5 Challenges Blaster Casters Need To Prep For (in Pathfinder)

I said it myself back in Vulgar Displays of Power: Tips For Getting The Most Out of Your Magic in Pathfinder, but blaster casters often find themselves getting less bang for their buck when it comes to an effective use of magic. With that said, there are few things more satisfying than pointing your hand, barking a word of power, and watching as the troll's head explodes, or a rain of fire destroys an enemy squad.

If you want to be an effective artillery piece, though, there's a slew of things you need to keep in mind when it comes to what your enemy can do, and the challenges you're going to face with regards to your effectiveness on the field. Because it's tough enough channeling the destructive powers of the ether... there's no need to do it with a set of ankle weights on, too.

Challenge #1: Energy Resistance

Is that fire damage? Oh... that's too bad...

There is nothing that is a bigger pain in the rear than charging up your big gun, only to find that the enemy is going to knock between 5 and 10 points off your damage. Or, worse, that your enemy is immune to that magic because of the element you've chosen to use. This is the most obvious pitfall out there, and a lot of players are rolling their eyes reading this, but I've seen this scuttle blasters' effectiveness more than once with players who go all-in on a given element, and then find by mid-level that they're essentially casting with one hand tied behind their back.

As such, it's a good idea to make sure that you have a wide variety of tricks up your sleeve. Like I said in 5 Challenges You Have To Deal With in Every Pathfinder Adventure Path, that means you need to have several elements you can call on. Fire is the most common resistance to find, in my experience, but cold is right behind it, and electricity and acid comes along behind that. Sonic is rare to have resistance against, as is negative energy, but there are some creatures that possess it.

Whether you choose to keep a wide variety of spells on-hand, or you have a trick that lets you convert and change the energy descriptor of a spell like the Elemental bloodline does for sorcerers, this is going to be a primary issue you'll have to deal with from relatively low levels.

Challenge #2: Evasion and High Saves

Did you just throw a fireball at me, you pleb?

Area of effect spells have the same satisfaction you get from dropping a sledgehammer on a problem. And when they work, hoo boy do they work... but when they whiff it can take all the wind out of your sails.

Which is why it's important to use these spells in situations they're geared toward so you get the biggest possible impact.

Area of effect spells (fireball, lightning bolt, and other classics) work best when you are dealing with hordes of creatures rather than single targets (and are supremely effective against swarms), and when those enemies are in a formation that gives you the biggest bang for your buck. Because if you roll 10d6, and hit about 30 damage on a given creature, that's not a lot of harm done... unless you did it to a mob of 10 monsters, in which case you spread quite a bit of damage around! The problem with area of effect spells is, of course, that a monster takes half damage on a successful save. And if they have evasion (or worse, improved evasion) then you're just throwing around fireworks for all the good you're doing.

The key is, again, variety. While you should try to jack your save DC as high as you can get it (I covered a lot of options in How To Increase Spell DCs in Pathfinder forever and a day ago), you should also have plenty of single-target spells that don't allow for a saving throw at all. Because that trio of rogues might be able to laugh off your fireball, but a scorching ray at your full power, or a bevy of magic missiles, is going to put them in the ground before they can get a chance to pull out any fancy tricks.

Also, don't keep hammering away at creatures with high saving throws that keep besting certain spells. Change tactics, and attack a different defense (their touch armor class, their Fortitude save, etc.). You need to attack their weak spots, not slam your fist into their strong defense and hope you get through.

Challenge #3: Spell Resistance

Fool! You have no power here.

Spell resistance is the absolute bane of blaster casters. While it isn't usually an immediate issue when a campaign starts, it's going to start cropping up as soon as your campaign deals with outsiders, dragons, and other powerful monster types... so you need to be prepared for it.

The first thing you need to do is boost your caster level as much as possible, and to take feats like Spell Penetration to be sure that spell resistance isn't an issue when you decide to cut loose. There are also rods that give you bonuses to overcoming spell resistance, and keeping one of those on your belt is always a good idea.

With that said, it is equally important to make sure you have at least a few spells up your sleeve that don't allow for spell resistance. They are few and far between, but they do exist. A lot of them aren't blasting spells (glitterdust is a perfect example), but you need to keep your options open for when the other bullets in your gun aren't going to get the results you want.

