[3.5] Mounted Goblin Caster

[Thurbane]

I need help with a (NPC) build.

Looking for a mounted Goblin caster. The race is non-negotiable (i.e. pain old MM Goblin).

I'm looking to squeeze in Silverwood Arcanist levels, and have him riding a Wild Cohort (most likely Wolf).

The most obvious base class would appear to be Wizard, but I'm wondering what my other options are. Also wondering about feats, gear and spell selections.

Shooting for ECL 10.

Cheers - T

[Darrin]

Consider Warlock. Full attack with Eldritch Glaive from the saddle. (It's an SLA, so you're not stuck with a single melee attack.)

[Norin]

Why not a druid with a wolf animal companion?

I like that image.

[mabriss lethe]

Wizard really is the best viable path. It's, for all intents and purposes, the only full casting non charisma based arcanist.

[Psyren]

Why not a druid with a wolf animal companion?

I like that image.

This - it fits their savage outlook, deals with their stat penalties, and you won't need to worry about Wild Cohort either.

[daremetoidareyo]

Totemist 2/duskblade 8
Wild cohort
Share soulmeld
Exotic weapon proficiency

Harpoon with tail rope attached to wolf.

[Darrin]

Wizard really is the best viable path. It's, for all intents and purposes, the only full casting non charisma based arcanist.

Not entirely so. A Death Master (Dragon Compendium) has Int-based 9th-level casting and comes with a skeletal wolf as a mount/companion. Looking at the spell selection, though... not so good. Maybe handwave some summon undead onto the spell list, then add some Lord of the Uttercold/Black Lore of Moil/Tomb-Tainted Soul.

[daremetoidareyo]

How attached are you to silverwood arcanist?

Here is something that I was able to put together

Wilderness companion Combat Wizard

Gets you an animal companion that companion that will have multi-attack by level 10 and 3 fighter feats for you to hit some of the lame but necessary mounted feats.

Level 1: natural bond & mounted combat
Level 3: Mounted casting
Level 5:Ride by attack
Level 6:
Level 9:
Level 10:Mounted mobility or combat reflexes


That leaves you two feats of your very own.

Consider the dismount attack skill trick from Complete scoundrel

Now lets talk about tricks to teach your wolf. You get three per point of intelligence and up to 4 bonus tricks by level 10.

Attack and defend are good
Races of stone has scent fighting
Player handbook 2 has teamwork as a trick

Which is a whole new subcategory of things that your wolf can do. The most important of which is spellcaster guardian from heroes of Battle. It reads:

Spoiler: spell caster guardian

Show

If a spellcaster on your team provokes attacks of opportunity by casting a spell, a team member adjacent to the spellcaster can interpose herself between the spellcaster and one or more attackers at the last moment, taking upon herself attacks of opportunity meant for the spellcaster.
The team member can intercept a number of attacks of opportunity equal to 1 + her Dexterity bonus. Resolve each attack as normal, using the interposing team member’s Armor Class. If the attack hits, it damages the interposing character but doesn’t distract the spellcaster.

Seeing as how you're riding the wolf, it is technically adjacent, and thus you can have them absorb some of the damage coming at yourself when you proc AOO while casting. This is totally worth blowing a feat on combat reflexes. Or...githcraft featherdown feycraft serpent armor (SS) or an intelligent magic item worth 10k to get the combat reflexes feat.

For most of the other teamwork benefits, you need to find a way to get weird skill levels onto the wolf and thus they can be a pain.

Now for spells:
Anything that you cast on yourself can affect your mount due to share spells. So arcane buffs are good. Let your wolf deliver your touch spells.

1st: benign transposition, true strike, tongue tendrils (bovd), blood wind, blockade, babau slime, shield, mage armor, detect spells
2nd: blur, mirror image, invisibility, heroics (martial study!), lion's charge, steal size (Races of Dragon), fuse arms?
3rd: blink, arms of plenty, laeral's silver lance, girallon's blessing, hood of the cobra, scorpion tail
4th: celerity, translocation trick, trollshape, wall of fire, polymorph?
5th: baleful polymorph?, spelltheft, lightning leap, haunt shift, displacer

With those spells and share spells with your companion, some tactics pop up. Polymorph yourself and your wolf, lightning leap X2 through the good guys, cast celerity to give your wolf more attacks, immediately polymorph one of the good guys, you name it. Throw up a wall and run away. Come back later and set up another set of weird spell combos.

[Thurbane]

All good suggestions, thanks. I'll have a think over the build...