[3.5] Recaster

[wadledo]

I've been looking around, and apparently there's no advice for how to make a decent Recaster(Races of Eberron).
This annoys me, so I'll ask y'all what you think should be done.

The main things about the Recaster are these:

1. Expanded Knowledge: I'll most likely be going into Recaster as a 9th level Changeling Wizard (with 3 levels of master specialist), meaning that any spell 4th level or lower is fair game at level 2, and anything 5th or lower is a go at 4th. What should I choose?

2. Time: What are some good spells for this?

3. Sudden Metamagic: Which of these are the best to choose?

4. If I'm taking the 5th level changeling wizard level so I can get a morphic familiar, is it worth it to spend a feat on Improved familiar, and if so, what should my other feats look like?

I've got 2 flaws at the ready, so starting at 6th, I've got 5 (and one that can either be a fighter feat or scribe scroll) feats to work with.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

1. Expanded Knowledge: I'll most likely be going into Recaster as a 9th level Changeling Wizard (with 3 levels of master specialist),

Why? Go in after 3rd level. You give up a single feat and a point of BAB and Will saves for all the wonderful bennies of MS.

[wadledo]

Why? Go in after 3rd level. You give up a single feat and a point of BAB and Will saves for all the wonderful bennies of MS.

Metamorphic familiar.
Do not question it until you've had a hummingbird familiar change into a Winter Wolf or Howler after the surprise round.

[Dark_Scary]

Metamorphic familiar.
Do not question it until you've had a hummingbird familiar change into a Winter Wolf or Howler after the surprise round.

He's saying go into MS at level 4. Is there any reason that 3 more levels of Wizard and three fewer levels of MS prevents you from using metamorphic familiar?

Heck, if it works, (it might) trade your familiar for something (like abrupt jaunt) and then get Obtain Familiar. Better in the long run if you really care about your familiar level progression.

[Malacode]

I agree with Obtaibn Familiar if you want any chance of it surviving. Otherwise, it's really not got a chance.... Unless you Share Spells a Polymorph/Alter Self (Funnily enough, the familiar needn't be a valid target for the spell, you you can Alter Self yourself into a Tren and have the familiar follow suit) or something, but ever since I took down a CR 8 encounter alone at level 6 with this trick my DM has banned it, so expect your DM to do the same. High level buffs like Tensers Transformation and the like, the really powerful ones that cost you spellcasting ability but can be dismissed work wonders when you use them with Share Spells. As for Recaster advice, I really don't have any.

[wadledo]

No, I need the fifth level of Changeling wizard to get metamorphic familiar, and since it's both a decent class ability, as well as vital to the character, I'd rather not PrC out until 6th.

And you don't seem to get it.
I have access to every single familiar, ever.
So if I need a little boost to climb, it changes to lizard.
If I need more HP, toad.
If I need something to smash some faces, winter wolf.
Etc.
All at the cost of nothing.

Please actually look at what you're arguing against before you comment, O.K.?

[Prime32]

No, I need the fifth level of Changeling wizard to get metamorphic familiar, and since it's both a decent class ability, as well as vital to the character, I'd rather not PrC out until 6th.

And you don't seem to get it.
I have access to every single familiar, ever.
So if I need a little boost to climb, it changes to lizard.
If I need more HP, toad.
If I need something to smash some faces, winter wolf.
Etc.
All at the cost of nothing.

Please actually look at what you're arguing against before you comment, O.K.?

The Obtain Familiar feat gives you a familiar based on your caster level rather than your wizard level. Trade out your familiar and take the feat at 3rd level - you can still pick up Metamorphic Familiar then, and it will continue to rise in power as you take recaster levels.

[Fishy]

Well, there's actually a really, really good reason not to go into Recaster as soon as you possibly can- higher level Expanded Knowledge spells.

[monty]

The Obtain Familiar feat gives you a familiar based on your caster level rather than your wizard level. Trade out your familiar and take the feat at 3rd level - you can still pick up Metamorphic Familiar then, and it will continue to rise in power as you take recaster levels.

