Why Draconic Knowledge when the bonus is so tiny?
Get Knowledge History as a class skill.
There are other ways to do it, but I haven't found one that doesn't cost a feat.
And even for straight Loremaster he would need one Knowledge other than Arcane.

Why Empower Spell? With Extend Spell he could have Battlemagic Perception running for 5 hours, and it's a prerequisite for the amazing Persist Spell. Or pick something else, whatever. I'm just not hyped about Empower Spell.
Sure, that was just one option.
Extend sounds good.

Furthermore, Rapid Spell actually meshes very badly with Arcane Spellsurge -> dump it.
With that he can use the Rhoynar Doom or a Summon Monster as standard and any other spell, even with Metamagic, as Swift under spellsurge. I think it works?

Gear : Zherys is a rich spellcaster with access to crafters. @DragonParadox, does he have any unique gear passed down through the ages? In any case, he should have the basic Goldfish package. You can basically just copy Teana's gear and call it a day :D
I don't like pre-choosing the equipment of allies/vassals.
That's up to DP for me, I only do it for foes.
 
Fortress:
devalue brass seals
rob Tiamat
secure summoning
I think these functions would serve?
 
[X] The Great Southern Land
-[X] There is a great continent to the South, the most remote location I am aware of, not without it's own threats as with any uncowed land but rich in both resources and the freedoms it provides the operation. This is as near as I can provide you with a blank canvas.
--[X] If it poses no great restriction upon your options the fortress could be re-purposed to a staging ground for ranges into the depths of the jungle, perhaps in time even the heart of a great city.
 
This, and also that we are doing this in 1-2 months, not "however long it's take Darleth to build his thing"
Three or four months should be doable.

Lending him a set of Titan's Tools, if he doesn't already have his own, would allow a lot of work can be done in a very short period of time. Of course, the physical construction could probably be done in a matter of days. It's the magical end of things which I expect to take a long time.
 
[X] The Painted Mountains, north of Mantarys
-[X] Sufficiently remote not to threaten anything we care about, and afterwards we can use it as security against Undead issues coming from the Dothraki Sea.

I think truly remote locations are just annoying to supply once without heavy magical investments.
Sure, we can build it by gate and teleport and stoneshaping, but if we want it staffed by regular mortals eventually it shouldn't be too far from any civilication.
 
Meta Magus

Requirements:
Skills:
Concentration 9 ranks, Knowledge(Arcana), Spellcraft 9 ranks
Feats: Any two Metamagic feats and Iron Will
Spellcasting: Must be able to spontaneously cast 3rd level Arcane spells.
Special: Must be a Metamagic Specialist variant of the Sorcerer class.

Class Skills: Bluff[Cha], Concentration[Con], Craft[Int], Diplomacy[Cha], Knowledge[Arcana][Int], Profession[Wis], Spellcraft[Int]

Hit Die: d6

Skill Points: 2 + Int

Class Features:
Spellcasting
: At each level beyond 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Meta Magus, you must decide which class to add each level to for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Price of Power: Upon gaining entry into this class, one spell slot from the new Meta Magus' highest level of available spells is permanently removed. This occurs each time they gain access to a new level of spells.

Bonus Metamagic Feat: At 1st, 4th, and 7th levels, the Meta Magus may select a new Metamagic feat.

Innate Metamagic: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels, the Meta Magus is able to select one of his spells to permanently augment using a Metamagic feat to. The feat to be applied at 3rd level must be selected from those that increase the spell's level adjustment by no more than +1, at 6th level the potential level adjustment increases to +2, and at 9th level a feat with a level adjustment of +3 can be applied.

Innate Metamagic may be applied to different spells or stacked atop a single spell. Once applied, the feat cannot be changed. An augmented spell's level does not increase, though for the purpose of using normal Metamagic the spell is considered to have a level adjustment appropriate to the Innate Metamagic feats applied to it.

Rapid Metamagic: At 2nd, 5th, and 8th level the Meta Magus increases the number of times per day they can apply Metamagic feats to a spell without increasing its casting time.

Improved Metamagic(Su): At 10th level, a Meta Magus has mastered Metamagic to such an extent that whenever she uses a Metamagic feat, the required increase in spell level (if any) is reduced by one (minimum +1 spell level).