Challenge #4: Sight Lines and Effective Firing

Got you, you little bastard!

One of the simplest ways to take away a blaster's ability to affect you is to vanish. Whether it's into a cloud of smoke, by turning invisible, or ducking behind total cover, not having a line of sight/line of effect to a target can stymie you in some of the most frustrating ways. And it's going to happen sooner or later, so you need to be prepared for it.

If you have darkvision then you're already one step ahead of the curve. However, it's a good idea to invest in an ability to see invisible creatures, and if you really want to throw a monkey wrench into their gears use spells like the previously-mentioned glitterdust to mark them out for the rest of the party. Invisibility purge is another great trick to keep up your sleeve, though a simple smogstick is also a useful, alchemical solution to the problem. You should also keep gust of wind on hand, or consider investing in fogcutter lenses, or a goz mask, as both will allow you to see through fog, smoke, etc. Of course, these would also allow you to pop smoke yourself with an obscuring mist spell, and to fire with impunity at enemies who can't see you.

Just some food for thought, there.

Challenge #5: Actually Dealing Damage

These numbers just aren't adding up...

One of the unfortunate truths about blaster casters is that they just don't pack the wallop you want them to... and this only gets truer as you go up in level. As such, you need to tweak your load out to make sure that you are getting every point of damage you can out of your spells.

For example, a higher effective caster level (such as how the Sanguine bloodline increases your caster level for any necromancy school spell by 1) can be a boon. Blasting spells tend to do a certain amount of damage based on your caster level, and while they have caps, slinging around the most damage dice you can as fast as you can is a pretty big help. It also doesn't hurt if you can apply metamagic feats to your spells, allowing them to surpass the normal amount of damage they'd do, maximizing the damage without rolling the dice, etc., etc. Furious Spell, in particular, can be helpful for those who intend to cast while under the effects of some kind of rage. And, of course, make sure you target a creature's weaknesses in order to get bonus damage out of your spells (a creature with a weakness to fire, for instance, takes 1.5 times the damage from fire spells).

However, it never hurts to add every point you can.

As an example, the evoker gets to add half their wizard level in bonus damage on spells that deal hit point damage. The trait Volatile Conduit allows you to boost a fire, cold, acid, or electricity spell by 1d4 damage as a free action once per day. There aren't as many of these abilities, as most combat feats specifically mention they cannot be used with touch attacks (or they must be used with a physical weapon), but even stacking on an addition d4 here or +2 there adds up over time.

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That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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The Escaped Slave Wizard

There is no denying the power of the written word. Education opens doors, and makes things previously thought impossible into a reality. In fact, the right words can often be what sets you free. Especially if you happen to be a wizard, and no one around you suspects it.

Clearly a wizard.

Former slaves become adventurers all the time, but it tends to be a background we associate with martial characters. Barbarians and fighters may be former gladiators, or trained soldiers who fought so their masters wouldn't have to (speaking of, check out my character conversion for The Unsullied). Slaves who picked their own locks might become rogues (as we see in my Harriet Tubman character conversion), and those who hid in the forests or deserts from pursuers might take levels of ranger. In some cases a slave might be a sorcerer, whose powers awaken unexpectedly, which he then uses to escape his bondage.

But rarely do we give this background to wizards. Because, after all, wizards have to train and study intensively. They need to practice, and practice, and practice to get their gestures, words, and magic just right. Something that's hard enough to do under regular circumstances, and nearly impossible to do if you're in the fields working the land, carrying stones, or doing any other sort of forced labor.

The Words of "Nightjohn"

When I was in middle school, my teacher read us the book Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen. For those of you who don't know the book, it takes place on a plantation in the pre-Civil War south. Not a nice place to be, especially if you are one of the people who make up the enslaved workforce. While I don't remember all of the book, I do recall an exchange between our protagonist, and a recently-arrived slave who is the Nightjohn of the book's title. It goes something like this:

John: "I can trade you for some of that."

Lead: "Trade me what? When they brought you in here you was naked as the day you was born."

John: "Girl, I can read. And I'll teach you."

Libraries are dangerous places, as any adventurer knows.

