Crafter build? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Crafter build? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
echoota
07-19-06, 01:18 AM I'm going to be starting a second character and one thing I was thinking of exploring was being a crafter. However so far I've focused on combat characters, I haven't really paid much attention to spell users, so can someone suggest a build that would let me start creating magic items, preferably at a lower level rather than up at a higher level?
Lomiat
07-19-06, 10:29 AM The key, of course, is to take Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level. The rest depends on your choice to take levels of wizard, cleric, or druid. Wizard gives you Scribe Scroll as a free feat at 1st level, but both cleric and druid give you automatic access to all core class spells as soon as you hit 3rd level.

If you take enough ranks in Use Magic Device, you can craft items requiring spells from other classes, and Loremaster is a popular class that offers UMD as a class skill.

And you always have the option to multi-class and head toward a PRC like Mystic Theurge; however, in such a case, you'll probably end up taking other feats (such as Practiced Spellcaster) that will tighten up the feats you have available for crafting. Nonetheless, I've found with my crafter, that it's difficult to find the TUs and GP to make everything I want, and I only have Scribe Scroll (rarely used above 5th level), Craft Wondrous Item, and Craft Magic Arms and Armor (only used once thus far, but soon to find more use as I make some Spellstoring items).
Mommy was an Orc
07-19-06, 01:36 PM The key, of course, is to take Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level. The rest depends on your choice to take levels of wizard, cleric, or druid. Wizard gives you Scribe Scroll as a free feat at 1st level, but both cleric and druid give you automatic access to all core class spells as soon as you hit 3rd level.

I'm not sure why this would be key - the big problem is that there aren't a lot of items to craft at 3rd level. 5th/6th level is more where things get interesting and 9th/10th is where it gets real powerful.
Lomiat
07-19-06, 08:24 PM I'm not sure why this would be key - the big problem is that there aren't a lot of items to craft at 3rd level. 5th/6th level is more where things get interesting and 9th/10th is where it gets real powerful.

"Key" only because echoota said he wanted to craft at a lower level rather than a higher level, and Craft Wondrous is easily the best crafting feat.

Scribe Scroll is a good 1st level option if you don't get it as a wizard. Since something like 75 to 80+ percent of cleric spells during the cleric's low-level lifespan get converted into Cure Light Wounds and Cure Moderate Wounds, being able to scribe scrolls of CLW and cast other spells during the day isn't a bad idea.
Iswald
07-21-06, 09:14 AM Scribe Scroll is a good 1st level option if you don't get it as a wizard. Since something like 75 to 80+ percent of cleric spells during the cleric's low-level lifespan get converted into Cure Light Wounds and Cure Moderate Wounds, being able to scribe scrolls of CLW and cast other spells during the day isn't a bad idea.

I think you're better off just buying a wand of cure light wounds (wouldn't recommend crafting wands) and then scribing spells that you might need occasionally such as comprehend languages and lesser restoration. I'd still use my prepared spells for casting cure lights since they will be more useful in combat, no AoO and they heal more.
Lupo
07-21-06, 12:33 PM I think you're better off just buying a wand of cure light wounds (wouldn't recommend crafting wands) and then scribing spells that you might need occasionally such as comprehend languages and lesser restoration. I'd still use my prepared spells for casting cure lights since they will be more useful in combat, no AoO and they heal more.

the problem is that wands of cure light wounds have to be found on an AR first.
but you can always get along with scrolls of cure light wounds, buy some four or five of them, especcially when you are playing a cleric, for APL 2 and APL 4 tables. get your fellow characters at the table to provide at least one, better two scrolls of CLW for you to cast.

with all the nice and very usefull spells from the SpC i would advice a new cleric to get the "scribe scroll" feat, unless the feat slot is needed for something aiming for a prestige class.

you can get "scribe scroll" at first level, while all the nice cleric feats are only opened from third level onwards. even when you are banned from scribing out-of-PHB-spells till third level, it might save some money and widens your selection of available spells.

ciao

martin m.
Lomiat
07-21-06, 12:48 PM Furthermore, if you happen to have the player's reward card, Right Scroll for the Job, the feat becomes exponentially more useful--as, once per adventure, you can swap your CLW scroll for any other 1st-level spell you could cast...

