Grumpy Old Coot Wizard [Archive] - Wizards Community

Grumpy Old Coot Wizard [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
bitznarf
07-09-07, 10:25 PM I'll be playing my first arcanist and I'm looking for some advice. As I've yet to play an arcanist I'm inclined to play a generalist wizard as I've heard it is the easiest type to play. However, given the constraints of the character concept I have come up with, I'm not sure how I should build the character mechanically.

The concept sort of works around these ideas here:
Member of a Bey
Essentially the nobility of Zeif.

Born of the Elements
You claim your heritage can be drawn back generations to the great Genies that used to inhabit the Sultanate of Zeif. Whether that is true or not, you firmly believe it, as did your father and mother before you.

Wisp of the Djini
Mysterious and aloof, the Wisps choose to move from one place to the next, wherever the winds choose for them to go ... They are arrogant to a fault, believing that destiny calls them where needed and that their presence is an act of divine intervention.
Mix that in with a grumpy old coot who only adventures because if he didn't 'those youngsters would never be able to keep the world from falling apart' and 'if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.' Or at least, thats the core of the idea at the moment, it could (and probably will) morph at least a couple of times before it gels in my mind.
M Baklunish Human
Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 8

Wizard 1 - Scribe Scroll, <1st level feat>, <human feat>
Wizard 2
Wizard 3 - CWI?
Wizard 4
Wizard 5 - Empower SpellI don't think Elemental Savant will work very well without a way to deal with creatures immune to electricity. One of the other players (out of 5 total) is also already playing a Elemental Savant (fire version with Fiery Spell and Searing Spell) and I don't want to duplicate that character mechanically.

Fatespinner sorta fits the 'fated to be in the right place at the right time' idea of sorts, and is decent mechanically. Crappy skill list though. (I like skills by the way.)

Geometor sort of appeals to me on a mechanical level, but I'm not sure how I would work it into the concept. That and it seems a waste to take Geometer without having trapfinding.

The feat Jinnbond (Dragon Magazine 319) is almost an automatic feat for the PC thematically if it wasn't for the fact that it is only really useful for sorcerors.

Anyone have any other ideas?
CdrcJsn
07-10-07, 03:04 AM Bonded Summoner from Miniatures Handbook. You give up a bit (lost caster level every other level), but gain an elemental familiar.

I played a 14th level Bonded Summoner with a huge air elemental (not in LG) and the lost caster levels didn't hurt me any.

Being able to order around an elemental around seems to fit in with your backstory.
wangka
07-10-07, 02:01 PM Featwise - I think Baklunish can take Elemental Focus (a Greyhawk Regional feat) which stacks nicely with Spell Focus if you're favoring spells allowing saves. As your character advances, there are some neat reserve feats from Complete Mage.

Another mid-level possibility is to take Improved Familiar and have an elemental familiar.
bitznarf
07-10-07, 06:51 PM Bonded Summoner is NONC so I don't know if I will get access given that one of its abilities is based off of polymorph. I like the flavour of the class, but losing 5 caster levels... I dunno. Yes, I could take Elemental Focus, but it really isn't that great of a feat in my opinion when it comes right down to it. I might end up with it anyway though, not sure.

Edit: turns out one of the local metaorgs gives access to Bonded Summoner (the Sons of Cin)
CdrcJsn
07-10-07, 07:54 PM Bonded Summoner is available through several metaorgs. I think Nyrond has it for example.

It basically works out similar to an Arcane Hierophant. Your familiar is the one doing most of the damage and you use your spells to buff and support it.

Imagine having a huge air elemental at 10th level that you can share spells with (mirror image, enlarge person, fist of stone, etc.) while being carried around (can carry up to 400lbs and still be at light encumbrance). It's basically a 136 hp fighter cohort that is huge and can fly. Well worth the loss in caster levels.
bitznarf
07-10-07, 07:56 PM I'll give you that. How then do I deal with mods/areas where space is an issue? A huge air elemental would probably have a hard time fitting into a 5' wide corridor...
CdrcJsn
07-10-07, 08:14 PM I'll give you that. How then do I deal with mods/areas where space is an issue? A huge air elemental would probably have a hard time fitting into a 5' wide corridor...

Reduce person turns it one category smaller. Other than that, you're stuck with it squeezing.

I guess you need to tailor what sort of elemental you get on the type of adventures you're likely to undertake. Here in the Pale, most dangers are from outside forces and usually take place in frontier areas so there are few city adventures. Dyvers on the other hand has probably mostly city adventures and an earth elemental able to walk through stone/earth would probably be more useful.
bitznarf
07-11-07, 01:35 AM I'd rather take more generic PrCs such as Geometer/Fatespinner/Mindbender before I'd take anything other than the air elemental with that class and this character concept. And with reduce person I would still need PoP and/or a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend to be able to keep it up for a decent amout of time in dungeon/crypt crawls.
bitznarf
07-11-07, 12:31 PM Any idea how I would effectively avoid getting hit by bad guys if my air elemental is carrying me? Or how to keep up with him should I need to be dropped/set down for some reason? Its not like I'll have the spell slots to spare for something like overland flight, or to cast fly repeatedly. Nor do those spells give me anywhere near the speed the air elemental has.

