Need help building Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage

[stasisfield]

Attending a very long 3.5e campaign and DM says it may end as 20 levels.
I want to be a beguiler/shadowcraft mage, which other prestige class should I pick ?
or just be 5 Beguiler/1 Mindbender/2 Beguiler/5 ShadowcraftMage/7 Beguiler ?

DM says that the Enhanced Shadow features of Shadowcrafter doesn't work on Shadow Illusion ability of Shadowcraft Mage, so it seems that Shadowcrafter is not a good choice.
The Heighten trick of early enterance is also banned, which means I must go 7 beguiler to meet the prerequisite of shadowcraft mage by Advance Learning.

All official sources , including Dragon Magazines, are allowed. But this campaign is in Eberrun so sources from Faerun or other worlds may be banned.

[liquidformat]

Here are two guides on making shadowcraft mages you might find helpful
http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=16433.0
https://www.enworld.org/threads/shadowcraft-mage-handbook-nineinchnail.471552/

[stasisfield]

Here are two guides on making shadowcraft mages you might find helpful



Thanks. After reading those handbooks, it seems that most ways to improve quasireality are not for beguilers. So i still have few choices. Maybe some normal arcane prestige classes without feats needing will help.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Beguiler is a perfectly valid entry for Shadowcraft Mage, it just doesn't have the Tier 1 oomph that a Wizard or (Cloistered) Cleric would have. However, if you already have other Tier 1 casters in the party you don't necessarily need that raw power. The Beguiler's ability to spontaneously cast any spell from its list, combined with that list containing a utility spell to deal with pretty much any noncombat situation, means you'll be the one solving most of the non-combat problems your party runs into. The Beguiler still gets plenty of spells that are useful in combat as well, and Shadowcraft Mage will only add to that.

If you're able to take two flaws (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (more here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30)) for two extra feats, it's super easy to qualify early. Take Heighten Spell and Versatile Spellcaster, and you can spend two 3rd level spell slots to cast a Legion of Sentinels that's Heighened to 4th level, thus being able to go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Shadowcraft Mage. You'll also need Earth Sense and Earth Spell, and Spell Focus: Illusion, so with two flaws you'll have exactly enough feats by 6th level. Otherwise you're waiting until 12th level for Earth Spell, which makes your early game extremely lame and only leaves you with two more feats pre-epic. You'll want to pick up Residual Magic at 9th, and probably Mindsight and Rapid Metamagic at 12th and 15th, unless there's something else you need for another prestige class. Also with Heighten Spell + Versatile Spellcaster you should gain early knowledge of the next higher level of the Beguiler spell list, and if you have both at 1st level your first Advanced learning can be a 2nd level spell, like Ray of Stupidity.

Given that you'll be an Int-based caster, Whisper Gnome in RoS is probably the best version of Gnome to use. Max out your stealth skills and Spellcraft, and get enough ranks in Search, Disable Device, and Open Lock to be useful in those areas if the party needs you to fill that role.

[stasisfield]

Beguiler is a perfectly valid entry for Shadowcraft Mage, it just doesn't have the Tier 1 oomph that a Wizard or (Cloistered) Cleric would have. However, if you already have other Tier 1 casters in the party you don't necessarily need that raw power. The Beguiler's ability to spontaneously cast any spell from its list, combined with that list containing a utility spell to deal with pretty much any noncombat situation, means you'll be the one solving most of the non-combat problems your party runs into. The Beguiler still gets plenty of spells that are useful in combat as well, and Shadowcraft Mage will only add to that.

If you're able to take two flaws more here for two extra feats, it's super easy to qualify early. Take Heighten Spell and Versatile Spellcaster, and you can spend two 3rd level spell slots to cast a Legion of Sentinels that's Heighened to 4th level, thus being able to go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Shadowcraft Mage. You'll also need Earth Sense and Earth Spell, and Spell Focus: Illusion, so with two flaws you'll have exactly enough feats by 6th level. Otherwise you're waiting until 12th level for Earth Spell, which makes your early game extremely lame and only leaves you with two more feats pre-epic. You'll want to pick up Residual Magic at 9th, and probably Mindsight and Rapid Metamagic at 12th and 15th, unless there's something else you need for another prestige class. Also with Heighten Spell + Versatile Spellcaster you should gain early knowledge of the next higher level of the Beguiler spell list, and if you have both at 1st level your first Advanced learning can be a 2nd level spell, like Ray of Stupidity.

Given that you'll be an Int-based caster, Whisper Gnome in RoS is probably the best version of Gnome to use. Max out your stealth skills and Spellcraft, and get enough ranks in Search, Disable Device, and Open Lock to be useful in those areas if the party needs you to fill that role.

It's what I choose Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage for. But DM doesn't allow me to use Heighten Legion of Sentinels to meet the prerequisite, so I have to be ScM after 8th. And this PrC only has 5 levels so maybe I need some other PrCs.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It's what I choose Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage for. But DM doesn't allow me to use Heighten Legion of Sentinels to meet the prerequisite, so I have to be ScM after 8th. And this PrC only has 5 levels so maybe I need some other PrCs.

Shadowcrafter in the book Underdark is a good choice, only requires being able to cast a 3rd level shadow illusion, and takes the same feats to qualify as Shadowcraft Mage. Its 10th level ability is worthless, so go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Shadowcrafter 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter 7.

[stasisfield]

Shadowcrafter in the book Underdark is a good choice, only requires being able to cast a 3rd level shadow illusion, and takes the same feats to qualify as Shadowcraft Mage. Its 10th level ability is worthless, so go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Shadowcrafter 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter 7.

At first I also think so. But my DM tells me that the Enhanced Shadow Conjurations and Enhanced Shadow Evocations only work on specific spells such as Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation, and they don't work on Silent Image (even with Shadow Illusion) . So it seems that it is not so good.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

In that case, just use the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it, and go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Incantatrix 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Incantatrix 7. For that prohibited school pick something like Necromancy or Evocation, I don't think Beguilers get any spells from either of those schools so it shouldn't matter.

[stasisfield]

In that case, just use the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it, and go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Incantatrix 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Incantatrix 7. For that prohibited school pick something like Necromancy or Evocation, I don't think Beguilers get any spells from either of those schools so it shouldn't matter.

Thanks for this advice, I'm trying to do some diplomacy to dm to use this forgotten realms class. Or maybe I can choose some others such as Escalation Mage and Shadow Apostles.