Scribe Scroll isn't the best feat a cleric can take at 1st level, but it's the best crafter feat a cleric can take a that level (the only, I think).
Iswald
07-21-06, 01:12 PM the problem is that wands of cure light wounds have to be found on an AR first.
but you can always get along with scrolls of cure light wounds, buy some four or five of them, especcially when you are playing a cleric, for APL 2 and APL 4 tables. get your fellow characters at the table to provide at least one, better two scrolls of CLW for you to cast.

CLW wands are pretty easy to find. It's true that you may end up going a very long time before getting access if you have back luck. But, you should be convincing everyone to help contribute to healing by purchasing wands or scrolls for healing so that it's not a major problem. Maybe it's just me, but there seems to have been an increase in the availability of clw wands. A character I started last week has played nine mods (three of them intros) and has already had access to wands twice.

I don't count on having any rewards cards when I build a character. All I have are the crappy Eberon cards and I'm not going to assume that others will have had better luck or will be able to bum a card on a regular basis. Not to mention that you can only use it once (unless, of course, you have a bunch and are high enough level to use them).

I'm not saying that you shouldn't get scribe. Rather, I would recommend scribing something other than cure light wounds. For instance, any spell that you might like to cast and works equally well as either a first level caster or a tenth level caster.

BTW, the rune domain gives the scribe scroll feat. If you take the magic domain, it'll assist in crafting items.
Lomiat
07-21-06, 03:32 PM Then again, you could look at the issue this way, too:
If you have a brand new group of players (such as I ran through an intro last night), they're looking to survive long enough to buy wands of Cure Light Wounds, they don't have access, and they have only one cleric to heal the whole party's wounds--then Scribe Scroll starts to pay a nice, immediate reward. Over the course of 5 adventures, a 1st-level caster (hitting 2nd on the way), would be able to Scribe 24 different scrolls for 300 gp.

Iswald's right that there a caster is likely better off to Scribe Scrolls other than CLW, but the thing is you can scribe those AND CLW--and it's all for the better.

Off the top of my head, some good 1st-level Cleric scrolls: CLW, Protection from Evil, Obscuring Mist, Enlarge Person (if you have the Strength Domain), Bless, and Magic Weapon.
Namarus
07-21-06, 03:58 PM I actually agree with scribe scrolls for clerics.

