Diviner - Sounds like fun

[BumblingDM]

So, because we have a long standing arguement about wizards and their brokenness I am currently going to play a Diviner, mystic thuerge is an idea I am thinking about going with - but I was curious if anyone out there has played one and if they have any advice/ ideas for cool spells that make for a badass future seeing dude.

kind of like to play him a little like young Urza ( for you magic nerds out there)

thanks

[Eldariel]

I tossed a Master Diviner together at a point; came out at:
Diviner 5/Divine Oracle 10/Loremaster 1/Fatespinner 4

Unseen Seer is the only Divination-related class not included, but its class features (getting spells off other lists, including Divination caster level) didn't have the same feel as always being able to act on surprise round or being able to screw probabilities.

Loremaster is mostly a filler; could be Unseen Seer just the same. Doesn't really make much difference either way. Loremaster gets a bonus feat tho, hence me preferring it.

[BumblingDM]

What about the master specialist class? Is that any good?

[Eldariel]

What about the master specialist class? Is that any good?

It is, but not for a Diviner. Master Specialist: Diviner doesn't get anything exceptional, definitely nothing as interesting as what DO and Fatespinner give you, and on Wizard 5 you can take the Complete Champion ACF "Spontaneous Divination" which, as you might imagine, is all kinds of incredibly awesome for a Diviner and fits the idea of "I knew I was gonna need this spell" perfectly too.

If not for that ACF, you could go Diviner 3/Master Diviner 2, but as things stand, Diviner 5 gives you much more interesting ability and is much better for being The Perfect Diviner.

[Dr.Epic]

So, because we have a long standing arguement about wizards and their brokenness I am currently going to play a Diviner, mystic thuerge is an idea I am thinking about going with - but I was curious if anyone out there has played one and if they have any advice/ ideas for cool spells that make for a badass future seeing dude.

kind of like to play him a little like young Urza ( for you magic nerds out there)

thanks

I'd go Lore Master.

[BumblingDM]

Very cool - I like the idea of that feat - what spells or what books should I be looking in to really get that "i knew this would happen" feel?

[JerichoPenumbra]

I'm playing diviner in a game myself and one of the prestige classes I'm planning on him going into is the Voyeuristic Seer from the book of erotic fantasy. It only requires Spell Focus Divination and the ability to cast scrying to enter. It's 3 levels of full spellcasting and d6 hit dice that grant you access to a class specific domain that allows you to cast certain spells through scrying in addition to a bonus to caster level for divination spells, reduced casting time for scrying, a portable focus for scrying, and a few spell-like abilities that you can use through scrying including true seeing.

[Eldariel]

Very cool - I like the idea of that feat - what spells or what books should I be looking in to really get that "i knew this would happen" feel?

Contact Other Plane, Commune, Scrying, etc. Just take the divination-list, use spells that give you some manner of information on the future and profit. They really take off around level 4-5 tho; the lower level ones aren't that useful for futuresight.

Note that while you can't cast Commune yourself, you can Planar Bind e.g. Imps to do it for you. Just don't ban Conjuration or Abjuration. Meh, just ban Evocation and be done with it, actually. Enchantment can be useful for information gathering type.

[Keld Denar]

Eld...Divine Oracle grants the Oracle domain, which allows you to add the Oracle domain spells to your spell book. The 5th level Oracle domain spell is....COMMUNE! Best Divination spell EVER! Well worth the XP cost in almost every case.

[Eldariel]

Eld...Divine Oracle grants the Oracle domain, which allows you to add the Oracle domain spells to your spell book. The 5th level Oracle domain spell is....COMMUNE! Best Divination spell EVER! Well worth the XP cost in almost every case.

GP cost, no? But Planar Binding does it for free!

[Keld Denar]

Commune

Material Component
Holy (or unholy) water and incense.

XP Cost
100 XP.

And yea, I guess you could planar bind something, but its not like you were actually USING that xp for anything, right?

[HunterOfJello]

The Spontaneous Divination alternate class feature would improve your divination and spellcasting capabilities significantly.

It allows you to prepare normal spells and then spontaneously sacrifice any of them for a divination spell of equal or lower level.

[Fhaolan]

I tried a Bard/Diviner/Loremaster once, after having it recommended to me by this board. It worked fairly well, as a 'I know EVERYTHING' kind of character, but there were some serious drawbacks.

The main one is the same as any Diviner character. You're relying a *lot* on the DM to work *with* you. Divining as a way of life depends on DM rulings far more than other schools, except for Illusions, of course.

And in order to be effective, you're going to have to spend a lot more time on planning. Which can bore the rest of the players to tears unless they can find a way to join in, and they like that kind of stuff.

[Vangor]

GP cost, no? But Planar Binding does it for free!

Remember, though, Commune works with a deity the caster worships or has similar motives to, and the answers are ultimately fitting their own purposes. Not casting Commune yourself has the potential to be a waste or worse.

[BumblingDM]

Does anyone know of any damaging Divination spells? Not that i think that there are any - but with so many books and dragon mags...well I don't know.

Thanks everyone you have been a help

[Keld Denar]

The Giant's Terrible Secret and Terrible Revelation spells, but other than those, not really. A few of them, like Hunter's Eye, give you bonus damage when you attack, but I don't think any actually deal damage directly.