The Gaming Den

Hey y'all playing a beguiler at 1st level this Wednesday and have no idea on what feats to pick. I have open access all books and a few 3rd party stuff, mainly feats and ultimate prestige. I want to be a lucky s.o.b. but already found a feat cover that and don't really know what else to do I'm already wizard+ and since we're ending the campaign at 10th long term high level stuff is out.

Human
Str 12
Dex17
Con 12
Int 21 (not a typo)
Wis 12
Cha 14

We've got a big party with a paladin, wizard, two clerics, a barbarian, ranger, fighter archer, and a psychic warrior.
Tldr; how do you optimize a beguiler.

I'm also playing the fighter archer going into abjurant champion and would like some help with some permanent feats so I can abuse heroics. We houseruled that you can't use the spell to give yourself prerequisites for unending feat chains.

You max your save DCs and intiative bonuses. Then throw "Save or you don't get to participate" spells, or just straight "Save or die" spells.

So improved init and spell focus.

I'd suggest reading THIS, if you haven't already.

I would suggest swapping your Wis and Cha so you can pick up Combat Charm. Then you do Beguiler 5/Mindbender 1/Shadow Adept 1/Beguiler +3, and pick up: Combat Charm, Darkstalker, and the almighty Mindsight.

This is, of course, assuming you can't convince your DM to allow the non-gnome Shadowcraft Mage adaptation. 'Cause if you can do that, you're pretty much morally obligated to.

Just in case you do, here's how that would shake out:

Beguiler 5/Mindbender 1/Shadowcraft Mage 4
1: Spell Focus (illusion)
H: Earth Sense
3: Heighten Spell
6: Earth Spell (this lets us cast spells effectively heightened to 4th level)
9: Mindsight

ACOS wrote:I'd suggest reading THIS, if you haven't already.

Damn that's useful and helps a lot.

@ 9"nail- My dm is in strict alignment mode in campaign and I'm NG. So going get vow of non violence and exalted arcanist.

And now to the arcane archer things. Is there a archer gish guide worth a damn because the archery thing I found is incomplete at best and I want to be an arcane archer without actually taking those levels.

Arcane archer pretty much reduces to "play a cleric".

If you want to be annoying, Born of the Three Thunders Flame Arrows are a nice trick.

With an Int of 21 I'd hold off on boosting DCs through feats.

1 versatile spellcaster
H still spell/sudden still /sudden silent (metamagic prereq)
3 sculpt spell

Use versatile to invert your spellcasting pyramid. More level appropriate spells FTW.

duo31 wrote:With an Int of 21 I'd hold off on boosting DCs through feats.

1 versatile spellcaster
H still spell/sudden still /sudden silent (metamagic prereq)
3 sculpt spell

Use versatile to invert your spellcasting pyramid. More level appropriate spells FTW.

B-but dc 22 second level spells
Also getting the versatile spellcaster 6th level. Is that too late?

Yes cleric be the bestest archer evarz but I'm playing that drow feature ftr 4/wiz2/ac 4 build because we got enough fullcasters and want to abuse heroics a lot. Also all the good archery spells are either ranger or arcane, not cleric

Vow of non-violence is only good against humanoids and monstrous humanoid. Very campaign subjective.

Exalted Arcanist looses a spell level putting you into cohort casting.

I prefer getting versatile spellcaster early so iI can abuse it longer.

duo31 wrote:Vow of non-violence is only good against humanoids and monstrous humanoid. Very campaign subjective.

Exalted Arcanist looses a spell level putting you into cohort casting.

I prefer getting versatile spellcaster early so iI can abuse it longer.

Well that's crap. Any prestige classes that a good character to take? Also found a feat the AEG feats book that gives you a +4 to all spells but changes them all to illusions that do nothing on a passed saved, should be good on a beguiler but I have to switch my dex and cha. That's somewhat bad at first level, but should be great after.

Taking a dip into Mindbender is always good. Or Shadow Adept if in FR. If those are too "evil" for your DM, then Ruather (bullshit elf friend) for a one level dip before Beguiler 7 works. Or Unseen Seer is good. Lots of skills, no casting loss and the loss of caster level for non divination spells isn't a big deal for you. But you can always get [Practiced Spellcaster] to mitigate.

That's a seriously unreasonable feat. If you use spells that were save-negates anyway, it's pure bonus.

Yeah but they've use this damn book for years. It is bout damn time someone get them to realise it's a horrible 3rd party wank book.

Would it help if I made a typo and it's only a +4 bonus

duo31 wrote:Taking a dip into Mindbender is always good.

It's true. "Mindbender 1" is actually just another name for the 6th level of the beguiler progression.