No, Morphic Familiar is a feature of one of the racial substitution levels. In order to get it, he has to have 5 levels in the actual wizard class (not just a 5th level equivalent familiar), which means no prestige classes until 6th.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I'm not a big fan of the Sudden x metamagic feats. They are all 1/day... useful for theoretical "I OWN THIS ENCOUNTER" situations, but not really all that viable for actual gameplay.

In regards to your familiar, here is my suggestion:

Go Conjuration specialist, take Abrupt Jaunt. At 3rd level, choose the feat Obtain Familiar. Basically, you are blowing a feat on Abrupt Jaunt, which is well worth the trade.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

"As a full-round action, the familiar can change its form to that of any creature that the wizard could normally have as a familiar (see page 52 of the Player’s Handbook)." It can't change into a Winter Wolf unless you have the feat Improved Familiar, a caster level of 7th, a +7 BAB, and are within one step of a Neutral Evil alignment. It can only turn into a creature that you could have taken as a familiar via the normal methods. It arguably can't even turn into anything outside the PHB list of familiars. Using Polymorph/Alter Self to change it into a combat form is better than Morphic Familiar, hands down. Regardless, taking a variant from PH2 or UA to trade your class-granted familiar for a better ability, then spending a feat on Obtain Familiar, will give you a much better familiar in the later levels. Most of those variants are worth spending a feat on anyway, especially the ones for Conjuration.

For Expanded Knowledge, I'd probably get Freedom of Movement (4th) and Heal (5th, Adept list). Other good choices include Divine Power for your familiar, Call Avalanche from Frostburn, and Hound of Doom from the Hexblade list in CW depending on your character. You can also check the Paladin, Ranger, Blackguard, Assassin, Hexblade, Adept, and Magewright spell lists for exclusive spells and spells at a lower level than normal. Telflammar Shadowlord in Unapproachable East also has quite a few spells at a reduced level.

[wadledo]

No, Morphic Familiar is a feature of one of the racial substitution levels. In order to get it, he has to have 5 levels in the actual wizard class (not just a 5th level equivalent familiar), which means no prestige classes until 6th.

Before anyone says anything more about the familiar, read the quote above.

In addition, the fact that I get the bonus for each form is pretty damn cool as well, so please stop asking me about it.

[Sinfire Titan]

"As a full-round action, the familiar can change its form to that of any creature that the wizard could normally have as a familiar (see page 52 of the Player’s Handbook)." It can't change into a Winter Wolf unless you have the feat Improved Familiar, a caster level of 7th, a +7 BAB, and are within one step of a Neutral Evil alignment.

A morphic familiar doesn't shift alignments, and your alignment only needs to be within one step of your familiar's alignment, not whatever creature it turns into.

[Kyeudo]

I'm not a big fan of the Sudden x metamagic feats. They are all 1/day... useful for theoretical "I OWN THIS ENCOUNTER" situations, but not really all that viable for actual gameplay.

This isn't the Sudden Metamagic Feats. This is an up to 5/day instant use of a particular Metamagic feat he knows, with another thrown in at 4th level.

Of the ones offered, the good ones are Maximize Spell, Extend Spell, and Empower Spell. Enlarge Spell and Widen Spell are only situationally useful, and with the Metamorphic Spell: Space ability they'll come in handy even less.

In regards to your familiar, here is my suggestion:

Go Conjuration specialist, take Abrupt Jaunt. At 3rd level, choose the feat Obtain Familiar. Basically, you are blowing a feat on Abrupt Jaunt, which is well worth the trade.

Won't work if takes all 3 racial sub levels. The Changling Racial Sub for Wizard replaces standard specialization with the possibility of dual specializing in Illusion and Transmutation and gives extra class skills and skill points, including Disguise and Bluff (really nice for Changelings).


Personally, I'd suggest delaying entering Recaster until your 10th level of full spellcasting. That way you can snag a 5th level with your first use of Expanded Knowledge. Heal is a 5th level Adept spell, so you can suddenly be as good a healer as the party cleric in a pinch.

