1) Any evil.
2) Drow. If I really don't want to play drow, I could play any underdark race that doesn't race any problems with the drow.
3) Arcane. They are very much so counting on me to play an arcanist of some type.
4) Not really up to me, but it should be noted: Another player is going to be a female drow cleric of Lolth, and I happen to be her servant.
So, so far my ideas have been:
Race: Drow. I would be disappointing them if I didn't.
Class: Sorceror, Wizard, Warlock...others...I'm not sure.
Alignment: Neutral Evil. Sure, I'll play to my mistress' commands, but I have my own interests...
It's my first evil campaign, and for that matter my very first drow character, and I was hoping to get some pointers. I'd like to stick to a mainstream race/class set-up, but I'm not beyond considering templates, complicated/complex classes, prestige classes, or other variants.
Oh yeah, I'm starting at ECL 7 (Drow LA = +2, so five levels in classes).
Personally, I'd try a Lesser Drow Warlock 6/Hellfire Warlock 3/Demonbinder 10/Mindbender 1, making sure to take Mindsight.
1) I'm the only arcanist.
2) The wonderful DM and what he said to me: "If you can find the rule in print, you can use it." *hallelujah*
I just read the Revised Necromancer Handbook and have nearly fallen in love with the idea of Wizard specializing in Necromancy, taking Energy Substitution (Cold) and Lord of the Uttercold, having a squadron of Skeletons fighting my battles while I blast away with AoE spells which are half cold and half negative energy (skellies are immune to cold and heal with negative energy, thus half the damage I deal to enemies also heals my minions).
The only downside is that being a drow (again: +2LA) is a serious detour from the build I just described, as nothing the drow has supports it. I would rather use something that maximizes--or, at the very least, utilizes--the potential of the drow traits.
Half-drow? Lesser drow? I've only glanced at it once, but I'll check on it. I'll call the DM and ask right now.
Check it out:
- Humanoid (Elf, Human, Dragonblood).
- Medium size.
- 30ft base land speed.
- Immunity to sleep spells and effects.
- +2 to saves vs enchantment spells and effects.
- Low-Light vision.
- Darkvision 60ft.
- +1 racial bonus on listen, search, spot.
- +2 racial bonus on bluff and gather information.
- 3/day detect magic, 1/day disguise self.
- Elven Blood.
- Drow Blood.
- Automatic languages: common, elven, undercommon.
- Favored Class: Any.
Not perfect, but not bad either for a half-elf.
In the meantime, I think I've decided to go Necromancer (Wiz) and I've been overwhelmed with the amount of material I've found both here and in the books on my own.
Uttercold Assault build?
Spellspitching the heck out of everything?
Unearthed Arcana's wizard variants for specializing and otherwise?
It's beginning to make my head spin...
I've rolled my abilities, and this is what I have:
9, 12, 14, 14, 15, 18.
If I go with Uttercold Assault, then I would obviously need access to Animate Dead, which I can only have starting off if I play an LA 0 race, meaning no normal drow for me.
However, I could build a standard necromancer, keep the drow, work up two more levels to actually have the Animate Dead spell, and take simple feats, like SF(Necromancy) and GSF(Necromancy). I would definitely have Int and Dex be high so that I could more efficiently aim my Rays of Enfeeblement/Exhaustion which are already powered up through the Spell Focus tree.
Should I really specialize for it, though? Having more spells/day for it would be nice, but does it really warrant giving up two other schools entirely? These guides and handbooks (btw, Dictum Mortuum, nice job with the Wiz handbook, as always) tell me to drop Enchantment and Evocation, but it would be nice to have at least some kind of damaging spell. Really! Just one! If I could drop Evocation and have one good, solid AoE that does damage, then I could combine the generic, multi-purpose Necromancer with the Uttercold Assault build. And don't give me any "What about Shadow Evocation?" nonsense. Yeah, admittedly, it's a great spell, but starting out I'm going to have access to level 3 at the least and level 4 at the most!
