Themed build advice?; Archaeologist Wizard.

[AtlasSniperman]

Hey everybody.
New to Pathfinder, having come from D&D 3.5 for several years. I like building my characters to themes(something that annoys DM's and other players who feel there is a 'right way' to play a class) and am looking at playing an Archaeologist Wizard for a Rise of the Runelords campaign I'm joining soon.

I have a personality and backstory etc and am just looking for any suggestions for Prc's, feats(after level 1), and spells.

Current selections:
Feats(selected because I need them XD):
Eschew Materials
Godless Healing
Traits:
Avid Reader(Knowledge(History))
Scholar of Ruins(+1 K(Geo) & K(Dun))
Skills:
Appraise, K(Arc, Dun, Geo, His, Rel), Linguistics, Prof(Archaeologist), Spellcraft
Spellcasting of note:
Diviner(Dropping Conjuration & Enchantment)
Restore Corpse, Comprehend Languages, Expeditious Excavation
Familiar: Archaepteryx

[Sagetim]

You'll probably want to take a wide range of languages to go with your archeology. Things like Cyclops and cultural languages would probably be helpful for your general and immediate needs at low level, while picking up languages like celestial, infernal and demonic will help with chatting with angels, devils, and demons respectively. The elemental languages could be handy as well, even if you dropped conjuration. Just because You can't summon elementals at mid to higher levels doesn't mean that someone else won't (or hasn't already and left some kind of mess in their wake, or traps for intruders, etc). To that end, Terran (Earth), Ignan (Fire), Auran (Wind), and Aquan (water) are handy to know, even if your dm rules that you can't actually speak them with your pathetic mortal vocal system. No, there is no Heart language.

Linguistics also covers what decipher script used to do, and since the roll is made in secret by the dm, you will want to refrain from dump statting your wisdom. The dc may only be 5, but you're going to want to succeed on it as much as possible to avoid making possibly deadly mistakes in translation (Like confusing a book of dark, world ending demon-god summoning rituals for a cook book could be pretty bad, even if you don't try to use it yourself).

I don't really know anything about the runelords adventures, haven't played them, haven't perused them. But with a build like that I would try to avoid combat as often as possible (or maybe prep sleep? no wait, no enchantment...grease? conjuration...hm. Get a bag bags of marbles, and force those who try to attack you into balance checks as you run away).


edit: oh right, a note on pathfinder cantrips: they have unlimited casts, so you only need one prep of each one as compared to 3.5. That said, some of them have been rebalanced for that. Like light, for example. It has an hour duration or something like that in pathfinder, but you can only have one item lit at a time with it. So in any given area pick up some rocks, pebbles, or what have you and cast light on them when exploring, you can then toss that ahead into any suspect locations and get a look around with anyone exposing themselves to immediate danger of harm. Ray of Frost may not be great for damage, but it freezes stuff by doing cold damage. You can take advantage of that by living like a king in hot weather environments by being (probably) the only source of ice around. You can probably even get away with having a small wooden shot glass for putting water in and ray of frosting to get ice cubes, since the hardness on the wood and the half damage from elemental effects would stack into ray of frost not doing any damage to the wood, just freezing the contents.

Prestidigitation is, as always, the wizard's godsend for trekking around in filthy locations and digging around in holes and what not. You can use it to clean yourself, and locations, up, make things dirty, but on a little effects show if you're bored, but mostly the cleaning thing would come in handy on a long expedition. You too can be the proud owner of the only pair of underpants that isn't utterly uncomfortable to wear when the party runs out of soap for washing things.

Mage Hand is pretty handy as an unlimited use cantrip, but if you're going to use it for anything covert (like subtly hiding some evidence from the nazi stand-ins while the party keeps them visually distracted) you might need some ranks in deception or something. Perhaps a skill to invest in if the party's rogue has a bad influence on your wizard. Remember, you can put full ranks into non-class skills at no penalty in pathfinder, it just doesn't get the +3 class skill bonus.

Detect Magic is something that you should spam all the time everywhere forever. Especially because you're a diviner. With unlimited castings you have no reason not to be looking for magic pretty much all the time.

I'm sure there are other handy cantrips and low level spells, I just figure that moving from 3.5 to pathfinder as you mentioned, these are worth pointing out.

[avr]

Heightened Awareness, Greater Detect Magic and Mending/Make Whole are spells which may be relevant to your interests. But don't neglect offensive spells or buffs entirely, a wizard who does nothing in combat is a hanger-on rather than an actual member of the party.

Why Eschew Materials? It's not the most useful feat. If you just want it for some spells there's a trait (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/shrouded-casting) which may suffice, especially if you want yet another trait; Additional Traits is a feat which gives you two traits.

Exactly which feats may be useful depends on what you want to do in combat. Buffs, debuffs, battlefield control, blasting, - not summoning, obviously - what do you want to specialise in?

[Waker]

For PrCs, some really good choices are: Arcane Savant, Collegiate Arcanist and Cyphermage. All of them have easy to meet requirements, full or nearly full casting progression, and several other neat tricks. The Savant gives you a big boost to playing with Use Magic Device and bonuses when dealing with word based magic. The Arcanist gives you boosts to spellcasting, including letting you take spells from the Druid list. The Cyphermage has several abilities that you can choose, as well as 4 skill points a level.