[The Gilded Duke]

Unfettered Heroism from Races of Eberron. One temporary action point each round for the spell duration. Also a personal buff if you want to persist it. It is normally a 5th level bard spell.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

This isn't the Sudden Metamagic Feats. This is an up to 5/day instant use of a particular Metamagic feat he knows, with another thrown in at 4th level.

Of the ones offered, the good ones are Maximize Spell, Extend Spell, and Empower Spell. Enlarge Spell and Widen Spell are only situationally useful, and with the Metamorphic Spell: Space ability they'll come in handy even less.

Maximize is mostly useful for the Sudden Max Time Stop combo. Empower is handy for a number of uses. Extend, in my opinion, is not really worth it. At 9th character level, his Hours/level spells will be lasting most of the day anyways.

Too bad you can't get Chain. That would be... awesome.

Won't work if takes all 3 racial sub levels. The Changling Racial Sub for Wizard replaces standard specialization with the possibility of dual specializing in Illusion and Transmutation and gives extra class skills and skill points, including Disguise and Bluff (really nice for Changelings).

Are all three levels required for the familiar thing?

Personally, I'd suggest delaying entering Recaster until your 10th level of full spellcasting. That way you can snag a 5th level with your first use of Expanded Knowledge. Heal is a 5th level Adept spell, so you can suddenly be as good a healer as the party cleric in a pinch.

Wow... a full spell level earlier than on the Cleric list...

Also, don't neglect the Bard's spell list. Song of Discord is fun to play with, and you can get Irresistable Dance as a 6th level, rathe than 8th level,spell.

[Kyeudo]

Maximize is mostly useful for the Sudden Max Time Stop combo. Empower is handy for a number of uses. Extend, in my opinion, is not really worth it. At 9th character level, his Hours/level spells will be lasting most of the day anyways.

At high levels, it's making the "10 minutes/level" buffs last half the day that you use Extend for. Buffs like Foresight.

Are all three levels required for the familiar thing?

*smacks self*

No. Just the 2nd, and the 3rd kind of sucks. He sounds like he's taking the dual-specialization offer, though, so he can't get Abrupt Jaunt. Just the Transmutation or Illusion abilities.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A morphic familiar doesn't shift alignments, and your alignment only needs to be within one step of your familiar's alignment, not whatever creature it turns into.

You want your familiar to change into X creature, so ask yourself the following question:
'If I were trying to summon a new familiar right now via the normal methods, could I summon one of X creature as my new familiar?'
If yes, it can change into that; if no, then it can't. If you do not meet the prerequisites to summon a given familiar not found on the PHB list, then your Morphic Familiar cannot change into it. Alignment may be passable, but even at Wizard 6/ Master Specialist 3/ Recaster 5 he still will not meet the +7 BAB requirement for his familiar to turn into a Winter Wolf. Plus I doubt he'll be taking any of the feats required for the stronger forms, such as Improved Familiar, Celestial Familiar, and Dragon Familiar. My point is, he's giving way too much credit to this substitution level, when Polymorph is a better substitute.

[wadledo]

I like the sub level, it fits with my character concept, the bonuses from the different forms are nice, and there are more than enough different forms that are good for melee/general use that I'd rather not waste polymorph on (Oh, it's dark and I can't see anything. I'll switch my weasel familiar to a bat and use it's blindsight to find a way out of here
Oh noes, we are trapped underground and do not know where to go! I shall change my familiar from bat to earth elemental, so it can search for secret passages since we didn't think to bring a wand of detect secret doors.).
Please drop that portion of the argument, it's not the point of this thread.

[appending_doom]

You want your familiar to change into X creature, so ask yourself the following question:
'If I were trying to summon a new familiar right now via the normal methods, could I summon one of X creature as my new familiar?'
If yes, it can change into that; if no, then it can't.

Me, I might just assume that the rules aren't meant to allow Improved Familiars, and rule that as a DM. But I think your ruling is a good way to read it, too.