A little much? [Archive] - Wizards Community

A little much? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tahlon_Lyon
02-15-07, 02:37 AM Alright so my GM is starting a new Eberron campaign and he's having start off as low level characters again and work our way up. I've got a concept I've been kicking around but I've been frustrated with a few things about it, so here I am.

My original concept started off as a dual caster/mounted combat character who's primary focus was the magic portion of him. I was willing to sack a few feats to make the mounted combat portion of the character not completely suck, so I slowly began to develop it. The name of the game is to get dual spellcasting off of one stat so I can have decent physical scores.

Eventually I had a Psion/Wizard build I was toying around with while using the Improved Familiar feat to gain a familiar that I could also use as a mount. As such I definitely need a small sized character. I'm a little worried though about his ability to actually hit a decent ride check as ride isn't really a class skill.

My build is something like Psion3/Wiz3/Cerebremancer10/XXX4 while using the partial BAB system I can qualify for a Blink Dog or Hell Hound by 6th level obviously using the feat at that level for it.

With the complete series, the races series, core, XPH and CPsi with maybe a splat or two, I'm trying to solve the ride skill problem and could use a little help with those four levels and my feat selection. Chompy alternate builds also will work fine for me. Any advice?
Xeraph
02-15-07, 07:31 AM You betcha.

Cerebrmancer is nice, but it is a hell keeping track of all your spells and powers. I think it is easier and sometimes better to focus on a smaller area of espertise. this way you can spend feats and take prestige classes that augment your one true path, instead of spreading the butter to thin.

You play in Eberron? Be a Changeling, take the Recaster prestige class, it rocks, I think you can find it in Races of Eberron.

Have you ever considered the Phantom Knight prestige class from the Five Nations Eberron splabook? It is basically a Eldrtich Knight, just better. It gives you a Phantom Steed, as the spell, to ride around on and other neet gish like abilities.
Tahlon_Lyon
02-15-07, 03:57 PM I'll have to check it out, thanks for the advice. I had my heart set on a dual caster, one part Psion and one part something else though. Phantom Knight sounds promising.
hogarth
02-15-07, 04:36 PM Nomad psions have Ride as a class skill. You could always take goblin as a race if you need a little boost.

EDIT: Here's the character sheet (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=8699865#post8699865) of a goblin psion (nomad) from the Core Coliseum. He's had quite a bit of success by using Mounted Combat and riding for cover to avoid attacks.

I wouldn't bother using your familiar as a mount -- there's too much hassle if it dies. Just buy a mount (warhorse, hippogriff, whatever) that you can easily replace. Undead creatures make cheap mounts, too.
eRaz0r
02-15-07, 06:23 PM Agreed re: familiar.
A mount is always a tempting target. Lets face it - when faced with an opponent who uses mobility against you (whether it be flight, mount, fast movement, whatever) - anyone with half a brain is going to try and take that advantage away from them.

Now, in a game with a reasonable DM, your normal familiar might occaisionally be under threat by an opponent who recognizes you're a caster with a weakness to be exploited.

But it doesn't take a genius to realize "Ugg Ugg! Kill horsey so Ogg can catch you!"

Making your familiar your mount is just begging for XP loss. Even with the shared spells ability to share buffs..

About the only time you can justify something like this is if you've got Arcane Heirophant levels or something that toughens your familiar into "useful" territory. IMHO anyway.

I'll jump in on Knight Phantom too. Phantom Steed is a very cool spell for the movement alone. It's not the best combat mount - (as it's easily dispelled or destroyed) but you don't lose XP when it gets killed, and you don't have to waste time and money feeding, healing, or stabling it.
Tahlon_Lyon
02-15-07, 06:30 PM Yeah but I was really interested in the share spells class feature and making a mount that could actually hold its own.

That and I like to live dangerously. You know... losing XP... a level... a year of my character's life... a lot of money... dangerous.

I saw that the Nomad gets it but my problem starts when I hit a PrC to ump both caster levels. Is there a feat or something that makes certain skills class skills for you that would include ride? I guess cross classing isn't the end of the world, but if something can be done I'd rather.
hogarth
02-16-07, 08:41 AM I saw that the Nomad gets it but my problem starts when I hit a PrC to ump both caster levels. Is there a feat or something that makes certain skills class skills for you that would include ride? I guess cross classing isn't the end of the world, but if something can be done I'd rather.

If you're a human or a changeling, you could take the Able Learner feat to make cross-class skills cost 1 point per rank. Frankly, the Cerebremancer's skill list is pretty lousy so I think you could afford to just buy ranks cross-class, though.

There's a wizard variant in Unearthed Arcana that substitutes a (half-power) druid's animal companion for a familiar. You'd still get to share spells with your buddy, but you could replace it with no charge if it ever dies. It'd be a fairly weak mount, though, even if you took the Natural Bond feat.
Tahlon_Lyon
02-17-07, 02:10 PM Thanks Hogarth, I think you're right about the cross classing. Unfortunately I have to be small size to make things work. I was more interested in the mount for mobility than anything else, I figured it'd be a nice "get out of dodge" tactic for my spell caster. The mounted combat portion would be for the "easy kills" and the ability to negate a hit just in case someone took a swing.

