Illusionist for the CO PbP

[NineInchNall]

I'd probably go with Focused Illusionist 3/Master Specialist 4/Shadowcraft Mage 3/Illusionist +2/Shadowcraft Mage +2/Shadow Adept 1/Shadowcrafter +X.  This way you get that boost to save DCs early on, and you get the crazy spontaneous divination when the game's strategy fully shifts to scry & die.

Spontaneous casting of any divination spell in the game ever ever?  Sign me up.  As far as versatility is concerned, you'd be hard pressed to do better than Shadowcraft Mage + Spontaneous Divination. 

[Tshern]

I would need to find a way to cram in the prerequisite feat of the Shadow Adept. The one I'd replace with Shadow weave magic is Tomb-tainted soul, but I don't think we have enough healing for six characters. Our Dread Necro can heal himself (I assume he takes Tomb-tainted soul) so that's 5 characters to be healed by a single (or do we have two?) divine caster. Kind of harsh.

Do you consider the Shadow Adept level to be worth throwing away Tomb-tainted soul?

[NineInchNall]

Well, I'd drop Signature Spell, personally.  Either that or Collegiate Wizard.

[Tshern]

Of those two I'd drop Signature spell. I suppose I can always just prepare my Silent images like normal people do instead of casting it spontaneously.

Edit: I checked, it requires Spell mastery anyway. Goodbye Signature spell and enter Shadow Adept!

[skydragonknight]

Of those two I'd drop Signature spell. I suppose I can always just prepare my Silent images like normal people do instead of casting it spontaneously.

Edit: I checked, it requires Spell mastery anyway. Goodbye Signature spell and enter Shadow Adept!

You get Spell Mastery from one of the Illusionist ACFs, so it's still a viable choice. Then you never have to memorize Divinations or silent images.

Edit: Illusion Mastery: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#illusionMastery
It's 1/2 Spell Mastery and 1/2 Collegiate Wizard, but you don't get bonus spells per day from normal specialization.

Focused Specialization is still an option. I'm not sure how much you planned on memorizing Enchantment spells.

[Tshern]

Decent idea, but that is not Spell mastery per se. And I am going focused specialist, I'll be dropping enchantment, evocation and necromancy.

[NineInchNall]

Well, it does qualify you, but it's not worth giving up the extra spells per day.  In any way.

[Tshern]

Well, it does qualify you, but it's not worth giving up the extra spells per day.  In any way.

Especially since we're starting at level one. I suppose those Color sprays will come handy more than once...