 

Though the rest of the details have escaped me, that scenario is one that could make a compelling wizard. You were just another slave, until a fateful meeting. Perhaps you were allowed to play with the master's children, and they taught you some of their parlor tricks. Your owners, infuriated, made sure you were kept far in the fields, and worked hard, but you never forgot what you learned. Maybe you snuck into the house on pretenses, and made off with old copies of the son's lessons. Perhaps you heard his instruction, crouching beneath a window. Or, it's possible that your teacher is, as in Nightjohn, one of your fellow slaves. He no longer has his spellbook, perhaps, but he still has his knowledge. Knowledge that, if imparted, may present opportunity.

What Kind of Wizard Would You Be?

This concept could be used for every school of magic. Did you find you have a knack for evocation, blasting off your chains and burning down your master's home? Or did enchantment come more easily to you, allowing you to simply ask your owners to unlock your chains so you could walk away? Did you create illusions to make them think you were all still in the field while you were really making a break for it? Or did you conjure allies from the ether, creating chaos in what had been an orderly world?

The other question you need to answer, though, is what did you do with your freedom? Did you enhance your learning? And to what purpose? Did you walk away, panting and relieved, or did you go back to give freedom to all those who didn't come with you?

If you're looking for further inspiration, check out 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards!

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That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Savage Wizard

Your party is advancing through the mountains. You've already weathered several skirmishes with orcs, and you've turned them back every time. Above you, though, standing in the center of the path, is one of the fiercest looking orcs you've seen yet. His tusks are carved with intricate geometric patterns, and his tattooed chest is draped in a wolf hide. His thick hand is wrapped around the haft of a greatax, and there is a look on his face that says you are not going to turn him aside as you did the others. Your fighter steps forward, readying his pike for the downhill charge, and that's when the scarred figure points his ax at the party and bellows a single, harsh word. Lightning erupts from his weapon, streaking through your ranks, leaving charred flesh and scorched armor in its wake.

You should never judge a book by its cover... especially when we're talking about wizards.

No armor, a single weapon wielded in one hand... prepare for fireball. Just in case.

 

Not All Wizards Are Wizened

We, as both players and DMs, have a stereotypical image of what a wizard should look like in our minds. An image that's been informed by generations of gaming and genre fiction alike. Wizards should be old, wise, and they tend to have a preference for staves, beards, and comfortable robes. In short, wizards should look like they came from the halls of academia, and not from the bramble forests or rugged mountains of the savage frontier.

However, while Golarion as a setting is filled with colleges dedicated to arcane learning (as are most fantasy RPG settings), nowhere is it stated in the class description that a wizard has to get his or her training at one of these institutes. As I mentioned in What Do Your Verbal and Somatic Components Look Like?, every culture, and every country, has their own magical traditions. While the effects of the spells are set, how you choose to cast them can vary widely from one caster to another as far as what words you use, what language you cast in, and the particular gestures that accompany your casting.

This also applies to who teaches you magic, and what forms your studies take.

I learned transmutation spells the HARD way.

 

There are dozens of different ways you could create a savage wizard. For example, if you were smart, and capable, you may have been apprenticed to the tribe's war shaman, who taught you the rudiments of magic, and explained the mysteries of the planes to you in countless lessons. You might keep a roll of hides, each with the forms and rituals of your spells inked or branded onto the skins. You might even bear tattoos or brands that increase your spellcasting prowess (such as with the feat Varisian Tattoo), and which mark you out to other members of your tribe.

You might come from the freezing peaks of the northern mountains, the furnace of the deserts, or the stifling heat of the southern jungles. You could be from a nation of half-feral elves, who have descended into war and conquest, while still clinging to their ancient knowledge. You might be an arcane warrior of the Sklar Qua among the Shoan-Ti, fulfilling the cultural role of priest, as well as that of knowledgeable mystic. You might even be a wandering hedge mage, learning from stolen spellbooks, ancient ruins, and personal experiments which have left you scarred, and more than a little mad.