As far as the rest of the build goes, does anyone have any suggestions for feat progression and/or what to do with those dead levels? I thought about just extending Cerebremancer out to wind out w/ 9th level in both classes but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tahlon_Lyon 02-15-07, 02:37 AM	Alright so my GM is starting a new Eberron campaign and he's having start off as low level characters again and work our way up. I've got a concept I've been kicking around but I've been frustrated with a few things about it, so here I am. My original concept started off as a dual caster/mounted combat character who's primary focus was the magic portion of him. I was willing to sack a few feats to make the mounted combat portion of the character not completely suck, so I slowly began to develop it. The name of the game is to get dual spellcasting off of one stat so I can have decent physical scores. Eventually I had a Psion/Wizard build I was toying around with while using the Improved Familiar feat to gain a familiar that I could also use as a mount. As such I definitely need a small sized character. I'm a little worried though about his ability to actually hit a decent ride check as ride isn't really a class skill. My build is something like Psion3/Wiz3/Cerebremancer10/XXX4 while using the partial BAB system I can qualify for a Blink Dog or Hell Hound by 6th level obviously using the feat at that level for it. With the complete series, the races series, core, XPH and CPsi with maybe a splat or two, I'm trying to solve the ride skill problem and could use a little help with those four levels and my feat selection. Chompy alternate builds also will work fine for me. Any advice?
Xeraph 02-15-07, 07:31 AM	You betcha. Cerebrmancer is nice, but it is a hell keeping track of all your spells and powers. I think it is easier and sometimes better to focus on a smaller area of espertise. this way you can spend feats and take prestige classes that augment your one true path, instead of spreading the butter to thin. You play in Eberron? Be a Changeling, take the Recaster prestige class, it rocks, I think you can find it in Races of Eberron. Have you ever considered the Phantom Knight prestige class from the Five Nations Eberron splabook? It is basically a Eldrtich Knight, just better. It gives you a Phantom Steed, as the spell, to ride around on and other neet gish like abilities.
Tahlon_Lyon 02-15-07, 03:57 PM	I'll have to check it out, thanks for the advice. I had my heart set on a dual caster, one part Psion and one part something else though. Phantom Knight sounds promising.
hogarth 02-15-07, 04:36 PM	Nomad psions have Ride as a class skill. You could always take goblin as a race if you need a little boost. EDIT: Here's the character sheet (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=8699865#post8699865) of a goblin psion (nomad) from the Core Coliseum. He's had quite a bit of success by using Mounted Combat and riding for cover to avoid attacks. I wouldn't bother using your familiar as a mount -- there's too much hassle if it dies. Just buy a mount (warhorse, hippogriff, whatever) that you can easily replace. Undead creatures make cheap mounts, too.
eRaz0r 02-15-07, 06:23 PM	Agreed re: familiar. A mount is always a tempting target. Lets face it - when faced with an opponent who uses mobility against you (whether it be flight, mount, fast movement, whatever) - anyone with half a brain is going to try and take that advantage away from them. Now, in a game with a reasonable DM, your normal familiar might occaisionally be under threat by an opponent who recognizes you're a caster with a weakness to be exploited. But it doesn't take a genius to realize "Ugg Ugg! Kill horsey so Ogg can catch you!" Making your familiar your mount is just begging for XP loss. Even with the shared spells ability to share buffs.. About the only time you can justify something like this is if you've got Arcane Heirophant levels or something that toughens your familiar into "useful" territory. IMHO anyway. I'll jump in on Knight Phantom too. Phantom Steed is a very cool spell for the movement alone. It's not the best combat mount - (as it's easily dispelled or destroyed) but you don't lose XP when it gets killed, and you don't have to waste time and money feeding, healing, or stabling it.
Tahlon_Lyon 02-15-07, 06:30 PM	Yeah but I was really interested in the share spells class feature and making a mount that could actually hold its own. That and I like to live dangerously. You know... losing XP... a level... a year of my character's life... a lot of money... dangerous. I saw that the Nomad gets it but my problem starts when I hit a PrC to ump both caster levels. Is there a feat or something that makes certain skills class skills for you that would include ride? I guess cross classing isn't the end of the world, but if something can be done I'd rather.
hogarth 02-16-07, 08:41 AM	I saw that the Nomad gets it but my problem starts when I hit a PrC to ump both caster levels. Is there a feat or something that makes certain skills class skills for you that would include ride? I guess cross classing isn't the end of the world, but if something can be done I'd rather. If you're a human or a changeling, you could take the Able Learner feat to make cross-class skills cost 1 point per rank. Frankly, the Cerebremancer's skill list is pretty lousy so I think you could afford to just buy ranks cross-class, though. There's a wizard variant in Unearthed Arcana that substitutes a (half-power) druid's animal companion for a familiar. You'd still get to share spells with your buddy, but you could replace it with no charge if it ever dies. It'd be a fairly weak mount, though, even if you took the Natural Bond feat.
Tahlon_Lyon 02-17-07, 02:10 PM	Thanks Hogarth, I think you're right about the cross classing. Unfortunately I have to be small size to make things work. I was more interested in the mount for mobility than anything else, I figured it'd be a nice "get out of dodge" tactic for my spell caster. The mounted combat portion would be for the "easy kills" and the ability to negate a hit just in case someone took a swing. As far as the rest of the build goes, does anyone have any suggestions for feat progression and/or what to do with those dead levels? I thought about just extending Cerebremancer out to wind out w/ 9th level in both classes but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.