3.5 - Splinterbolt-based character

[SirNibbles]

I was thinking of making a character who used Splinterbolt (Spell Compendium, page 203) as their main combat weapon.

I'm not overly concerned with optimisation; just getting Improved Critical: Ranged Spell (Complete Arcane, page 72) and Blood in The Water (Tome of Battle, page 86) plus the standard Arcane Thesis + Metamagic feats.

Does anyone have any good ideas for a character concept (from a roleplaying aspect) to use this spell? It doesn't necessarily have to be a Druid.

EDIT: I've decided to go with an Archivist (at least at level 1) who discovers the spell and becomes obsessed with it, refusing to cast, or even learn, any other spell unless it directly makes his Splinterbolt stronger. (Hopefully I can talk to my DM about allowing Precocious Apprentice to be houseruled in for Archivist/Splinterbolt, even if only for flavour purposes). Ironically, it seems that optimisation will actually be a concern because the character himself is concerned with optimising the spell. I'd probably go with a Chaotic Neutral Human.

Concerns/Questions:
1. Bonus damage for volley spells- crits and sneak damage only apply for the first attack when you take multiple attacks as a standard action such as casting.

Is there a way to make it so every individual attack gets bonus damage?

2. I need to make sure I have enough BAB to hit and qualify for feats. Is it worth splashing Fighter 2 for the full BAB and bonus feats or are there better options?

Thanks.

[Technetium43]

I mean, you could make them a warforged druid into landforged walker, and basically make Groot if you want.

[Venger]

if optimization isn't a concern, you could always take talontar blightlord and use it to spread disease throughout the land.

[SirNibbles]

Update: I was thinking about perhaps taking the Stormlord PRC. It gets a bonus to javelins and full divine casting progression.

I know what you're thinking: "Splinterbolts aren't javelins!"

That's right, they aren't. However, they are quite similar.

"A splinter larger than a titan’s javelin whistles through the air.
You must make a ranged attack to hit the target.
If you hit, the splinterbolt deals 4d6 points of piercing damage."

A huge javelin (as used by a Titan) deals 2d6 piercing damage. A Colossal javelin (which is larger than huge) deals 4d6 piercing damage. I know it's a bit of a stretch to say that Stormlord's bonuses to javelins should apply just because of that.

I simply think it would add interesting flavour to the build without making it too powerful and it would still somewhat fit in with the PRC. Thoughts?

[Darrin]

1. Bonus damage for volley spells- crits and sneak damage only apply for the first attack when you take multiple attacks as a standard action such as casting.

Is there a way to make it so every individual attack gets bonus damage?

You need to increase the casting time to a full-round action. Alacritous Cogitation (Complete Mage) will do this, but only 1/day. Uncanny Forethought (Exemplars of Evil) can be used more often (one spell slot for each point of Int bonus), but it drops the caster level by -2 (I think you may be able to offset this with Practiced Spellcaster) and you need Spell Mastery as a prereq, which is a wizard-only feat. However, Archivists have a prayerbook that is functionally equivalent to a spellbook, and they prepare their spells pretty much the same way wizards do, so you could ask the DM for a handwave here to allow the feat to be taken by archivists.

Ocular Spell might work... you get to treat the splinterbolts as ranged touch attacks, which is a nice improvement on a spell that probably should have been a ranged touch attack to begin with, but you are limited to only two splinterbolts at a time.

2. I need to make sure I have enough BAB to hit and qualify for feats. Is it worth splashing Fighter 2 for the full BAB and bonus feats or are there better options?

Well... the better option is usually DMM Persist divine powah!

[barakaka]

Another option I see is using Sorcerer or some other spontaneous caster. Page 88 of PhB mentions that spontaneous casters cast their metamagic'd spells as full round actions. Use empower and go to town with whatever sneak attack build you feel like.

[SirNibbles]

You need to increase the casting time to a full-round action. Alacritous Cogitation (Complete Mage) will do this, but only 1/day. Uncanny Forethought (Exemplars of Evil) can be used more often (one spell slot for each point of Int bonus), but it drops the caster level by -2 (I think you may be able to offset this with Practiced Spellcaster) and you need Spell Mastery as a prereq, which is a wizard-only feat. However, Archivists have a prayerbook that is functionally equivalent to a spellbook, and they prepare their spells pretty much the same way wizards do, so you could ask the DM for a handwave here to allow the feat to be taken by archivists.

