Changeling Wizard

[Reptar]

I"m looking to make a brainy Infiltration expert.
Originally I was thinking of Cabinet Trickster and Mindspy, but they both have high skill rank requirements. I had a hard time finding good classes with access to decent skills and both disguise and concentration. Thankfully as I was hunting for good classes to enter them with I came across the alternate class Changling Wizard in RoE, same as cabinet trickster.

Now I've run into a conundrum. I was also looking the Focused Specialist alternate class and the Master Specialist Prc, from Complete Mage.
How would these work with Changeling Wizard and it's Dual specialization.

The character is only 5th level (36 pt buy) and I don't know if I even bother with the slow return on investment from my original Idea?
I like the feel but it will take too long. Should I aim for Archmage instead?

Thank you all for your time and advice, you've been a big help before and I hope that you will be so again.

[JeminiZero]

Any reason why you don't want to use a simple Beguiler instead?

[Reptar]

*Head desk*

But I'd still appreciate responses to the OP. I kinda like the idea of a illusion specialist. It realy fit's the character I'm trying to make.

The master specialist's "all illusions are silent and still" is REALY nice.

[Amphetryon]

Illusionist 5/Master Specialist 10/Recaster 5?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Major School Esoterica (Ex):
At 10th level, your knowledge of your
chosen school reaches its peak. You gain
an ability from those below based on
your chosen school; each one can be
used three times per day.

Only three of your illusions per day are stilled and silent.

A Changeling with dual specialization entering Master Specialist would likely have to choose which school each class feature applied to. If he enters with Spell Focus: Illusion, he'd get Greater Spell Focus: Illusion at the 3rd level. At the 4th, 7th, and 10th levels he would have to choose one of the two school esoterica to gain. Another option would be to require him to have Spell Focus in both illusion and transmutation to qualify, he still only gets Greater Spell Focus in one of them but he would gain both esoterica and the other benefits of the class would apply to spells of both schools. Of course, his illusion esoterica would only apply to illusion spells and his transmutation esoterica would only apply to transmutation spells, but I think the dual-benefit could be a fair ruling to use unless the rest of the party is extremely suboptimal.

For an Illusion specialist, (Whisper) Gnome is really the only way to go. Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 4/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter with all the Illusionist ACFs from UA, Signature Spell: Silent Image, Residual Magic, Earth Spell + stone slab sandals, etc.

Of course Beguiler is what you want. Take Versatile Spellcaster right away, grab Obtain Familiar and a (non-native) bloodline feat (page 112+) if your DM decides that Versatile Spellcaster alone won't grant you early access to the next level of spells. Obtain Familiar and maybe Improved Familiar is still definitely worth getting, note that you can get Improved Familiar at 6th and just wait until 7th to get an Imp or Quasit. Grab Mindbender 1 at your 6th character level, and given a favorable ruling on Versatile Spellcaster your Advanced Learning will grant a 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 9th level spells. I'd get Ray of Stupidity, Shadow Form, Greater Shadow Conjuration, Superior Invisibility, and Greater Shadow Evocation. Be sure to pick up the feats Darkstalker and Mindsight from Lords of Madness.

[Koury]

The master specialist's "all illusions are silent and still" is REALY nice.

Yeah, that would be nice, if thats what they got.

That ability is only 3/day, however.

EDIT: Swordsage'd. Serves me right for finishing my MW2 match before finishing my reply.

[Reptar]

Thanks' a bunch Biff I thought that ability was too much.
Any recommendation on the heritage feat?

[Reptar]

If I can get the DM to drop the race requirement for Shadowcrafter Mage, how can I most utilize the changeling bonus'? I'm going for the sort of feel that the leader of the ATeam has.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Note that you should only take one of the bloodline/heritage feats if your DM won't let Versatile Spellcaster alone grant you early access to the next level of spells. As it stands, you have quite a few feats fighting for your 1st, 3rd, and 6th level feat spots: Versatile Spellcaster and Darkstalker for the 1st level spot, which you can use a flaw to get both; Obtain Familiar at 3rd, but you want your bloodline feat as early as possible, which starting at 5th level means you can likely gain a flaw at 3rd after gaining Obtain Familiar to pick up a heritage feat, but it will still be too late for you to get a 2nd level spell with your 3rd level Advanced Learning; Mindsight and Improved Familiar at 6th, which is a really tough choice and would ultimately depend on play style and which you would get more immediate use out of.

