[3.5] Anima Mage exploitation

[Thurbane]

Hey all - the Anima Mage PrC in the ToM is fairly open to exploitation. It was clearly designed to require at least a level of Binder to qualify, but due to the poor wording of the reqs, it is possible to enter with no levels at all (using two of the binding feats). The PrC is full arcane casting progression, and gives you the soul binding ability of a 10th level Binder.

Cheese aside, can anyone think how to futher exploit this - to get more than 10 levels of soul binding, while retaining full casting? I'm thinking there must be a way using Legacy Champion or bloodline levels...but this level of TO always confuses me somewhat.

Theoretically, I'd like to get a Sorcerer/Anima Mage with full (20 level) arcane casting, and as much soul binding as possible...using only official WotC sources please.

Note: this is theoretical only...I wouldn't use such a build in an actual game.

[Optimystik]

Binder EBL stacks with Bloodlines. A more brilliant gameologist than myself can likely find a way to abuse that.

I would go divine rather than arcane if I were you though, because there are two divine Binding + casting PrCs - the second being Tenebrous Apostate.

[nyarlathotep]

Anima Mage actually specifies arcane; that and Tenebrous Apostate isn't full casting.

[imperialspectre]

I'm not sure how there are two divine/binding prestige classes; I don't know of any binding PrC that advances divine spellcasting other than Tenebrous Apostate.

The key, as a Sorcerer/Anima Mage, is to get to soul binding level 12 as soon as possible, in order to get Zceryll and the amazingly good abilities she grants. Fortunately, you do this at Anima Mage 10, since Improved Binding increases your effective binder level by 2, so you get Zceryll at ECL 11 if you're using all available early entry.

Now, as builds go, this one is very mild in terms of power. You'll be flexible and certainly well above a Sorcerer 20, but you'll basically be as abusive as the spells you pick, and that's entirely under your control. So I wouldn't consider this "theoretical" at all, it's an exceptionally playable character.

The lack of support for Tome of Magic pretty much means you can't really exploit binding past the resources in the book. You can use Legacy Champion, Uncanny Trickster, or bloodlines, but those are pretty silly and a lot of people don't even think they necessarily work by RAW.

[Optimystik]

Anima Mage actually specifies arcane; that and Tenebrous Apostate isn't full casting.

You missed the Adaptation section (page 53.) Anima Mage can be applied to divine casting and even psionics.

[arguskos]

You missed the Adaptation section (page 53.) Anima Mage can be applied to divine casting and even psionics.

And to be totally technical, Adaptation sections aren't RAW, they're just suggestions to your DM.

Now, I personally wouldn't mind, but, many many DMs would. Best to not assume such.

[Optimystik]

And to be totally technical, Adaptation sections aren't RAW, they're just suggestions to your DM.

Technically they are RAW (since they are both Rules, and Written.) They just happen to be alternate Rules.

Now, I personally wouldn't mind, but, many many DMs would. Best to not assume such.

Why would I not mention it? Clearly it is not universal knowledge, judging by the above posts.

[Greenish]

And to be totally technical, Adaptation sections aren't RAW, they're just suggestions to your DM.

Have you never suggested anyone to be an unarmed swordsage?

[Thurbane]

Yeah, thanks for the suggestion Optimystik, but I'd like to keep this to RAW, rather than adaptations if possible. Adaptations do require DM approval, and in this particular case, I'd like to avoid that. Cheers.

[Optimystik]

As above, it is RAW (WotC wrote it, you see.) But if you don't think your DM will be on board, nothing I can do about that. Cheers

[PId6]

Kobold Loredrake Sorcerer 2/Something 1/Anima Mage 10/Legacy Champion 7

Legacy Champion advances everything in Anima Mage. You lose 2 levels from Legacy Champion, but Loredrake replaces that. Something can be anything that has Intimidate as a class skill. Ironically, that something's probably best off as Binder, since you'd save a feat. Greater Draconic Rite replaces your caster level from that dip. You'll end up with 15 effective levels of Anima Mage and 20 levels of Sorcerer.

[Draz74]

Kobold Loredrake Sorcerer 2/Something 1/Anima Mage 10/Legacy Champion 7

Legacy Champion advances everything in Anima Mage. You lose 2 levels from Legacy Champion, but Loredrake replaces that. Something can be anything that has Intimidate as a class skill. Ironically, that something's probably best off as Binder, since you'd save a feat. Greater Draconic Rite replaces your caster level from that dip. You'll end up with 15 effective levels of Anima Mage and 20 levels of Sorcerer.

Shame the "something" can't be Uncanny Trickster 1, to set you up for two more levels of advancing Anima Mage later on.

Oh well. 15 Levels of Effective Binder Level, plus the Improved Binding feat, is just enough anyway to get you access to the highest-level vestiges.

[Optimystik]

Since this whole thread is theoretical anyway, here is the basic Anima Cleric build:

Binder 1 (Improved Binding)/Cleric 4/Anima Mage 10/Tenebrous Apostate 5 would be the RAW-legal version.

- Soul Binding as Binder 17 w/ Improved Binding feat (8th-level vestiges - highest)
- Casting as Cleric 18 (9th-level spells)
- Unlimited Turning attempts/day (w/ 5-round cooldown) which can explicitly be used for divine feats (Read: DMM.) RAW, you will also have the effective turning of a level 19 Cleric. (EBL 15 + Cleric 4.) It's not clear exactly how Tenebrous rebuking would work with DMM though.

[imperialspectre]

Most likely, you could augment DMM with those unlimited turning uses, but only 1 at a time because that's all you have at any one time. So you could stretch your turning resources, but not make them irrelevant.

[Optimystik]

Yes - I would rule you only get 1 turning usage from Tenebrous for DMM purposes, because the cooldown would kick in before you could use more.

But my build above still has normal turning from the cleric levels - you could use those for DMM (along with Extra Turning, Nightsticks etc.) and rely on Tenebrous as a fallback for when you run out of turning for a given day.