Author Topic: Sha'ir Handbook  (Read 1754 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Daniel678

  • Barbary Macaque at the Rock of Gibraltar
  • ***
  • Posts: 199
Sha'ir Handbook
« on: January 12, 2011, 08:15:39 PM »
I'm thinking about making a handbook for the Sha'ir class from the Dragon Magazine Compendium. I just learned about it today and I am very surprised that I have not heard about it before.

It is a very versatile spellcasting class that has access to the entire wizard/sorcerer spellcasting list, has more spell/day than a wizard, and gains new spell levels at the same rate as a wizard.

I have to assume that many people are pushed away by the difficult way that they access their spells. Almost every person who's opinion on this class I have read has disliked it because they misread the class. I admit it is a little confusing and I did need to read it over more than once to really get everything but it's not really that complicated.

Anyway, would anyone be interested in a guide for the Sha'ir class and does anyone have anything to contribute?

Cannotthink

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 84
    • Email
Re: Sha'ir Handbook
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2011, 08:48:23 PM »
The class also casts arcane AND divine spells, allowing for a stupid array of accessible prestige classes. Divine spells, however, do take hours to actually prepare. Though, a gen can grab that spell while a sha'ir is asleep.

Spells known progresses at the same rate as a sorcerer, but the sha'ir has twice as many spells. Probably a good idea to keep every spell you want access to all the time right there. Spells with super long durations or super narrow applications are probably fine left out of there.

Diplomacy is a class skill and is integral to actually getting spells. A sha'ir has a bonus to spell negotiations equal to its class level. With full ranks in diplomancy in addition to that, getting spells is simple. Early on, not so much. The diplomacy DC for grabbing a first level spell that is 22. A first level sha'ir will probably have a +9 (4 ranks+4 cha+1 level) to the check, with an additional +1 or 2 depending on race and another +2 for having that spell on the spells known list. A level 2 sha'ir would have a +15 (5 ranks +4 cha+2 level+4 synergy(bluff/sense motive)). Beyond level 3, the check becomes increasingly trivial with a few failures here and there.

At level 18, a sha'ir planeshifts at will. This makes for a wonderful attack that sends enemies to any of the elemental plane of so desired.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2011, 08:57:48 PM by Cannotthink »

Shiki

  • King Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 853
  • Mindraped
Re: Sha'ir Handbook
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2011, 09:31:19 PM »
"An ally of truth."

Soundtrack of the week:
Kagamine Rin - Antichlorobenzene (ft. Kagamine Ren)

Littha

  • Man in Gorilla Suit
  • *****
  • Posts: 2155
    • Email
Re: Sha'ir Handbook
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2011, 09:34:26 PM »
The class also casts arcane AND divine spells, allowing for a stupid array of accessible prestige classes. Divine spells, however, do take hours to actually prepare. Though, a gen can grab that spell while a sha'ir is asleep.

Spells known progresses at the same rate as a sorcerer, but the sha'ir has twice as many spells. Probably a good idea to keep every spell you want access to all the time right there. Spells with super long durations or super narrow applications are probably fine left out of there.

Diplomacy is a class skill and is integral to actually getting spells. A sha'ir has a bonus to spell negotiations equal to its class level. With full ranks in diplomancy in addition to that, getting spells is simple. Early on, not so much. The diplomacy DC for grabbing a first level spell that is 22. A first level sha'ir will probably have a +9 (4 ranks+4 cha+1 level) to the check, with an additional +1 or 2 depending on race and another +2 for having that spell on the spells known list. A level 2 sha'ir would have a +15 (5 ranks +4 cha+2 level+4 synergy(bluff/sense motive)). Beyond level 3, the check becomes increasingly trivial with a few failures here and there.

At level 18, a sha'ir planeshifts at will. This makes for a wonderful attack that sends enemies to any of the elemental plane of so desired.

oh god skill check for bonus spells.... Item familiars ahoy.

Bloody Initiate

  • King Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 798
    • Email
Re: Sha'ir Handbook
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2011, 09:57:33 PM »
There's this here.

Lol, this happens surprisingly often.

There are two ACF handbooks, and unless someone posts in one, they're right next to each other atm.
I don't employ memes. Mass-produced ammunition, even from reputable manufacturers, tends to malfunction on occasion.

Akalsaris

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1143
    • Email
Re: Sha'ir Handbook
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2011, 11:00:21 PM »
That's not always a bad thing or unintentional though.  I made my Master of Shrouds handbook because PhaedrusXY's handbook was more like a play-by-play of his own experiences than a 'this is how you do it' type of guide.  The two Soul Eater guides are vastly different but each has good info that the other lacks. 

Personally, I'd love a second druid guide, since the spells section in the original is so out of date, and there's a ton of druid items and combos that I think should be considered.

As for a sha'ir handbook, I'd say the current one is decent, but there are sections that weren't addressed, such as spells and equipment.  I think serious attention should be paid to arcane caster PrCs and options, because there will be DMs out there who will argue that the sha'ir is an arcane caster who incidentally can cast some divine spells, rather than a divine caster.