[3.5] But I wanna be a REAL arcane caster! D:

[Delaney Gale]

So I'm playing a rogue/transmuter/arcane archer right now. She just got two arbitrary levels, so she gets to be *tadah!* Level 15! I'm thinking we're going with rogue 7/transmuter 7/arcane archer 1... because getting to level 5 transmuter was so awesome that two more levels could only make it better. This gives me fourth-level spells! Yay!

So, given that:
1. I have access to any spell in existence right now. Literally. We have the perfect magic mart at our disposal. The archmage in charge of it found our cleric a freaking +2 flaming musket.
2. In character, Peri says that casting necromancy spells always made her sick to her stomach and that she failed Enchantment 101... in other words, her barred schools are necromancy and enchantment.

Give me some suggestions for her 4th-level spells. Lower-level gems might be nice too. The current campaign has lots of things with very high saves, so stuff that doesn't require saves would be awesome. Her general schtick is that she uses her spells to improve her combat and mobility so that she can get into the right place at the right time- she soloed a death knight in one round at level 12.

Her current spellbook, for reference:

1st level: mage armor, expeditious retreat, feather fall, arrow mind, ebon eyes

2nd level: spider climb, knock, cat's grace, invisibility, sonic weapon

3rd level: blink, fly, haste, dispel magic, false gravity

[The Glyphstone]

Pick up Golem Strike as a spell (1st level) if you don't want to spend your money on a Weapon Crystal of Demolition - I think it's a Transmutation as well actually. Definitely get a Weapon Crystal of Truedeath. It's really unfortunate you banned Necromancy, because that cuts you off from some of the best non-elemental ray spells and the roguetastic Wracking Touch.

If you think your Dm will tolerate it, Polycheese is always nice - nothing says "I Love You' like a Greater Invisible 12-headed Hydra with Sneak Attack.

[Delaney Gale]

She sunk 10k into the Greater Truedeath first thing- we've fought a LOT of undead so far, and that's how the insane death knight was summarily killed. There are a ton of cool necromancy spells, but I'd never really thought of sinking much into the wizard side of her until I'd been playing her for a while and she started getting offers to be made into a lich and found them a lot more tempting than the paladin was comfortable with...

Golem Strike sounds like something I should look into, although I'll have to balance it with arrow mind... I should look up how much a circlet of arrow mind would run me, as that would make me UNSTOPPABLE MUAHAHAHAHA. I think the DM would be happy to allow me to play with some Polymorph, although given whose bastion we're about to raid, it may or may not work out well for me IC :)

[Fax Celestis]

Mass enlarge person is nice if you have a bunch of meleers in the group. Phantasmal killer can be good if you pump your DCs. Shadow conjuration is never a bad choice.

[Starbuck_II]

Mass enlarge person is nice if you have a bunch of meleers in the group. Phantasmal killer can be good if you pump your DCs. Shadow conjuration is never a bad choice.

I've always wondered why there is no Shadow Necomancy... Shouldn't illusionist make that spell?

Heck, why not Shadow Abjuration? Or Shadow Universal!

[Delaney Gale]

We do have quite a few melee combatants, I'll ask the boys how they feel about being enlarged. (Also I think I just heard the abacus of sexual innuendo tracking ding.)

Also, just checked up the build on that circlet of arrow mind... um, I'm confuzzled. How can a 2000 gp item give me the benefit of what's theoretically an epic level feat...?! (arrow mind allows you to fire bows in melee combat without incurring attacks of opportunity, 1 minute/level- that's 42 rounds for Peri right now.)

[Telonius]

Is Arcane Trickster an option for this character? Seems like it would be a fairly intuitive choice, and you wouldn't have to worry so much about balancing out Rogue and Wizard levels from there in.

[Eeezee]

Dimension Door is spiffy. It's an instantaneous 400ft + 40ft/level range teleport and doesn't suffer from mishaps. You can also bring others with you, one medium creature per three caster levels. I'm sure you can imagine the countless advantages of being able to instantaneously teleport around, even if you can't do it that many times.

Solid Fog is good if you want to control the battle a little better. There is no save, so no need to worry about caster level. All creatures inside move at 5ft and take a -2 to melee attack/damage rolls. It also stops ranged attacks other than rays, so archers on the other side of a solid fog are useless against you unless they move around or through it. And creatures can't take a 5-foot step while in the fog! Also, if you cast it below yourself it acts kind of like feather fall.

Have you considered picking up Shield? It's pretty sweet for a 1st level spell, +4 AC and blocks magic missiles. It also applies to your touch AC, because it's a force effect. Although I say putting it on a wand is better

[CthulhuM]

Also, just checked up the build on that circlet of arrow mind... um, I'm confuzzled. How can a 2000 gp item give me the benefit of what's theoretically an epic level feat...?! (arrow mind allows you to fire bows in melee combat without incurring attacks of opportunity, 1 minute/level- that's 42 rounds for Peri right now.)

The magic item creation rules (particularly those for creating magic items that grant spell effects) are guidelines. You have to apply general game balance logic to the results. If your 2000gp item seems too powerful for its price (a ring of constant true strike for example)... then it isn't a 2000gp item, regardless of what the item creation guidelines say. You'll have to ask your DM what he thinks is reasonable - I'd personally say somewhere around 15,000-20,000 gp sounds right.

[Delaney Gale]

Is Arcane Trickster an option for this character? Seems like it would be a fairly intuitive choice, and you wouldn't have to worry so much about balancing out Rogue and Wizard levels from there in.

Wow, that is ridiculously good. Ridiculously, ridiculously good.

So, does having five classes sound excessive to you? Because I've wanted to join the Temple Raiders of Olidamarra for the entire game and we finally got to a plane of existence with them :)

It also stops ranged attacks other than rays, so archers on the other side of a solid fog are useless against you unless they move around or through it.

Dimension Door is ftw, however, this makes Peri want to go cry because most of the arrows in our party's battles come from her.

[MammonAzrael]

Greater Invisibility. Dear Gods above, unholy things below, and mind-****ing things perpendicular to reality, Greater Invisibility. you'll love staying invisible after hitting things.

I agree with the Golem Strike call, as being unable to SA a construct sucks. It might work just as a wand, too.

• Ectoplasmic Armor could be useful if you've bee encountering a lot of incorporeal undead recently.
• Benign Transposition is always fun.
• The Orb spells are pretty darn solid.
• Critical Strike could be fun.
• Sniper's Shot could wind up very useful, depending on situations. Probably better in wand form.
• Nerveskitter is always useful.
• Ray of Clumsiness is pretty darn good, especially agaisnt dragon-y targets.
• Baleful Transposition is always even more fun.
• Ghost Touch Armor is another option against incorporeal attacks.
• Wraithstrike is awesome.
• Hunter's Eyes could really boost your SA damage. Ranger only

If you think the Arrow Mind item pricing is bad, go make a continuous item of True Strike, and a continuous item of Wraithstrike. Yeah, the item price guides can be kinda jacked up sometimes.

[Nohwl]

Wow, that is ridiculously good. Ridiculously, ridiculously good.

So, does having five classes sound excessive to you? Because I've wanted to join the Temple Raiders of Olidamarra for the entire game and we finally got to a plane of existence with them :)



Dimension Door is ftw, however, this makes Peri want to go cry because most of the arrows in our party's battles come from her.

i would use 2 base and 3 prestige classes with no hesitation. if its cool with the dm and you can roleplay it, i would see no problem using a character with 20 classes/prestige classes.(as long as its about as good as the rest of the group)

[xanaphia]

Apart from sucking completely.

By the way, an all level 1 bard/cleric/druid/monk/sorcerer/wizard has a +12 Will save at 6th level.

I'd get True Strike, among other things.

@ Starbuck 2, why not shadow illusion?

[monty]

By the way, an all level 1 bard/cleric/druid/monk/sorcerer/wizard has a +12 Will save at 6th level.

This is why I always use fractional BAB/saves.

@ Starbuck 2, why not shadow illusion?

Because that's redundant?

[Collin152]

Because that's redundant?

One spell that can replicate lower level spells of the same school isn't redundant, it's efficient.
One spell to rule them all, one spell to find them, one spell to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

[monty]

One spell that can replicate lower level spells of the same school isn't redundant, it's efficient.

Fine then, it's slightly less non-redundant than the other ones. Happy?