There are certain elements you need to have in order to be a wizard. A thirst for knowledge, an understanding of the arcane, and a spellbook. How you gained that knowledge, and how you learned about the mysteries of magic, is wide open. So, if your table is in the habit of taking what they see at face value, bring a Bedouin swathed in black robes, and with a masterwork scimitar hanging from his left hip. Then, when battle is joined, draw your bonded item, and reveal the power of the necromancer no one truly expected.

If you're looking for further inspiration, check out 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Military-Grade Evoker

There's been a never-ending argument about what kind of wizard is the most powerful. Some argue that the transmuter can transform his allies into titans, and his enemies into worms, and thus can adapt to any situation. Others prefer the power of the conjurer, pulling allies through rifts in the planes to lend their aid to her cause. Necromancers wield the fell powers of the grave, and enchanters may turn the staunchest foe into the dearest friend, but no one will ever claim that the sheer, destructive power of the evoker is something to be taken lightly.

Or, at least, no one who has made the claim has lived to tell the tale.

These blasting mages are perhaps some of the most common casters found in any game. Despite their vastly different builds, spells of preference, and countries of origin, though, we tend to picture them all in very similar ways. Evokers, as wizards, will be bookish, intelligent, and likely physically frail despite the raw power they're capable of channeling.

So why not change that impression up, and put your wizard through boot camp?

The Mechanics

Despite the name, the military-grade evoker doesn't have to have any levels of a martial class. Just because a wizard is a product of a war machine, that doesn't mean you're necessarily building someone whose job is to fight and cast at the same time. If you want to go that way, though, then two levels of a class like fighter, ranger, or even swashbuckler can be partially evened out with the magical knack trait, which increases your caster level by 2, up to your character level. If you opt to go the straight blaster route, then traits like heirloom weapon might be useful. Once you've picked a melee weapon that would be seen as standard-issue among graduates of your arcane program to use as a bonded item (the idea being that you receive a masterwork weapon as a mark of your rank), you should consider all the traditional feats that increase your caster level, spell DC, damage, or which help you penetrate spell resistance. Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot are good feats to invest in, but so are things like Varisian Tattoo, which you could make a standard mark for anyone who passed your training regimen. You may choose to invest in Arcane Armor Training, which allows you to cast in armor at a lessened penalty, or you may decide to rely purely on your magic to protect you. Every caster will have his or her own strategy, and unique idea of what constitutes "field ready".

Quick Draw and Improved Initiative might not be bad ideas, though.

The Flavor

Picture this scenario. A meeting has been called in a tavern, and volunteers are being requested for a dangerous mission. There's a man at the bar, drinking a pint of ale, who has the look of a newly-minted soldier. Broad shoulders, shorn hair, polished boots, a short sword on his hip, and a lock gauntlet on his right hand. He's unarmored, but that's not uncommon in the city. He volunteers, and shakes hands with his fellow adventurers. His name is Arden Blaze.

No sooner have the introductions been completed, though, then a brawl breaks out. Bottles are flying, punches are thrown, and hands start reaching for cudgels and steel. The new compatriots find the melee moving their way, when Arden slashes at the air. An invisible missile hurtles into the face of the nearest attacker, shattering teeth and laying him out. Before the others can put two and two together, Blaze has his sword in hand, the eldritch pattern along the blood channel which declares his completion of war college training glinting in the light.

Let's get this party started!

By playing with the idea of what people expect to see when they hear there's a wizard in the party, you upset assumed stereotypes. If you create someone who was trained to command in battle, and who was given knowledge of both tactics and creatures, then you may find yourself with a wizard who shouts commands to the party before leveling his sword to fire a lightning bolt at a mass of foes.

There's even more to it, though. For example, if you have a military-grade evoker, you should ask what the reputation of the nation's battle mages are. Will they be seen as heroes among the common people of their own nation? Will they be hated as jack-booted thugs in others? Is there a rivalry between casters and their martial brothers in arms, or did they train and fight together? Will the wizard and the fighter discuss deployments and get drunk together when they're in town, and form a two-person unit when the party is attacked because of their mutual experiences?

The concept is more than just overturning the status quo by making a wizard who can fight. It takes the concept of a wizard as a scholar, and alters it into a wizard whose primary training was as a warrior. If you alter that, what does it do to the character's demeanor, experiences, and way of looking at the world?

For more inspiration, check out 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!