Level BAB Fortitude Reflex Will Special Spellcasting
1st
+0​
+0​
+0​
+2​
Bonus Metamagic Feat +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
2nd
+1​
+0​
+0​
+3​
Rapid Metamagic (+1/Day) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
3rd
+1​
+1​
+1​
+3​
Innate Metamagic (+1) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
4th
+2​
+1​
+1​
+4​
Bonus Metamagic Feat +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
5th
+2​
+1​
+1​
+4​
Rapid Metamagic (+1/Day) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
6th
+3​
+2​
+2​
+5​
Innate Metamagic (+2) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
7th
+3​
+2​
+2​
+5​
Bonus Metamagic Feat +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
8th
+4​
+2​
+2​
+6​
Rapid Metamagic (+1/Day) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
9th
+4​
+3​
+3​
+6​
Innate Metamagic (+3) +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
10th
+5​
+3​
+3​
+7​
Improved Metamagic +1 level of existing Arcane spellcasting class
 
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Get Knowledge History as a class skill.
There are other ways to do it, but I haven't found one that doesn't cost a feat.
And even for straight Loremaster he would need one Knowledge other than Arcane.
Yes, there is a way to get an extra Knowledge as a class skill. You can get Knowledge (the planes) as a class skill with the Blood of Siberys ACF, which gives to +4 effective Cha to determine bonus spells, costs you your familiar, and "The following are your sorcerer class skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft."

It's not Knowledge (history), but if you want to make him a straight Loremaster instead... Honestly, IMO straight Loremaster fits a lot better than Cataclysm Mage. As far as we know he didn't go around exploring Valyria or anything, and has mostly fought in the city and along the Rhoyne. IMO he isn't exactly an explorer, and is mostly a leader and student of old lore.
Still, if you disagree then I suppose Cataclyms Mage is fine. It's certainly more powerful.

Sure, that was just one option.
Extend sounds good.
Actually now that I think about it, Invisible Spell or Sculpt Spell are better because it's +0 and can therefore be used with Spellsurge.

With that he can use the Rhoynar Doom or a Summon Monster as standard and any other spell, even with Metamagic, as Swift under spellsurge. I think it works?
Not worth a feat.
He needs the ability to cast spells as full actions or as standard actions as needed (Swift then reduces those). Taking a +0 metamagic lets him be very flexible. Meanwhile Rapid Spell only allows faster casting of a few effects (and not Rhoynar Doom, that's a class ability and not a spell) and is overall quite a bit less flexible.
IMO it's best not to waste a Feat there, and to use Spellsurge to handle metamagic. It's not like he has a ton of it either...

If you wanted to make him a strong metamagic-user, you should be making him into a terrifying blaster and not a jack-of-all-trades. You know, with Arcane Thesis and the whole Empower+Heighten+Split Ray combo on an Enervation. Next level he'd take Greater Arcane Fusion instantly!
Still, I also prefer going lightly on the metamagic and focusing on his current build style. It's certainly better.

I don't like pre-choosing the equipment of allies/vassals.
That's up to DP for me, I only do it for foes.
DP doesn't like gearing up NPCs. It's best to provide them with gear, and then to let DP change it as needed.

Oooh, I just saw @Goldfish's Meta-Magus PrC. It's definitely very powerful! Perhaps too powerful? Even Incantatrix costs you a spell school, while your just hands out amazing power with few prerequisites.
However, it'd be great for a blaster PC. Pick one or two blasting spells to rely on and use all your feats and bonus feats on them, and then pick a Versatile spell list around them. I like Enervation, or Wings of Flurry. We haven't seen Zherys fight yet, so we don't know if he's addicted to fire spells or not.
Oh, and IMO such a build should take Residual Metamagic, but not Rapid Metamagic (use Spellsurge and Arcane Fusion instead).
 
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[X] Artemis1992

We could also use a custom permanent Greater Demiplane to hold the ritual, y'all. If we did something like our Imperial Demiplane, we could make it accessible only through a portal gate, which could be physically blocked when needed, then use a boosted Forbiddance spell to prevent anyone from reaching it until it's too late.

Darleth would be involved in turning the Demiplane into a bearded nightmare to enter or attack.

It could even be customized to be specifically detrimental to Efreeti.

Create Demiplane – d20PFSRD
 
Oooh, I just saw @Goldfish's Meta-Magus PrC. It's definitely very powerful! Perhaps too powerful? Even Incantatrix costs you a spell school, while your just hands out amazing power with few prerequisites.
However, it'd be great for a blaster PC. Pick one or two blasting spells to rely on and use all your feats and bonus feats on them, and then pick a Versatile spell list around them. I like Enervation, or Wings of Flurry. We haven't seen Zherys fight yet, so we don't know if he's addicted to fire spells or not.
Oh, and IMO such a build should take Residual Metamagic, but not Rapid Metamagic (use Spellsurge and Arcane Fusion instead).
Rather than losing access to a school, what about reduced spell slots? One less spell slot per spell level would be a fair trade-off, IMO.

