The Way of the Voice: Making a Words of Power-based caster in 3.5

[PhantasyPen]

Hello all,

As the thread title says I'm looking at some ways I might be able to make a spellcaster based around using their voice and shouting/kiai to achieve magical effects. I know this is kind of the bard's entire shtick but I would prefer to have 9th-level spells, and I just straight up do not play bards, often finding them redundant for my character ideas.

In short/ TLDR: Looking for a way to make Dovahkiin with the following

9th-Level spellcasting
No Somatic components, only verbal
Lots of sonic-based/"talking the monster to death"-type spells

[daremetoidareyo]

Sorcerer into ur priest into eldritch theurge with the infernal howl feat. Just burn through those spell slots Howling

[ryu]

Pretty sure sublime chord gets you to 9ths as a bard advancing prestige class. Sufficient?

[PhantasyPen]

Sorcerer into ur priest into eldritch theurge with the infernal howl feat. Just burn through those spell slots Howling
I might be able to use this, but now I need to figure out a list of spells to fit the theme.

Pretty sure sublime chord gets you to 9ths as a bard advancing prestige class. Sufficient?

You'd need to get me to make a bard first. That's not as easy as one would think.

[Zanos]

Primitive Caster feat allows you to add a verbal, somatic, or material component to any spell that doesn't already have one and get +1 CL per component you add.
Still Spell removes somatic components.
Eschew Materials removes material components.

You can now turn all of your spells into somatic component only shouts.

As far as I recall none of the actual shouts were based on sonic stuff.

[PhantasyPen]

Primitive Caster feat allows you to add a verbal, somatic, or material component to any spell that doesn't already have one and get +1 CL per component you add.
Still Spell removes somatic components.
Eschew Materials removes material components.

You can now turn all of your spells into somatic component only shouts.

As far as I recall none of the actual shouts were based on sonic stuff.
Where do I find primitive caster?

And good point about shouts, I'll amend that to "Words of Power" I think.

[Psyren]

The Dracolexi prestige class is designed to be a speech-based caster and would fit this thematically.

[Zanos]

Where do I find primitive caster?
Frostburn. No prereqs, I think.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Runesmith can take away the somatic components with no penalty, but leaves you kind of stuck with important material ones, so... Dunno if that's what you really want.

What parts of Bard bother you, if I might ask? There's probably a way to trade them away...

[ATHATH]

Note that you can enter Sublime Chord without taking any levels in Bard by dipping into the Heartfire Fanner PrC.

[PhantasyPen]

Runesmith can take away the somatic components with no penalty, but leaves you kind of stuck with important material ones, so... Dunno if that's what you really want.

What parts of Bard bother you, if I might ask? There's probably a way to trade them away...
Runesmith... kinda defeats the intended goal from my perspective.

As for why I don't play bards? I find them redundant, to be frank, and I'm not too sold on playing a super-generalist.
To break it down by what the bard does (magical buffing, spontaneous magic, magical combat, mundane buffing) there are just other classes I greatly prefer for their roles.
Magical Buffing: Divine casters do this better, and often in much different ways that I find more interesting.
Spontaneous Magic: Sorcerer exists for this exact reason.
Magical Combat: Duskblade, Abj. Champ, and even Arcane Archer (especially in conjunction with either or both of the two previous) do this better, and have much more interesting abilities to me.
Mundane Buffing: I would actually rather play a Dragon Shaman for this.

Now, to be fair, this is mostly just griping with the 3.5 bard. 5e bards are very interesting, and I've been contemplating trying one for a while now.

Note that you can enter Sublime Chord without taking any levels in Bard by dipping into the Heartfire Fanner PrC.

Honestly. after giving Sublime Chord another look over, I don't think it matches what I'm going for actually. :/

[Psyren]

Without metamagic optimization, Runesmith is the only way I can think of that lets you cast traditional spells (i.e. 9th level) and dump somatic components from them entirely while keeping verbal. Remember that the fluff is mutable with the adaptation, so it's not like you're forced to be a Dwarf or wear armor.

If that doesn't appeal to you, the best option I can think of is mitigating Still Spell down to be a zero adjustment, and applying it to all of your spells.

[Hiro Quester]

Note that you can enter Sublime Chord without taking any levels in Bard by dipping into the Heartfire Fanner PrC.

Although both heartfire fanner and sublime chord have some awkward prerequisites, that are hard to satisfy outside bard (you need to get listen, perform and diplomacy as in-class skills). And some awkward feat-taxes (Negotiator and Skill Focus: Perform).

Few other arcane casters could swing that without some feats to gain class skills, that would diver from more useful feats you might take.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Runesmith... kinda defeats the intended goal from my perspective.

As for why I don't play bards? I find them redundant, to be frank, and I'm not too sold on playing a super-generalist.
Fair enough. That's the only commonly-acceptable thing I can think of that'll give you free Still-- everything else is either limited in some way (Recaster, Arcane Thesis, Metamagic School Focus, etc) or... well... is Incantratix-style high-op junk.

Widening the field slightly... psionics have plenty of sonic, sound manipulation, and mental influence powers, and you can certainly add a self-imposed limitation about having to shout/speak to use your powers. Truenamers are very much "words of power," apart from being awful. Umm... you could do a Bardic music focused build, mixing Stormsinger and Seeker of the Song to taste. Stormsinger in particular, since it lets you literally smite people with wind and lightning by making Perform checks at them. There are a couple of ways to get the entry without needing many actual Bard levels (Heartfire Fanner if Dragon is allowed, Initiate of Milil and a one level dip, things like Virtuoso or Spellsinger if "stacks with Bard to determine what Bardic Music you can use" type language is allowed to work with no Bard levels, etc)

[ShurikVch]

Are you aware: there are, actually, numerous spells which don't have any somatic, material, or focus components?

