New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    jcsw's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008

    Default Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    I don't have a physical build yet, but we're starting at level one and it's a 36 point buy.

    Basically it's a sorc going into dread witch.

    (Before anyone asks me to play a wizard, consider the fact that half of the fear effects available are charisma based. Consider also that I don't need battlefield control all that much when my character is focusing on a specific aspect)

    Intended Build:
    Silverbrow Human Sorceror 4/Dread Witch 5/Etc

    Feat: Dreadful Wrath: Gain frightful presence whenever I cast a spell (PGtF)
    Feat: Draconic Heritage (Bonus from the Dragonblood Sorc. Racial Sub and taken as an entry feat)
    Feat: Draconic Presence: Gain frightful presence whenever I cast a spell

    Meanwhile, I have two more open feats from flaws and the DM has ruled that everyone gets able learner and jack of all trades as bonus feats. (Meaning that UMD effectively becomes a class skill for me because of the dragonblood sorc racial sub.)

    Any suggestions?

    Ideas: Fel Frighten is an interesting metamagic to consider, especially as it allows no save. However, the +2 metamagic cost is crippling. Does anyone know of a cheap way to reduce this?
    Sig'd

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Kyace's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Quote Originally Posted by jcsw View Post
    Ideas: Fel Frighten is an interesting metamagic to consider, especially as it allows no save. However, the +2 metamagic cost is crippling. Does anyone know of a cheap way to reduce this?
    Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon, pg 101) will reduce the cost of a chosen metamagic by 1, min +1.
    Quote Originally Posted by starwoof View Post
    Your manly chin makes Jay Leno weep.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2004

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Get the feat Frightful Presence from the Draconomicon (Page 106), since Dread Witch gives Intimidate as a class skill. Take Ability Focus from the Monster Manual for Dreadful Wrath and other fear feats for +2 DC, and remember to make the one with the highest DC trigger first since if they fail they'll be shaken for the next one and be at -2. Versatile Spellcaster from Races of the Dragon is another good choice for any spontaneous caster.

    If you can use feats from Dragon magazine, Necromantic Bloodline (page 114) would be a good choice to get some free spells known, one of which is a prerequisite for Dread Witch. Take the feat Obtain Familiar from Complete Arcane to qualify since the racial substitution level trades it out. That will even count prestige class levels for your familiar's abilities rather than just your Sorcerer class levels. Since your Familiar is considered to have as many HD as you have, and as many skill ranks, it could probably also take Frightful Presence, Ability Focus, and similar feats. Get Improved Familiar from the DMG for an Imp or Quasit, since you'll be maxing out UMD you can give it a few wands of useful low-level spells.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    jcsw's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Quote Originally Posted by Kyace View Post
    Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon, pg 101) will reduce the cost of a chosen metamagic by 1, min +1.
    That's the easy part, it's getting it to +0 I really want.
    Sig'd

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Arcane_Snowman's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Nightmare Spinner from Complete Mage can 3+Cha mod times per day make an Illusion spell have the Phantasm descriptor, as well as making any enemy who tries to disbelieve the illusion shaken for 1 round.

    Additionally, you deal non-lethal damage to anyone you scare (whether by spell, ability, or Intimidate), depending on the degree (Ie. Shaken is 1d6 points).

    Think Mirage Arcana.
    Last edited by Arcane_Snowman; 2009-01-02 at 03:38 AM.
    Fantastic avatar by Akrim.elf.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    jcsw's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Quote Originally Posted by Arcane_Snowman View Post
    Nightmare Spinner from Complete Mage can 3+Cha mod times per day make an Illusion spell have the Phantasm descriptor, as well as making any enemy who tries to disbelieve the illusion shaken for 1 round.

    Additionally, you deal non-lethal damage to anyone you scare (whether by spell, ability, or Intimidate), depending on the degree (Ie. Shaken is 1d6 points).

    Think Mirage Arcana.
    Solid Choice, but it loses yet another caster level on top of dread witch and sorc. :(
    Sig'd

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Arcane_Snowman's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Personally I wouldn't really care, you still get 9th level spells if you're really worried about that.
    Fantastic avatar by Akrim.elf.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    jcsw's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Sounds fun, but I thought of another fun tactic which kicks in sooner. Sadly they are mutually exclusive, one won't work with the other.

    Cumbrous Will, a feat which allows you to gain a +6 to a will save, but you become shaken after the save for the rest of the encounter.
    I gain +6 to a will save and then gain +1 Caster level, or a free cantrip.
    Sig'd

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2004

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    If you make the character a Kobold you can get the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage, which can make up for the loss of a level of spellcasting. That way you can take Dragonwrought and start out Venerable for +3 to all your mental stats without taking penalties to your physical stats, according to the Kobold section of Races of the Dragon. You'd even qualify for dragon-specific feats from the Draconomicon, many wouldn't be worth taking for a spellcaster, but still worth a look. You could get Endure Blows with Thick-Skinned from Savage Species and Greater Resiliency from CW to have DR 5/-, for example.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    jcsw's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008

    Default Re: Dread Witch, Need help with the character creation of. [3.5]

    Sadly, Draconic Rites of Passage are not allowed. In any case, that has a very high feat expenditure.

    (And yes, I knew about that already, my avatar is a Kobold for a reason :P)
    Sig'd

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •