My entry in case it matters. Sha'ír/Shadowcaster/Geomancer/Noctumancer.

Used interpretation of Spell Versatility to cast spells using mystery parameters, voiding component costs and other fun. Focused on utility. Desert themed.

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Quote Originally Posted by WinWin
Huriyah

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A nomadic mystic, traversing the wastes, communing with spirits and wielding unspeakable power. Maybe she was a queen driven into exile, or perhaps an orphan given instruction by a learned Sha'ir. Who knows? Such distinctions are largely campaign dependant, but probably best left a mystery.

As Huriyah grows in power and experience, the demands she can make of the Jinn increase in scale and scope, she even possesses the ability to act without their intervention or blessings, tapping into a darkness that is older than the elements. Such a power is not held without consequence, as it will almost certainly drive her mad.

Leeching the raw power of the elements from the land itself, warps her body and mind. It twists her visage into a caricature of the numerous deinizens of the wastes she calls home, even as she warps the very nature of magic to her will.


Overview:

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This character is about all about utility and versatility. Any sorcerer/wizard spell is only minutes away at most. Think about that for a moment. Any book you have access to is ripe for the plunder. Sure, you gain access to some nifty divine spells, but let's not be greedy.

9th level casting comes online at 18th level (Sha'ir known spells are a level behind). See below for more details.

Human female, Neutral alignment. 32 point attributes. Advance Charisma every 4 levels. Base attributes at 1st level below.
Str: 8 Dex: 12 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 18

Sources: PHB, DMG, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Dragon Compendium, DMG2, ToM, Sandstorm.

Huriyah
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|Sha'ir 1|
+0
|
+0
|
+0
|
+2
|Bluff: +2, Concentration: +2, Diplomacy: +4, Know Arcana: + 4, Know Nature: +4, Sense Motive: +2, Spellcraft: +2, Use Magic Device: +2|Apprentice (Spellcaster), Versatile Spellcaster|Summon Gen Familiar

2nd|Sha'ir 2|
+1
|
+0
|
+0
|
+3
|Bluff: +3, Concentration: +2, Diplomacy: +5, Know Arcana: +5, Know Nature: +5, Sense Motive: +3, Spellcraft: +2, Use Magic Device: +2|-|-

3rd|Shadowcaster 1|
+1
|
+2
|
+0
|
+5
|Bluff: +3, Concentration: +2, Diplomacy: +5, Know Arcana: +6, Know Nature: +6, Sense Motive: +3, Spellcraft: +5, Use Magic Device: +2|Heighten Spell|Fundamentals of Shadow, Apprentice Mysteries

4th|Geomancer 1|
+1
|
+4
|
+0
|
+7
|Bluff: +4 CC, Concentration: +2, Diplomacy: +7, Know Arcana: +6, Know Nature: +6, Sense Motive: +3, Spellcraft: +7, Use Magic Device: +3|-|Drift 1, Spell Versatility 0

5th|Geomancer 2|
+2
|
+5
|
+0
|
+8
|Bluff: +5 CC, Concentration: +2, Diplomacy: +8, Know Arcana: +6, Know Nature: +6, Sense Motive: +4 CC, Spellcraft: +8, Use Magic Device: +4|-|Drift 1, Spell Versatility 1, Ley Lines +1

6th|Geomancer 3|
+3
|
+5
|
+1
|
+8
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +5, Diplomacy: +9, Know Arcana: +6, Know Nature: +6, Sense Motive: +5 CC, Spellcraft: +9, Use Magic Device: +4|Arcane Preperation|Drift 2, Spell Versatility 2

7th|Noctumancer 1|
+3
|
+7
|
+1
|
+10
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +6, Diplomacy: +10 CC, Know Arcana: +6, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +10, Use Magic Device: +4|-|Capture Magic's Shadow

8th|Geomancer 4|
+4
|
+8
|
+1
|
+11
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +8, Diplomacy: +11, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +1 CC, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +11, Use Magic Device: +5|-|Drift 2, Spell Versatility 3

