Brainstorming a Spell Warp Sniper

[Fastmover]

I'm thinking of making a Spell Warp Sniper from C. Scoundrel.

I was thinking about going Sorcerer/Ninja 2/Spell Warp S. I want the ninja to remove the Dex of enemies AC.

Well this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to use Touch of Idiocy as my main weapon. Spell Reach, Split Ray, Twin Spell, and the ninja's Ghost step. I would imagine that being a lot of D6s to an opponents Int, Wis and Cha.

Anyone got any idea as to how to make this better or whether it is a good idea or not?

[Eldariel]

2 levels of Ninja are hardly needed; you can do all that with your spells. Just take 1 (Ninja, Rogue, Spellthief, any will do) and enjoy the show. Some of the best spells to Spellwarp:
- Wings of Flurry [Races of the Dragon]
- Frost Breath [Spell Compendium]

The first is a Sorc-only and the better of the two, but a level 4 spell. Still, uncapped CLd6 force damage along with no-save Daze is just awesome. Frost Breath is much the same.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I would recommend looking here for advice.

Rough stub, using Master Spellthief for giggles:
Spellthief 1/Wizard (or Sorcerer) 4/Unseen Seer 10/Spellwarp Sniper 5. Take Spellthief at first level for extra skill points before jumping into your primary arcane caster class. Take Unseen Seer ASAP to get some extra sneak attack via Hunter's Eye (PHB2) and whatever the divination spell is that extends the sneak attack range on ranged attacks. I would personally use Spellwarp Sniper as filler, but, with Wings of Flurry it comes into its own.

[SurlySeraph]

Sneak attack on spells does not work that way. You'd get extra untyped hit point damage, not extra ability damage.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Sneak attack on spells does not work that way. You'd get extra untyped hit point damage, not extra ability damage.

Nitpick: extra negative energy damage, according to Complete Arcane. But yes, increasing ability damage via SA or the like doesn't work.

[nekomata2]

Nitpick: extra negative energy damage, according to Complete Arcane. But yes, increasing ability damage via SA or the like doesn't work.

Isn't it extra whatever-type-of-damage-the-spell-you-used does? Like acid splash would do all the sneak attack damage in acid...

[Keld Denar]

It is, unless the damage is ability damage, then it converts to negative energy damage. Check out the Weaponlike Spell section of Complete Arcane for the exact details.

Normally, yes. If you SA with a Lesser Orb of Fire, the SA damage is fire damage. If a Shadow took levels in Rogue, its SA damage would be negative energy, not ability damage. I'm guessing its a balance reason, as doing 5d6 Str damage to some poor fool would be incredibly unbalanced, just the same as doing 5d6 Int, Wis, and Cha damage with a touch would be.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Isn't it extra whatever-type-of-damage-the-spell-you-used does? Like acid splash would do all the sneak attack damage in acid...

As Keld Denar noted, it deals the same damage if the spell deals hit point damage and negative energy damage otherwise. I was specifically addressing the case of ability damage, where SurlySeraph said it dealt untyped damage in that case. Why exactly they decided it's negative energy as opposed to untyped, I don't know, but it would definitely be unbalanced to make it deal more ability damage.

[Grumman]

Rough stub, using Master Spellthief for giggles:
Spellthief 1/Wizard (or Sorcerer) 4/Unseen Seer 10/Spellwarp Sniper 5.

I'd probably go for 2 levels of Trickster Spellthief instead. Learn Sniper's Shot as a Spellthief Spell and you'll be able to snipe from any distance as long as you want, as long as you keep targeting spellcasters to power your next Sniper's Shot.

[Eldariel]

I'd probably go for 2 levels of Trickster Spellthief instead. Learn Sniper's Shot as a Spellthief Spell and you'll be able to snipe from any distance as long as you want, as long as you keep targeting spellcasters to power your next Sniper's Shot.

It's a Wizard-spell y'know. Also, Unseen Seer adds Divinations in class. So you persist (without any trickery; they're all level 1-2):
Hunter's Eye
Sniper's Shot
Guided Shot
Golem/Vine/Gravestrike

and whatever the hell else you can come up with (Divine Power is a good one; Arcane Disciple that, though that does require small trickery to persist). Then go to town with your range limitless, penaltyless, concealment-ignoring, immunity-ignoring ~20d6 Sneak Attacks.

[Sir.Swindle]

They prolly did negative energy damage so you still are useless against undead. Not entirely because you still have spells but not more effective due to SA.

:Edit: maby a spell warped necromancer wouldn't be so bad 'eh?

[Fastmover]

Well actually what I really wanted to focus on was mostly Touch of Idiocy.

Make touch of idiocy a ray with Spell Reach.

Attack twice a shot with Splitting.

And maybe another two time with Quicken Spell.

And even another two with Twin Spell.

That damage by itself would be 4d6 or 6d6 (Twin Spell if I decide to take it) of Int, Wis, and char. Then I was going to use the Ninja's Ghost Step to be able to catch them off guard. This way I can remove their Armor AC and their Dex AC which leaves them only with their Deflection AC. So then I would pretty much be hitting a target almost every time.

I would have problems with constucts, Vermin, Ooze and Undead... but then as a Sorcerer I have a multitude of other spells I can use on those.

[Claudius Maximus]

Touch of Idiocy does not deal ability damage, but rather a penalty. These penalties do not stack from multiple instances of the spell; only the highest penalty applies. You can not sneak attack to increase these penalties.

[Fastmover]

Touch of Idiocy does not deal ability damage, but rather a penalty. These penalties do not stack from multiple instances of the spell; only the highest penalty applies. You can not sneak attack to increase these penalties.

I wasn't planning on trying to increase the damage with the sneak attack.

The penalties don't stack huh. Hmm... ok. Maybe that is a good thing though.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I wasn't planning on trying to increase the damage with the sneak attack.

The penalties don't stack huh. Hmm... ok. Maybe that is a good thing though.

Though hitting an opponite with a quickend ray touch of idiocy before hitting them with a will save spell is very good.