[3.5] Advice with Eldritch Theurge

[Burley]

I finally read the PrC, and I've decided that it can be quite dastardly. I'm thinking a Sorc 1(w/precocious apprentice)/Warlock 4/Eldritch Theurge 10.

So, that would put me at 15th level, with a 7d6 blast, 3 least, 3 lesser and 2 greater invocations, plus 5th level sorceror spells.

So, few questions:
1) Should I consider the Battle Sorceror variant and perhaps take the Battle Caster feat?
2) When I finish with Eldrith Theurge, should I jump back into Sorc, Warlock, or perhaps a new PrC?
3) What spells should I learn to slap on my Blasts? I've already decided that Feeblemind would be the best thing ever to put on a Vitriolic Eldritch Spear. (Crush any arcane caster.) Any others?

[Duke of URL]

1) I'd recommend against it. You don't really need any of that stuff (stay out of combat!) and you're losing spells known and per day.

2) I'd look for a PrC to increase your sorcerer casting.

3) "Feeblemind Vitriolic Eldritch Spear". I just had an evilgasm.

Very sound strategy, and adaptable, as similar debuffs can work on non-casters. Target front-liners with Will save (or no save) debuffs and rogue types with Fort save (or no save) debuffs.

[Cyclocone]

1) Should I consider the Battle Sorceror variant and perhaps take the Battle Caster feat?
2) When I finish with Eldrith Theurge, should I jump back into Sorc, Warlock, or perhaps a new PrC?
3) What spells should I learn to slap on my Blasts? I've already decided that Feeblemind would be the best thing ever to put on a Vitriolic Eldritch Spear. (Crush any arcane caster.) Any others?

1) Battle Sorcerer is a trap.
2) Maybe Fiendblooded if you're going with a fiendish theme. Otherwise, Archmage or Legacy Champion/Uncanny Trickster.
3) Whatever suits the style you're going for.

[Dacia Brabant]

Lots of Theurge discussion lately.

1) Should I consider the Battle Sorceror variant and perhaps take the Battle Caster feat?

Save yourself the hassle and get a +1 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt.

2) When I finish with Eldrith Theurge, should I jump back into Sorc, Warlock, or perhaps a new PrC?

That depends on whether a couple 8th level spells are more valuable to you than a couple Dark invocations. If your arcane side were Wizard instead I'd say go that route since you'd get your 9th level slot, but this seems like a push to me. What PrCs would you be looking at for the arcane side or the invoking side?

3) What spells should I learn to slap on my Blasts? I've already decided that Feeblemind would be the best thing ever to put on a Vitriolic Eldritch Spear. (Crush any arcane caster.) Any others?

Shivering Touch. Vampiric Touch wouldn't be too bad either.

[Optimystik]

If you want 9th-level spells and dark invocations, drop Sorcerer and use Bard/Sublime Chord instead.

Bard 1 (Precocious Apprentice, Sanctum Spell)/Warlock 8/ET 1/Sublime Chord 1/ET 9. 9th-level spells, Invocations as Warlock 18, 8d6 Eldritch Blast.

Sanctum Spell turns your PA spell into 3rd level, allowing you to use it to qualify for Sublime Chord. A bit cheesy, but less so than Legacy Champion.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'm actually a fan of qualifying via Wizard 3/Warlock 1 (using one of the EB boosting items to qualify/Eldritch Theurge 10. Only one level behind on wizard for all the day long warlock buffs you could want. Also has the ability to slam down things like shivering touch onto the blasts.

[Mongoose87]

If you want 9th-level spells and dark invocations, drop Sorcerer and use Bard/Sublime Chord instead.

Bard 1 (Precocious Apprentice, Sanctum Spell)/Warlock 8/ET 1/Sublime Chord 1/ET 9. 9th-level spells, Invocations as Warlock 18, 8d6 Eldritch Blast.

Sanctum Spell turns your PA spell into 3rd level, allowing you to use it to qualify for Sublime Chord. A bit cheesy, but less so than Legacy Champion.

He could just use Bard to qualify with Sorcerer and get 9th level spells in that.

[Optimystik]

He could just use Bard to qualify with Sorcerer and get 9th level spells in that.

