Tor the Fallen
2007-07-08, 08:20 PM
I'm playing in a spelljammer campaign in a 3.0/3.5 hybrid game, starting level 10. We're going to be space pirates!
I've decided on a gray elf wiz5/MotAO5. While IotSV would mechanically work better for ship-to-ship combat with the veils, I think the class has a really lame flavor. It's too girly for me. I'm planning on playing buffer/debuffer/clever use of spells to shut down the opposition. For instance, a wall of force in the path of an oncoming ship, using the thin side to slice it in half.
I'll say this now:
Ray of Enfeeblement allows a fort save in 3.0!
For that reason, I'm gonna be using the ray that does a dex penalty.
The DM is brutal. He encourages powergaming so he can send the biggest, baddest, meanest things he can at us. He grew up playing 2.0, where arbitrarily crushing PCs was their version of fun. I anticipate more than your standard number of CR encounters/day. The DM says there will also be long months of uninterrupted space travel- plenty of time for crafting.
For this reason, he's letting a few of us take leadership, as well as the need for followers to crew the ship. I've decided to take an artificer as my cohort. He'll be able to outfit the party with magic equipment, as well as patch things up/build giant mechs.
Now, I need to figure out my feat selection for these two characters.
Here's what I have, currently.
Wizard:
improved familiar (quasit) [this is staying, even if it ain't terrific]
spell penetration
spell penetration, greater
Extend Spell
Leadership
Arcane Mastery (the one that lets you take ten on caster level checks)
Artificer (human):
The feat that reduces item creation base cost by 25% x3
Max. spell
emp. spell
sculpt spell
quicken spell
The idea is that the artificer makes metamagic rods for the wiz to use. However, looking at the 3.5 rules, all metamagic rods have a CL of 17 to create. I also can only use one metmagic rod per spell cast.
Using assay spell resistance and spell vulnerablity, I don't need the spell penetrations. I could even get rid of the arcane mastery; but I'd rather keep it because taking ten is much more reliable.
Basically, I want the wizard to be able to
1) cast debuffs (rays that penalize ability scores, ennervation) that give meaningful penalties
2) sculpt wall spells for both offense and defense
and the artificer to
1) back the wizard up with the necessary items
2) create said items in a timely, cheap, manner
Here's what I'm thinking:
wizard feats:
improved familiar (quasit) [this is staying, even if it ain't terrific]
split ray
Extend Spell
Leadership
Arcane Mastery (the one that lets you take ten on caster level checks)
Persistent spell
Then the artificer would drop some of the metamagic feats fro feats that lower xp and time for crafting, and grab the metamagic feats at later levels when they're useful.
In battle, against a big bad foe, he'd use assay spell resistance from a wand as an immediate action; this would give him a caster level check of 30. He can pretty much break the SR of anything but a Solar.
Ennervate.
Ennervate only does 1d4 negative levels. I want it to do more. What would be the most efficient and effective way to ennervate for more at level 10?
Otherwise, I plan on hasting my party, destorying their ship, keeping them from moving around, etc.
Second:
My friend wants to play a thri-kreen rogue that uses handcrossbows that are acually demons from an issue of Dragon magazine. They reload themselves as a free action; with multidexterity, multiweapon and rapid shot fighting he's getting something like 9 attacks a round.
However, the crossbows are mad expensive, as they each give two bonus feats (precise shot and rapid reload), and count as +2 weapons. They also shout out that they're willing to work for the highest bidder in battle. My DM will take full advantage of this, especially when he sees the thri-kreen pumping out a bushel of d6/round.
I was thinking Thri-Kreen rogue 3/fighter2/Masterthrower1 with palm throw.
Feats:
Multidexterity
Multiweapon fighting
Point Blank Shot
Weapon Focus: Darts (ftr bonus)
Rapid Shot (ftr bonus)
This would give him... 13 attacks/round?
Am I reading the description of rapid shot and plam throw right?
One extra attack/round with a ranged weapon, and he has 4 arms, so 4 ranged weapons would give him 8 attacks/round, and with palm throw, he gets another attack on all those, then one more attack for his BAB.
