Hello all, wizards board's refugee looking for any ideas to improve my character for an evil game. The basic concept is an insane, illusionist/diviner who believes he is in fact a fallen god. Perception is reality, and his abilities as a god are as real as the illusions he can make (so not really at all). "I'm a GOD! (
Will save to disbelieve)" I liked the divination part too, because it seems pretty divine to me, seeing the future/knowing everything/etc.
Looking into ways to optimize this idea, I noticed a few things. Using Pathfinder (which we're using), cantrips are at will. Gnome substitution level (from Races of Stone) makes Silent Image a cantrip. Silent Image at will is pure awesome. Then I figure, if I'm going to be a gnome illusionist already, might as well make a killer gnome, right? The divination aspect was pretty easy to add to the concept too: Divine Oracle prestige class (Complete Divine) + Spontaneous Divination (Complete Champion). Seems like a pretty solid megalomaniac to me! Let's get to the detailed crunch.
Here's the current version:
[spoiler]
Nindo ShadowseerMiddle Aged Gnome
Stats at 4th:
[spoiler]Str 6, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 21, Wis 13, Cha 10 (Pathfinder Point Buy (20))[/spoiler]
Magic Items at 4th:
[spoiler]Headband of Vast Intelligence +2
Handy Haversack
Cloak of Resistance +1
[/spoiler]
Proposed Level/Feat Progression: (+Terrible formatting)
[spoiler]
Illusionist 1-----------Spell Focus (Illusion), Improved Initiative-----Chains of Disbelief, Gnome Substitution Level (Transmutation), Focused Specialist (Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy), Combat Feat Wizard
Illusionist 2
Illusionist 3-----------Craft Wondrous Items
Illusionist 4-----------Skill Focus (Knowledge (Religion))------------Magical Location (Fane of the Frog God)
Illusionist 5-----------Heighten Spell------------------------------Spontaneous Divination
Divine Oracle 1---------------------------------------------------Oracle Domain, Scry Bonus
Divine Oracle 2-------Earth Sense---------------------------------Prescient Sense, Trap Sense +1
Shadowcraft Mage 1----------------------------------------------Cloak of Shadow
Shadowcraft Mage 2--Earth Spell----------------------------------Silent Illusion
Shadowcraft Mage 3----------------------------------------------Shadow Illusion
Shadowcraft Mage 4--Residual Magic------------------------------Extended Illusion
Shadowcraft Mage 5----------------------------------------------Powerful Shadow Magic
Divine Oracle 3-------Greater Spell Focus (Illusion)-----------------Divination Enhancement
Divine Oracle 4---------------------------------------------------Uncanny Dodge
Divine Oracle 5-------Arcane Mastery-----------------------------Trap Sense +2
Divine Oracle 6---------------------------------------------------Improved Uncanny Dodge
Divine Oracle 7-------Arcane Disciple (Luck)
Divine Oracle 8---------------------------------------------------Trap Sense +3
Divine Oracle 9-------Quicken Spell
Divine Oracle 10--------------------------------------------------Immune to Surprise[/spoiler]
Spellbook at 4th:
[spoiler]Level 0:
All PHB Level 0 Spells
Unnerving Gaze
Silent Image
Ventriloquism
Level 1:
Karmic Aura
Mage Armor
Color Spray
Minor Image
Comprehend Languages
Detect Secret Doors
Identify
True Casting
True Strike
Vigilant Slumber
Enlarge Person
Level 2:
Arcane Turmoil
Resist Energy
Glitterdust
Detect Thoughts
Locate Object
See Invisibility
Invisibility
Major Image
Mirror Image
Fox's Cunning
Levitate[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Sources allowed (just what we have between all players)are Pathfinder core, and the following 3.5 books: DMG, DMG2, MM, MM3, UA, CA, CM, CD, CC, CW, RoS, BoVD, BoED, ToB)
Dweomerkeeper is banned, Signature spell also unavailable, so it looks I'll be memorizing a few Heightened Silent Images... Game starts at level 4, unknown ending level at this time. Current possible evil villain party members: Vampire Human (only +2 LA in PF!) Rogue, Half-Fiend Changeling Paladin of Slaughter, Human Warblade, Pixie (no class levels yet), Werewolf (only +1 LA) Ranger, another Half-Fiend Human of unknown class, a completely unknown character, and myself. What a crazy campaign this shall be.
Is there anything I could improve here? I am not really attached to any specific element of the build, just the basic diviner/illusionist concept mostly. If there is another way to do it better, or even a small feat change I should make, let me know!
How's the spell selection thus far? Anything major I'm missing and should pick up? (remember,
no spell compendium. )
Original Post
[spoiler]
Hello all, wizards board's refugee looking for any ideas to improve my character for an evil game. The basic concept is an insane, illusionist/diviner who believes he is in fact a fallen god. Perception is reality, and his abilities as a god are as real as the illusions he can make (so not really at all). "I'm a GOD! (
Will save to disbelieve)" I liked the divination part too, because it seems pretty divine to me, seeing the future/knowing everything/etc.
Looking into ways to optimize this idea, I noticed a few things. Using Pathfinder (which we're using), cantrips are at will. Gnome substitution level (from Races of Stone) makes Silent Image a cantrip. Silent Image at will is pure awesome. Then I figure, if I'm going to be a gnome illusionist already, might as well make a killer gnome, right? The divination aspect was pretty easy to add to the concept too: Divine Oracle prestige class (Complete Divine) + Spontaneous Divination (Complete Champion). Seems like a pretty solid megalomaniac to me! Let's get to the detailed crunch.
Here's the basic build at the moment: Illusionist 5/Master Illusionist 4/Shadowcraft Mage 5/Divine Oracle 6
(Gnome substitution level [Transmutation](RoS), Chains of Disbelief (UA), Focused Specialist [Evocation, Necromancy, Enchantment](CM), Spontaneous Divination (CC))
My main question here is thus: I'm stuck in what order to take the classes. Which option is better?
Illusionist 5/ Divine Oracle 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Master Specialist 4/ Divine Oracle +4
or
Illusionist 3/ Master Specialist 4/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Illusionist +2/ Divine Oracle 6
or
something else! Feel free to suggest more or less levels of anything in any order.
Feats: Spell Focus: Illusion (1st)
Heighten Spell (3rd)
Skill Focus: Knowledge(Religion) (5th) (with option 1, otherwise take at 13th, Craft Wondrous items at 3rd, and Heighten spell here)
Earth Sense (7th) (RoS)
Earth Spell (9th) (RoS)
Residual Magic (11th) (CM)
Craft Wondrous Items (13th)
Arcane Mastery (15th) (CA)
Arcane Disciple(luck) (17th) (CD) <---at this point, perception
really does become reality.
Quicken Spell (19th)
Scribe Scroll (Wiz-1)
Skill Focus: Spellcraft (MS-1)
Greater Spell Focus: Illusion (MS-3)
Sources allowed (just what we have between all players)are Pathfinder core, and the following 3.5 books: DMG, DMG2, MM, MM3, UA, CA, CM, CD, CC, CW, RoS, BoVD, BoED, ToB) Dweomerkeeper is banned, Signature spell also unavailable, so I'll be memorizing a few Heightened Silent Images... Game starts at level 4, unknown ending level at this time.
Is there anything I could improve here? I am not really attached to any specific element of the build, just the basic diviner/illusionist concept mostly. If there is another way to do it better, or even a small feat change I should make, let me know! Seems to me the weakest point is the last 4 levels of Divine Oracle, but I'm not sure what to replace them with.[/spoiler]