Enervation would be a nice combat spell for the Meta Magus to focus their Innate Metamagic on if used in conjunction with Practical Metamagic (Empower & Maximize). Make it Invisible first, then Empowered, then Maximized. The effective level adjustment would only +3, so it would be attainable upon reaching 9th level of Meta Magus.

Hitting someone with Surprise!Negative Level x 6 would hurt. Then turning around and doing it again as a Swift Action would just ruin their day.
 
[X] Artemis1992

We could also use a custom permanent Greater Demiplane to hold the ritual, y'all. If we did something like our Imperial Demiplane, we could make it accessible only through a portal gate, which could be physically blocked when needed, then use a boosted Forbiddance spell to prevent anyone from reaching it until it's too late.

Darleth would be involved in turning the Demiplane into a bearded nightmare to enter or attack.

It could even be customized to be specifically detrimental to Efreeti.

Create Demiplane – d20PFSRD

The demiplane will not work unfortunately, the Merling King needs full access to his domain. It's the same reason why you can't just do it in the Opaline Vault.
 
Rather than losing access to a school, what about reduced spell slots? One less spell slot per spell level would be a fair trade-off, IMO.

Enervation would be a nice combat spell for the Meta Magus to focus their Innate Metamagic on if used in conjunction with Practical Metamagic (Empower & Maximize). Make it Invisible first, then Empowered, then Maximized. The effective level adjustment would only +3, so it would be attainable upon reaching 9th level of Meta Magus.

Hitting someone with Surprise!Negative Level x 6 would hurt. Then turning around and doing it again as a Swift Action would just ruin their day.
And then doing it again a third time thanks to his wing-thing + Spellsurge + Rapid Spell !

How about Wings of Flurry instead of Enervation? Or Orb of Force?
 
@Goldfish, here is a fair trade-off for your PrC's amazing power:
  • Prerequisites include Iron Will or a similar junk feat
  • Spellcraft MUST be kept maxxed or you lose access to the class, or perhaps using class abilities requires a Spellcraft test (DC = 10 + original spell level*3) or something.
  • Limited number of spells known, to represent focus on deep mastery of existing ones (-1 spell known of each level, minimum 0)
  • Inability to use items that effectively increase spells known, like runestaffs (or simply "always use minimum CL when using them") or Pages of Spell Knowledge
Honestly, as it is now your PrC is amazingly good and I'll be pushing for every single Scholarum mage to take it. It needs to have a few downsides to tone it down, and these downsides feel appropriate in this game where runestaffs and Pages of Spell Knowledge are commonplace for rich and powerful mages.

Shall I make a build using your PrC, or will you?
 
And then doing it again a third time thanks to his wing-thing + Spellsurge + Rapid Spell !

How about Wings of Flurry instead of Enervation? Or Orb of Force?
Three times in a round would be possible for Zherys, but only after gaining the ability to cast 8th level spells, since he would have to be able to raise the effective level of one of them by +1 with a Metamagic feat in order to get around Arcane Spellsurge's restriction on normal Standard Action spells.

It would be very powerful, for sure, but also relatively easy to defend against, and completely useless when fighting Undead or Constructs.

Orb of Force would be a very nice alternative, though. 90 points of Force damage per Orb, ignoring SR and not allowing a save, plus it being rendered Invisible should make it very difficult to avoid unless you can See Invisibility.
 
He needs the ability to cast spells as full actions or as standard actions as needed (Swift then reduces those). Taking a +0 metamagic lets him be very flexible. Meanwhile Rapid Spell only allows faster casting of a few effects (and not Rhoynar Doom, that's a class ability and not a spell) and is overall quite a bit less flexible.
I know it's not a spell, that's why it would stay a Standard action, while any spell would become swift.
And all the Summon Monster spells would go down to Standard Action from Full.

Together that's quite a bit of flexibility.
 
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@Goldfish, here is a fair trade-off for your PrC's amazing power:
  • Prerequisites include Iron Will or a similar junk feat
  • Spellcraft MUST be kept maxxed or you lose access to the class, or perhaps using class abilities requires a Spellcraft test (DC = 10 + original spell level*3) or something.
  • Limited number of spells known, to represent focus on deep mastery of existing ones (-1 spell known of each level, minimum 0)
  • Inability to use items that effectively increase spells known, like runestaffs (or simply "always use minimum CL when using them") or Pages of Spell Knowledge
Honestly, as it is now your PrC is amazingly good and I'll be pushing for every single Scholarum mage to take it. It needs to have a few downsides to tone it down, and these downsides feel appropriate in this game where runestaffs and Pages of Spell Knowledge are commonplace for rich and powerful mages.

Shall I make a build using your PrC, or will you?

I'd say a spellcraft test models things better than forcing the spellcraft to max.
 
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