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View Full Version : Building an illusionist; help me out please.



Renegade Paladin
2008-01-13, 10:17 PM
Last night, I showed up for a game having forgotten my character sheet. Since I'd missed the previous session, that session had involved going way the heck away from my character's native Waterdeep (which he has strong reasons to not do) and I didn't have him anyway, I decided to just take the opportunity to switch to another character and tossed together a gnome illusionist in about five minutes. I think I built him fairly competently, though the DM just kept rolling improbably high Will saves; I think he might have been fudging behind the screen to keep his encounters from dying of phantasmal killer in the first round.

Anyway, since my thrown-together-in-five-minutes wizard didn't immediately completely dominate the session, my group's other primary DM, who insists that wizards are not broken, decided to rag on me about it because the low-Will monster made every single Will save I forced on it. So now I'm annoyed and am going to do what I wasn't going to do before: Actually set out to break this thing. I get to change anything I hadn't used by the end of the session, so here's a listing of what is and is not up for grabs:

The characters are tenth level; I'm playing a gnome illusionist 3/master specialist 7. That's set in stone, since he's been played with those class levels, but a fair number of feats are not. I took the chains of disbelief (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#chainsofDisbelief) variant from Unearthed Arcana, though that didn't come into play yet and can therefore still be traded out. I provisionally banned evocation and necromancy, though I haven't used spells from transmutation or abjuration either, so I could switch for either of those. (I really don't want to, though; especially not abjuration.)

Ability scores are STR 11, DEX 16, CON 16, INT 18 (20 with headband of Int +2), WIS 11, CHA 11. HP 63.

For my skills I've maxed Concentration, Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), and Spellcraft; the extra skill points from my Intelligence increase from leveling went to Knowledge (history). I've rolled skill checks already with Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft; everything else can be switched around.

So far my feats I've selected are Spell Focus (illusion) and Improved Initiative. Feat slots for 6th and 9th levels are open, and of course I have the bonus feats given by wizard and master specialist.

Except for the headband of intellect, no equipment has been chosen. The only spells set in stone for me to have to know are the ones I cast last session; those are phantasmal killer, prying eyes, silent image, hold monster, sensory deprivation, and grease. I have others picked out by default because I tossed them onto my prepared spells list when I was hurriedly building the character, but I didn't use them and so they're fair game to be traded out.

So, everything else is fair game.

The obvious advantage from my perspective: Between being a gnome and the illusion school esoterica from master specialist, the save DCs for my illusion spells with Will (disbelief) saving throws are ludicrous. Disadvantages include being fairly helpless against monsters that are immune to mind-affecting effects. So, what's the best way to build this?

codexgigas
2008-01-14, 12:08 AM
For one of your feats, consider picking up Dazzling Illusion (CM). It gives your illusion spells a bit more bang, and it will work even if the spells don't. It's best at low levels, but it will still be effective in the mid-level range.

As far as spells, Shadow Evocation is a must. Hallucinatory Terrain will give you some battlefield control. When you're facing foes against whom your illusion spells won't work, make sure you have access to solid control and debuff spells. I wouldn't bother learning any direct damage spells; as an illusionist, you can choose what you need in that department on the fly through Shadow Evocation. Transmutation will either be a school that you'll use heavily or not at all. My last illusionist knew two transmutations. Personally, I'd swap it out for necromancy (or better yet, ban conjuration if your DM will let you explain the conjuration spells you cast as being the result of Shadow Conjuration). The strength of illusion is that it's effectively three schools in one; you'll notice that there's a decided lack of good high-level illusions. Still, that means that you can afford to invest in metamagic feats. Extend Spell and Quicken spell will be, as always, solid choices.

For when you finish the Master Specialist progression, consider taking levels as a Nightmare Spinner. You'll lose a caster level, but you'll gain another bonus illusion spell per spell level. You might think about turning the character into a focused specialist, if that's an option (banned schools: Evocation, Transmutation, Necromancy/Conjuration).

Illusion spells will require you to be creative and think on your feat. The image line of spells is nice, but their usefulness is directly linked to how creatively you can use them.

TheOOB
2008-01-14, 12:35 AM
Illusionists can be very good or very bad depending on the campaign. For dropped schools you want to get rid of evocation and enchantment. Evocation is a fairly pointless school, almost entirely direct damage, and what few good spells there are you can get with the shadow spells. Enchantment does mostly the same thing as illusion, it's almost all will-based effects that screw over the enemies, you'd get far more use our of necromancy with such spells as ray of enfeeblement, shivering touch, ennervation, ray of exhaustion, and finger of death.

Swooper
2008-01-14, 06:34 AM
Do you have access to Races of Stone? You could go for Shadowcraft Mage, it's designed for gnome illusionists. Very good class, look for 'Killer Gnome Build' on the WotC forums for more info...

leperkhaun
2008-01-14, 06:58 AM
i agree with the shadow conjuration spells as a must have or illusionests. Extend spell is a good metamagic feat to have. Depending on your campaign craft wand is also a good feat to have.

The best way to get around critters that are immune to mind affecting is to have a couple spells (or wands/scrolls) of party buff or battlefield control spells (for example, a wand of grease for those grapply monsters).

That way you can help the party out, even if you arnt directly killing or hurting them.

Keld Denar
2008-01-14, 08:13 AM
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=655556

Here is the ScM handbook. If you can work your feats around, you can probably start taking ScM right away at 11, and start abusing shadow illusion by 13. Even before you get there though, Heighten Spell + Earth Spell will raise your CL and save DCs by a goodly bit.

GL!