Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Banjooie 08-15-04, 09:26 PM	Hi. Yeah. All I'm going off of is the 3.5 SRD, so there's probably better things in other books elsewhere. Now, I have a wizard I was going to put through heavy item creation, but then we got an Artificer. I was aiming for Archmage, but Arcane Fire seems largely useless in a campaign where you're not likely to have a line of sight for 400 feet. (Underground) So I'm looking at Loremaster, right? Is there some way I can use this PrC to absolute twinkery? It looks so very combat useless, that making it into a god, well, would be too hilarious to resist.
Drachasor 08-17-04, 04:58 AM	Well, the Arcane Trickster can be tweaked pretty heavily, I believe. You sacrifice 3 spell casting levels (for the 2d6 sneak attack prerequisite), but you can get Sneak Attack damage on rays. Weapon Focus (Rays), and some other feats to improve ways (Improved Critical, for instance), could make you have quite deadly rays. That Ray of Frost cantrip could be quite deadly in the right circumstance (1d3 + 5d6 or more on a sneak attack is impressive ofr a 0th level spell). As for the Archmage, it is a very powerful prestige class, though it is only 5 levels. "Arcane Reach (Su): The archmage can use spells with a range of touch on a target up to 30 feet away. The archmage must make a ranged touch attack. Arcane reach can be selected a second time as a special ability, in which case the range increases to 60 feet. This ability costs one 7th-level spell slot." Vampiric Tough, Ability Enhancement Spells, Bestow Curse, Animate Dead, many othe buffs etc. "Mastery of Elements: The archmage can alter an arcane spell when cast so that it utilizes a different element from the one it normally uses. This ability can only alter a spell with the acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic descriptor. The spell’s casting time is unaffected. The caster decides whether to alter the spell’s energy type and chooses the new energy type when he begins casting. This ability costs one 8th-level spell slot." Changing the element *when* you are casting is huge. All those Fireballs could become Iceballs against a red dragon. You no longer have to worry about energy resistance unless it is against all energy types. "Mastery of Shaping: The archmage can alter area and effect spells that use one of the following shapes: burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, or spread. The alteration consists of creating spaces within the spell’s area or effect that are not subject to the spell. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube. Furthermore, any shapeable spells have a minimum dimension of 5 feet instead of 10 feet. This ability costs one 6th-level spell slot." You can cast area effect spells directly into melee and never hit your own people (or important objects in the vicinity). Massively powerful...Cone of Cold becomes much more useful. As for the Loremaster, their strength is in knowledge. If knowing what is going on and identifying magic items and recognizing obscure references is going to be important in your campaign, then the Loremaster can be a good choice. If it is going to be all combat, then you might want something else. Though, I'd note that Loremasters get Use Magic Device as a class skill, so if you have any clerical magical items around (wands of cure light wounds), then they can use them. (Loremasters also get 4 + int modifier skillpoints each level). -Drachasor
Tweedledope 08-17-04, 08:02 AM	As per the use of the Loremaster in an existing campaign. I love the Loremaster in a non-battle heavy campaign. I usually turn mine into the "town sage" Another good aspect of the Loremaster is the +1 spell progression at each level. This can be highly usefull in a campaign because they get the same caster progression as if they were a core class but they get additional beneifits (as per above, Use Magic Device). So, personally I love the Loremaster. -=Tweedledope=-