Yeah, if I had just one damage-dealing AoE of level 3 or under that was not Evocation or Enchantment, then I could drop both of those, specialize in Necromancy, start as the Batman Necromancer and, in higher levels, work towards Uttercold Assault! But, that's if there was a spell like that...
Ah! Prestige classes! Pale Master? Mindbender? IotSFV? I definitely want a full or near-full caster level progression, but which one? Whatever it is, I'll be taking it after six levels in Wizard.
Oh, and the Unearthed Arcana things. Should I be a Focused Specialist? That would require me to give up another school, but it could be worth it. Two free Rays of Exhaustion/Enfeeblement per day? Thanks! I guess in this case I would consider giving up Enchantment, Evocation, and Illusion.
Keep my familiar or trade it in?
PHBII variant? Cursed Glance does look useful...I'm not looking at much HP any way I put this thing together, so the ability to insta-curse anyone targeting me with anything would be nice.
Gah! It's too much! Help!
Lesser Drow or 1/2 Drow are better options because of this
check master specialist from complete mage
I just did. Looks like fun, but I don't see how it might really help me with my character concept. GSF for free is nice, though. I would throw this in with my interest for the Magical Trickster PrC from Complete Scoundrel. It's a three level class that has moderate skill points, free skill tricks to learn, I would qualify for with the current build I have in mind, and lets you expand the power and frequency of the skill tricks you have. I was thinking about two, Swift Concentration and the "know more stuff about monsters" one.
Now that that's out of the way:
3 levels of Wizard (specialize Necromancy---Focused Specialist from Unearthed Arcana, giving up Enchantment, Evocation, and Illusion).
Also trade in Familiar for the Cursed Glare option in PHBII.
Next, 3 levels in Master Specialist (Necromancy).
Top it off with one level of Magical Trickster.
The problem now is this: I need two skill tricks to qualify for Magical Trickster, but at Character Level 6 I can only have maximum rank of 9 (cross-class 4.5). I need another trick, but besides Collector of Stories (which was my first trick) the others all require one of my cross-class skills to have rank 5. Maybe I could take that one level dip into Mindbender for this purpose.
If I can make it into Magical Trickster for all three levels, I would have a bonus metamagic feat. I would have already chosen Energy Substitution (cold), so my bonus shall be Lord of the Uttercold.
The three levels in Master Specialist would give me Skill Focus (spellcraft) and GSF (Necromancy) for free, plus more spells in my spellbook.
So, I guess I'll set it up like this:
1--Focused Necromancer 1 (trade in familiar for Cursed Glare), take Spell Focus (Necromancy) as first feat.
2--FN 2.
3--FN 3, take a random metamagic spell for feat.
4--Master Necromancer 1, free Skill Focus (spellcraft).
5--MN 2, expanded spellbook.
6--MN 3, free GSF(Necromancy) and take Energy Substitution (cold) as feat.
7--Mindbender 1 for Telepathy, now have enough skills to qualify for Magical Trickster.
8--Magical Trickster 1.
9--MT 2, free Lord of the Uttercold, take Corpse Crafter for feat.
10--MT 3 (free 1/day spontaneous metamagic w/o additional levels).
11--MN 4.
12--MN 5, take Nimble Bones for feat.
13--MN 6.
14--MN 7.
15--MN 8, take SF (some other school) for feat.
16--Archmage 1.
17--AM 2.
18--AM 3, take Fell Animate as feat.
19--AM 4.
20--AM 5.
There! So long as I continuously meet prereq's, this might work.
Uh-oh, I need Charm Person for Mindbender. Well, maybe I'll just make that one level in Mindbender another one in Master Specialist.
So, how did I do?
Three levels of Recaster nets
Eschew Materials
You can learn any spell form any spell list (giant size anyone?).
3/day Silent Spell or Still Spell applied at no cost.
3/day Quicken, but the spell's duration is shortened to one round.
