Unseen Seer Spells

[Chrismith]

I'm building a Rogue/Unseen Seer, and I was wondering: what spells should I plan to learn that will complement the rogue's sneaky ways? What spells should I grab using Advanced Learning? I like Hunter's Eye from PHBII, and Invisibility (and later, Greater Invisibility) seem like no-brainers, but what else?

Also, I'll be taking a level of wizard to qualify for the class, and the Unseen Seer doesn't seem to require that the character be a divination specialist. What school should I take, and which ones should be dropped?

EDIT: Looking at the Unseen Seer's spell power ability, it specifies that you get a caster level bonus on arcane divination spells. If I learn a non-arcane spell through Advanced Learning (such as Hunter's Eye), do I still get the CL bonus, since I'm technically casting it as an arcane spell?

[OneWinged4ngel]

I'm building a Rogue/Unseen Seer, and I was wondering: what spells should I plan to learn that will complement the rogue's sneaky ways? What spells should I grab using Advanced Learning? I like Hunter's Eye from PHBII, and Invisibility (and later, Greater Invisibility) seem like no-brainers, but what else?

Also, I'll be taking a level of wizard to qualify for the class, and the Unseen Seer doesn't seem to require that the character be a divination specialist. What school should I take, and which ones should be dropped?

Cloud of Knives (PHB II) for more FREE ACTION sneak attacks (you heard right. Not swift or immediate. Free!). Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability (Spell Compendium) for more sneak attacks and all-around awesomeness (this one is a must-have for your familiar buddy). Avasculate (Spell Compendium) is a good thing to sneak attack with at higher levels. Try Light of Lunia, Mercuria, etc (Spell Compendium) at low levels. You can sneak attack with them, and you can share them with your familiar to double the damage, and the damage quadruples against undead and outsiders. 9d6 touch attacks at level 2 feel good.

For Advanced Learning... I'll have to think a bit. There's Grave Strike (Spell Compendium), of course. There's Divine Insight (Spell Compendium) for +15 to a skill check (lasts 1 hour / level until discharged). There's the obvious choice of Hunter's Eye. There's a few particularly cheesy Cleric divinations (see the luck one in Complete Champion. The name escapes me. You'll know it when you see it, because it's just so damn obviously ridiculous)

Also. GET A FAMILIAR. It will share your skill ranks, and it will share your buffs, including Hunter's Eye. Get a TALKING familiar, and it'll be able to UMD stuff right up for you. Make your familiar give you a +2 on all your checks, or double up on all your checks. Unseen Seers have familiars of awesomesauce.

You should specialize in Divination (even though you don't have to) and drop either Evocation, Necromancy, or Enchantment. Evocation is actually a bit more useful than usual for you, because instead of just Contingency and Force Screen, you actually want to get the sexier rays and other ranged touch attacks. Necromancy and Enchantment are both sweet, but you only really need one source of minions.

Also, you should take only one level of Rogue, so as to minimize your loss of spell levels. The rest leading up to Unseen Seer should be your caster of choice. You might want to take the 5th level of Wizard for a bonus feat, which you can switch out for Spontaneous Divination from Complete Champion. You also should get Practiced Spellcaster to compensate for the loss of caster levels for non-divination spells (and your single rogue level), as well as Able Learner to keep your skills up when taking your first caster levels.

EDIT: Looking at the Unseen Seer's spell power ability, it specifies that you get a caster level bonus on arcane divination spells. If I learn a non-arcane spell through Advanced Learning (such as Hunter's Eye), do I still get the CL bonus, since I'm technically casting it as an arcane spell?

Yes.

[Keld Denar]

Grave Strike is an awesome spell to add as Unseen Seer. Its a cleric only spell, but it is still a Divination, therefore a valid choice. That allows you to sneak attack undead when you qualify for it. And I know you want to sneak attack undead.

Nothing says you have to be a Diviner. You can be a generalist wizard. If you become a Diviner, though, drop Evocation. Its spells tend mostly to be reflex save typed, rather than attack roll type. You get sneak attack on the latter, but never on the former.

Also, if you DON'T do that, look into the class Spellwarped Sniper in CScound. It allows you to turn area spells into rays. Which you can sneak attack with. Fear a SWS with Elven Spell Lore (sonic fireball) and the Split Ray feat dropping 25d6 sonic fireball rays from invisiblity by about level 10.

EDIT: Yes, any spells you cast off the divine list as an Unseen Seer ARE arcane spells.

[OneWinged4ngel]

Also, if you DON'T do that, look into the class Spellwarped Sniper in CScound. It allows you to turn area spells into rays. Which you can sneak attack with. Fear a SWS with Elven Spell Lore (sonic fireball) and the Split Ray feat dropping 25d6 sonic fireball rays from invisiblity by about level 10.

