm a bit of a late comer, and I'd like to be "5th wheel" without appearing to be. So, decent knowledges, etc.

What I'm wanting to do is to look just like some ordinary guy, not flashy, but at the start of combat, just turns into a fighter - using things like Shadow Evocation for standard typical Gish Conjuration, and Evocation spells.

What's important to me is 16+ BAB by the time of level 20 (if not before).

Essentially, I'd like to look like an unarmed/unarmoured gnome, but as soon as combat starts, power up, running around with Shadow Conjured Mage Armour, and things like Blade of Pain and Fear etc, and my shadow cloak, striking away with my sneak attack. Help would be massively appreciated. As I'm using Shadow spells, I'd like to boost myself up to things like 120% Real Shadows. Essentially, be armoured by my illusions.

Thanks;

TL/DR - Beguiler, Shadowcraft Mage, Gish, Sneak Attack, unarmoured

[WhamBamSam]

For BAB you can always use Arcane Disciple to snag Divine Power. That is in fact probably your only option for the 4th iterative that doesn't involve early entry cheese for Shadowcraft Mage, since it'll lose you three points of BAB if taken to completion and Beguiler loses you one at 1st level and one at 3rd unless you're playing with fractional BAB rules (in which case you can take a whole 3 levels of Beguiler and still conceivably reach your 4th iterative). I don't know of any gnome deities who offer domains with Divine Power offhand though.

You could alternately use something like Cleric 4/Ordained Champion 5/Shadowcraft Mage 5/Full BAB with as much casting as possible 6. Might not get you to 9ths (indeed it probably won't), but you said you're prioritizing BAB for a low-power game. A higher power version might be something like Duskblade 3/Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 1/Full BAB 1/Ur-Priest 4/Shadowcraft Mage 5/Full BAB 6.

Or, since you want to be unarmored and pretty focused in terms of casting, you could use something like Stalwart Battle Sorcerer 4/Battle Dancer 1/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champ 3/Shadowcraft Mage 5/Abjurant Champ +2/Eldritch Knight 4.

None of these have much sneak attack, besides possibly Martial Study (Assassin's Stance), though the Ur-Priest does have 1 dice as a class feature, which is enough for Craven.

For more sneak attack there's always Unseen Seer. Even a few levels for Hunter's Eye through Advanced Learning might be a good idea, but it basically forces you into the Arcane Disciple->Divine Power route if you want a 4th iterative, and it sounds like you do.

I suppose you could always just set a few caster levels on fire and go with something to the effect of Beguiler 2/Sneak Attack Fighter 3/Spellsword 1/Abjurant Champ 5/Shadowcraft Mage 5/Full BAB 4.

[nedz]

Something like
Rogue 1 / Beguiler 4 / Unseen Seer X / Shadowcraft Mage
or
Sneak Fighter 1 / Beguiler 4 / Unseen Seer X / Shadowcraft Mage
Maybe more Sneak Fighter and less Beguiler for BAB, or add in some Abjurant Champion levels.

Now you can pick up the Shadow spells with Advanced learning, however you will not have enough Beguiler levels to do this.
Extra Spell might work but it's in the AYDM territory.

Penumbra Bloodline ( Dragon #325 ) can get you the Shadow Evocations but not the Conjurations.

[Artillery]

Definitely take the Gnome Illusionist substitution level at 1. Getting Silent Image as a 0th level spell is very useful for getting some extra free caster levels out of earth spell. If you are allowed flaws then take heighten Spell at 1st level. Enter Shadowcraft Mage at 2nd level using Heighten Spell to qualify.

Wizard 1 (Gnome Substitution level)/Shadow Craft Mage 5/ Unseen Seer 2/ Cloistered Cleric 1/ SpellSword 1/ Abjurant Champion 4
For feats
1 - Spell Focus(Illusions), Flaw (Heighten Spell)
3 - Earth Sense
6 - Combat Casting
9 - Alternative Spell Source
12 - Earth Spell

At 9th do a Cloistered Cleric Dip for War Domain, Travel Devotion, and Knowledge Devotion.
This uses Divine Power to qualify for prestige classes. Travel Devotion for Swift action movement and Knowledge Devotion because its a simple +4/5 at that level to have for hits and dmg.

8 BAB without Divine Power, 14 BAB with at level 14.
Wizard CL 13, but gets pumped an innate +1 per level you heighten Silent Image. 4x duration for illusions. Should work very well.

A spell from a 7th level slot is 100% real with this build.

[aleucard]

In my mind, Shadowcraft Mage is basically High-Op Incarnate. The only thing worse that comes to mind is Incantatrix, and that's only in terms of raw power. Being able to call anything your psychotic little brain can dream up to life with a single spell (almost any level, really, only difference is if the target fails the save to tell it's an illusion) is just too damn versatile. Want to call forth a platoon of Dire Bears? Done. Vat of boiling oil? Pick your place. Just about the only thing I can think of that it probably couldn't replicate is enchanted/magic items and Artifacts, and the first one may be doable by Crafting something with free Wishes. The Crafted beings retain their Spell-Like and Supernatural abilities, after all.