The Gaming Den

Actually, for what it is worth, that first level in Beguiler is actually quite awesome.

We modified the Spirit Shaman in our game to be a Wisdom-based sorceror who can change spells daily from the druid list. It has worked okay.

Also, seriously? A freaking Entangle spell can put the whole group to shame.

Well, the rogue-like was pissed I showed him up, and I didn't even disable the traps or anything. We went over what had happened a day later and he decided it was all up to miscommunication - I wasn't being very forward, and he wasn't discussing his moves at all.

He had said, 'Well, I don't even know how a mage would have a +11 on search!' in his pique of anger on game night (and some other choice things) but I had introduced my character as carrying a longbow and wearing chainmail. That's hardly 'introducing as a mage,' is it?

But yeah. It's hard not to do something they call munchkin.

-Crissa

Yea, what gives! Your Paladin is wearing armor! What kind of mage do you think you are?!

At level... 4?

Getting a +11 to search isn't too hard.

It's always maxed if you're a rogue, unless your character 'isn't' a rogue, and just has class levels in rogue.

So, that's a +7

If you have a 2,500 gp Lenses of Minute Seeing, it's a +5 Competence to search.

Get a 50 gp +2 masterwork item, some magnifying glass, or some really good theive's tools. Of these, carry a bunch. You'll eventually lose one, and lose the +2 bonus that you've been gaining. 50 gp every now and again isn't a big enough deal, so getting a bunch is a good idea.

Already, with a 10 wis; that's a +14 bonus to finding traps. At level 4.

you can find traps up to DC 24; which is pretty high for a level 4 trap, so you'll usually succeed, even if rushed.

You also find traps with search, which is Int based. However, 2500 gold at level 4 is a pretty fair chunk of the budget for a starting character.

My last rogue in his campaign actually kept finding sets of lockpicking tools. I had a rusty set, a dusty set, an oiled set, a gold set, and umm... One other one by the time I lost them all.

-Crissa

'Well, I don't even know how a mage would have a +11 on search!'

Rebut: "There are obviously many things you don't know"

Here's the breakdown:

+4 from 18 Int
+3 from Skill focus: search
+2 from Investigator feat
+2 from being an elf
+3 from whatever optional familiar from Dragon XX or Splatbook grants a bonus to Search equivalent to the bonus other familiars grant to spot/move silently/etc
with another potential +2 from casting Fox's Cunning

that adds up to +17 at 3rd level without a single skill rank nor any items granting bonuses.