Author Topic: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs  (Read 4446 times)

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TenaciousJ

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I'm working on a Forest Gnome Cloistered Cleric that will be entering Shadowcraft Mage.  Our DM is allowing feats at every odd level instead of every 3 levels a la Pathfinder, so I will be able to qualify for Shadowcraft Mage after 5th level via DMM: Heighten shenanigans that have already been approved by the DM.  The character is Chaotic Good but has his powers granted to him by The Mockery due to unfortunate events in his backstory.  The character is starting with the Trickery domain (for class skills and Time Stop) and Illusion domain with the Spontaneous Domain ACF for access to the required illusion spells.  Stats were rolled, and middle-aged bonuses and penalties are applied:

Str 8
Dex 11
Con 16
Int 14
Wis 19
Cha 16

In addition to increasing a stat at every 4th level, we get to increase a stat at 6, 10, 14, and 18 as long as it's a different stat than the previous increase.  Essentially, I can boost Wisdom as normal but also boost a different stat at the indicated levels.

I want to find ways to increase the caster level on my spells, and I want to get the DCs fairly high.  I'm thinking of adding in a few levels of Divine Prankster for the ability to use a turn attempt to boost Illusion DCs.  I'm not certain what to do about caster level except for getting prayer beads and whichever ioun stone increases caster level.

JaronK

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2011, 03:00:26 PM »
Needs more Earth Sense and Earth Spell.  Also, Residual Metamagic.  Also, Easy Metamagic (Heighten Spell) and Practical Metamagic (Heighten Spell).  Not sure you really need much else... your CL will be through the roof with that alone.

JaronK

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2011, 03:52:56 PM »
Sounds familiar. :D Jaron's suggestions are good, also. You could add in some tricks like Snowcasting + Eschew Materials, or Spell Focus: Evil + that feat that turns all of your spells evil, but honestly you probably won't need it.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

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[/spoiler]

TenaciousJ

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2011, 04:07:32 PM »
I knew I forgot something.  The feat list as planned is:

1 - Spell Focus: Illusion
3 - Heighten Spell
5 - Divine Metamagic: Heighten
7 - Earth Sense
9 - Earth Spell
11 - Residual Magic

13, 15, 17, and 19 are open.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get the dragonblood subtype for Practical Metamagic.  The campaign has started so I won't be able to switch to a dragonblooded race.

solara

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2011, 09:01:44 PM »
If it's allowed, you could take the feat Enhanced Shadow Reality (or whatever it is, from Dragon 325) for 20% more real illusions, and Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) to get into Shadowcrafter. That gets you another 20% shadowreality on spells you emulate via Silent Image. Then you WANT them to make their saves, because your illusions are MORE real when they make their saves (if your DM allows).

Endarire

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2011, 04:22:49 AM »
Can you take flaws?  What about using the non-racist Shadowcraft Mage adaptation on Races of Stone 120, left column?

This way, you can get the feats needed to enter ScM @4 (via Spell Compendium's dark way) instead of 6.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

TenaciousJ

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2011, 11:21:39 AM »
No flaws.  The game has already started, so I'm stuck as a gnome.  We just had our 2nd session.  The DM rewarded us a bonus feat for meeting a challenge in a timely manner though, so I'll be qualifying for SCM at 4, with feats now looking like:

1 - Spell Focus: Illusion
Bonus - Heighten Spell
3 - DMM - Heighten
5 - Earth Sense
7 - Earth Spell
9 - Residual Magic

Any material is fair game that is Eberron specific or non-campaign setting specific, so no Forgotten Realms.  I really like Echoing Spell in Secrets of Xen'drik but I'm not sure how to boost my CL to a point where the feat is really good.

Rebel7284

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2011, 04:14:55 PM »
So wait, you are using this monster in an actual D&D game?  I kinda want to know how it turns out.  Any chance you could start a diary?  Of course your DM is aware that you'll be casting 8th level spells at character level 6 and 9th level spells at character level 7?

Also, Earth Spell boosts your caster level by the number of level increases already, so not sure why you need much more caster level increases.  With prayer beads, you're already caster level 21 at level 7.  Anyway:
http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872350/Raising_Caster_Level

Edit: you can get the dragonblood subtype by becoming dragonborn.  That does alter your deity though :-\
Alternatively, there is the skin that gives you metamorphosis all day.  Turn into a dragon and you automatically get the dragon type.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2011, 04:24:26 PM by Rebel7284 »
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TenaciousJ

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2011, 05:23:14 PM »
I totally missed that Earth Spell increases caster level as well. I thought it was spell level only.

Yeah, I'm using this monster in an actual game.  The character is sort of like the group's get of jail free card when they mess up too badly or get really unlucky.  He doesn't quite understand the depths of the power he has, and doesn't want other people to know what he can do, and since he's Good he's not going to kill off every last person that sees him do something crazy.  He disguises himself to look much older than he is and plays the part of a senile old man most of the time.

Does a Shadow Illusion take on the descriptors of the spell it mimics?

skydragonknight

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2011, 05:09:01 AM »
He disguises himself to look much older than he is and plays the part of a senile old man most of the time.

He should call himself 'Fizban.'
It always seems like the barrels around here have something in them.

TenaciousJ

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Re: Help Me Maximize a Cleric/Shadowcraft Mage's Caster Level and DCs
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2011, 09:35:38 PM »
Was Fizban a mild drunk and an escaped prisoner?