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Thread: [3.5]Touch Attack Arcane Spellcaster

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    Default Re: [3.5]Touch Attack Arcane Spellcaster

    Quote Originally Posted by Glimbur View Post
    I'm here to argue against Weapon Finesse. Sure, at low levels that couple of extra plus to hit will be great. But after about level 10 or so, it shouldn't be very hard to make your touch attacks. That +5 or so equivalent to hit won't look as nice as more metamagic or something.
    Well that gets to whether the character is being built from 1st level or from higher level. Maybe the answer is to retrain later on and swap the weapon finesse/focus feats for something better when that is a viable option.

    An archmage with Arcane Reach, Imprisonment and Quickened True Strike is a good option but getting there with touch-based caster from 1st level is painful...well more painful than usual.

    I roughly took the touch-based sorcerer hafling example I used above through a few levels to see the comparisons. It's hardly an uber-build and it's not meant to show how it should be done. Rather it's meant to show spell choices (naturally) become better as level goes up.


    LE halfling Sor2
    Str 8 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 15
    Familiar: raven (no touch attack)
    Feats: weapon focus(touch)
    Spells Known:
    1 - cause fear, shocking grasp
    Gear: masterwork light crossbow, spear
    AC 13 Spd 20 Init +2 HP 10 For +3 Ref +3 Will +3
    Attack Options:
    ranged +4 1d6/18/x2
    or melee +2 1d6-1/x2
    or touch +2 (+5 vs metal armored) 2d8 shock


    LE halfling Sor9
    Str 8 Dex 15(17) Con 14 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 17(19)
    Familiar: imp (touch attack +9)
    Feats: weapon focus(touch), improved familiar(imp), reach spell, rapid metamagic
    Spells Known:
    1 - true strike, shocking grasp, mage armor, magic missle, feather fall
    2 - ghoul touch, scorching ray, darkvision, see invisible
    3 - warcry (Book of Exalted Deeds), vampiric touch, fly
    4 - greater invisibility, black tentacles
    Gear: spear +1 of frost, ring +2, gloves of Dex+2, cloak of Cha+2,
    boots of striding and springing, amulet of natural AC +2
    AC(with mage armor) 20 Spd 30 Init +3 HP 42 For +6 Ref +7 Will +6
    Attack Options:
    melee +5 1d6+1d6x2
    or (ranged) touch +5 (+9 vs metal armored) 5d6 shock
    or (ranged) touch +5 Fort DC16 or humanoid paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds
    or ranged touch +7/+7 4d6 fire
    or touch +5 9d6 negative energy (gain half as temporary hp)


    LE halfling Sor16
    Str 8 Dex 15(19) Con 14 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 19(23)
    Familiar: imp (touch attack +13)
    Feats: weapon focus(touch), improved familiar(imp), reach spell, rapid metamagic, weapon finesse, silent spell
    Spells Known:
    1 - true strike, shocking grasp, mage armor, magic missle, feather fall
    2 - ghoul touch, scorching ray, darkvision, see invisible, resist elements
    3 - warcry (Book of Exalted Deeds), vampiric touch, fly, dispel magic
    4 - greater invisibility, black tentacles, detect scrying, polymorph
    5 - night's caress (Libris Mortis), teleport, storm touch (Magic of Eberron), greater blink
    6 - disintegrate, mass suggestion, summon monster VI
    7 - hiss of sleep (Spell Compendium), limited wish
    8 - irresistable dance
    Gear: spear +1 of frost, ring +5, ring of free action, gloves of Dex+4, cloak of Cha+4, boots of striding and springing, amulet of natural AC +4, lesser rod of quicken
    AC(with mage armor) 27 Spd 30 Init +3 HP 73 For +8 Ref +10 Will +10
    Attack Options (add +20 with quickened true strike 3/day):
    melee +8/+3 1d6+1d6x2
    or (ranged) touch +13 (+14 vs metal armored) 5d6 shock
    or (ranged) touch +13 Fort DC18 or humanoid paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds
    or (ranged) touch +13 10d6 negative energy (gain half as temporary hp)
    or (ranged) touch +13 9d6 shock + stunned for 1 round
    or (ranged) touch +13 15d6 negative energy + 1d6+2 Con
    or (ranged) touch +13 undead flea in panic for 1d4 rounds
    or ranged touch +12/+12/+12 4d6 fire
    or ranged touch +12 32d6, Fort DC21 for 5d6 damage
    or touch +13 subject "dances" for 1d4+1 rounds, no save


    So now if we convert the high level sorcerer to an archmage...we find that the touch-attack caster is still better off with weapon finesse...


    LE halfling Sor14/Archmage 2
    Str 8 Dex 15(19) Con 14 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 19(23)
    Familiar: imp (touch attack +13)
    Feats: spell focus:necromancy, improved familiar(imp), skill focus:spellcraft, rapid metamagic, spell focus:enchantment, weapon finesse
    High Arcana: Arcane Reach (cost 1 7th level spell slot), Mastery of Elements (cost 1 8th level spell slot)
    Spells Known:
    1 - true strike, shocking grasp, mage armor, magic missle, feather fall
    2 - ghoul touch, scorching ray, darkvision, see invisible, resist elements
    3 - warcry (Book of Exalted Deeds), vampiric touch, fly, dispel magic
    4 - greater invisibility, black tentacles, detect scrying, polymorph
    5 - night's caress (Libris Mortis), teleport, storm touch (Magic of Eberron), greater blink
    6 - disintegrate, mass suggestion, summon monster VI
    7 - hiss of sleep (Spell Compendium), limited wish
    8 - irresistable dance
    Gear: spear +1 of frost, ring +5, ring of free action, gloves of Dex+4, cloak of Cha+4, boots of striding and springing, amulet of natural AC +4, lesser rod of quicken
    AC(with mage armor) 27 Spd 30 Init +3 HP 73 For +7 Ref +9 Will +12
    Attack Options (add +20 with quickened true strike 3/day):
    melee +8/+3 1d6+1d6x2
    or (ranged) touch +12 (+15 vs metal armored) 5d6 energy
    or (ranged) touch +12 Fort DC19 or humanoid paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds
    or (ranged) touch +12 10d6 negative energy (gain half as temporary hp)
    or (ranged) touch +12 9d6 energy + stunned for 1 round
    or (ranged) touch +12 15d6 negative energy + 1d6+2 Con
    or (ranged) touch +12 undead flea in panic for 1d4 rounds
    or ranged touch +12/+12/+12 4d6 fire
    or ranged touch +12 32d6, Fort DC21 for 5d6 damage
    or touch +12 subject "dances" for 1d4+1 rounds, no save
    Last edited by HamsterOfTheGod; 2009-06-25 at 12:08 AM.
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