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Xallace
2008-11-02, 09:17 AM
We're coming upon a new campaign. After several grueling hours of hopping from one character concept to another, my girlfriend has finally decided on what she wants to play: an undisputed master of all the elements. Not any kind of The Last Airbender "It's the Avatar!" chosen one deal (very specific about that, actually). She wants to travel the planes, seeking out powerful embodiments of the elemental forces to teach her the secret behind them all for no other reason than that it interests her.

So anyway, I've been flipping through myriad books to see if I can find a good class for her. Druid's powers are not really Elementally focused outside of spells, and it makes it little sense for her to be resistant to fey or able to turn into animals. Anything else that I've found that is elementally based requires you to choose a single element at the exclusion of others, so that's a lot of material out.

Could anyone help me find a good way to represent her concept?

Starbuck_II
2008-11-02, 09:31 AM
We're coming upon a new campaign. After several grueling hours of hopping from one character concept to another, my girlfriend has finally decided on what she wants to play: an undisputed master of all the elements. Not any kind of The Last Airbender "It's the Avatar!" chosen one deal (very specific about that, actually). She wants to travel the planes, seeking out powerful embodiments of the elemental forces to teach her the secret behind them all for no other reason than that it interests her.

So anyway, I've been flipping through myriad books to see if I can find a good class for her. Druid's powers are not really Elementally focused outside of spells, and it makes it little sense for her to be resistant to fey or able to turn into animals. Anything else that I've found that is elementally based requires you to choose a single element at the exclusion of others, so that's a lot of material out.

Could anyone help me find a good way to represent her concept?
Wu Jen has a lot of elemental spells (Metal is now an element though):

But they lack many elemental spells; so you may want to transfer any elemental spell the other classes have that the Wu jen lacks.

Glimbur
2008-11-02, 10:03 AM
Wizard going to Archmage for the class ability Mastery of Elements? But that alone isn't enough to focus a character on...

Jack_Simth
2008-11-02, 10:11 AM
Also pick up the Reserve feats, perhaps? A Wizard-15/Archmage-5 with, oh, Elemental Summoning (or was that Summon Elemental?), Acidic Splatter, Fiery Burst, Hurricane Breath, and so on, would do reasonably well.

Belial_the_Leveler
2008-11-02, 10:17 AM
An Evoker or Conjurer Incantatrix Archmage can do so much stuff with elemental magic that it's scary.

Damage:
Twinned, Admixtured Empowered Orb of Fire: 90d6 elemental damage, no save, no SR.
Persistent, Twinned Lightning Ring: 4 lightning bolts as a free action 1/round.
Twinned, Admixtured, Empowered Firebrand: 20 blasts of 90d6 elemental damage each to spread over an area.

Creating Stuff:
Wall of Stone, Stone Shape can help you build an entire castle (or any other building) in under an hour.

Summons:
Maximised, Persistent Summon Monster VIII means 3 huge elementals following you around 24/7. Or 5 harge elementals.

Jack_Simth
2008-11-02, 02:45 PM
Summons:
Maximised, Persistent Summon Monster VIII means 3 huge elementals following you around 24/7. Or 5 harge elementals.
Umm... Persistent Spell requires the base spell have a personal or fixed range, and the Summon Monster line is Close, not fixed, and thus not subject to Persisting.

Adumbration
2008-11-02, 02:46 PM
A kineticist Psion? You can always choose the element you're using with psionics.

Starsinger
2008-11-02, 02:50 PM
Damage type doesn't equal element...

But let's see.. use Shugenja without the elemental focus?

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-02, 02:50 PM
You could let her play as a Shugenja while eliminating the need to specialise in 1 element while being unable to cast spells which use the opposed Element (they can be found in Complete Divine).

Fizban
2008-11-02, 03:52 PM
Maybe Sorcerer with a homebrewed spell list and the reserve feats mentioned above? I wonder what a list of every air/water/earth/fire subtyped spell would be like...

