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VALERIA, F CG SUN ELF WIZARD 15 / ARCANE TRICKSTER 9 / ROGUE 3 / SWASHBUCKLER 3
*Note* I used a giff editor to adjust the appearance of her custom made Mithral Chain Shirt so that it has the same model as the Elven Chainmail instead. This was an aesthetic choice on my part, nothing else.
This character build is a true jack of all trades who can do it all. She can perform the thieving tasks. She can cast buffs and offensive spells. She can hold her own in close quarter combat after putting up protections like Stoneskin or Shades, Greater Invisibility, Mirror Image, and Elemental Shield. She also develops skills that will enhance her interpersonal interactions like Appraise, Bluff, and Diplomacy.
Stats
It's Intelligence all the way for Valeria because it enhances all of the following at once: skill points on each level up, some of her skill checks, the number of Wizard spells she can memorize, the saving throw Difficulty Class of her spells, and the damage from her melee attacks. There will also be a certain feat during Mask of the Betrayer that allows her to increase even further bonus damage for her melee attacks from her Intelligence score.
Skills
Appraise - Very useful as it lowers the prices of items that I buy, but raises the return for items that I sell. Remember that only the main character can use it when speaking to a merchant.
Bluff, Diplomacy - These are my people skills to give me a decided advantage during conversations. And remember again that only the main character can use them.
Disable Device, Open Locks, Search - These are my thieving skills that I'll be relying on throughout the game.
Lore - The skill is used to identify magic items. It also helps with some dialogue options.
Spellcraft - A prerequisite for some feats and spells and such that are relevant to the build, especially during Mask of the Betrayer. It also helps to improve her saving throws.
Tumble - Helps Valeria change positions in combat without provoking attacks of opportunity. It also helps improve her armor class by 1 for every 5 ranks in the skill.
Feats
21st Level (Necromancer 11): Epic Prowess - The +1 to attack bonus is nice, but the real point is that it's a prerequisite for both Expose Weakness and Combat Insight.
22st Level (Arcane Trickster 5): No feat selected.
23rd level (Necromancer 12): Expose Weakness - The description in the official Mask of the Betrayer manual is a bit misleading. What happens with this feat is that your first attack will automatically hit for damage, while your second and third attacks and so on will still need successful attack rolls to connect for damage. If the Expose Weakness autohit first attack actually missed its attack roll, you'll get a message saying "Expose Weakness: Failed". What that means is that the Expose Weakness autohit first attack still connected for damage, despite the missed attack roll, but that the armor class penalty and extra Dexterity based damage didn't kick in. If the attack roll succeeds, that's when not only the autohit damage, but also the armor class penalty and extra Dexterity based damage, all kick in together. Armor class penalties and Dexterity based damage will also be cumulative with each successful use of Expose Weakness. The autohit feature of Expose Weakness allows for Valeria to flagrantly abuse the Improved Combat Expertise feat, with no drawbacks.
24th Level (Arcane Trickster 6): No feat selected
25th level (Necromancer 13): Vampiric Feast - A spell that can inflict instant death on multiple foes, without hurting party members, and with a considerable +5 boost to the DC. I time Valeria getting a Wizard level on her 25th level-up when she gets a bonus feat in order to be able to pick up this epic spell.
26th level (Arcane Trickster 7): Impromptu Sneak Attack x2 - Automatically obatined upon getting 7 levels in Arcane Trickster. She can now attempt an impromptu sneak attack twice a day.
27th level (Necromancer 14): Combat Insight - Allows her to add her Intelligence bonus modifer to her melee weapon damage instead of Strength. The bonus damage will apply to critical-immune enemies as well. It will also stack with the bonus damage provided by Insightful Strike against enemies that are subject to critical hits.
28th Level (Arcane Trickster 8): No feat selected
29th level (Necromancer 15): Craft Magic Arms and Armor - Now she can add enchantments to armor and weapons as well.
Hellball - The epitome of damage casting that inflicts multiple sources of damage over a large area, and the damage cannot be avoided by Evasion.