If you don't need a bloodline feat, take a flaw starting out to get Versatile Spellcaster and Darkstalker at 1st, take Obtain Familiar at 3rd, pick up a second flaw at 5th to take Improved Familiar but don't get one until 7th level, and get Mindsight when you hit 6th level. At 9th+ you could take a bloodline feat to expand your spell list, plenty of them wouldn't really have much of a drawback for a Beguiler so it really comes down to personal preference and whether you'd want any of the followup feats for that bloodline.

If you would need a bloodline feat to get early access to the next level of spells, still get a flaw to start with Versatile Spellcaster and Darkstalker at 1st, get Obtain Familiar at 3rd and get your second flaw at 3rd for your bloodline feat, though your first Advanced Learning would have to be a 1st level spell instead of Ray of Win Stupidity. When you hit 6th level you'll have to choose between Mindsight or Improved Familiar. You don't need to have a familiar already, just the ability to get one, so you can let it wait until you can get a more useful/survivable one like an Imp or a Quasit. If you want to start out with a basic familiar right away then I'd probably pick Mindsight and just keep your current familiar until later. If you want to not get one until you can get a better one then grab Improved Familiar at 6th and summon the Imp/Quasit at 7th, and let Mindsight wait until 9th level.

[Reptar]

Thank you a whole bunch, I'm rather new to all the details of arcane magic.

Flavor wise my character has good Charisma but is there any use in game?
other than a bonus to bluff?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If I can get the DM to drop the race requirement for Shadowcrafter Mage, how can I most utilize the changeling bonus'? I'm going for the sort of feel that the leader of the ATeam has.

You'd want all three Illusionist ACFs from UA if going Shadowcraft Mage. The Transmutation ACFs down the page are tempting, but you can only trade out a given class feature once, so for example if giving up your extra specialist spells/day for Illusion Mastery you cannot give up those same extra spells/day to also gain Transmutable Memory. You could get around that with the Focused Specialist variant, but that would be four prohibited schools, plus Transmutable Memory won't matter much given the Shadowcraft Mage build's versatility. I'd actually forget about the dual specialization as it doesn't really offer much to the build, just go Illusionist for a Shadowcraft Mage build.

The Gnome Illusionist 1 substitution level makes Silent Image a 0-level spell instead of a 1st level spell, which interacts with Earth Spell and Residual Magic to make your spells that much stronger and that much more efficient. Gnomes also get a +1 DC with Illusions, so you'd be missing out on that too. Gnome isn't just a racial requirement for Shadowcraft Mage, it's literally the best race to use for the build.


Consider instead going something like Beguiler 1/ Wizard 4/ Ultimate Magus 10, which with Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler will get to apply 9/10 UM spellcasting to Wizard. Looking at the sidebar on page 150 of Races of Destiny, a Changeling (part human part doppleganger) could be considered a humanlike race and given the Human subtype, thus qualifying for Able Learner. That would allow you to keep up your ranks in all those nice Beguiler class skills without the cross-class cost for Wizard and UM levels. You can even use Versatile Spellcaster to spend Beguiler spell slots to spontaneously cast any Wizard spells you know. After you max out UM you can take the 5th Wizard level and get the Spontaneous Divination ACF from Complete Champion for even more versatility.

Edit: Also note that Shadowcraft Mage and Shadowcrafter are two different classes, though both should be used in the build.

[Greenish]

Wouldn't an Unseen Seer work for a brainy infiltration expert too?