I've decided on a gray elf wiz5/MotAO5. While IotSV would mechanically work better for ship-to-ship combat with the veils, I think the class has a really lame flavor. It's too girly for me. I'm planning on playing buffer/debuffer/clever use of spells to shut down the opposition. For instance, a wall of force in the path of an oncoming ship, using the thin side to slice it in half.
I'll say this now:
Ray of Enfeeblement allows a fort save in 3.0!
For that reason, I'm gonna be using the ray that does a dex penalty.
The DM is brutal. He encourages powergaming so he can send the biggest, baddest, meanest things he can at us. He grew up playing 2.0, where arbitrarily crushing PCs was their version of fun. I anticipate more than your standard number of CR encounters/day. The DM says there will also be long months of uninterrupted space travel- plenty of time for crafting.
For this reason, he's letting a few of us take leadership, as well as the need for followers to crew the ship. I've decided to take an artificer as my cohort. He'll be able to outfit the party with magic equipment, as well as patch things up/build giant mechs.
Now, I need to figure out my feat selection for these two characters.
Here's what I have, currently.
Wizard:
improved familiar (quasit) [this is staying, even if it ain't terrific]
spell penetration
spell penetration, greater
Extend Spell
Leadership
Arcane Mastery (the one that lets you take ten on caster level checks)
Artificer (human):
The feat that reduces item creation base cost by 25% x3
Max. spell
emp. spell
sculpt spell
quicken spell
The idea is that the artificer makes metamagic rods for the wiz to use. However, looking at the 3.5 rules, all metamagic rods have a CL of 17 to create. I also can only use one metmagic rod per spell cast.
Using assay spell resistance and spell vulnerablity, I don't need the spell penetrations. I could even get rid of the arcane mastery; but I'd rather keep it because taking ten is much more reliable.
Basically, I want the wizard to be able to
1) cast debuffs (rays that penalize ability scores, ennervation) that give meaningful penalties
2) sculpt wall spells for both offense and defense
and the artificer to
1) back the wizard up with the necessary items
2) create said items in a timely, cheap, manner
Here's what I'm thinking:
wizard feats:
improved familiar (quasit) [this is staying, even if it ain't terrific]
split ray
Extend Spell
Leadership
Arcane Mastery (the one that lets you take ten on caster level checks)
Persistent spell
Then the artificer would drop some of the metamagic feats fro feats that lower xp and time for crafting, and grab the metamagic feats at later levels when they're useful.
In battle, against a big bad foe, he'd use assay spell resistance from a wand as an immediate action; this would give him a caster level check of 30. He can pretty much break the SR of anything but a Solar.
Ennervate.
Ennervate only does 1d4 negative levels. I want it to do more. What would be the most efficient and effective way to ennervate for more at level 10?
Otherwise, I plan on hasting my party, destorying their ship, keeping them from moving around, etc.
Second:
My friend wants to play a thri-kreen rogue that uses handcrossbows that are acually demons from an issue of Dragon magazine. They reload themselves as a free action; with multidexterity, multiweapon and rapid shot fighting he's getting something like 9 attacks a round.
However, the crossbows are mad expensive, as they each give two bonus feats (precise shot and rapid reload), and count as +2 weapons. They also shout out that they're willing to work for the highest bidder in battle. My DM will take full advantage of this, especially when he sees the thri-kreen pumping out a bushel of d6/round.
I was thinking Thri-Kreen rogue 3/fighter2/Masterthrower1 with palm throw.
Feats:
Multidexterity
Multiweapon fighting
Point Blank Shot
Weapon Focus: Darts (ftr bonus)
Rapid Shot (ftr bonus)
This would give him... 13 attacks/round?
Am I reading the description of rapid shot and plam throw right?
One extra attack/round with a ranged weapon, and he has 4 arms, so 4 ranged weapons would give him 8 attacks/round, and with palm throw, he gets another attack on all those, then one more attack for his BAB.