I don't think this is worth it. You get the same damage from normal ray spells, and the added versatility of being able to prepare fireball as well as a ray is so slight... I'd rather get more Unseen Seer or Arcane Trickster levels.

[Keld Denar]

I don't think this is worth it. You get the same damage from normal ray spells, and the added versatility of being able to prepare fireball as well as a ray is so slight... I'd rather get more Unseen Seer or Arcane Trickster levels.

The advantage to preparing fireball as a ray is that can be Split Rayed for a doubling of base damage for a measily 2 spell levels. Also, it can then be sneak attacked with. You can't Split Ray an Orb of X, the most common method of sneak attack delivery. SWS also advances sneak attack dice and caster level, I'm pretty sure, but only 1 level is really needed.

Plus, since you've already invested a feat on Elven Spell Lore(PHB2) for fireball, you could also write an Arcane Thesis(PHB2) on it. Now you are getting 20d6 damage base on a 4th level spell, much better than your 15d6 orb. You can also empower it to 30d6 as a 5th level spell, or twin/energy admix/quicken as a 7th level spell for 40d6, or combine for 60d6 with a split, empowered, twined sonic fireball ray as an 8th level spell. And that's before sneak attack dice and with no save allowed. A little feat insensive? Sure, but its not like you arn't gonna take Split Ray or Quicken Spell anyways as an Unseen Seer. If you are gonna blast on a wizard, why not do it effectively.

[jameswilliamogle]

I was just working on one of these...

Human
Spellthief 1 / Conjurer 4 / Unseen Seer 10 / Spellwarp Sniper 5
Focused Specialist, Abrupt Jaunt, Enhanced Summoning
(lose Abjuration, Necromancy, Enchantment)

3 Master Spellthief, 15 PBS, 1b Craven, 12 Staggering Strike, 18 Quicken Spell,
9 Empower Spell, 1 Able Learner, 6 Practiced Spellcaster, Precise Shot (b),
Augment Summoning (b)

Advanced Learning
Grave Strike, Hunter's Eye, Divine Insight

[OneWinged4ngel]

The advantage to preparing fireball as a ray is that can be Split Rayed for a doubling of base damage for a measily 2 spell levels. Also, it can then be sneak attacked with. You can't Split Ray an Orb of X, the most common method of sneak attack delivery. SWS also advances sneak attack dice and caster level, I'm pretty sure, but only 1 level is really needed.

Plus, since you've already invested a feat on Elven Spell Lore(PHB2) for fireball, you could also write an Arcane Thesis(PHB2) on it. Now you are getting 20d6 damage base on a 4th level spell, much better than your 15d6 orb. You can also empower it to 30d6 as a 5th level spell, or twin/energy admix/quicken as a 7th level spell for 40d6, or combine for 60d6 with a split, empowered, twined sonic fireball ray as an 8th level spell. And that's before sneak attack dice and with no save allowed. A little feat insensive? Sure, but its not like you arn't gonna take Split Ray or Quicken Spell anyways as an Unseen Seer. If you are gonna blast on a wizard, why not do it effectively.

You can split any ray. Many rays do the same or more damage than Fireball.

[Chronos]

The options here are any wizard spell, plus divination spells from any class, right? Sneak Attack is good and all, but don't forget to boost your other abilities, too. For instance, Reduce Person, a mere first level spell, will effectively give you +5 to Hide (+4 size bonus directly, and 1 more from +2 size bonus to Dex). Also include spells like Blur, which will give you the concealment you need to hide (Blur is better here than Invisibility, since if you have enough Hide ranks, you're as good as invisible anyway, and it'll stay on when you attack).

Don't neglect your cantrips, either. Mage Hand and Prestidigitation are useful for anybody (especially sneaky sorts), and Ray of Frost or Acid Splash will add just as much sneak attack damage as any other attack (at which point the base damage doesn't matter so much).

[FractlFenx]

I just made a similar build.
Human Paragon 1, Diviner 1, Paragon 2-3, US 10, Spellwarp Sniper 5
You dont need rogue to make a viable build

Feats
Improved Initive
Able Learner
Eschew mats
Practiced Spell Caster (to offset the Div focus of US)
Insightful Divination

Are the base feats I took.

[Chosen_of_Vecna]

I just made a similar build.
Human Paragon 1, Diviner 1, Paragon 2-3, US 10, Spellwarp Sniper 5
You dont need rogue to make a viable build

Feats
Improved Initive
Able Learner
Eschew mats
Practiced Spell Caster (to offset the Div focus of US)
Insightful Divination

Are the base feats I took.

That's great except that Unseen Seer requires sneak attack doesn't it?

[Chronos]

That's great except that Unseen Seer requires sneak attack doesn't it?

No. It advances Sneak Attack if you have it (or Sudden Strike or Skirmish), but it doesn't actually require it. You're wasting a class feature if you don't already have any, but it's allowed.