Any ideas for the geometer? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Any ideas for the geometer? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Immurmodi
01-17-06, 02:28 AM I am going to play a wizard in my next game and i remembered the geometer prestige class in complete arcane, After taking a look at it i decided to go for an symbols/words of power themed character.

However do anyone remember other prestige classes, feats, spells that synergise well with the geometer ?

I am not neccecarily looking for an powerhouse of an character and we do not do leveldipping in this game , So essentialy i am just looking for ideas that would fit well with the geometer class at the moment.

I will start at first level with this character and for the moment i am thinking of playing it as an researcher of obscure spells and arcane minutiae so i will probably try to stock up on somewhat less used spells and items with this character.
LordofProcrastination
01-17-06, 03:52 AM Sorry, I'm afraid you're going to find that very few people consider the Geometer possessing any notable element of synergistic potential with any currently known other feat/class/mechanism.

If you're mostly looking for thematic consistency, I would suggest the RuneSmith prestige class from Races of Stone, which allows the character to cast his/her spells as symbols inscribed on equipment. In addition to enabling heavy armor for an arcane caster, it fits the theme quite well.
Immurmodi
01-17-06, 04:26 AM yes i feared as much when i looked at the class myself, i could not remember anything that really fit in very well.

Still i think i will use the geometer i think it fits nicely with the classic wizard image as someone that dedicates themselves to their grimoires.

But i may try the runesmith it has some of the same thematic foundation as the geometer.
Dirty Dan the Laundry Man
01-17-06, 05:00 AM On a related note, the Geometer's 2nd level ability has a synergetic combo when used in conjunction with a Boccob's Blessed Book. We're talking a savings of many, many thousands of GP in the long run.
Eidolon Faer
01-17-06, 10:09 AM The Geometer doesn't have any spectacularly sexy uberness to it, it's just better than taking the same 5 levels as Wizard. Lots better.

The ability to save money on spellbook scribing is too huge to not mention. And getting Glyph of Warding as an Arcane spell is pretty sweet too. As for the goofy scrolls to focus your spells, who cares?
Tempest Stormwind
01-17-06, 10:10 AM There's also a very, very mean trick you can do involving rules-lawyering if you really want to press the point.

The text is the primary source for class abilities, not the table.

The text describes gaining TWO abilities at fourth level and NO abilities at fifth (unlike the table).

Errata did not catch this.

Therefore, you can argue that four levels gives you all five class features, thus saving a level to be spent elsewhere.

Hope that helps a bit.

(Other than this, I generally wouldn't go more than 2 levels in it myself -- which not only grants a great moneysaver but also advances the standard wiz5 to casting 4th level spells, which opens up more PrCs.)
dog45
01-17-06, 11:18 AM While I agree with Tempest as far as the dual abilities at 4th level go, I would stick around for the 5th level as well. You pick up Greater Glyph of Warding, so you could put, for example, Geas in your Glyphs. Also, the Powerful Spellglyph isn't a bad deal either. Unnamed +1 Caster Level for 25 gp per spell level? I'll take that all day, and twice on Sunday.

I'm actually playing a Wizard 6/Geometer 5/IoSV 2/Archmage 2 right now. To me, Geometer and Initate of the Sevenfold Veil go together well. At the very least, taking the IoSV levels preps you for taking Archmage as soon as possible, as you are only one Spell Focus away from meeting the feat prereqs for Archmage. And the wardings aren't half bad, along with the various abilites you get at the low levels in IoSV. Plus, since you've taken GSF Abjuration that means your Glyphs will be harder to save against.

The ability of the Geometer that I've used the least is his Spellsight. Most of the magic traps we encounter are mechancial, but that's just my DM's style. With even a half-decent search score, plus your intelligence, plus your caster level, you will have no problem finding the traps that Spellsight will pick up.
Reiner
01-17-06, 12:22 PM Well, if you're going for a more thematic build, Illumians are a good choice for a race, because of the word/spellglyph thematic synergy.

Also, if you're going for the obscure spell researcher, Loremaster might work well. I'd hazard a guess that most people don't consider it optimal, but it is thematically all about the research, and you do get the useful lore(bardic knowledge) ability.
HiQKid
01-17-06, 08:13 PM Spell Thematics to make all your spells manifest as runes might not be bad.
pquekadl
01-17-06, 10:32 PM The racial substitution levels for elven wizard make the class prereqs easier to meet, iirc.
Surreal
01-17-06, 11:22 PM The text describes gaining TWO abilities at fourth level and NO abilities at fifth (unlike the table).

Errata did not catch this.

Therefore, you can argue that four levels gives you all five class features, thus saving a level to be spent elsewhere.

