Author Topic: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook  (Read 109228 times)

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NiteCyper

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Nytemare3701

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #61 on: December 19, 2010, 10:34:31 PM »
I don't think the two abilities granted by proteus work together. The first one lets you spontaneously cast a glamer by sacrificing a prepared spell, and the second let's you cast a prepared glamer as an immediate action by sacrificing another spell as an additional cost to cast.

Hallack

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #62 on: December 20, 2010, 04:56:25 PM »
True, they do not work together.

But still, it might be a way to greatly expand a characters spell list perhaps even getting access to spells on another classes list so long as it is a Glamer.

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Nytemare3701

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #63 on: January 04, 2011, 09:15:21 PM »
I don't know if anyone here cares about pathfinder, but there is a first level shadow spell in the new "101 1st level spells"

I'm currently hunting for a source.

TenaciousJ

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #64 on: January 16, 2011, 03:02:49 AM »
How does the cloistered cleric build in the first post get into divine prankster at level 13?  Sleight of Hand is cross-class for every class in that build.  Isn't the cross class limit at level 13 8?  Wouldn't you have to already be 13th level before you meet all the pre-reqs?

bearsarebrown

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #65 on: January 17, 2011, 04:25:13 PM »
How does the cloistered cleric build in the first post get into divine prankster at level 13?  Sleight of Hand is cross-class for every class in that build.  Isn't the cross class limit at level 13 8?  Wouldn't you have to already be 13th level before you meet all the pre-reqs?
Probably an oversight. It only takes a feat to gain SoH on your class list.

DavidWL

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #66 on: January 17, 2011, 06:36:16 PM »
Combining with circle magic really is that good ... another vote for things like Halruaan Elder or Hathran.

With racial flexibility, an Illumian's Improved Krau is a strong argument for Illumian.

For reference - my 1 shadowcraft mage build:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=365.msg7177#msg7177

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TenaciousJ

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #67 on: January 18, 2011, 02:53:22 AM »
How does the cloistered cleric build in the first post get into divine prankster at level 13?  Sleight of Hand is cross-class for every class in that build.  Isn't the cross class limit at level 13 8?  Wouldn't you have to already be 13th level before you meet all the pre-reqs?
Probably an oversight. It only takes a feat to gain SoH on your class list.

What feat is that?  I've combed through every 3.5 book I have looking for a way to get an easy cleric entry into SCM and Divine Prankster.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #68 on: January 18, 2011, 03:01:50 AM »
I think the Apprentice feat works - otherwise, the goto feat is Skill Prodigy from Kingdom of Kalamar - Player's guide, which turns (int mod) cross-class skills into class skills. 
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Andion Isurand

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #69 on: March 24, 2011, 06:21:04 AM »
I would suggest that the Zeal Domain (from Dragon 355 pg 25-30) and the Hope Domain (Dragon 340 pg 46) be mentioned for Arcane Disciple feat in the OP since they too possess the Miracle spell.


Also:  Here's a topic of interest to those wanting to recover spell slots indefinitely.

Innate Spell (Theller's Argaunaeu)
« Last Edit: September 26, 2011, 05:26:12 AM by Andion Isurand »

Lycanthromancer

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #70 on: March 24, 2011, 04:44:49 PM »
I'm thinking a changeling double-focused specialist 3/war weaver 5/shadowcraft mage 5/Io7V 7 could be quite powerful, both on its own and as a buffer/BFC.

If you can't use the adaptation, use the Racial Emulation (gnome) feat.
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ILM

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #71 on: March 24, 2011, 05:09:26 PM »
Are there any armors or weapons that boost spell DC? More specifically illusion spells obviously.

ILM

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #72 on: March 31, 2011, 09:15:11 AM »
Are there any armors or weapons that boost spell DC? More specifically illusion spells obviously.
Well, to answer my own question: none that I could find.


I'm still trying to decide between Illusionist 10/ScM5/MS4/Shadow Adept 1 and Illusionist 3/MS4/ScM5/SA1/Shadowcrafter 7. The former has an extra +1 to the DC of illusion spells (through Shadow Shaper variant); the latter has +20% enhanced reality, +2 spell penetration for illusions (which really doesn't need any more increasing since the first version can already punch though any non-epic SR without even rolling), and minor stuff.


