Building Youjo Senki-like aerial mages

[lolcat]

Hello Forum!

I am looking for ways to building WW1-style aerial combat mages as in the anime Youjo Senki.

This means: magical flight and the way to magically either enhance the projectiles of mundane projectile weapons or imbue them with spells, all done at hopefully a low level.

For inspiration, here is a clip from this awesome anime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg2kV4oaU-M

Thanks a bunch for all the ideas and input,

lolcat

[Zakerst]

So can't really see your thing but my go to for similar issues is warlock, fell flight+eldrich spear is pretty decent to start but doesn't do exactly what you were looking for but comes online quickly

[zergling.exe]

Arcane Archer is exactly this, though the 3.5 version isn't very good as the game progresses. I hear the PF version is better though. Comes online around level 6.

[Zakerst]

Still not home but another idea is to be a ghost with the telekinesis ability. It does what It says on the tin, letting you throw weapons around for lots of damage at a decent range. I think there is a prestige class that focuses on telekinesis the spell as well, at that point just picking up flight is pretty good.

[Fizban]

Nothing in the provided clip is all that huge. All I see is flight from a worn device (which tends to explode when shot) and a standard fireball effect that happens to have used a gun as a focus instead of the usual bat poop component. Shooting, missing, and being decapitated in one blow simply indicates that the foes are probably 1st level vs this apparently 5th+ level protagonist, and mechanical flying mounts are cheap in this universe. You'll need to provide more information on their gun casting and why it needs special mechanics.

If you just want build-it-yourself systems which can emulate almost any character: Warlocks (especially with homebrew invocations) and Martial Adepts (especially with homebrew disciplines) can cover a lot of stuff, as can a Sorcerer or Battle Sorcerer with a pre-planned spells known list and refluffed verbal/somatic/material/focus components. Spheres of Power is a popular 3rd party Pathfinder suggestion that lets you practically build a custom class from at-will effects with daily charges for more power, while building in an assortment of tradeoffs to fit your fluff. Or the Tome of Radiance (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?258654-Tome-of-Radiance-Mastering-the-Power-of-Love-and-Justice) is an entire homebrew system for creating magical girls.

[lolcat]

Thanks for the input!

So lesser invocations for the Warlock come online with lvl 6, as do lvl 3 spells such as fly and fireball for sorcerers and prestige classes like arcane archer.

WBL, for a custom item for a PC character that gives permanent flight, would just barely be manageable, but would leave room for little else.

So, any ideas how to to this a) earlier than lvl 6 or b) cheaper?

[Fizban]

WBL, for a custom item for a PC character that gives permanent flight, would just barely be manageable, but would leave room for little else.
Unless you mean Boots of Levitation on a 5th level character, no.

So, any ideas how to to this a) earlier than lvl 6 or b) cheaper?
Considering the game is specifically designed with flight and big AoE spells as requiring a minimum of 5th level, the answer to this question should obviously be no, not without DM fiat.

But like I already said, flying mounts. An Ornithopter from Arms and Equipment Guide is 4,000gp, but requires a Small rider and a DM that allows Ornithopters-I never see them suggested, ever, which is funny considering how completely setting agnostic they are. A Glidewing from Eberron Campaign Setting is 800gp, but requires a DM that allows you to buy domesticated dinosaurs, and I basically never see these suggested either. There are a bunch of different playable creatures with innate flight, but any flight with a usable speed will cost you a +2 level adjustment, and require a DM that will allow you to play one of those. That's the best you're going to do unless you decide "screw the rules, some idiot wrote this on a website once" and use Unseelie Fey, at which point I just laugh and walk away from someone who would rather do that than homebrew something reasonable.

There are a couple AoEs smaller and lower level than Fireball, which can be used until one is high enough level for Fireball (Hail of Stone is popular, Hail of Ectoplam, Snowball Swarm, and Molten Strike at 2nd). The Somatic Weaponry feat lets you cast spells by waving your weapon around.