[Cyclocone]

If I can get the DM to drop the race requirement for Shadowcrafter Mage, how can I most utilize the changeling bonus'? I'm going for the sort of feel that the leader of the ATeam has.

If you're set on a Changeling SCM you could use Racial Emulation to qualify as a gnome.

[Reptar]

You could get around that with the Focused Specialist variant, but that would be four prohibited schools, plus Transmutable Memory won't matter much given the Shadowcraft Mage build's versatility. I'd actually forget about the dual specialization as it doesn't really offer much to the build, just go Illusionist for a Shadowcraft Mage build.

I don't actually mind being super specialized, and originally I was looking at the changeling mage ACF for it's added disguise skill. The dual specialization was just a bonus, I like the Idea of a changeling illusionist who tries not to rely on her powers or spells for her disguises.


Thank you cyclocone that's a wonderful Idea. Would it qualify me for the other gnome things that Biffoniacus mentioned?

edit: nvmd I just looked them up.

Thank you all again, I've played warlock and I've played divine casters but I've always been wary of arcane casters, you're making them a lot easier.

Again is there any use I can put charisma to or should I dump it?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Cha is typically a dump stat for an Int-based caster, along with Wis and Str. Maybe get a Circlet of Persuasion with +Int added to it as per MIC, and just stick a 10 on Cha and call it good.

The Shadowcraft Mage build sort of requires an encyclopedic knowledge of Evocations and Conjurations (Creation/Summoning) to really be effective. If you're not very familiar with arcane casters, you'd probably be more comfortable playing a Beguiler or UM instead, as both would be a pretty good fit for this character.

[Reptar]

Thanks for the tip.
What's your opinion on Cabinet trickster? It doesn't seem as usefull as UM.
And it would make the character MAD.

[Keld Denar]

UM is SAD if you splice together Wizard and Beguiler. Take the Beguiler level first, then 4 levels of Wizard, with Practiced Spellcaster(Beguiler) at 3rd level. Progress UM from there, sticking most of the levels on your Wizard side.

Use your Beguiler slots mostly for utility, and for fueling metamagic on your Wizard size.

Doesn't play well with ScM though, you'd be better off as a straight class caster.

[Reptar]

What's ScM?
Edit: Shadowcraft Mage

And how good is Recaster?

[Keld Denar]

Recaster is decent. You get some free metamagic, but you lose CLs. Its not high on the power list, but it makes up for it with some pretty cool features. One of the fewish caster PrCs that lose CLs but are still taken anyway...unlike say, Blood Magus.

[nargbop]

Cabinet Trickster is fun for being a nigh-undetectable replacement person. Problem : being a replacement person means lots of only-one-PC-is-playing-right-now time. Cabinet Trickster is great for Big Bad Evil Guys.

Recaster is super awesome if you are a tactical caster who loves fiddling with metamagic. I have a Warweaver-Recaster who dumps an absurd number of buff spells onto the party regularly.

[Reptar]

Thank you all for your help I think I'll go the Beguiler/Wizard/Ultimate Magus route. Should I continue with illusionist/transmutation changing wizard? or should I stay as generalist as I can?

What I'm realy looking for is some one who can disguise themselves, walk in, discuss the plan with the enemy and then set illusions or other traps against them.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Thank you all for your help I think I'll go the Beguiler/Wizard/Ultimate Magus route. Should I continue with illusionist/transmutation changing wizard? or should I stay as generalist as I can?

What I'm realy looking for is some one who can disguise themselves, walk in, discuss the plan with the enemy and then set illusions or other traps against them.

I generally specialize in something, but I'm not sure if you should go the double specialist route with UM. Some people work under the assumption that Beguiler will cover that for you, so you ban Enchantment and Illusion, but I personally like having some Illusion on my Wizard side of things. So, if you went Focused Specialist Transmuter, you could dump Evocation, Enchantment, and Illusion, using Beguiler for the latter two you lost.

Personally, I prefer to keep Illusion on my Wizardry just so I don't have to deal with the delay from the Beguiler side to get the goodies.