Edit: don't want to triple post so I'll just add this here.

I have a problem with the way Signature Spell works as suggested in the build. Let me just go through the logic.

Quote
Spell Mastery:
Each time you take this feat, choose a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier that you already know. From that point on, you can prepare these spells without referring to a spellbook.
Quote
Signature Spell:
Choose one spell that you have mastered with the Spell Mastery feat as your signature spell. You may now convert prepared arcane spells of that spell's level or higher into your signature spell, just as a good cleric can spontaneously cast prepared spells as cure spells.

My first beef is that Signature Spell explicitly states you must have used the Spell Mastery feat so by RAW, the Illusion Mastery ACF wouldn't work. Probably a reasonable house-rule, I agree, but still a house-rule. But let's move on.

And then the SRD states :
Quote
Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats

A cleric spontaneously casting a cure or inflict spell can cast a metamagic version of it instead. Extra time is also required in this case. Casting a 1-action metamagic spell spontaneously is a full-round action, and a spell with a longer casting time takes an extra full-round action to cast.

And since Signature Spell says "just like a cleric...", it would follow that you can use metamagic on your Signature Spell.

BUT

The capstone ability for the Magelord PrC in LEoF reads:
Quote
At 10th level, you can apply one or more metamagic feats that you know to a spell that you have converted to a mastered spell by means of either the signature supremacy ability or the Signature Spell feat. The level of the prepared spell to be converted must equal or exceed that of the mastered spell with the desired metamagic feats applied. For example, you could convert the 5th level prepared spell teleport into the 1st level mastered spell magic missile modified by the Empower Spell, Still Spell and Silent Spell feats.

So. Either the 10th level ability is entirely useless (or in the best case, can be shortened to "metamagic versions of your signature spell no longer require increased casting time"), or Signature Spell doesn't work like this thread says it does. My take on the matter is that the part where the Signature Spell feat says "just like a cleric..." was meant to serve as an example but not to carry over to the metamagic aspect.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2011, 11:49:12 AM by ILM »

CrimsonDeath

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #73 on: April 10, 2011, 11:59:37 PM »
Primal Scholar (Secrets of Xen'drik) may lend a hand to Wizard SCMs.  The "Mystery of Magic" Ancient Secret lets you choose one spell you know with a level lower than your class level and dump prepared spells to cast it spontaneously.  Pick Silent Image and you'll never have to prepare it again (although you may still want to for the standard action casting time after Heighten).  With 16+ Int, you can get this trick at class level 2.  Sadly requires the feat Mysterious Magic, which looks like it would mostly be useful for making it harder for enemies to figure out you're actually just casting Silent Image over and over.

Iskajir

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #74 on: April 12, 2011, 02:14:09 AM »
Just found a cool item in dragon Compendium. Caine's Flagon of Shadows. It has a crappy ability to cast darkness, but more importantly, it can give you a +2 DC to illusion (shadow) spells for 3 hours, 5 times a day.   Cost is 8K gp.

Empirate

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #75 on: May 17, 2011, 10:23:02 AM »
Whatever Image spells (off Lyric Spell), and heighten them to 9th level for free (off Talfirian Song). Earth Spell kicks in to push it up to 10th, so you can use Shadow Illusion to turn that heightened Whatever Image into a Miracle. Just go on spamming 'em and wonder why you don't run out!


Maybe another way of doing this would be a Sorcerer or Wizard base, qualifying for Lyric Spell and Talfirian Song by way of Virtuoso, but that includes lots of cross-class skill ranks, and anyway I'm AFB and can't verify the prereqs of those two feats.

stanprollyright

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #76 on: May 30, 2011, 03:57:59 PM »
Whatever Image spells (off Lyric Spell), and heighten them to 9th level for free (off Talfirian Song). Earth Spell kicks in to push it up to 10th, so you can use Shadow Illusion to turn that heightened Whatever Image into a Miracle. Just go on spamming 'em and wonder why you don't run out!


Maybe another way of doing this would be a Sorcerer or Wizard base, qualifying for Lyric Spell and Talfirian Song by way of Virtuoso, but that includes lots of cross-class skill ranks, and anyway I'm AFB and can't verify the prereqs of those two feats.