9th|Geomancer 5|
+4
|
+8
|
+1
|
+11
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +10, Diplomacy: +12, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +2 CC, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +12, Use Magic Device: +6|Still Mystery|Drift 3, Spell Versatility 4

10th|Geomancer 6|
+5
|
+9
|
+2
|
+12
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +12, Diplomacy: +13, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +3 CC, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +13, Use Magic Device: +7|-|Drift 3, Spell Versatility 5, Ley Lines +2

11th|Noctumancer 2|
+6
|
+10
|
+2
|
+13
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +14, Diplomacy: +14 CC, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +3, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +14, Use Magic Device: +7|-|Innate Counterspell 1/day

12th|Geomancer 7|
+7
|
+10
|
+2
|
+13
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +15, Diplomacy: +15, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +4 CC, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +15, Use Magic Device: +9|Shadow Familiar|Drift 4, Spell Versatility 6

13th|Noctumancer 3|
+7
|
+10
|
+3
|
+13
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +16, Diplomacy: +16 CC, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +4, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +16, Use Magic Device: +10|-|-

14th|Geomancer 8|
+8
|
+11
|
+3
|
+14
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +17, Diplomacy: +17, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +5 CC, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +17, Use Magic Device: +12|-|Drift 4, Spell Versatility 7

15th|Noctumancer 4|
+9
|
+12
|
+3
|
+15
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +18, Diplomacy: +18 CC, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +18, Use Magic Device: +13|Priest of the Waste|-

16th|Geomancer 9|
+9
|
+12
|
+4
|
+15
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +19, Diplomacy: +19, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +19, Use Magic Device: +17|-|Drift 5, Spell Versatility 8

17th|Noctumancer 5|
+9
|
+12
|
+4
|
+15
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +20, Diplomacy: +20 CC, Know Arcana: +6, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +20, Use Magic Device: +18|-|Innate Counterspell 2/day

18th|Geomancer 10|
+10
|
+13
|
+4
|
+16
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +21, Diplomacy: +21, Know Arcana: +7, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +21, Use Magic Device: +21|Drift Magic|Drift 5, Spell Versatility 9, Ley Lines +3

19th|Noctumancer 6|
+11
|
+14
|
+5
|
+17
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +22, Diplomacy: +22 CC, Know Arcana: +7, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +22, Use Magic Device: +22|-|Eldritch Disruption, Initiate Mysteries.

20th|Noctumancer 7|
+11
|
+14
|
+5
|
+17
|Bluff: +5, Concentration: +23, Diplomacy: +23 CC, Know Arcana: +7, Know Local +5, Know Nature: +6, Know Planes: +1, Sense Motive: +5, Spellcraft: +23, Use Magic Device: +23|-|Innate Counterspell (Retain Power)[/table]


Sha'ir Spells Known
{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|5|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|6|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|6|5|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|7|5|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|7|6|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|8|6|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|8|7|4|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

9th|9|7|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-

10th|9|8|5|4|3|-|-|-|-|-

11th|9|8|5|4|3|2|-|-|-|-

12th|9|9|6|5|4|3|-|-|-|-

13th|9|9|6|5|4|3|2|-|-|-

14th|9|10|7|6|5|4|3|-|-|-

15th|9|10|7|6|5|4|3|2|-|-

16th|9|10|8|7|6|5|4|3|-|-

17th|9|10|8|7|6|5|4|3|2|-

18th|9|10|9|8|7|6|5|4|3|-

19th|9|10|9|8|7|6|5|4|3|2

20th|9|10|9|9|8|7|6|5|4|3[/table]

Mysteries Known
{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

9th|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

10th|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

11th|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

12th|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

13th|4|2|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

14th|4|2|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

15th|4|2|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-

16th|4|2|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-

17th|4|2|2|2|-|-|-|-|-|-

18th|4|2|2|2|-|-|-|-|-|-

19th|4|2|2|2|1|-|-|-|-|-

20th|5|2|2|2|2|-|-|-|-|-[/table]


Skills:

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Only base ranks are included in the table above. 2 bonus ranks are gained from the apprentice feat. Totals assume no major increase to intelligence. Cross class ranks are noted at level of purchase.