Ocular Spell might work... you get to treat the splinterbolts as ranged touch attacks, which is a nice improvement on a spell that probably should have been a ranged touch attack to begin with, but you are limited to only two splinterbolts at a time.



Well... the better option is usually DMM Persist divine powah!

Unfortunately, full-round casting is a bit of a pain due to the fact that the effect only takes place right before my next turn and I have to make Concentration checks vs damage.

I'd like to Persist Divine Power but that doesn't solve the issue of not having enough BAB for feats, namely Improved Critical which requires a BAB of 8. Taking a level of Warblade at 4 and a 2 levels of Fighter gets me to BAB 8 at level 12 (Archivist 5/Stormlord 4/Fighter 2/Warblade 1) and Practiced Spellcaster keeps me at my maximum Splinterbolt efficiency.

[Soranar]

normally I would recommend turning into a legendary eagle (30 DEX) so that you gain a sizable bonus to hit

but since you're an archivist, try this instead

be a hengeyokai sparrow (24 DEX + fine size) and you should get roughly the same result with the surrogate spellcasting feat

[Darrin]

Unfortunately, full-round casting is a bit of a pain due to the fact that the effect only takes place right before my next turn and I have to make Concentration checks vs damage.

No. "1 full-round" casting time is not the same as a "1-round" casting time. The full round is completed on the same turn you cast it. The 1-round spell (most commonly found on summon spells) is completed just before your next turn.

I'd like to Persist Divine Power but that doesn't solve the issue of not having enough BAB for feats, namely Improved Critical which requires a BAB of 8.

Unfortunately, that problem might best be solved by not being an archivist. I'm not quite seeing why Improved Critical is a "Must Have" feat for splinterbolt.

[WhamBamSam]

Unfortunately, that problem might best be solved by not being an archivist. I'm not quite seeing why Improved Critical is a "Must Have" feat for splinterbolt.

Probably because of the 18-20 base threat range, and the difficulty of getting the keen property.

If you do go Fighter, you should also go for the Hit-and-Run Tactics ACF and maybe the Deadeye feat to get Dex to damage a few times. Flat-footing people shouldn't be too big an issue for a spellcaster, and you'll have options (like the Legendary Eagle or Sparrow Hengeyokai suggestions above) to ensure a high Dex.

However, your best fit might actually be StP Erudite. You can learn Splinterbolt from an appropriately built Wyrm Wizard, and Psionics are a system more conducive to the 'all Splinterbolt all the time' approach. Ranger 1/Erudite 4/Slayer X/Sanctified Mind Y is a pretty clean 18 BAB/17th level manifesting build which should serve your purpose. If your DM is super accommodating, you might even be able to talk them into making the Sanctified mind abilities more Splinterbolt friendly.

[animewatcha]

Reserves of strength for more than 3 splinterbolts.

[Vizzerdrix]

Would this work with occular spell? Eye splinters ftw!

[Darrin]

Would this work with occular spell? Eye splinters ftw!

It would, but it's a full-round to cast the spells into your eyes, and a full round to cast them out of your eyes. You get two castings at once, but it'd be every other turn without getting into spell-storing or contingency shenanigans.

[WhamBamSam]

Reserves of strength for more than 3 splinterbolts.

That's a compelling reason to be a Druid or Archivist. Once you go that route you can crank the number of bolts further with Prayer Beads and maybe Divine Spell Power if you can bear to be without DMM.

Necropolitan is probably the easiest way to become immune to stunning. That means you take damage from Reserves of Strength instead, but that's preferable.

[Vizzerdrix]

It would, but it's a full-round to cast the spells into your eyes, and a full round to cast them out of your eyes. You get two castings at once, but it'd be every other turn without getting into spell-storing or contingency shenanigans.

Yeah, but you have to think of the cool factor of shooting giant shards of wood out of your eyes!

[animewatcha]

What about i believe spell thematics ( right feat? ) to make them look like they are coming out of other areas of the body?

[Novolin]

Cant you already to that without the feat?