Mine must be a different printing... the text in mine says sigilsight and pass spellglyph at 3rd level, nothing at 4th level, then powerful spellglyph and greater glyph of warding at 5th.
Surreal
01-17-06, 11:26 PM If you're mostly looking for thematic consistency, I would suggest the RuneSmith prestige class from Races of Stone, which allows the character to cast his/her spells as symbols inscribed on equipment. In addition to enabling heavy armor for an arcane caster, it fits the theme quite well.
Hmm, so a Geometer/Runesmith can inscribe spellglyph runes... which basically means he can cast spells in heavy armour with no verbal or somatic component with nothing but a thought. Hmm...
Eidolon Faer
01-18-06, 11:28 AM You've got lots of options with a "Magical Writings" themed character.

One of my favorite tricks is something I call the "unabomber." Take a piece of paper, cast Explosive Runes or some other magical trap on it, then cover the whole thing with an Illusionary Script that only your intended victim can read.

The suggestion imbedded in the Illusionary Script spell is "Make sure that <victim> gets this note passed along to him. It's very important that he sees it."

Then use Disguise Self to conceal your identity and pass it along to a flunky of the victim. Or someone who knows a flunky if the victim. Or someone who has a vague inkling that the victim exists. The results are a kind of chain-letter of doom.

Another excellent venue for a writings, runes, and geometric diagrams style wizard is, of course, Planar Binding. Summoning circles fit quite nicely into this picture, and the boosted caster level from a Spellglyph stacks quite nicely with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration. Slap on Cooperative Spellcasting and a coven of apprentice / flunkies and you can bind some extremely nasty critters with a good degree of security. Sacred Exorcist fits the bill here quite nicely, and IotSV meshes well with a Ritual Summoner as well. If you want to go the other way, a Geometer / Red Wizard could also be a devastating summoning mage if focused in Abjuration.
Surreal
01-18-06, 12:25 PM On a tangent, I have a silly build using runes: Warforged Paladin 4/Stoneblessed 3/Suel Arcanamach 4/Runesmith 5/Spellcarved 4
- good Con, walk around with an adamantine body, some cha synergy with paladin and suel, turn attemps that you can burn with divine feats, cast 5th level sorcerer spells, CL 17 with practiced spellcaster, and really excellent rune buffs
Immurmodi
01-18-06, 05:31 PM Thanks for the suggestions everyone , I have gotten a lot of neat ideas from you all.

Loremaster is a nice idea but as my last wizard was a Loremaster i think i will try something different this time, Perhaps i will go for a Geometer/IotSV with planarbinding/symbols focus seems like i could get someone who are quite skilled at abjuration while maintaining a focus on written and symbolic magic, The runes and other scriptural spells fit nicely in with the summoning circles.

The Runesmith is nice too however perhaps i ought to check that one out later.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Immurmodi 01-17-06, 02:28 AM	I am going to play a wizard in my next game and i remembered the geometer prestige class in complete arcane, After taking a look at it i decided to go for an symbols/words of power themed character. However do anyone remember other prestige classes, feats, spells that synergise well with the geometer ? I am not neccecarily looking for an powerhouse of an character and we do not do leveldipping in this game , So essentialy i am just looking for ideas that would fit well with the geometer class at the moment. I will start at first level with this character and for the moment i am thinking of playing it as an researcher of obscure spells and arcane minutiae so i will probably try to stock up on somewhat less used spells and items with this character.
LordofProcrastination 01-17-06, 03:52 AM	Sorry, I'm afraid you're going to find that very few people consider the Geometer possessing any notable element of synergistic potential with any currently known other feat/class/mechanism. If you're mostly looking for thematic consistency, I would suggest the RuneSmith prestige class from Races of Stone, which allows the character to cast his/her spells as symbols inscribed on equipment. In addition to enabling heavy armor for an arcane caster, it fits the theme quite well.
Immurmodi 01-17-06, 04:26 AM	yes i feared as much when i looked at the class myself, i could not remember anything that really fit in very well. Still i think i will use the geometer i think it fits nicely with the classic wizard image as someone that dedicates themselves to their grimoires. But i may try the runesmith it has some of the same thematic foundation as the geometer.
Dirty Dan the Laundry Man 01-17-06, 05:00 AM	On a related note, the Geometer's 2nd level ability has a synergetic combo when used in conjunction with a Boccob's Blessed Book. We're talking a savings of many, many thousands of GP in the long run.
Eidolon Faer 01-17-06, 10:09 AM	The Geometer doesn't have any spectacularly sexy uberness to it, it's just better than taking the same 5 levels as Wizard. Lots better. The ability to save money on spellbook scribing is too huge to not mention. And getting Glyph of Warding as an Arcane spell is pretty sweet too. As for the goofy scrolls to focus your spells, who cares?
Tempest Stormwind 01-17-06, 10:10 AM	There's also a very, very mean trick you can do involving rules-lawyering if you really want to press the point. The text is the primary source for class abilities, not the table. The text describes gaining TWO abilities at fourth level and NO abilities at fifth (unlike the table). Errata did not catch this. Therefore, you can argue that four levels gives you all five class features, thus saving a level to be spent elsewhere. Hope that helps a bit. (Other than this, I generally wouldn't go more than 2 levels in it myself -- which not only grants a great moneysaver but also advances the standard wiz5 to casting 4th level spells, which opens up more PrCs.)
dog45 01-17-06, 11:18 AM	While I agree with Tempest as far as the dual abilities at 4th level go, I would stick around for the 5th level as well. You pick up Greater Glyph of Warding, so you could put, for example, Geas in your Glyphs. Also, the Powerful Spellglyph isn't a bad deal either. Unnamed +1 Caster Level for 25 gp per spell level? I'll take that all day, and twice on Sunday. I'm actually playing a Wizard 6/Geometer 5/IoSV 2/Archmage 2 right now. To me, Geometer and Initate of the Sevenfold Veil go together well. At the very least, taking the IoSV levels preps you for taking Archmage as soon as possible, as you are only one Spell Focus away from meeting the feat prereqs for Archmage. And the wardings aren't half bad, along with the various abilites you get at the low levels in IoSV. Plus, since you've taken GSF Abjuration that means your Glyphs will be harder to save against. The ability of the Geometer that I've used the least is his Spellsight. Most of the magic traps we encounter are mechancial, but that's just my DM's style. With even a half-decent search score, plus your intelligence, plus your caster level, you will have no problem finding the traps that Spellsight will pick up.
Reiner 01-17-06, 12:22 PM	Well, if you're going for a more thematic build, Illumians are a good choice for a race, because of the word/spellglyph thematic synergy. Also, if you're going for the obscure spell researcher, Loremaster might work well. I'd hazard a guess that most people don't consider it optimal, but it is thematically all about the research, and you do get the useful lore(bardic knowledge) ability.
HiQKid 01-17-06, 08:13 PM	Spell Thematics to make all your spells manifest as runes might not be bad.
pquekadl 01-17-06, 10:32 PM	The racial substitution levels for elven wizard make the class prereqs easier to meet, iirc.
Surreal 01-17-06, 11:22 PM	The text describes gaining TWO abilities at fourth level and NO abilities at fifth (unlike the table). Errata did not catch this. Therefore, you can argue that four levels gives you all five class features, thus saving a level to be spent elsewhere. Mine must be a different printing... the text in mine says sigilsight and pass spellglyph at 3rd level, nothing at 4th level, then powerful spellglyph and greater glyph of warding at 5th.
Surreal 01-17-06, 11:26 PM	If you're mostly looking for thematic consistency, I would suggest the RuneSmith prestige class from Races of Stone, which allows the character to cast his/her spells as symbols inscribed on equipment. In addition to enabling heavy armor for an arcane caster, it fits the theme quite well. Hmm, so a Geometer/Runesmith can inscribe spellglyph runes... which basically means he can cast spells in heavy armour with no verbal or somatic component with nothing but a thought. Hmm...
Eidolon Faer 01-18-06, 11:28 AM	You've got lots of options with a "Magical Writings" themed character. One of my favorite tricks is something I call the "unabomber." Take a piece of paper, cast Explosive Runes or some other magical trap on it, then cover the whole thing with an Illusionary Script that only your intended victim can read. The suggestion imbedded in the Illusionary Script spell is "Make sure that <victim> gets this note passed along to him. It's very important that he sees it." Then use Disguise Self to conceal your identity and pass it along to a flunky of the victim. Or someone who knows a flunky if the victim. Or someone who has a vague inkling that the victim exists. The results are a kind of chain-letter of doom. Another excellent venue for a writings, runes, and geometric diagrams style wizard is, of course, Planar Binding. Summoning circles fit quite nicely into this picture, and the boosted caster level from a Spellglyph stacks quite nicely with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration. Slap on Cooperative Spellcasting and a coven of apprentice / flunkies and you can bind some extremely nasty critters with a good degree of security. Sacred Exorcist fits the bill here quite nicely, and IotSV meshes well with a Ritual Summoner as well. If you want to go the other way, a Geometer / Red Wizard could also be a devastating summoning mage if focused in Abjuration.
Surreal 01-18-06, 12:25 PM	On a tangent, I have a silly build using runes: Warforged Paladin 4/Stoneblessed 3/Suel Arcanamach 4/Runesmith 5/Spellcarved 4 - good Con, walk around with an adamantine body, some cha synergy with paladin and suel, turn attemps that you can burn with divine feats, cast 5th level sorcerer spells, CL 17 with practiced spellcaster, and really excellent rune buffs
Immurmodi 01-18-06, 05:31 PM	Thanks for the suggestions everyone , I have gotten a lot of neat ideas from you all. Loremaster is a nice idea but as my last wizard was a Loremaster i think i will try something different this time, Perhaps i will go for a Geometer/IotSV with planarbinding/symbols focus seems like i could get someone who are quite skilled at abjuration while maintaining a focus on written and symbolic magic, The runes and other scriptural spells fit nicely in with the summoning circles. The Runesmith is nice too however perhaps i ought to check that one out later.