30th level (Arcane Trickster 9): No feats. However, it was important to take Arcane Trickster as my last level-up. Otherwise, that would have meant a lot of wasted skill points had I taken Wizard during my last level. This is why I emphasized taking Arcane Trickster levels during my even-numbered level ups.
Spells
15th Level: Sun Burst - Arguably the best disabling spell for an arcane caster. It can cause instant death to the undead. It will also inflict Blindness on all enemies caught within its radius unless they make their Reflex saving throws. Remember that Blindness works on creatures like constructs and elementals and undead too. The best part is it won't affect party members.
Greater Shout - Potentially provides an offensive option for Valeria that works in a cone-area effect. It inflicts sonic damage, which few monsters can resist. It can also deafen its targets for 4 rounds, and stun its targets for 1 round.
16th Level: Horrid Wilting - Inflicts a maximum of 20d6 negative energy damage in an area of effect similar to a Fireball. Fortitude saving throws can be made against it, so it can be a good choice against rogue or mage types with weak saving throws. Remember that negative energy damage will heal the undead.
Incendiary Cloud - Of all the cloud-damage type spells, this one inflicts the most damage.
17th Level: Shades - There are three possible uses for this spell. One is to mimic a Delayed Blast Fireball when cast at enemies. Another is to mimic Summon Creature VIII when cast on a spot on the ground. The third use is to cast Premonition, Protection from Spells and Shield on the spellcaster all at once. All three spells will last for an hour for each level of the caster, despite Protection from Spells and Shield normally having shorter durations. It goes without saying that the third self-buff use is my preferred use of the spell, allowing me to cast it as a long-lasting buff at the start of each new day. Note also that it was the availability of this spell that allowed me to select Necromancy as my school of specialization without any regrets, which would normally have the drawback of having no access to Divination spells which include Premonition.
Energy Drain - Causes a single creature to lose 2d4 levels. It's a fantastic spell for singularly powerful monsters that may otherwise give the party a hard time, as it likely means less ability to connect with physical attacks, lower saving throws, less hit points, and loss of higher level spells.
18th Level: Wail of the Banshee - A mass death spell with a very wide radius that can often win battles outright.
Etherealness - Gives Valeria the option to give not just herself but any party members close enough to go into an ethereal state. If played right, this can allow the entire party to buff up at leisure before wading into battle in earnest.
19th Level: Mordenkainen's Disjunction - The best dispelling spell out there, since unlike Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel Magic there's no limit on the caster's numerical check against an enemy spellcaster's magic buffs. It can be very useful against numerous pre-buffed spellcasters.
Distintegrate - Arguably the best single-target damage spell in the game since unlike Polar Ray (at least without the Improved Empower Spell feat), it can be memorized as an Empowered 8th-level spell.
20th Level: Flesh to Stone - A key spell at a certain point in the game where I want to hold in place all nine members of the Slumbering Coven so that I can collect their Essences at leisure.
Superior Resistance - Can be used to add a saving throw bonus to an amulet. The Beetle Familiar can also use it on itself as a buff.
21st Level: Hiss of Sleep - Can put numerous foes to sleep if they fail their Will saving throws, and without affecting party members. Can be perfect against melee-bruiser type enemies.
Mordenkainen's Sword - Can be a nice meat shield if the occassion warrants it.
22nd Level: Protection from Energy - Useful for adding enchantments to body armors and shields.
Resist Energy - Useful for adding enchantments to amulets.
23rd Level: Shadow Simulacrum - Upon making a touch-attack on its target, it will create a duplicate that fights for the party with 80% of the original's hit points and partial concealment. It is better used on a melee fighter type target instead of a spellcasting target, since the Simulacrum will retain few if any of the original's spells. The Beetle Familiar can use it as well.
Meteor Swarm - Allows Valeria to unleash significant fire damage, either as an area-affect or a single target (which may critically hit).
24th Level: Bigby's Clenched Fist - Bigby's type spells are useful for taking single target spells out of the battle for a significant length of time. They also benefit from the Spell Focus: Evocation feat from Valeria's Belt of Raumathar.
Bigby's Grasping Fist - Likewise.
There are also a few instances where I have Valeria get her spells through scrolls, either as dungeon loot or purchased from merchants. Those instances were:
Inventory