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-02, 04:00 PM
There are feats which grant extra Spells Known for Spontaneous Casters (see page 112 of http://crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Feats.pdf onwards). You could make a custom Elemental Mastery feat to get more spells (you would eventually get at least 4 spells/level with one of those feats, so it wouldn't be too hard to meet the fluff requirements).

Hal
2008-11-02, 04:28 PM
I'm assuming we're sticking with the base 4 elements, yes?

As a Wiz/Soc she could take Energy Substitution, but only allow it for the 4 elements rather than limiting it to one damage type.

There's also a PrC called Bonded Summoner (Miniatures Handbook), which turns your familiar into an elemental, which becomes bigger as you proceed. You gain control over the element you choose. However, you could allow her (for whatever reason) to change the element under appropriate circumstances.

Finally, as a Cleric, she could take the elemental domains, which would seem quite a bit like elemental mastery. I'm not sure how one can pick up all 4 domains, but I'm pretty certain there's a way.

Jack_Simth
2008-11-02, 04:36 PM
Finally, as a Cleric, she could take the elemental domains, which would seem quite a bit like elemental mastery. I'm not sure how one can pick up all 4 domains, but I'm pretty certain there's a way.
Cleric of Obad-Hai, picking up the Contemplative PrC. Obad-Hai gets access to all four elemental domains, and Contemplative gives two bonus domains (one at 1st, one at 6th), although the skill requirements prevent you from meeting the requirements until 10th, for the first level of it at 11th.

Talic
2008-11-02, 05:20 PM
There's also Frost Mage (cold/water). Stormcaster (air/electricity), Geomancer (Earth). Elemental Savant (Fire). Archmage (mastery of elements).

Take a bit from each class, a couple levels, and move on. Eventually, cap it with one level archmage.

So:

Alternately, the feats:
Earth spell
Bloodline of Fire
Piercing Cold
??? (Air?)

Human Paragon 3
2008-11-02, 05:45 PM
The "Generic Spellcaster" from the unearthed arcana may be good. It's a spontaneous caster like the sorcerer, but with, I think, one fewer spell. In return for the decreased spell power, you get to choose your spells known from all lists. So your girlfriend will be able to cherry pick all elemental spells from every single spellcsting class to get the optimal mix. Generic Spellcaster also gives bonus feats that can be used for flavorful reserve spells and elemental substitution. You also get to choose your good save and class skill list, which is always useful.

Lemur
2008-11-02, 05:58 PM
A kineticist Psion? You can always choose the element you're using with psionics.

This one gets my vote. Maybe throw in some homebrew powers that can be obtained from the elemental beings she comes in contact with, to round out her powers.

For example:

Manifest Elemental
Metacreativity (Summoning)
Level: Psion 2
Display: Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Close
Effect: One or more creatures, no two of
which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Power Resistance: No
Power Points: 3

This power summons one elemental (or paraelemental, see below). It appears where you designate within the power's range and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your
opponents to the best of its ability. If you
can communicate with the creature, you
can direct it not to attack, to attack particular
enemies, or to perform other actions.

A summoned monster cannot summon
or otherwise conjure another creature, nor
can it use any teleportation or planar travel
abilities. Creatures cannot be summoned
into an environment that cannot support
them.

The elemental summoned may be any of the 4 normal types (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) and its size and hit dice are determined by the amount of power points spent.

3: Small Elemental
7: Medium Elemental
9: Large Elemental
11: Huge Elemental
13: Greater Elemental
17: Elder Elemental

Augment: If the manifester spends an additional 2 power points, 1d3 elementals are summoned instead. If the manifester pays 2 more power points on top of that (for a total of 4 power points spent), 1d4+1 elementals are summoned instead. All elementals summoned in a single manifestation of this power are of a single type.
If the manifester pays an additional power point when manifesting this power, she may select a paraelemental (from Manual of the Planes) instead of a normal elemental.

aaron_the_cow
2008-11-02, 06:22 PM
my uncle made up a 2nd/1st editon elementalist class (different from spells and magic one), you could use a simmilar spell list.

http://geocities.com/siliconvalley/5669/gaming/download/elementalist.pdf

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-03, 04:22 AM
Generic Spellcasters can be found here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/genericClasses.htm . I'll try thinking of a spell list later on if you need help with one for Sprcerers (it could be used for a Spellcaster for the most part as well).

