Build Help: Psiforged Psionic Meleeficer/Spellcarved Soldier

[Tokuhara]

So I had the hankering to build Artificer, and to use Psiforged, and decided that building it as a meleeficer with Spellcarved Soldier could be fun.

So how can I optimize without making the DM cuss?

[LordOfCain]

So how can I optimize without making the DM cuss?
That should be at the bottom of every build help thread...

[Tokuhara]

Truth be told, I'm walking into this game half blind (we won't know the party make-up until game 1), so Psionic Meleeficer was just what I had an itch to play

[PacMan2247]

Truth be told, I'm walking into this game half blind (we won't know the party make-up until game 1), so Psionic Meleeficer was just what I had an itch to play

Artificer is a good choice of chassis in that case, as it will allow you to cover several roles if something is missing.

What's your starting ECL, and what conditions are being put on character creation (e.g., book access)?

[Tokuhara]

Starting 1, intent to go to 18/20
Complete series, Eberron is allowed, as is FR, Errata online is allowed on a case-by-case

Basically, anything official WotC is allowed, with the online stuff as a Case-by-Case so he can double-check the balance

[PacMan2247]

Well, there's always a handbook for starters:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=pm3776hgoe71nl7bbdsh1in2a0&topic=5929.msg196085#msg196085

I've only done one artificer, and went the horde-ificer route with it, so I suspect that I won't have much to suggest that you haven't already considered (i.e., Adamantine Body and the usual feats useful to any melee character). Improved Homunculus would be worth picking up, because having a Packmate around with potions and alchemical grenades is useful, and an Iron Defender is nice to have as a flanking buddy. My experience has been that Arbalesters are a waste of resources, but in fairness, I was putting more into a pair of Expeditious Messengers- it was a Spelljammer game, and being able to have them fly out and activate Quaal's Feather Token:tree to drop on enemy ships got me more mileage.

[Tokuhara]

Well, I am taking the Warforged Artificer racial subclass and Psionic Artificer, meaning I get Infuse Self, Weapon Familiar, and Tools of War instead of Craft Homunculus and Retain Essence. Idea is to self-buff into Valuetown and do fun Psionic tricks.

Also taking Psiforged Body over Adamantine for flavor reasons (same stats as normal body, but gives me PP and makes my body a cognize crystal)

[Tokuhara]

So doing a rough breakdown, considering that I'll be going 15 into Psionic Warforged Artificer and 5 into Spellcarved Soldier, the only concern is where I exit Artificer into SS, just to reenter for as many levels as I have left.

That, and wondering if grabbing melee feats for 1-Handed Slashing weapons (Weapon Familiar will be a 1-Handed Slashing weapon for bonus UMD and HP) over more crafting options is worth it. And what weapon would be most useful for an Int/Con/Strength PC

[Rizban]

Since you're dumping retain essence anyway, I wouldn't invest too much into crafting feats and other crafting tricks. You're going to end up tight on XP. I'd focus on buffing up your casting abilities and do research on the best armor and weapon enhancements for various situations and use infusions to slap them on when needed.

One thing to ask: Are you using action points? If not, are you using a home brew to shorten casting time on infusions? Many of the most important infusions have a casting time of 1 minute and a short duration, so getting them cast more rapidly is important. If using action points, I'd find ways to get more of them. You're going to burn through them twice as fast as most characters, because you need them to accelerate casting to get your buffs up at a reasonable speed and then will also want to use them in combat the way that other classes do.

[Tokuhara]

DM ruled I'll be the only AP character, so yay?