Dual Specialized Illusionist/Transmuter Changeling gish.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I just had a silly idea for a gishy character using the RSL for Changelings Dual specialization, the idea is to use the feat Human Heritage (RoD) to make the Changeling count as a human and be able to enter human paragon (the extra 4 skill points are great too.)

Now that depends you count Changeling as a half human (which I agree it is not) or a Human Descended character, which I think it is but I can't find any RAW to support it, so help?

So the build (if it works) would be something like this

Flaw: Human Heritage
Flaw: Able Learner (why not? it help us avoid a lot of troubles)
1 Human Paragon Combat Reflexes
2 Changeling Wizard (Dual Specialize in Illusion and Transmutation, banning Enchantment, Evocation and Necromancy) Trade Scribe Scroll for a fighter bonus feat, Power Attack seems a good option
3 Human Paragon 2 Extend Spell and Combat Casting (eventual entry into Abjurant Champion)
4 Human Paragon 3 Bonus ability score to Int
5 Wizard 2 (nothing interesting here to be honest)

I was thinking on dipping Fighter next to nab the proficiencies; but I am not sure. In any case I am taking suggestions, another option I was thinking was on a 3/4 BAB class that advanced casting at first level to nab 4 BAB and then go into Spellsword for a level before (finally) entering Abjurant Champion at level 7.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

According to MM3, Changelings are the offspring of Dopplegangers and Humans, so this would be perfectly fine IMO. Even better yet, take a look at the sidebar on page 150 of Races of Destiny, if you have an agreeable DM you could get half-human races the human subtype without even having to spend a feat on it.

You should trade your familiar for the Immediate Magic ACF in PH2. Since you'll be specialized in both Illusion and Transmutation, you would be able to use both Brief Figment and Sudden Shift, though from one pool of total daily uses.

The racial paragon classes are considered prestige classes. According to ToB page 39, prestige class levels add fully to your initiator level. That means you could pick up Crusader or Warblade at 6th level and have an initiator level of 5 for 3rd level maneuvers and stances. Warblade lacks the proficiencies to qualify for Spellsword, so Crusader would be the better choice. Get Thicket of Blades, with Foehammer, Mountain Hammer, Battle Leader's Charge, White Raven Tactics, and Revitalizing Strike.

So, Human Paragon 1/ Wizard 2/ Human Paragon 2/ Crusader 1/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 5 is a good start. You can afford to lose one more level of spellcasting and still have 9th level spells at 20th, and two more points of BAB and still have +16 at 20th. I'll typically recommend Incantatrix 4 and then one of Eldritch Knight, Knight Phantom, or in this case Jade Phoenix Mage for the last four levels. Incantatrix would force you to ban Conjuration, but between Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect you could have more persistent buffs than a Cleric with a truckload of Night Sticks. If you don't want another prohibited school, Paragnostic Apostle is a strong choice for at least two levels for Spatial Awareness and Mind Over Matter. You could get two more Wizard levels at 19 and 20 to get your Wizard 5 bonus feat at +15 BAB and pick up Defensive Sweep, which is hilarious with Thicket of Blades.

[Dusk Eclipse]

So far this is just an idea that I hope to use in a RHoD game (assuming we get a DM) so for the moment I am trying to make this as RAW legal and "Ask-your-DM(T)" free as possible, hence why I thought of Human Heritage.

I think it is a bit debatable whether all Prg. Classes add full IL to your level, personally I think they only meant Prg. Classes in the book; but I will take that into account and make sure to tell the DM. It is a shame that Warblade don't get heavy armour proficiencies, I prefer them a lot compared to crusaders.

Since it is RHoD I am not planning on going farther than 11th level so just maxing Abjurant Champion is fine and the game is supposed to be set in Eberron so no incantatrix for me, besides the pre-requisites would kill my leftover feats.

I am not sure on what other feats to take at level 6 and 9, for the 6th level slot I don't really know what could be a good idea, and the level 9 slot is between Minor Shapeshift or Arcane strike, I guess I'll choose after I see if more DPR is better than survival tools.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Warblade also lacks the all-martial-weapons proficiency for Spellsword, since it only gets martial melee weapons. So it would take an Outsider creature type and spending a feat on heavy armor to get into Spellsword with a Warblade, which as a huge bummer since they get such useful boosts.

With a Crusader level you could get Extra Granted Maneuver at 6th. That would let you use White Raven Tactics to take an extra turn every three rounds instead of every four.

[Dusk Eclipse]

...damn I always forget that, so it seems Crusader is the best option to dip. no matter how what.

[*.*.*.*]

How does dual specialization work with master specialist?

[NNescio]

How does dual specialization work with master specialist?

Conservative interpretation: You pick one school you have Spell Focus in and stick with it throughout your levels.

Liberal interpretation: Whenever you gain a level, you can pick the school that your (newly gained) class features apply to, as long as you have the respective Spell Focus.

Way liberal interpretation: You gain the specialization benefits of both schools, provided you have Spell Focus in each of them.

[Urpriest]

Conservative interpretation: You pick one school you have Spell Focus in and stick with it throughout your levels.

Liberal interpretation: Whenever you gain a level, you can pick the school that your (newly gained) class features apply to, as long as you have the respective Spell Focus.

Way liberal interpretation: You gain the specialization benefits of both schools, provided you have Spell Focus in each of them.

Sillier Interpretation: You can take the prestige class twice, once for each specialization.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd say that if you have Spell Focus for both schools, then for Expanded Spellbook you get a spell of either school, Greater Spell Focus you pick which school it applies to. Caster Level Increase would apply to spells from both schools, and you would get both schools' minor/moderate/major esoterica. Considering the moderate esoterica only applies for (spell level) rounds after casting a spell of that school, and that the major esoterica can only be used 3/day (which would be from a shared pool of total daily uses), it's not much better than gaining any other full casting prestige class even with dual specialization.

[Elric VIII]

The racial paragon classes are considered prestige classes. According to ToB page 39, prestige class levels add fully to your initiator level.

I am interested in this. I had always assumed that this only refered to the PrCs in the book, since they actually state that they advance your IL and the rest of that paragraph references the PrCs in the book.


For the OP, if you take Recaster (RoE) so that at the second or fourth level of the class you can cast 5th level spells, you can get Divine Power on your arcane caster spell list. This will definately help gishing potential.

[Dusk Eclipse]

My current build is

Human paragon 3/ changeling wizard 2/ Crusader 1/ spellsword 1/Abjurant champion 4

What can I do to improve it?

[Elric VIII]

My current build is

Human paragon 3/ changeling wizard 2/ Crusader 1/ spellsword 1/Abjurant champion 4

What can I do to improve it?

1. Make levels 10 and 11 Recaster.
2. Learn Divine Power.
3. ????
4. Profit.



Also, Persistant Spell + 1-2 MM reduction feats is always a nice place to go.

Easy Metamagic from Dragon Magazine is great (-1 level, min 1)

Arcane Thesis on your spell of choice means you get free extend on it until you start persisting it.