YPU
2008-11-03, 05:18 AM
I agree this is the way to go, she can then pick elemental magic from every caster list and the bonus feats can go towards the extra spell feats or energy substitution or reserve feats. Makes a fine elementals.

pantoffelheld
2008-11-03, 10:16 AM
The 'Player's Guide To Eberron' has the prestige class High Elemental Binder. Can be entered at level 6, and progresses spellcasting for all 10 levels but the first one. You gain elemental companions and the abilty to bind elementals (including your companions) to your equipment on the fly.

RagnaroksChosen
2008-11-03, 11:02 AM
Let her play a sorc/wizard or cleric and give her the Wu Jen spell list to cast from? This way she gets an Elemetal themed spell list. could even mix the shugenja and wu jen spell lists.

Xallace
2008-11-04, 07:54 AM
Hey, thanks everyone! My girlfriend decided to go the Generic Spellcaster route with a few reserve feats (can hardly believe I forgot that class).

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-04, 08:16 AM
How is she doing in regards to making a spell list? I tried it yesterday, but I struggled with it.

Xallace
2008-11-04, 08:22 AM
I know she has a few in mind, but I don't think she's started piecing the whole thing together yet. I let her borrow my Spell Compendium, though, so she's got a lot of options.

Are there any particular elemental spells that anyone would suggest? They don't have to be cheesy powerful, just useful or fun or both. I suggested Summon Elemental Monolith once she gets high enough level.

Tempest Fennac
2008-11-04, 08:25 AM
A lot of the spells I saw on Crystal Keep were blasty spells. Air Bubble could be a useful first level spell, and Summon Nature's Ally spells which can be used to call Elementals are good picks. Apart from that, Gust of Wind, and spells which are to do with water or earth manipulation, I don't have any ideas (Passwall could be good, though).

Premier
2008-11-04, 08:37 AM
I think this question should be approached not as a character creation problem, but rather as a character development one.

I mean, going around and seeking out all these sources of knowledge is what she wants to do in the game. It's not what she wants to already have done by the time she starts playing with her 1st level character.

So, the answer is very simple: she can start out with any character that's even remotely appropriate. Straight wizard, sorcerer, druid, cleric of some elemental god, whatever. All of her elemental mastery is still ahead of her, in the future - she doesn't need to already have any such powers when she starts adventuring.

All you have to do as the DM is let her seek out and accomplish her goals. If she's a wizard, let her go on quests, make alliances with elemental powers, and have them reward her with elements-oriented spells for her services. Same thing with sorceres, clerics, or whatnot.

Keep in mind: a good character should be defined and fleshed out by the adventures and events that happen to it in the game; not by the class choices. Those should reflect the character's in-game development, not prescribe it.

Xallace
2008-11-04, 08:44 AM
*Lots of good, sound arguments*

Ah, my mistake for not mentioning it. While she will certainly be mastering the elements later in her career, via contact with powerful NPCs and other such things, she wants the character to have a basic understanding and manipulation of the elemental forces from the get-go.

That's the springboard, if you will. She knows some, and can control some, and it makes her want more. It's like a buddy of mine who realized he was talented at visual arts, and so went researching the Masters (and comic books) and finding tutors until he could learn a bunch of different styles and techniques.

Does that make sense? Or has English failed me once again?

Xallace
2008-11-06, 09:34 AM
How is she doing in regards to making a spell list? I tried it yesterday, but I struggled with it.

So now, it seems we've got Fire Wings, Amorphous Form (turning into water instead of just melting), Air Mastery, and Entangle (which I think she's justifying as an earth spell).

Human Paragon 3
2008-11-06, 11:35 AM
what level is she?