Best build for a mental manipulator? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Best build for a mental manipulator?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Endarire
Apr 09, 2008 18:39:50 One my players for an upcoming 3.5 Greyhawk campaign mentioned he wanted to be a mentally manipulative type. Most first-party source material is allowed, including psionics, and I'm curious as to what the best build for him would be with a 28 point buy starting at ECL1. For race, he insists on being a human, half-elf, or an elf. (Subraces of these are OK.)

I'm unsure what the rest of the group's race/class combos will be, meaning he is likely to be the group's only arcane caster. The main base classes I see to fill this role:
-Bard
-Psion
-Sorcerer
-Specialist Wizard (Enchanter)
-Wizard

In this future, I forsee Mindbender if he goes bard or sorcerer or wizard, but what do you advise?

NOTE: I'm mostly running the game using rules as intended, not using Focused Specialist and Precocious Apprentice to get L8+ spell slots at L1.
#2
x-codes
Apr 09, 2008 18:47:24 Beguiler is amazing for mental manipulation, since you get the best of the mental manipulation and also get some spell and skill versatility. There's also the Wanderer's Diplomacy trick that T_G underscored in a recent thread (Jedi Mind Tricks, he called them).

NOTE: I'm mostly running the game using rules as intended, not using Focused Specialist and Precocious Apprentice to get L8+ spell slots at L1.

Frankly I don't even see how it works. I can understand getting 2 2nd-level spells at first, but I don't even think that part works, either.
#3
Senevri
Apr 09, 2008 19:09:39 I like Bards, maybe because I'm not that familiar with beguilers. They get Fascinate, Suggestion and generally illusion/charm/ stuff. Is Psion Telepath any good?
#4
operation_shoestring
Apr 09, 2008 19:39:14
I like Bards, maybe because I'm not that familiar with beguilers. They get Fascinate, Suggestion and generally illusion/charm/ stuff. Is Psion Telepath any good?

A Telepath is a type of Psion, like a Conjurer is a type of Wizard.

And Psions are pretty good.

Bards are better rounded than Beguilers, but Beguilers get higher level spells. A trade-off, really. But a Beguiler is the archetypal manipulator type, as beguiler spells focus almost entirely on Enchantment and Illusion

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Endarire Apr 09, 2008 18:39:50	One my players for an upcoming 3.5 Greyhawk campaign mentioned he wanted to be a mentally manipulative type. Most first-party source material is allowed, including psionics, and I'm curious as to what the best build for him would be with a 28 point buy starting at ECL1. For race, he insists on being a human, half-elf, or an elf. (Subraces of these are OK.) I'm unsure what the rest of the group's race/class combos will be, meaning he is likely to be the group's only arcane caster. The main base classes I see to fill this role: -Bard -Psion -Sorcerer -Specialist Wizard (Enchanter) -Wizard In this future, I forsee Mindbender if he goes bard or sorcerer or wizard, but what do you advise? NOTE: I'm mostly running the game using rules as intended, not using Focused Specialist and Precocious Apprentice to get L8+ spell slots at L1.
#2 x-codes Apr 09, 2008 18:47:24	Beguiler is amazing for mental manipulation, since you get the best of the mental manipulation and also get some spell and skill versatility. There's also the Wanderer's Diplomacy trick that T_G underscored in a recent thread (Jedi Mind Tricks, he called them). NOTE: I'm mostly running the game using rules as intended, not using Focused Specialist and Precocious Apprentice to get L8+ spell slots at L1. Frankly I don't even see how it works. I can understand getting 2 2nd-level spells at first, but I don't even think that part works, either.
#3 Senevri Apr 09, 2008 19:09:39	I like Bards, maybe because I'm not that familiar with beguilers. They get Fascinate, Suggestion and generally illusion/charm/ stuff. Is Psion Telepath any good?
#4 operation_shoestring Apr 09, 2008 19:39:14	I like Bards, maybe because I'm not that familiar with beguilers. They get Fascinate, Suggestion and generally illusion/charm/ stuff. Is Psion Telepath any good? A Telepath is a type of Psion, like a Conjurer is a type of Wizard. And Psions are pretty good. Bards are better rounded than Beguilers, but Beguilers get higher level spells. A trade-off, really. But a Beguiler is the archetypal manipulator type, as beguiler spells focus almost entirely on Enchantment and Illusion