I'm not sure I follow you. To get 9th-level spells as a sorcerer instead of a Sublime Chord would require sacrificing Warlock progression. The build I posted casts as a level 10 Sublime Chord (9th level sorcerer spells) and a level 18 Warlock.

[Burley]

For Warlock power... I don't even know. I'd probably just go back to Warlock for the last five levels.

As for the Sorc, I've thought about Fatespinner, for some useful and unique abilities.
However, after going through the CrystalKeep, I saw the Incantifier. Is this a trap? It seems like a good way to get SR, but I don't know how many caster levels I'd lose.

I know there are a few specialized spell-school classes in Complete Mage, but I don't have access to that book at the moment to check.

[Mongoose87]

I'm not sure I follow you. To get 9th-level spells as a sorcerer instead of a Sublime Chord would require sacrificing Warlock progression. The build I posted casts as a level 10 Sublime Chord (9th level sorcerer spells) and a level 18 Warlock.

Can you not enter Sublime Chord with Sorcerer, so long as you have a level of bard?

[Hyooz]

If you can find a way to sneak Harm into your spell list, it's just deliciously mean to put on an eldtrich blast.

[Optimystik]

Can you not enter Sublime Chord with Sorcerer, so long as you have a level of bard?

Why would you? Sublime Chord gets the Sorcerer spell list even if you only start with Bard.

It doesn't advance a base class's spellcasting; it gets its own spells at every level, like Ur-Priest and Blighter do. There's no reason for Sorcerer anywhere in there.

If you can find a way to sneak Harm into your spell list, it's just deliciously mean to put on an eldtrich blast.

There's that feat that gets an arcane caster access to a domain - Harm is on the Destruction domain, for one.

[Burley]

I can get harm, but I'd not be able to get Precocious Apprentice, too.

Found another great spell: Wracking Touch. An extra d6 and I get to pretend I have sneak attack.

I'll update if I find more. I'm looking at Touch spells now, but I'll eventually get to the area spells.

Edit:
Here's another: Bestow Curse. Oh, that's tasty. With the Vitriolic Essence, I get to ignore the SR, and the save DC is charisma based, so... Awesome, right? Yes.
Also, Scorching Ray should work. I get to blast one guy, and then hit him a couple more times, and then maybe some of his buddies.

[Dhavaer]

Doesn't the spell adding ability count as an eldritch essence?

[Optimystik]

Doesn't the spell adding ability count as an eldritch essence?

Yes it does, making all the Vitriolic Feeblemind etc. combos illegal.

[Burley]

I'll have to reread for that rule. I don't remember seeing that...

Anyways, I've decided to go with this build Sorc1/Warl4/EldThe10/Mindbender1/Unseen Seer 4.
Get the telepathy (and Mind Sight), and Unseen Seer with give me some sneak attack dice to stack on there to help with my two lost EldBlast die. Plus, it gives me access to a couple good divination spells from the Cleric List, like Chain of Eyes and Grave Strike.
If I indeed can't add the Vitriolic essense, then snagging Assay Resistance would be good.

[Optimystik]

I'll have to reread for that rule. I don't remember seeing that...

It's two rules, actually:

1. Complete Arcane, pg. 8, "Eldritch Essence Invocations": "A warlock can apply only one eldritch essence invocation to a single eldritch blast, choosing from any of the eldritch essence invocations that he knows."

2. Complete Mage, pg. 58, "Eldritch Theurge Class Features": "Greatreach Blast (Ex): This invocation (Greater; 5th; Eldritch Essence) allows you to place an arcane spell with a range of touch upon your eldritch blast.

So the Greatreach Blast invocation, which you would use to add the spell to your Eldritch Blast, takes up the EE slot (preventing you from adding another EE like Vitriolic.)

In addition to the above, you can only apply two types of spells to your EB: touch spells (using Greatreach Blast) and area spells (using Spellblast, the ET's other special Eldritch Essence.) Feeblemind is neither, and so cannot be applied to your blast by any means.

However, you CAN apply Essences to your other touch/ranged touch spells with the ET's third ability, Eldritch Spellweave. So for example, you could apply Vitriolic Essence to a Shivering Touch, getting the benefits of both the spell and the SR-punch of the essence. But you'd have to be up close, or find some other way to turn your touch spell ranged besides your eldritch blast.