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Job
2007-06-19, 09:08 PM
I’m ashamed to say I’m suffering from a bit of “analysis paralysis” and need help selecting the final starting feat for the following character:

Human swashbuckler 1/ wizard 3

Str: 12
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 17
Wis: 10
Cha: 10

Feats:
Eschew Materials
Improved Initiative)
(….your choice….)

Core + Complete series

Nautical setting, plan and taking character though wizard 6 into eldritch knight, and swashbuckler 3, any help is very much appreciate

Yechezkiel
2007-06-19, 09:17 PM
My choice would be Extend Spell. It's simple, effective, and, if you plan to continue splitting your levels, worthwhile.

Penguinsushi
2007-06-19, 09:20 PM
Hmm. I'm generally not good with multiclass characters, but anytime you have a multiclass spellcaster, Practiced Spellcaster (from Complete Arcane) is a good choice - just to boost your caster level to what it would be if you were a straight caster (up to +4 CL).

You won't know any more spells or have any more per day, but the ones you have may be a little more effective.

~PS

Zaeron
2007-06-19, 09:38 PM
I second Practiced Spellcaster. Losing Caster level is nearly as bad as losing spells. It will make up some of the pain of the 1 level of eldritch knight which doesn't get spells, and also the swashbuckler thing.

However.... I think you're much better off going wizard 9/swashbuckler 1/knight 10. That way you still gain 9th level spells. If you did that, Practiced Spellcaster might be less useful - you'd not be gaining the full effects.

I can't help noticing you don't have Weapon Finesse? Is that intentional?

Douglas
2007-06-19, 09:42 PM
He gets Weapon Finesse free from Swashbuckler.

adanedhel9
2007-06-19, 10:11 PM
I'd hold off on Practiced Spellcaster. While a good feat for the concept, you won't need really need it for a few more levels. Pick it up at 6th.

Skill Focus (concentration) is always a good choice for spellcasters, doubly so if they intend to spend any time in melee.

I'm not a fan of metamagic feats for prepared casters. If I were playing this character and saw the need for metamagic, I'd probably go with one of the Sudden metamagics.

MinusInnocence
2007-06-20, 01:54 AM
Skill Focus (concentration) is always a good choice for spellcasters, doubly so if they intend to spend any time in melee.Combat Casting is better for this purpose. I mean if you're gonna spend a feat, why not get +4 instead of +3?

Callix
2007-06-20, 02:04 AM
Minus: So you get it all the time. Combat Casting only works for defensive. What about readied attacks? Full-round casting times? Nothing. Losing +1 to your easiest conentration checks is worth +3 to all your other ones.

Jack Mann
2007-06-20, 02:29 AM
It becomes easy to cast defensively after a relatively short time. Your concentration bonus rises faster than your spell level. Eventually, you cannot fail the save, even without combat casting.

Let's look at a wizard. We'll assume 14 Con (reasonable; he wants his hit points high, after all), with full ranks in concentration (duh). I'll show his concentration check with combat casting, with skill focus, and with neither, and the maximum concentration check he needs to cast defensively, over every level in which he gains a new level of spells.

Level 1
CC: +10
SF: +9
N: +6
DC: 16

Level 3
CC: +12
SF: +11
N: +8
DC: 17

Level 5
CC: +14
SF: +13
N: +10
DC: 18

Level 7
CC: +16
SF: +15
N: +12
DC: 19

Level 9
CC: +18
SF: +17
N: +14
DC: 20

Level 11
CC: +20
SF: +19
N: +16
DC: 21

Level 13
CC: +22
SF: +21
N: +18
DC: 22

Level 15
CC: +24
SF: +23
N: +20
DC: 23

Level 17
CC: +26
SF: +25
N: +22
DC: 24

Now, you'll notice that by level eleven, our wizard can no longer fail if he has combat casting. This becomes true for the skill focus wizard at level twelve. A level behind. The wizard with neither, it would seem, won't be secure against attacks of opportunity until level eighteen!

However, this ignores magic items. If the wizard is willing to spend a feat to avoid attacks of opportunity, he's sure as heck willing to spend some gold. Gold is relatively easy to come by. Feats? Not so much.

So, let's say he picks up an amulet of health +2 at 6th and at 12th, he'll get a third eye concentrate.

So, raise all of those up by +1 after 5th. Now skill focus hits it at 11th. At 12th, he gets a +10. Now he makes those checks even if he has neither skill focus nor combat casting. He could even get there earlier, if he was willing to spend the gold.

Now we see the difference between combat casting and skill focus. Combat casting is now obsolete. It no longer provides any benefits, since you're just as well off if you don't have it. Skill focus, however, is added into every sort of concentration check, including the ones that don't cap out at 24. Thus, even his Con bonus is +8 and he has the third eye concentrate, he's still getting some tangible benefit from skill focus, whereas combat casting is a busted hole of a feat.

Myself, I rarely take either, but if you absolutely have to boost your concentration check, go with skill focus. At least it never becomes entirely useless.

Penguinsushi
2007-06-20, 09:14 AM
I'd hold off on Practiced Spellcaster. While a good feat for the concept, you won't need really need it for a few more levels. Pick it up at 6th.

That's a good point, well made.

~PS

martyboy74
2007-06-20, 09:57 AM
Any particular reason that you're taking Eschew Materials, instead of getting a spell component pouch?

goat
2007-06-20, 10:18 AM
Ship's Mage can be fun.

Any spells cast on board ship get a +1 caster level bonus. But it needs 2 ranks in profession(sailor).

Job
2007-06-20, 07:25 PM
However.... I think you're much better off going wizard 9/swashbuckler 1/knight 10. That way you still gain 9th level spells. If you did that, Practiced Spellcaster might be less useful - you'd not be gaining the full effects.

I do plan to take practiced spell caster, but I’m waiting until he has lost 2 CL as to gain a more immediate benefit in the short term, as adanedhel suggested. As it sands I’m cool not having 9th level spells pre-epic.


Any particular reason that you're taking Eschew Materials, instead of getting a spell component pouch?

Good question, it’s more for RP reasons then anything else; this particular character already having a hard time being entirely dependant on his spellbook, and even more so having to tie up his hands fishing for spell components. In addition I foresee him being denied access to his spellbook and components from time to time, so I will likely be taking spell mastery in the future as well. The real irony in taking Eschew Materials is that his familiar is a bat (you get a cookie if you get that joke).

I was thinking it would be nice to have a feat that would help my melee damage output or survivability as a dex fighter, one that would not be made useless as level increased. Perhaps take combat expertise and act as a flanking buddy for the “real” melee when I’m not casting. Baring that something like lighting reflexes might be nice, any thoughts?

Penguinsushi
2007-06-20, 08:34 PM
The real irony in taking Eschew Materials is that his familiar is a bat (you get a cookie if you get that joke).

Spell component for Fireball? 'course you'd also need sulfur...

~PS

Job
2007-06-20, 10:06 PM
Spell component for Fireball? 'course you'd also need sulfur...

~PS

:roach:-"a cookie for you good sir!"

Morgan_Scott82
2007-06-20, 11:05 PM
Have you considered Arcane Strike? If the character is going all gish like to begin with being able to channel those spells into extra melee damage might be helpful.