3/day zero cost while using Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Maximize Spell, or Widen Spell.
Bluff & Sense Motive as class skills for easier mindbender entry.
If you consider dropping two levels of archmage all but quicken scale up to 5/day abilities. You'll learn another spell from any list, and pick up a 5/day mastery of shaping & arcane reach like ability.
You have to be a changeling, but the rest of the requirements are moot.
Drop fell animate, sure it provides a free way to animate, but at the 18th level it is no longer a real concern. Just use Horde of Undead. HoU at first glance sucks, but it is a flat rate of 100gp for 100HD of animated dead and can be used during downtime or though unprepared slots at the end of the day.What is 100gp to someone with over 500k to spare? As for your metamagic feat, if you go recaster, take Maximize Spell and nuke stuff.
Besides the fact that I cannot take the Recaster class, it does look very nice. I'll have to try that sometime. Thank you.
I still suggest dropping fell animate though. Maybe talk to your DM about taking Undead Leadership and attract an advanced slaydoll, or whatever it is named (LM, empowers all necro spells for free). Fell Animate is a nice feat sure, but to me your picking it up way to late to really feel its effects. Maybe just take it when you plan to pick up corpsecrafter and bump the rest down a slot. Mass production for aid other actions should be better than +4 str and 10ish HP at mid levels I'd think.
If I dropped Corpse Crafter at 9 (thus also losing Nimble Bones), I could take it then. But wait, could I get Improved (undead) Leadership, too? Do those stack? I'm looking at a positive modifier for Charisma, but it isn't that impressive.
Well, that sounds awesome. The only problem is that I would need to be a changeling, like you said. Let me remind you: I have to be a drow or drow subrace!
Besides the fact that I cannot take the Recaster class, it does look very nice. I'll have to try that sometime. Thank you.
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, changelings can change their appearance at will for as long as they want. You could easily just be a changeling impersonating a drow. If you're serious about creating the perfect drow disguise, you could take the Racial Emulation feat and/or some ranks in the Disguise skill.
The Recaster is a really good prestige class. This CO Journal describes the adventures of a changeling recaster, so you can see one in action.
Choice #1
Pick up Undead Leadership for a slaymate( LM, cheapens metamagic costs) as your 18th level feat.
Choice #2
Pick up Fell Animate earlier in your presented build when shelling out 1,000gp is painful.
Well, I'm not supposed to know who else is playing (characters or players themselves), but what I do know is this:
1) I'm the only arcanist.
2) The wonderful DM and what he said to me: "If you can find the rule in print, you can use it." *hallelujah*
It might be kind of late, but here are two pence:
1) If you're the only arcanist, depending on the party you should be as versatile as possible. Beguiler or specialist wizard is ok, but anything less might not be a good idea unless you take levels in Mage of the Arcane Order. I'd suggest using the UA domain wizards (the necromancy domain is quite ok, imo - nothing too fancy but not bad at all), possibly with collegiate wizard as a bonus feat - and probably a flaw or two (UA material again) for bonus feats. Lesser (deepwyrm) drow or half-drow are good enough for races unless you're planning on a particular PrC like Recaster, Chameleon, or Shadowcraft Mage (although the book itself says it can be adapted)
.2) Any setting material is fine too? In-te-resting. If you're not a specialist wizard, have you thought about a few levels in Incantatrix? It's never a bad idea.
It might be kind of late, but here are two pence:
1) If you're the only arcanist, depending on the party you should be as versatile as possible. Beguiler or specialist wizard is ok, but anything less might not be a good idea unless you take levels in Mage of the Arcane Order. I'd suggest using the UA domain wizards (the necromancy domain is quite ok, imo - nothing too fancy but not bad at all), possibly with collegiate wizard as a bonus feat - and probably a flaw or two (UA material again) for bonus feats. Lesser (deepwyrm) drow or half-drow are good enough for races unless you're planning on a particular PrC like Recaster, Chameleon, or Shadowcraft Mage (although the book itself says it can be adapted)
2) Any setting material is fine too? In-te-resting. If you're not a specialist wizard, have you thought about a few levels in Incantatrix? It's never a bad idea.
