Alienist, Wizard or Cleric? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alienist, Wizard or Cleric? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RoAdKiLL
08-15-06, 10:49 AM I can’t decide which class to take to become an alienist.

Should I take a wizard & specialize in conjuration or should I take a cleric & pick a domain with "summon monster IX"? Or another class?

Benefits of a cleric: can change spells into healing spells if needed (or inflict which is slightly less useful but I don’t mind being evil if a very useful domain requires it), can wear heavy armor, can wield more damaging weapons, has a large ready-selected spell list. Might possibly have a domain I have not discovered yet that can boost allies/summons nicely, better correlation between alienist class skills & cleric ability modifiers, slightly better HP total.

Benefits of a wizard: Can be more specialized & geared up for summoning via good spell choices & specialization if required. Easier stat distribution. Will get more spells at low levels because of bonus spells. Can have a familiar. Does not have a restricted domain spell choice that may not compliment summoning.

Im tempted to go with cleric because of a more diverse character build which will be more fun to play, but playing a scrawny mental case that summons hideous monsters is very appealing too...

If you were to build an alienist how would you go about it?
Apollo's Lyre
08-15-06, 11:29 AM Have you read the alienist class? One of the very first class features is that the alienist loses 2 points of wisdom. With that in mind, wizard is probably the way to go as the class won't have an adverse effect on your casting stat.

You could, of course, just buy a wisdom-enhancing magic item to offset your loss, but even then you'd still be down two points of wisdom from where you'd have been if you bought the item and took a different PrC.

Even discounting that, the Alienist class was clearly made for wizards. it gives full familliar progression (and even gives your familliar the pseudonatural template), and continues the wizard's normal extra metamagic feat progression.

So, yeah, wizard is probably the best choice. Flavor-wise, the cleric should work, but the class was obviously designed for wizards.
RoAdKiLL
08-15-06, 12:00 PM hmm i cant believe i missed the -2 wisdom thing in there, mind it still hasnt put me off the cleric because it still seems powerfull.
CzarGarrett
08-15-06, 01:29 PM And thematically/flavor-wise, Alienists are definately more Wizard than Cleric.

Clerics are followers of specific beings with known agendas and are more easily definable.

Wizards use an amorphic essence to do things, something that has far less definitive borders.

Being that Alienists are all for the Far Realms and the like, the open-endedness leads more towards a Wizard.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RoAdKiLL 08-15-06, 10:49 AM	I can’t decide which class to take to become an alienist. Should I take a wizard & specialize in conjuration or should I take a cleric & pick a domain with "summon monster IX"? Or another class? Benefits of a cleric: can change spells into healing spells if needed (or inflict which is slightly less useful but I don’t mind being evil if a very useful domain requires it), can wear heavy armor, can wield more damaging weapons, has a large ready-selected spell list. Might possibly have a domain I have not discovered yet that can boost allies/summons nicely, better correlation between alienist class skills & cleric ability modifiers, slightly better HP total. Benefits of a wizard: Can be more specialized & geared up for summoning via good spell choices & specialization if required. Easier stat distribution. Will get more spells at low levels because of bonus spells. Can have a familiar. Does not have a restricted domain spell choice that may not compliment summoning. Im tempted to go with cleric because of a more diverse character build which will be more fun to play, but playing a scrawny mental case that summons hideous monsters is very appealing too... If you were to build an alienist how would you go about it?
Apollo's Lyre 08-15-06, 11:29 AM	Have you read the alienist class? One of the very first class features is that the alienist loses 2 points of wisdom. With that in mind, wizard is probably the way to go as the class won't have an adverse effect on your casting stat. You could, of course, just buy a wisdom-enhancing magic item to offset your loss, but even then you'd still be down two points of wisdom from where you'd have been if you bought the item and took a different PrC. Even discounting that, the Alienist class was clearly made for wizards. it gives full familliar progression (and even gives your familliar the pseudonatural template), and continues the wizard's normal extra metamagic feat progression. So, yeah, wizard is probably the best choice. Flavor-wise, the cleric should work, but the class was obviously designed for wizards.
RoAdKiLL 08-15-06, 12:00 PM	hmm i cant believe i missed the -2 wisdom thing in there, mind it still hasnt put me off the cleric because it still seems powerfull.
CzarGarrett 08-15-06, 01:29 PM	And thematically/flavor-wise, Alienists are definately more Wizard than Cleric. Clerics are followers of specific beings with known agendas and are more easily definable. Wizards use an amorphic essence to do things, something that has far less definitive borders. Being that Alienists are all for the Far Realms and the like, the open-endedness leads more towards a Wizard.