[AtlasSniperman]

@sagetim
On Linguistics: Something I had all intention of tbh! With an archaeologist, at least being able to read many long-standing languages would be super useful.
On Combat: In cantrips I have access to Dancing Lights, Ray of Frost, and Disrupt undead. They aren't great but they are spells to fall back on. Another spell I think will be super useful(without touching Evocation right now, as that is the combat school); Expeditious Excavation. Creates something of a pit trap and renders targets prone if they fail a save. Will be good for dropping opponents near the ranged combatant or myself.
Thanks :)

@svr
On Heightened awareness: Oh this looks great for any diviner! thanks
On traits&Eschew: My character was laden with a 6 str and can't carry much as it is. I know that's not the best reasoning for taking Eschew Materials but it's part of it.
On Combat: In a party with a Monk, A ranger and an Oracle, I think I'll probably be Battlefield Control or Debuffs(just so I'm not the main reason for combat, and the other players don't get bored/annoyed)

@Waker
On Arcane Savant: Use Magic Device, Boon to K(A) Spellcraft and UMD, Boon on finding Glyphs, Boon on scrolls, Identify as swift 1/day, analyze dweomer l/day. This seems amazingly perfect for the theme! And super useful to an adventuring party!
On Collegiate Arcanist: While an interesting class, seems to be very interested and active in the battle between Good and Evil, which is not something I can see this character doing.
On Cyphermage: Full Progression(which is good considering something I have intentions on), Intense Boon to Scrolls, Boon against sigils. I feel like this would be great for someone who(flavour-wise) spends or spent a lot of time behind a desk. It does fit the theme quite nicely.

Thank all three of you :)

[MindTheGap97]

So...one thing that I think you should consider is the Student of Philosophy trait, I feel like an Archaeologist should be able to do the talking. Also for this theme I second the Cyphermage or Arcane Savant suggestions. Have you considered taking a bonded item instead of a familiar? Could be a relic that you found while exploring ruins or something like that, from an optimization standpoint the familiar is better, I just thought it would be cool fluff-wise.

[AtlasSniperman]

@Mindthegap
On Traits: I went with "Avid Reader(History)" for my social trait, feeling that it would be better if he could easily call to mind historical information. Thanks though.
On Familiar: I did consider an item familiar, but find the image of an Archaeologist with an Archaeopteryx to be a little more satisfying. In addition, the DM gives us 2 "Background skills", both of which I'll be spending each level on Profession(Archaeologist) and Profession(Chess Player). As a familiar gains any ranks the master has; the master can play chess with his familiar :3 Now tell me that's not an adorable image.

[MindTheGap97]

@Mindthegap
On Traits: I went with "Avid Reader(History)" for my social trait, feeling that it would be better if he could easily call to mind historical information. Thanks though.
On Familiar: I did consider an item familiar, but find the image of an Archaeologist with an Archaeopteryx to be a little more satisfying. In addition, the DM gives us 2 "Background skills", both of which I'll be spending each level on Profession(Archaeologist) and Profession(Chess Player). As a familiar gains any ranks the master has; the master can play chess with his familiar :3 Now tell me that's not an adorable image.

That is actually really cool, but it's kinda sad at the same time...

[avr]

Debuffs usually have saves. The Pathfinder Persistent Spell metamagic does nothing for duration, it makes the target reroll their saves. About 7th level you may want to pick it up. Before then maybe a Spell Focus in some school. If that's illusion you might consider getting Shadow Gambit as well. Rime Spell makes cold damage spells entangle when they do damage (even if the enemy saved for half) which is useful for making spells into debuffs when they usually aren't; Chilling Amplification has a similar but lesser effect, but it doesn't cost a spell level. At 10th Selective Spell becomes available and is very handy in tight spaces.

It's worth noting that Conjuration is about the best school for debuffs and battlefield control though.

Among newer feats it may be worth getting Fleeting Spell if your friends aren't good at working around the battlefield control you put down.

If you like using scrolls a lot then Cypher Magic is for you. If your Archaeopteryx might evolve into a little dragon or something you might get use out of Improved Familiar, Improved Initiative is still a good feat, and Craft Wondrous Item saves a great deal of money if you have any downtime at all. Sorry if this is obvious to a long-term gamer.

[Sagetim]

Oh, and another big difference point between 3.5 and pathfinder is that pathfinder won't eat your soul (your xp) for you to make magic items. It's still not as good as 2nd edition's 'you earn xp for making magic items as a wizard because it's part of your job description' but maybe some day that idea will make a come back.

[AtlasSniperman]

@MindtheGap97
Sad? How so?

@avr
-Persistent Spell sounds very useful.
-I was thinking of Spell focus in Transmutation or Necromancy actually. As both have high utility both in battle and for an archaeologist.
-Yeah it can be, but obviously I'm not taking the easy road here XD
-Fleeting spell sounds great and may be a serious contender for the Wizard Bonus feat
-We'll see how the scrolls end up going.
-I asked for advice, I expected I would get general "playing pathfinder" advice among the answers, and have no issue with recieving memory refreshments. The reasoning behind this question is that I simply do not have the system mastery of Pathfinder that I do of 3.5.

@Sagetim
That messed with my head when I found it out! I was trying to find the XP cost of Brew potion(I was originally considering an alchemist) and finally reached the conclusion that there actually isn't one. Cool, but strange.


Thank you all for the great advice, I will make sure to consider all of it fully.