There is the list for Sorcerer/Wizard:FlareBenign Transposition*
Blades of Fire*
Combat Readiness
Critical Strike*
Death's Call
Deep Breath*
Deflect, Lesser
Dragonmark Shield
Ectoplasmic Armor*
Expeditious Retreat, Swift*
Extend Shifting
Feather Fall
Golem Strike*
Guided Shot*
Hold Portal
Insightful Feint*
Karmic Aura
Locate City
Power Word Fatigue
Power Word Pain
Reaving Aura
Slide*
Wave BlessingBaleful Transposition*
Bladeweave*
Blindness/Deafness
Blur
Celerity, Lesser
Delusions of Grandeur*
Dimension Hop
Dimension Leap
Divest Essentia
Energy Surge, Lesser
Extend Tentacles*
Fearsome Grapple*
Fly, Swift*
Insidious Insight
Knock
Master's Touch
Power Word Sicken
Razorfangs*
Returning Weapon
Scintillating Scales*
Shadow Double
Shadow Shroud
Slide, Greater*
Sonic Weapon*
Stay the Hand
Stretch Weapon
Sure Strike
Unfettered Grasp
Whispercast
Wings of Air*
Yoke of MercyAdoration of the Frightful
Alter Fortune
Avoid Planar Effects*
Compel Breath
Curse of the GypsiesD
Dread Word
Drown
Halt
Node Door
Pebble Wind
Permeable Form
Power Word Deafen
Power Word Maladroit
Power Word Weaken
Prismatic Mist
Scattergloom
Suppress Breath Weapon*
Telepathic StrikeA
Threesteel
WarcryAerial Alacrity
Baleful Blink
Condemnation
Dimension Door
Diminish Breath Weapon
Enduring Flight
Geas, Lesser
Greater KnockD
Halaster's Image Swap
Mystic Surge
Power Word Distract
Raise From The Deep*
Ruin Delver's Fortune*
Shout
Spell Enhancer*
Steelsting
Stifle Spell
Translocation Trick*
Vecna Malevolent Whisper
Wings of Air, Greater*Contact Other Plane
Dimension Door, Greater*
Dimension Jumper
Dimension Shuffle
Draconic Polymorph
Dragon Ally, Lesser*
Incite Riot
Jumpgout
Lightning Leap
Planar Tolerance*
Power Word Disable
Resonating Resistance
Teleport
Undying Vigor of the DragonlordsS
Unfettered HerosimAura of Terror*
Brilliant Blade
Call of the Twilight Defender
DragoncallS
Familiar Refuge
Power Word Nauseate
Translocation Trick
Wages of SinDragon Ally*
Eladrin Form
Hiss of Sleep*
Phase Door
Power Word Blind
Solipism*Charm Monster, Mass
Familial Geas
Last Judgment
Maddening Scream
Maddening Whispers*
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Power Word Petrify
Power Word StunDragon Ally, Greater*
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
Power Word Kill
Prismatic Sphere
Time Stop
Undermaster
Wail of the Banshee
Wish* - Spell Compendium
S - Sorcerer-only
D - Dragon magazine
A - Artifact spell:
Artifact spells are a new and powerful form of magic detailed in the newly released exploration of EBERRON'S dark continent, SECRETS OF XEN'DRIK. These rare magical formulas are far more complex than normal spells and as such require use of the following supplementary rules.
Anyone capable of casting a spell of the proper level and type (arcane or divine) can learn to cast an artifact spell. Although artifact spells must be studied like any other, they are too complex and difficult to fully comprehend, and so they cannot be added to a caster's normal repertoire. Those who study one of these spells gain the ability to prepare or spontaneously cast the spell only once.
A spellcaster must study the appropriate runes and formulas for 1d4 hours and succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level) in order to comprehend an artifact spell. A failed check can be repeated in 24 hours. A character cannot take 10 on this check.
Once an artifact spell has been learned, a character can cast the spell once during the next year. If it is not cast within one year, the spell fades and is lost. A character who prepares spells can prepare an artifact spell in an appropriate slot. If the artifact spell is not cast (if its spell slot is used for some other purpose, for example), it can be prepared again at a later date within the year. A character who casts spells spontaneously can simply cast the artifact spell using a spell slot of the appropriate level. Because an artifact spell is learned only temporarily, it does not replace one of a spontaneous caster's known spells.
Artifact spells never have a material component or an arcane focus, though divine artifact spells might have a divine focus. An artifact spell can't be modified by any metamagic feat or effect. An artifact spell cannot be made into a potion, scroll, or other magic item.
A caster cannot possess the ability to cast a given artifact spell more than once, although once cast (or if lost after a year has passed), the spell can be renewed if the ancient source is studied again. Artifact spells are always scribed on some large, immovable object, such as an immense stone wall, or inscribed on the facets of a towering crystal pillar. As such, they cannot be transported and are far too complex to translate into written form or copy as rubbings. Those wishing to learn, an artifact spell must travel to its ancient resting place and learn from the source.Doesn't underlined part reminding you about something (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Word_Wall)? :smallwink:


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/elderscrolls/images/d/d1/Wordwall.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20111123011132

[PhantasyPen]

Are you aware: there are, actually, numerous spells which don't have any somatic, material, or focus components?


Yes, but I never had a good way to hunt around for such things, so thank you~:smallwink: