Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Surgebuster 01-24-08, 08:02 PM	Ok, so my Alienist has hit 12th level and I have two feats to choose, (one which must be metamagic). I'm a little unsure about the best way to go and I'd like some input if possible. Bonus class feats in bold: 1 – Conj 1 Scribe Scroll, SF (Conjuration), Augment Summoning 2 – Conj 2 3 – Conj 3 Rapid Spell 4 – Conj 4 5 – Conj 5 Craft Wand 6 – Ali 1 Beckon the Frozen 7 – Ali 2 8 – Ali 3 Empower Spell 9 – Ali 4 Metamagic School Focus (Conjuration) 10 – Ali 5 11 – Ali 6 12 – Ali 7 Feat, Bonus Feat His primary tactic is using Rapid Summon monster V to summon 1d4+1 Pseudonatural Dire Weasels or Bison, as the situation dictates. The weasels make mincemeat of single monster encounters (the blend of true strike, extra cold damage and the no-save con drain) and the bison provide good damage and plenty of meat to shield the party. He'll also throw a few Empowered Orb of Force or Empowered Arc Lightning spells around as needed. At 13th, instead of summoning 2-5 weasels/bison, he will empower it to bring 4-7 of them each round. The ratio of damage when summoning multiple monsters vs a single high level one is disproportionate when using the true strike ability of pseudonatural creatures, thus why I continue using them. The PC has also comically missed out on any metamagic rod access until a couple of ARs ago, when he got access to a 75k rod of quicken. Suffice to say I can't afford it. So, here are the feats I was looking at as possibilities. all suggestions welcomed! Arcane Thesis – Summon Monster V Craft Rod (saves 37,500gp!) Extend Spell GSF (Conjuration) Improved Toughness Quicken Spell Joe
MwaO 01-24-08, 08:22 PM	I'd go with Quicken Spell for one of them, especially if you have access to Snake's Swiftness of some kind - you Quicken Mass Snake's Swiftness, and you can get rid of the table variation(i.e. True Strike takes a Standard Action)
Surgebuster 01-24-08, 08:28 PM	I'd go with Quicken Spell for one of them, especially if you have access to Snake's Swiftness of some kind - you Quicken Mass Snake's Swiftness, and you can get rid of the table variation(i.e. True Strike takes a Standard Action) I don't have access to snake's swiftness unfortunately. The old chestnut of standard action abilities while attacking, such as smiting on a charge etc. has in all honesty never come up at any table I have been on, whether my character was involved or not. That being said, I'll be playing the core special with this PC at DDXP - there's a first time for everything I guess. :rolleyes: So, if we assume that there's no table variation, what would you suggest? Joe
copperwyrmling 01-24-08, 09:11 PM	Arcane Thesis – Summon Monster V This one is Closed, sadly. Sure you don't want Craft Wondrous Item?
Surgebuster 01-24-08, 09:21 PM	This one is Closed, sadly. Sure you don't want Craft Wondrous Item? Maybe. I suppose I could spam PoPs and a make a few other bits and pieces. The concept of the PC actually owning a metamagic rod after 60 ARs is pretty tempting though, even if it will cost 3000xp & 37,500 gp! Joe
MwaO 01-25-08, 12:23 AM	The old chestnut of standard action abilities while attacking, such as smiting on a charge etc. has in all honesty never come up at any table I have been on, whether my character was involved or not. It isn't a standard action problem, it is that the True Strike doesn't actually imply an attack roll is part of the special. It mimics an ability that takes a standard action to use with no mention of free action. That's very different than the intent problem of a Smite Evil with a Charge. And in general, if I think there's a possible table variation on one of my abilities, I mention it to the judge. In many cases, they haven't heard of the variation and rule against me when it is clear that if I hadn't mentioned it, they would have ruled for me. I'd go for Quicken Spell and CWI.
Timlagor 01-25-08, 11:00 AM	That Rod requires 2 Feats as well as teh Xp and GP if you're going to craft it. I'd take Improved Initiative and Quicken.
Surgebuster 01-29-08, 12:13 AM	Update: I ended up taking MwaO's advice and went with Quicken Spell and CWI in advance of playing part two of Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. The 9am Sunday morning start time left me a little unprepared and I was still filling in lower level memorised spells as the first combat began. Long story short, my Heroes' Feasted, empowered False Lifed Conjurer went from 90hp to -11hp in one greataxe crit from a BBEG. Did I mention that I had ample opportunity to cast the quickened Mirror Image I had memorised? So uh, I'm back to 11th (145xp short of 12th now) and looking for two feats to choose...sigh. :D Joe
Hariman 01-30-08, 07:26 PM	Update: I ended up taking MwaO's advice and went with Quicken Spell and CWI in advance of playing part two of Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. The 9am Sunday morning start time left me a little unprepared and I was still filling in lower level memorised spells as the first combat began. Long story short, my Heroes' Feasted, empowered False Lifed Conjurer went from 90hp to -11hp in one greataxe crit from a BBEG. Did I mention that I had ample opportunity to cast the quickened Mirror Image I had memorised? So uh, I'm back to 11th (145xp short of 12th now) and looking for two feats to choose...sigh. :D Joe Ooooh, that sounds like the 90 damage scythe critical my sorcerer took. He went from 22 HP to -68 in one blow. Or perhaps it's more like when my sorcerer got to 5th level and then got energy drained by a wight.
copperwyrmling 01-30-08, 11:51 PM	Ooooh, that sounds like the 90 damage scythe critical my sorcerer took. He went from 22 HP to -68 in one blow. Or perhaps it's more like when my sorcerer got to 5th level and then got energy drained by a wight. Hmm. My high-level sorcerer's nearest-death experience also involved a 90pt critical, although mine was only x3 (there was power attack involved). Fortunately mine was later revoked after we checked the statblock and realized that the GM had been using the AC and SR values for the next encounter, and forgetting the monster's fire vulnerability - since we'd fizzled two maximized scorching rays against SR that it wasn't supposed to have, and it had supposedly been on 2 HP when it "killed" her, this made a rather significant difference ;) My low-level sorcerer has a near-death experience every time solbergb runs her through a mod ;) (I know he's not targeting her, she just has this tendency towards amusingly bad luck when he's GMing.) There's a reason her L7 spell picks went purely defensive. She's a lot harder to kill now she normally has AC in the mid-20s and 70ish HP at L8 (and anklets of translocation, and a forced-reroll ability).
zoinks69 01-31-08, 12:35 PM	Sorry for being late to the party -- did you overlook Metamagic School Focus (from PHB2)? Lets you toss the Rapids for free.
magebeast 01-31-08, 04:22 PM	He took Metamagic School Focus at 9.
Hariman 02-01-08, 02:18 AM	Hmm. My high-level sorcerer's nearest-death experience also involved a 90pt critical, although mine was only x3 (there was power attack involved). Fortunately mine was later revoked after we checked the statblock and realized that the GM had been using the AC and SR values for the next encounter, and forgetting the monster's fire vulnerability - since we'd fizzled two maximized scorching rays against SR that it wasn't supposed to have, and it had supposedly been on 2 HP when it "killed" her, this made a rather significant difference ;) My low-level sorcerer has a near-death experience every time solbergb runs her through a mod ;) (I know he's not targeting her, she just has this tendency towards amusingly bad luck when he's GMing.) There's a reason her L7 spell picks went purely defensive. She's a lot harder to kill now she normally has AC in the mid-20s and 70ish HP at L8 (and anklets of translocation, and a forced-reroll ability). Damn. You're lucky. Mine was a x4 scythe crit (with 2 handed power attacking for 5 and an impressive strength only negated by a lucky disarm roll. The DM rolled a crit on the critter's sling later in the combat too.) and rolling 13 for a DC 14 energy drain save. Hmmm. Maybe I should retrain for a rat instead of a bat.