Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 anansi May 12, 2008 22:23:40	Hello, all. This Saturday I will be joining a Pathfinder campaign. I haven't played under this DM or with any of these players before. The group currently consists of: 1 fighter 1 ranger 1 warlock 1 cleric who I believe is going to be a warrior priest (read Clericzilla) 1 PC who I believe is either going to be a rogue, a fighter/rogue or a dwarven fighter. Also, there may be anywhere from one to three new players joining this group on the same day that I do. I am not sure of their exact builds. Since the party needs an arcane spellcaster and I was, quite frankly, a little disappointed with the Pathfinder version of the sorcerer so I decided to go with a wizard instead. My new DM has informed me that all wizards MUST specialize and MUST be Highborn Humans (See "Humans" below). If you guys are familiar with the Pathfinder Alpha 2 rules it would help, otherwise I'll provide all the pertinent information (feel free to ask questions as well). In Pathfinder, specialist wizards always give up two schools (including diviners) and divination can be selected as a prohibited school. Pathfinder specialists do not gain extra spells known or extra spell slots, instead gaining special powers related to their schools at first level and every even numbered level (like fighter bonus feats except better). Normally, a Pathfinder specialist can cast spells from prohibited schools (though doing so causes them to lose access to all school powers for 24 hours) but my DM has ruled that specialists can't learn or cast any spells from their prohibited schools (even from items). I've decided to go with the good ol' standby of conjurer since it's been a while since I've played a spellcaster. The last one I played was a straight up blaster so I figured going the buff/debuff/battlefield control route would be an interesting change of pace and stretch my tactical ability somewhat. Anyway, enough of my rambling: Humans Human Racial Traits +2 to one ability score: Human characters get a +2 bonus on one ability score of their choice at creation, to represent their varied nature. Medium: Humans are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet. Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level. Skilled: Humans are proficient in one additional skill at 1st level. This bonus skill counts as a class skill, regardless of the human's class. Weapon Training: Humans are proficient with any one weapon of their choice, in addition to those granted by class proficiencies. This weapon must be chosen at 1st level and cannot be changed. Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common and Human. Favored Class: N/A Human Sub Races (These are not Pathfinder, but invented by my DM): Waterborn: +2 Dex, -2 Str ; Swim Speed 6, Land Speed 4 ; +2 to Survival , Perception and Sneak checks in Aquatic environment. Plainsmen: +2 Str, -2 Int ; Survival and Knowledge:Nature as class skills ; +2 to Survival, Perception and Sneak checks in Plains environment. Mountainfolk : +2 Con, +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha ; Climb Speed 4, land Speed 4, Knowledge:Nature, Survival as class skills ; +2 to Survival, Perception and Sneak in Mountains. Duskfolk: +2 Str, +2 Con, -4 Cha ; Low Light vision ; Climb Speed 4, Land Speed 4; Knowledge:Dungeoneering and Survival as class skills; +2 to Survival, Perception and Sneak skills in underground environment. HighBorn (City): +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 Con; All knowledge skills are class skills (each taken seperately); ONLY Highborn Humans may be trained as Wizards.
#2 rebel7284 May 12, 2008 23:22:09	are prestige classes allowed in this rules set?
#3 phoenix00 May 12, 2008 23:38:18	how does this ruleset work with giving up divination as a school, and then using spontaneous divination?
#4 phaedrusxy May 13, 2008 1:07:51	Magic items (except for Potions, and Scrolls) are not freely crafted and as such the Feats are unavailable. That being said, mundane items may be created with the appropriate Craft skill and there may be ways to enchant these items. Magic items are not readily available, even for the rich and powerful. This houserule is potentially huge, depending on how much of a pain in the ass the DM is about getting magic items. Heck, just scratch the potentially out of that sentence. If he bothered to put this in there, he almost certainly will be a pain in the ass about it. So... I'd suggest you make sure and take spells and feats that let you effectively buff yourself and your party. And since the feat prereqs are waived, I'd start off with something like a Wand of Enlarge Person for your bonded item. Hit the BSF in your party with it before each fight. By the time it runs out of charges, you can re-enchant it as a totally different wand (at least from what I read of the rules in the other thread it sounds like you could). I'd also make sure you have a scroll of Magic Weapon on hand at all times. You probably won't have actual magic weapons, and it will be invaluable if you come up against something with DR (or something incorporeal). I would just keep Scribe Scroll, instead of trading it out for Improved Initiative. You're going to need to keep a golf-bag full of utility scrolls to shore up what your party is lacking in magic items, and since there is no XP cost to do so, you really lose nothing from it. You will need a day of down time every now and then to replenish them, though. Doesn't Collegiate Wizard give you more spells known at every level? You might consider it, since not being able to buy magic items means not being able to freely fill your spellbook with what you want. I'd suggest Enchantment and Evocation for your prohibited schools. You have plenty of guys capable of dishing out damage, and conjuration is good at that anyway. And I've always thought enchantment sucks, due to all of the spells being mind affecting and allowing a save. Necromancy has great debuffs and a few other gems (Animate Dead, Command Undead, Fear). All the other schools have things I'd really hate to lose, also. Go with Neutral alignment with Evil leanings. Good spells suck compared to evil ones for the most part.
#5 hogarth May 13, 2008 11:01:26	First, you can't take both Sculpt Spell and Metamagic School at level 1, since Sculpt Spell requires another metamagic feat as a prerequisite. Second, I wouldn't rule out playing a sorcerer. A new version of the Pathfinder rules is coming out at the end of this week (supposedly), and I'm 99% sure that they'll change the sorcerer (for the better). Third, the bonded item is really great if crafting feats aren't allowed. I'd go for a staff instead of a wand, if you can convince your DM to let you make custom staffs (staffs are rechargeable in Pathfinder).
#6 hogarth May 21, 2008 13:57:35	So how did this character turn out? I forgot to mention that Grease, Glitterdust and Web all got hit with the nerf bat in Pathfinder, so your conjurer might be slightly disappointed. P.S. The latest iteration of the Pathfinder rules is out now.
#7 ratpick May 22, 2008 6:34:40	Wizard 8 with Universal specialization wins.
#8 hogarth May 22, 2008 8:12:25	Wizard 8 with Universal specialization wins. Presumably that's why his DM doesn't allow Universal specialists.
#9 ratpick May 23, 2008 8:14:02	Presumably that's why his DM doesn't allow Universal specialists. That'll teach me to read the OP before posting something irrelevant. :D
#10 timlagor May 23, 2008 14:56:43	Doesn't Paizo have boards?
#11 hogarth May 23, 2008 14:58:16	Doesn't Paizo have boards? Yes, although nothing devoted to optimization. Why, do you think this thread is cluttering up the CharOpt board?