[3.5] Suel Arcanamach build

[Keld Denar]

Goals: Full BAB, Full SA casting, ability to swing Cha like a stick.
Books open: All non-Dragon Mags

Paladin4/Fighter2/SuelArcanamach4/AbjurantChampion5/Spellsword5
Human 28 Point Buy 14STR 10DEX 14CON 10INT 10WIS 16CHA
{table=Header]ECL|Class|Feats|Spells Known
1|Pal1| Law Devotion, Iron Will|-
2|Pal2|-|-
3|Pal3|Combat Casting|-
4|Pal4|-|Rhino's Rush
5|Ftr1|Power Attack|-
6|Ftr2|Divine Might, Improved Initiative|-
7|SA1|-|Shield
8|SA2|-|Nerveskitter, Whirling Blade
9|SA3|Arcane Strike|Bladeweave
10|SA4|-|Fly
11|AC1|-|Ray of Clumsiness
12|AC2|Minor Shapeshift|Invisibility, Polymorph
13|AC3|-|Greater Mirror Image
14|AC4|-|Swift Exp Retreat, Heart of Water, Bite of the Wearboar
15|AC5|Improved Toughness|Wraithstrike, Lightning Leap
16|SS1|-|Greater Invisibility
17|SS2|Improved Bull Rush|-
18|SS3|Shocktrooper|-
19|SS4|-|-
20|SS5|-|-
[/table]

Any thoughts/opinions? Playable? Fun?

Should start off as a general melee, then transition to more of a gish. Whirling Blade adds a lot of ranged viability, and spells like Bladeweave and Greater Mirror Image will add defense.

Anyway, I've been working on this for the past 2ish days on and off. Any feedback would be great!

[JeminiZero]

Seeing Power Attack and Shocktropper, I'm suprised you don't also have Leap Attack and Pounce somewhere in there.

When going human (or changeling), I like to take Able Learner as it makes skill management so much easier (especialy buying cross class skills like tumble and spellcraft to qualify for Arcanamach).

Also, maybe get Practiced Caster-Suel Arcanamach? Makes your rounds/level spells last that much longer, especially at the start.

[Keld Denar]

Seeing Power Attack and Shocktropper, I'm suprised you don't also have Leap Attack and Pounce somewhere in there.

Its not an ubercharger. It derives most of its damage from buffing + PA and Arcane Strike. The Imp Bullrush Shocktrooper features were thrown in primarily because I couldn't think of any other feats that would be useful there. Already taking most of the primary feats and even the typical filler feats (Imp Init, Imp Toughness) but any recommendations here would be helpful.

When going human (or changeling), I like to take Able Learner as it makes skill management so much easier (especialy buying cross class skills like tumble and spellcraft to qualify for Arcanamach).

Skills aren't a huge focus. The only skill you'd really need is Concentration for defensive casting. Other than that, buying crossclass ranks in tumble isn't a huge investment, especially with tumble's low proficiency cap/

Also, maybe get Practiced Caster-Suel Arcanamach? Makes your rounds/level spells last that much longer, especially at the start.

Not needed. Abj Champ5 gets and ability that sets your CL to your BAB if its higher than your CL. Since he ends up with 20/20 BAB, his CL is gonna be maxed as soon as he hits ECL15. I know thats kinda late to wait, but afterwards, Practiced Spellcaster would be a waste.

Thanks for the comments though. I appreciate different outlooks on it. Any other thoughts on his spells known or feats?

[JeminiZero]

Its not an ubercharger. It derives most of its damage from buffing + PA and Arcane Strike.

I would think that Arcane Strikes and Divine Might work best with something that has many attacks per round (like 2WF).

One possibility is to drop 2 fighter for 2 PsyWar (which would lose another BAB), and then grabbing Illithid Heritage, One other Illithid feat (maybe skin), and then the 4 Illithid grapple feats. This nets you 4 extra secondary natural attacks, to exploit Arcane Strikes/Divine Might, but at the same time, you retain the ability to use a 2-hander and PA.

Not needed. Abj Champ5 gets and ability that sets your CL to your BAB if its higher than your CL. Since he ends up with 20/20 BAB,

True, I forgot about that. Although I think his BAB is only 19, since he loses 1 BAB on the 1st level of Arcanamach.

his CL is gonna be maxed as soon as he hits ECL15. I know thats kinda late to wait, but afterwards, Practiced Spellcaster would be a waste.

True. In this case you could take 1 spellsword (for reduced ASF) folowed by Abjurant Champion 1-5 immediately after Arcanamch 1, so he benefits from the CL=BAB earlier.

Thanks for the comments though. I appreciate different outlooks on it. Any other thoughts on his spells known or feats?

I'm not that big an expert on spells. Although Arcanamach can only learn Abjuration, Transmutation, Illusion and Divination spells. And Combust is evocation.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It looks like a really good build overall. Definitely playable, and definitely viable throughout its career. I'd put it at Tier 3, which is definitely still useful in a game with Batman and CoDzilla, especially in the early levels when melee attacks outlast spells/day.

I think you forgot Wraithstrike, unless you'd prefer not to use it for game balance, which is understandable.

I'd be sure to have Greater Magic Weapon, and get a Ring of Arcane Might and/or an Orange Prism Ioun Stone so you'll eventually be able to cast it at +5. You could also activate a Bead of Karma which adds a bonus to all caster levels. Get a Standard Strand of Prayer Beads with the Bead of Smiting removed if possible for a discount, you'd be able to use Cure Serious and Remove Blindness/Deafness from the Bead of Healing due to your Paladin spell list. Be sure to get a few 1st level Pearls of Power to recover a spent Rhino's Rush.

In the later levels you should definitely pick up Cloudkill to use with Channel Spell from Spellsword. It deals 1d4 Con damage per round for 10 rounds per caster level. At Spellsword 5 you'll get a 12th level of Suel Arcanamach spellcasting, which being an even-numbered level you'll be able to switch a spell out for Cloudkill, though I'm not sure how useful it will be by then.

Visit the Otyugh Hole detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get Iron Will for free (or for 3000 gp at character creation), rather than spending a feat on it. That will free up a feat to take Power Attack sooner, or get Able Learner, or go with a nonhuman race such as Magic-Blooded Dragonkin Dragonborn, or maybe pick up Combat Reflexes if you're going to be starting at the low levels. You could even make an Illumian with Vaelnaen to use Suel Arcanamach spell slots to cast Rhino's Rush, or get Naenhoon to Persist two spells/day such as Bladeweave, Shield, Swift Expeditious Retreat, Swift Fly, etc.