I'm just trying to work my way through the problems I see cropping up, I like the idea in and of itself.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
bitznarf 07-09-07, 10:25 PM	I'll be playing my first arcanist and I'm looking for some advice. As I've yet to play an arcanist I'm inclined to play a generalist wizard as I've heard it is the easiest type to play. However, given the constraints of the character concept I have come up with, I'm not sure how I should build the character mechanically. The concept sort of works around these ideas here: Member of a Bey Essentially the nobility of Zeif. Born of the Elements You claim your heritage can be drawn back generations to the great Genies that used to inhabit the Sultanate of Zeif. Whether that is true or not, you firmly believe it, as did your father and mother before you. Wisp of the Djini Mysterious and aloof, the Wisps choose to move from one place to the next, wherever the winds choose for them to go ... They are arrogant to a fault, believing that destiny calls them where needed and that their presence is an act of divine intervention. Mix that in with a grumpy old coot who only adventures because if he didn't 'those youngsters would never be able to keep the world from falling apart' and 'if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.' Or at least, thats the core of the idea at the moment, it could (and probably will) morph at least a couple of times before it gels in my mind. M Baklunish Human Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 8 Wizard 1 - Scribe Scroll, <1st level feat>, <human feat> Wizard 2 Wizard 3 - CWI? Wizard 4 Wizard 5 - Empower SpellI don't think Elemental Savant will work very well without a way to deal with creatures immune to electricity. One of the other players (out of 5 total) is also already playing a Elemental Savant (fire version with Fiery Spell and Searing Spell) and I don't want to duplicate that character mechanically. Fatespinner sorta fits the 'fated to be in the right place at the right time' idea of sorts, and is decent mechanically. Crappy skill list though. (I like skills by the way.) Geometor sort of appeals to me on a mechanical level, but I'm not sure how I would work it into the concept. That and it seems a waste to take Geometer without having trapfinding. The feat Jinnbond (Dragon Magazine 319) is almost an automatic feat for the PC thematically if it wasn't for the fact that it is only really useful for sorcerors. Anyone have any other ideas?
CdrcJsn 07-10-07, 03:04 AM	Bonded Summoner from Miniatures Handbook. You give up a bit (lost caster level every other level), but gain an elemental familiar. I played a 14th level Bonded Summoner with a huge air elemental (not in LG) and the lost caster levels didn't hurt me any. Being able to order around an elemental around seems to fit in with your backstory.
wangka 07-10-07, 02:01 PM	Featwise - I think Baklunish can take Elemental Focus (a Greyhawk Regional feat) which stacks nicely with Spell Focus if you're favoring spells allowing saves. As your character advances, there are some neat reserve feats from Complete Mage. Another mid-level possibility is to take Improved Familiar and have an elemental familiar.
bitznarf 07-10-07, 06:51 PM	Bonded Summoner is NONC so I don't know if I will get access given that one of its abilities is based off of polymorph. I like the flavour of the class, but losing 5 caster levels... I dunno. Yes, I could take Elemental Focus, but it really isn't that great of a feat in my opinion when it comes right down to it. I might end up with it anyway though, not sure. Edit: turns out one of the local metaorgs gives access to Bonded Summoner (the Sons of Cin)
CdrcJsn 07-10-07, 07:54 PM	Bonded Summoner is available through several metaorgs. I think Nyrond has it for example. It basically works out similar to an Arcane Hierophant. Your familiar is the one doing most of the damage and you use your spells to buff and support it. Imagine having a huge air elemental at 10th level that you can share spells with (mirror image, enlarge person, fist of stone, etc.) while being carried around (can carry up to 400lbs and still be at light encumbrance). It's basically a 136 hp fighter cohort that is huge and can fly. Well worth the loss in caster levels.
bitznarf 07-10-07, 07:56 PM	I'll give you that. How then do I deal with mods/areas where space is an issue? A huge air elemental would probably have a hard time fitting into a 5' wide corridor...
CdrcJsn 07-10-07, 08:14 PM	I'll give you that. How then do I deal with mods/areas where space is an issue? A huge air elemental would probably have a hard time fitting into a 5' wide corridor... Reduce person turns it one category smaller. Other than that, you're stuck with it squeezing. I guess you need to tailor what sort of elemental you get on the type of adventures you're likely to undertake. Here in the Pale, most dangers are from outside forces and usually take place in frontier areas so there are few city adventures. Dyvers on the other hand has probably mostly city adventures and an earth elemental able to walk through stone/earth would probably be more useful.
bitznarf 07-11-07, 01:35 AM	I'd rather take more generic PrCs such as Geometer/Fatespinner/Mindbender before I'd take anything other than the air elemental with that class and this character concept. And with reduce person I would still need PoP and/or a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend to be able to keep it up for a decent amout of time in dungeon/crypt crawls.
bitznarf 07-11-07, 12:31 PM	Any idea how I would effectively avoid getting hit by bad guys if my air elemental is carrying me? Or how to keep up with him should I need to be dropped/set down for some reason? Its not like I'll have the spell slots to spare for something like overland flight, or to cast fly repeatedly. Nor do those spells give me anywhere near the speed the air elemental has. I'm just trying to work my way through the problems I see cropping up, I like the idea in and of itself.