Talfirian Song requires you to be a Tethyrian human...

Evil_Dexter

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #77 on: May 31, 2011, 12:37:23 AM »
Here's a sneaky cloistered cleric /SCM / Malconvoker build I am going to attempt to run (for Age of Worms) 1-20. Right now it's a slow starter (especially since I took Dark Template at level 1 too... with LA buyoff eventually), but I have high hopes it'll be a fun build if I survive the early levels (read: get carried by our Aberrant reach dwarf Crusader, Swordsage, Swift Hunter, and eventual Anima Mage/Incantrix using Precocious Apprentice + Fiery Burst). It includes flaws (per campaign rules) but could be fairly easily tweakable to work without them. It also uses early entry tricks with DMM: Heighten for entry into SCM at level 4, otherwise you just stay in CC until 5, pop into Malconvoker for a bit, and start weaving in out out of Malconvoker and SCM once you hit the spell/feat reqs for SCM. On paper this should get pretty good bang for it's spell-slot buck eventually with residual magic and DMM: Heighten to pop-out high level shadow magic with low level slots, and there is a certain "thematic match" between Malconvoker and SCM in some respects. This takes Contemplative at level 12 simply for the travel domain, and that's purely optional (and something of a skill tax since Contemplative needs Know Religion 13).


Cloistered Cleric of Akadi (Illusion - with Spontaneous Domain ACF / Trickery / traded away Knowledge domain for Divine Magician with DM approval, but Knowledge Devotion would make for a smoother play experience at low levels I believe).

1) Cloistered Cleric 1   Spell Focus (Illusion), Heighten Spell, Divine Metamagic (Heighten)
2) Cloistered Cleric 2   
3) Cloistered Cleric 3   Spell Focus (Conjuration)
4) Shadowcraft Mage 1   
5) ShadowCraft Mage 2   
6) Shadowcraft Mage 3   Augment Summoning
7) Malconvoker 1      
8) Malconvoker 2      
9) Malconvoker 3   Earth Sense
10) Malconvoker 4      
11) Malconvoker 5      
12) Contemplative 1   Earth Spell
13) Shadowcraft Mage 4   
14) Shadowcraft Mage 5   
15) Malconvoker 6   Residual Magic
16) Malconvoker 7      
17) Malconvoker 8      
18) Shadow Adept   Shadow Weave, Tenacious, Pernicious, Insidious Magic
19) Cloistered Cleric 4   
20) Paragonist Apostle 1      (for +1 to Illusion CL)

BTW... Is it me, or for a blast spell is Wings of Flurry ridicilously nice on a SCM? (if you care to do such things as blast, I know)... I mean, the uncapped CL damage + Earth Spell = shenanigans. Are sorcerer only spells actually valid spells to be emulated by shadow illusion, since it's not on the "sorcerer/wizard list", but just the "sorcerer" list? Also, I've seen slashing dispel (PHII) noted as a target for Shadow Illusion, but does the dual abjuration/evocation tag render it an illegal target as well?

Tshern

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #78 on: May 31, 2011, 12:43:25 AM »
Well, Shadow Evocation does say it requires a Sorcerer or a Wizard spell, so technically it is valid.

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ILM

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Re: Shadowcraft Mage Handbook
« Reply #79 on: July 13, 2011, 02:08:55 PM »
One thing I just recently stumbled upon is the Spell Rehearsal feat in RotD.
Quote
Benefit: The Spell Rehearsal feat enables the use of three tactical maneuvers. You can only apply one maneuver at a time to a single spell.
Persistence: To use this maneuver, you must cast a specific spell two or more times in succession, and the spell must be one that allows affected creatures or objects a saving throw. You can take a move action after casting the spell once before casting it again, but you cannot take any other standard actions between successive castings. On the second and subsequent times you cast the spell, you add a cumulative +1 to the spell's save DC. If you cast any other spell after starting to use this feat or take any other standard action, the persistence chain breaks and you must begin anew.
Synergizes well with Residual Magic and provides a cumulative +1 to the DC of your Silent Images every time you cast them in a row.