Really good spells like lesser restoration, protection from evil, you never know when you will need them. So it's good to have utility spells. I definately wouldn't waste them on CLW scrolls, but useful cleric spells that make or break things are essential I think.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
echoota 07-19-06, 01:18 AM	I'm going to be starting a second character and one thing I was thinking of exploring was being a crafter. However so far I've focused on combat characters, I haven't really paid much attention to spell users, so can someone suggest a build that would let me start creating magic items, preferably at a lower level rather than up at a higher level?
Lomiat 07-19-06, 10:29 AM	The key, of course, is to take Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level. The rest depends on your choice to take levels of wizard, cleric, or druid. Wizard gives you Scribe Scroll as a free feat at 1st level, but both cleric and druid give you automatic access to all core class spells as soon as you hit 3rd level. If you take enough ranks in Use Magic Device, you can craft items requiring spells from other classes, and Loremaster is a popular class that offers UMD as a class skill. And you always have the option to multi-class and head toward a PRC like Mystic Theurge; however, in such a case, you'll probably end up taking other feats (such as Practiced Spellcaster) that will tighten up the feats you have available for crafting. Nonetheless, I've found with my crafter, that it's difficult to find the TUs and GP to make everything I want, and I only have Scribe Scroll (rarely used above 5th level), Craft Wondrous Item, and Craft Magic Arms and Armor (only used once thus far, but soon to find more use as I make some Spellstoring items).
Mommy was an Orc 07-19-06, 01:36 PM	The key, of course, is to take Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level. The rest depends on your choice to take levels of wizard, cleric, or druid. Wizard gives you Scribe Scroll as a free feat at 1st level, but both cleric and druid give you automatic access to all core class spells as soon as you hit 3rd level. I'm not sure why this would be key - the big problem is that there aren't a lot of items to craft at 3rd level. 5th/6th level is more where things get interesting and 9th/10th is where it gets real powerful.
Lomiat 07-19-06, 08:24 PM	I'm not sure why this would be key - the big problem is that there aren't a lot of items to craft at 3rd level. 5th/6th level is more where things get interesting and 9th/10th is where it gets real powerful. "Key" only because echoota said he wanted to craft at a lower level rather than a higher level, and Craft Wondrous is easily the best crafting feat. Scribe Scroll is a good 1st level option if you don't get it as a wizard. Since something like 75 to 80+ percent of cleric spells during the cleric's low-level lifespan get converted into Cure Light Wounds and Cure Moderate Wounds, being able to scribe scrolls of CLW and cast other spells during the day isn't a bad idea.
Iswald 07-21-06, 09:14 AM	Scribe Scroll is a good 1st level option if you don't get it as a wizard. Since something like 75 to 80+ percent of cleric spells during the cleric's low-level lifespan get converted into Cure Light Wounds and Cure Moderate Wounds, being able to scribe scrolls of CLW and cast other spells during the day isn't a bad idea. I think you're better off just buying a wand of cure light wounds (wouldn't recommend crafting wands) and then scribing spells that you might need occasionally such as comprehend languages and lesser restoration. I'd still use my prepared spells for casting cure lights since they will be more useful in combat, no AoO and they heal more.
Lupo 07-21-06, 12:33 PM	I think you're better off just buying a wand of cure light wounds (wouldn't recommend crafting wands) and then scribing spells that you might need occasionally such as comprehend languages and lesser restoration. I'd still use my prepared spells for casting cure lights since they will be more useful in combat, no AoO and they heal more. the problem is that wands of cure light wounds have to be found on an AR first. but you can always get along with scrolls of cure light wounds, buy some four or five of them, especcially when you are playing a cleric, for APL 2 and APL 4 tables. get your fellow characters at the table to provide at least one, better two scrolls of CLW for you to cast. with all the nice and very usefull spells from the SpC i would advice a new cleric to get the "scribe scroll" feat, unless the feat slot is needed for something aiming for a prestige class. you can get "scribe scroll" at first level, while all the nice cleric feats are only opened from third level onwards. even when you are banned from scribing out-of-PHB-spells till third level, it might save some money and widens your selection of available spells. ciao martin m.
Lomiat 07-21-06, 12:48 PM	Furthermore, if you happen to have the player's reward card, Right Scroll for the Job, the feat becomes exponentially more useful--as, once per adventure, you can swap your CLW scroll for any other 1st-level spell you could cast... Scribe Scroll isn't the best feat a cleric can take at 1st level, but it's the best crafter feat a cleric can take a that level (the only, I think).
Iswald 07-21-06, 01:12 PM	the problem is that wands of cure light wounds have to be found on an AR first. but you can always get along with scrolls of cure light wounds, buy some four or five of them, especcially when you are playing a cleric, for APL 2 and APL 4 tables. get your fellow characters at the table to provide at least one, better two scrolls of CLW for you to cast. CLW wands are pretty easy to find. It's true that you may end up going a very long time before getting access if you have back luck. But, you should be convincing everyone to help contribute to healing by purchasing wands or scrolls for healing so that it's not a major problem. Maybe it's just me, but there seems to have been an increase in the availability of clw wands. A character I started last week has played nine mods (three of them intros) and has already had access to wands twice. I don't count on having any rewards cards when I build a character. All I have are the crappy Eberon cards and I'm not going to assume that others will have had better luck or will be able to bum a card on a regular basis. Not to mention that you can only use it once (unless, of course, you have a bunch and are high enough level to use them). I'm not saying that you shouldn't get scribe. Rather, I would recommend scribing something other than cure light wounds. For instance, any spell that you might like to cast and works equally well as either a first level caster or a tenth level caster. BTW, the rune domain gives the scribe scroll feat. If you take the magic domain, it'll assist in crafting items.
Lomiat 07-21-06, 03:32 PM	Then again, you could look at the issue this way, too: If you have a brand new group of players (such as I ran through an intro last night), they're looking to survive long enough to buy wands of Cure Light Wounds, they don't have access, and they have only one cleric to heal the whole party's wounds--then Scribe Scroll starts to pay a nice, immediate reward. Over the course of 5 adventures, a 1st-level caster (hitting 2nd on the way), would be able to Scribe 24 different scrolls for 300 gp. Iswald's right that there a caster is likely better off to Scribe Scrolls other than CLW, but the thing is you can scribe those AND CLW--and it's all for the better. Off the top of my head, some good 1st-level Cleric scrolls: CLW, Protection from Evil, Obscuring Mist, Enlarge Person (if you have the Strength Domain), Bless, and Magic Weapon.
Namarus 07-21-06, 03:58 PM	I actually agree with scribe scrolls for clerics. Really good spells like lesser restoration, protection from evil, you never know when you will need them. So it's good to have utility spells. I definately wouldn't waste them on CLW scrolls, but useful cleric spells that make or break things are essential I think.