Diplomacy: Most important skill. Required for spell retrieval. Attempt to gain synergy bonuses if you can as well as anything else to boost these checks, as your spellcasting depends on it. Incedentally, raising diplomacy ridiculously high allows this character to be the party face.

Concentration, Knowledges, Spellcraft: Spellcasters are expected to put ranks into these skills.

Use Magic Device: Just because. It's not like this character needs to invest in weapons and armor, so they may as well collect magical trinkets in order to exploit them. Or for her Familiar to exploit...

Other skills: Just utility stuff. No real focus here.



Feats:

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DMG 2: Apprentice (Spellcaster). Grant Knowledge Nature and UMD as class skills. Grants an extra Sha'ir spell known, improves the ability to replace known spells. Also grants the ability to spontaneously cast a known divine spell (by sacrificing a successfully retrieved spell, or a spell prepared via other means). Other benefits as level increases, but the quasi-leadership component of Mentor is not the focus of this build. Can grant the ability to spontaneously cast Miracle at level 19, which is simply awesome longevity for a 1st level feat.

Races of the Dragon: Versatile Spellcaster. Grant the ability to cast known spells at a premium cost, by sacrificing lower level spells. Can be used in conjunction with Heighten Spell to qualify for Geomancer.

Complete Arcane: Arcane Preperation. Can prepare known spells ahead of time instead of waiting for Gen Familliar to retrieve them. Spells prepared this way do not dissipate and remain in the relevant spell slot until cast.

ToM: Still Mystery. Removes somatic component from mysteries.

ToM: Shadow Familliar: Upgrades Gen Familiar with Dark Creature template. Familiar benefits are now determined according to levels in shadowcasting and arcane classes (Character level, in this case). A Fire Gen benefits the most from the cold resistance of this template.

Sandstorm: Priest of the Waste. Qualifies due to Sha'ir domain access. Grants a number of 'spontaneous' utility and survival spells, granted by sacrificing prepared spells.

Sandstorm: Drift Magic: Further increases CL of certain spells in desert/waste terrain...Can forge a link to the waste by carrying a jar of sand and expending a move action. Whether this is sufficient to trigger Ley Lines is worth debating with your DM about.




Class Stuff:

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Sha'ir spells retrieved by the Gen Familliar are retained for only 2 hours, maximum. This is not a problem if you're expecting a short work day, though it possibly limits the number of Divine spells on hand at any time. Leaving slots open allow for retrieval or preperation as the circumstances dictate, should be the typical modus opperandi.

I'm not going to put down Sha' ir spells known. 70-odd picks are not going to ilustrate the strength of the SI. Such choices are campaign dependant, in any event. You can bet that spells with difficult to obtain or costly components would make the list, as well as powerful staples; Animate Dead, Simulacrum, Forcecage, CoP, Miracle, etc. A basic combat roster would also be appropriate, so as to have access to those spells when unprepared. Cherry picking the best divine spells of each level will not make reteiving them any faster, but they will be eligable for Versatile Spellcaster and Arcane Preperation.

Sha'ir qualifies for Geomancer on the merits of it's own spellcasting. The only impediment to access is the knowledge nature skill, obtained via the Apprentice feat.

Shadowcasting. Only minor shadowcasting abilities are gained, with a focus on the utility of the Ebon Whispers then Eyes of Darkness paths, with the basic mysteries of Black Magic, then Dark Reflections learned at later levels.

Spell Versatility 2 is used to qualify for Noctumancer; 2nd level spells can be cast as 2nd level mysteries.