Well actually I just found out that it's a six person party, and I have one other character confirmed: a warmage. Someone is playing a warmage, but we are the only two arcanists...so, we could have some problems later, but for most things, we should be alright.
Well actually I just found out that it's a six person party, and I have one other character confirmed: a warmage. Someone is playing a warmage, but we are the only two arcanists...so, we could have some problems later, but for most things, we should be alright.
You know, I've never actually sat down to really get a good look at the Incantatrix, but I know it has a lot of love on these forums.
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, changelings can change their appearance at will for as long as they want. You could easily just be a changeling impersonating a drow. If you're serious about creating the perfect drow disguise, you could take the Racial Emulation feat and/or some ranks in the Disguise skill.
The Recaster is a really good prestige class. This CO Journal describes the adventures of a changeling recaster, so you can see one in action.
Alright, let's say that I decide to be a changeling and take Recaster. And let's throw in the ideas that LostPassword threw at me. It should look like this:
Lvl___What I Do__________
1--Focused Necromancer 1, Domain Wizard, take SF(Necro) for feat.
2--FN 2
3--FN 3, take a random metamagic feat (suggestions?)
4--Master Necromancer 1, free Skill Focus (spellcraft)
5--MN 2, expanded spellbook (yay.)
6--MN 3, free GSF(Necro), take Energy Substitution (cold) for feat.
7--MN 4
8--Recaster 1, free Eschew Materials
9--RC 2, take Lord of the Uttercold for feat.
10--RC 3
11--RC 4
12--RC 5, take Fell Animate for feat.
13--MN 5
14--MN 6
15--MN 7, take Undead Leadership for feat.
16--MN 8
17--MN 9
18--MN 10, take either SF(other school) OR Improved Leadership.
19--Archmage 1 (if I took SF) OR ???
20--AM 2 or ???
Starting out at CL 7, I would have the priestess cast Desecrate, which I would follow up with Animate Dead to gain three pets: 1 Dire Tiger Skeleton and 2 Manticore Skeletons. The Dire Tiger is obvious, for Pounce and whatnot, but why the Manticores? Spikes (Ex). It would get to keep the ability, right? So at combat start, I find a high place to get a better view of the battlefield, fire a few Rays of Enfeeblement/Exhaustion while my two little scorpion/lion/eagle things fire off a volley of 6 bone needles each per round. Once my target(s) are weakened by my initial attack, my Dire Tiger skeleton goes in for the easy kill. If the battle is too vicious for my actual participation, maybe I'll Rope Trick to buff myself while my critters fight it out...and the rest of the party, too.
I might take a 1 lvl dip into Mindbender for the Telepathy 100ft. That could be useful.
Best when combined with Mindsight from Lords of Madness.
So now I've been told of some more bits of the party.
We have:
half-drow rogue/favored soul (a healer)
drow cleric (priestess, heals my undead and gives me desecrates)
half-red dragon half-some-large-sized-creature juggernaut
a warmage (race undecided, but desires a half-dragon human)
two unconfirmed characters
and me, a half-drow necromancer (little bit more complex than that, as above).
Alright, so after talking to one of the DMs, I was told that I have just reached 7th level and thus just achieved capability to Animate Dead immediately before the campaign's start, and that he shall allow me to have "one undead creature under my control created through Animate Dead up to the character's Caster Level." Since I'm CL7, that means I am starting with a single 7HD undead creature. So for now, my dire tiger + 2 manticores set-up is thrown out the window, as is my two 12-headed hydra plus something else idea. Just as well, my old red dragon or very old black dragon idea is done away with. Darn. Any suggestions?
Also, Changeling (and therefore Recaster) is out, so I've settled with half-drow.
So, all in all, here's what I've got so far:
Ma'ahzin
Str 9, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 14