Drift abilities in order obtained:
Touch causes flowers to wilt.
Cats Tail.
Comely as a Dryad (+4 diplomacy aids in spell retrieval)
Blood flows like tree sap. (Progessive damage on a caster is annoying).
Spin a Web like a spider. A trapdoor spider. Camping and spell prep/retrieval security.
Thorns. Like a cactus or desert bush.
Boars Ferocity. Interacts nicely with the Delay Death spell.
Scent. Utility.
Earthworms Senses. Tremorsense is a thematic choice.
Vulture Wings. Fly speed 60 as an extraordinary ability, as opposed to spellcasting. Utility.

Ley Lines: Desert Terrain is this character's focus.

Noctumancer Stuff: Can gain a CL boost by dispelling spells or mysteries, gains the ability to reduce CL or SCL as a supernatural attack and also the ability to cast reactive counterspells a few times per day (and recover spells or mysteries by doing so). All nice anti-caster abilities.


Spell Versatility:

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This gets it's own section because it is the real focus of this character. The ability to mix and match spellcasting parameters for maximum advantage...The most immediate advantage is caster level.

Geomancer progression on this character has been deliberately staggered, due to the fact that Spell Versatility 9 (for example), is simply not needed before the character is capable of casting 9th level spells.

Arcane spells: Nothing special here. Casting certain divine spells as Arcane spells allows a Sha'ir to bypass certain alignment restrictions on divine spells.

Divine spells: Casting spells or mysteries as divine spells should allow armoured casting, this becomes less relevant when Still Mystery is acquired.

Mysteries: Function as spells, spell-like abilities or supernatural abilities. Mysteries that function as spells possess only Somatic components (which can be removed), typically have a standard action casting time and are harder to identify and dispel/counterspell.

While mysteries can't normally benefit from metamagic, arcane or divine spells can. A Sha'ir is capable of applying metamagic to spells without increasing casting times. Metamagic is not a focus of this build, but theoretically spells can be treated as mysteries (or vice versa) and still benefit from metamagic and metashadow rods due to the Versatile Spellcasting ability.

To sum up; Component free spellcasting. Standard action cast times (or less). Can use Sha'ir CL for all spellcasting. More difficult to dispel (-4CL) and more difficult (impossible in most cases) to identify the spell being cast (-4 spellcraft, only the effect can be observed).


What remains unclear:

Are Sha'ir spells going to benefit from the ability to cast spells as spell like or supernatural abilities? Technically spells of levels 1-3 can be cast as apprentice mysteries, 4-6 as initiate mysteries and 7-9 as master mysteries. Does this mean spells up to 3rd level can be cast as supernatural abilities, up to 6th level as spell-like abilities? This certainly appears to be the case as this type of shadowcasting progression is explicitly advanced by prestige classes, as the character gains the ability to *cast* higher level mysteries, as opposed to *knowing* higher level mysteries. I can't help but think I have missed something, though. It's worth debating with your DM.

XP and special components: Mysteries require only somatic components (which can be removed). Does this mean the XP component of spells like Limited Wish can be ignored? What about the corruption/sacrifice cost of corrupt or sanctified spells? I certainly hope these components can be ignored, and I would certainly argue that they could be, but I honestly can't state with certainty that this is explicitly the case. Definately worth arguing with your DM over.

Fun fact: This character can silently drop an Apocalypse From The Sky regardless of what the DM says, so you can probably rely on petty extorion to get your way, assuming the DM is attached to the campaign setting.




Variations:

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A non-human racial choice probably can't qualify for early entry, unless Flaws are used. Templates are a possibility, so long as LA buy-off is available. Half Janni would be thematic. A Necropolitan would also be thematic for a version of this character focusing on Dread Warriors and other expensive undead.

Adding additional casting classes will probably hurt you without some clever thurging. You could probably drop most of the Noctumancer levels and delay 9th level spellcasting until 19th level, put in another base class and use a different Theurge class, but you're not going to achieve anything remotely like a triple threat status. The best you will achieve is adding more options for Spell Versatility to take advantage of while focusing on Sha'ir.