EduactionECS: As a first level feat you need a bonus one to get this and Able Learner but if you need the Knowledges as skills but don't want to dip this is your choice.
The Zen Chameleon
BUILD STUB: Human, Cloistered Cleric (Knowledge, Planning, Trickery) 1/Soulknife 2/Ranger 2/Soulbow 2/Chameleon 10/Swordsage 2/Warblade 1
PROGRESSION:(click to show/hide)
This is my attempt at a solely Wis-centric zen archer. Ends up with Wisdom to attack, damage and AC, in addition to powering Chameleon spellcasting. I must say, I do like Chameleon alongside a splash of initiating classes, for the ability to pick up Martial Study for maneuvers on demand. (I do similar things with the incarnate archer, picking up Totemist-only soulmelds or chakra binds when necessary).
If you can use items that grant feats to qualify for prestige classes, or you are playing with flaws, consider dropping the level of Warblade for a level of Shiba Protector. You lose out on White Raven Tactics, but you gain double your Wisdom bonus to both attack and damage. That gets nasty, especially when Owl's Insight is on board...
Soul Dreamer (Incarnum Archer + Earth Dreamer)
BUILD STUB: Azurin, Cloistered Cleric (Knowledge, Trickery, Planning) 1/Incarnate 2/Ranger 2/Chameleon 10/Earth Dreamer 5
PROGRESSION:(click to show/hide)
This was actually an early draft for the TISP Sniper, a build that fires arrows through walls, but I liked it so much that I branched it off on its own. In addition to the standard persist shenanigans, this also uses DMM (Chain) to apply Brilliant Energy Arrow to all her arrows as a swift action. Earth Dreamer provides Earth Glide and Earth Sight to stalk enemies from afar, while Chameleon's floating feat can be used to nab higher level chakra binds or totemist soulmelds when necessary.
Ultimate Arcane Archer
BUILD STUB: Half-Elf, Half-Elf Paragon 3/Martial Wizard 1/Cloistered Cleric (Trickery, Planning) 1/Fighter 2/Chameleon 10/Death Delver 1
PROGRESSION:(click to show/hide)
OK, I love Arcane Archer, and I love Chameleon, so it should be no big surprise that I tried to get them both into the same build. Half-Elf Paragon lets me take both Human Heritage and Able Learner at first level, allowing me to qualify for both Arcane Archer and Chameleon down the road.
Depending on your reading of Mimic Class Feature, this should allow me to persist a ridiculous number of buffs - with five turning pools (cleric, death delver, mimic class feature x3), that's 75 + (5xCha) turn attempts before items. In any case, as for spells to imbue, there are a huge number of options, since as a Chameleon you can cast just about any spell in the game of 6th-level or below. The classic is AMF, of course, but I also enjoy using Imbue Arrow to cheat down the casting time of otherwise difficult spells. You can also pick up Control Weather off the shugenja list as a 6th-level spell, for example. Guards and Wards is another fun one to imbue.
As an alternative, consider dropping two instances of Extra Turning for Spell Mastery and Uncanny Forethought, allowing you to swap out the arcane side of your Chameleon progression on demand.
The Sniper Assassin (inspired by ksbsnowowl's sniper archer)
BUILD STUB: Ranger (Arcane Hunter) 2/Wilderness Feat Rogue 4/Deepwood Sniper 7/Chameleon 7
(Dedicated to an Elder Evil of your choosing.)
PROGRESSION:(click to show/hide)
This is my take on ksbsnowowl's classic Deepwood Sniper archer.
Basically, this relies on Hunter's Mercy plus Murderous Intent to fire off arrows guaranteed to crit with a x6 multiplier (kaorti resin arrows plus Deepwood Sniper's ability). Arcane Hunter means Murderous Intent works against a pretty broad range of enemies, and it can use the Chameleon floating feat to pick up Extra Favored Enemy, for new favored enemies when necessary.
It gets all the relevant stealth goodies, Poison Use, and Chameleon can nab Minor Creation to make poisons on demand. Maiming Strike means that you can sacrifice your sneak attack damage for static Charisma damage which will multiply on a crit. With Hunter's Eye we're looking at 4 points of Charisma damage, which translates to 24 points of Charisma damage with the auto-crit. (Ego Whip, eat your heart out.) Make sure to use Sniper's Shot to extend your range.
As far as damage goes, assuming a +2 collision energy bow with GMW cast on it, and a +4 strength bonus, we can look at something like...
1d8 +2 FE +20 craven +1 Blood War Conscript +5 enhancement +5 collision +4 strength +17 power shot +5 knowledge devotion = 1d8+59 base damage. So with a single arrow, we're looking at a MINIMUM of 360 points of damage, plus poison and 24 points of Charisma damage.
Honestly I'm a little disappointed with the damage, because that means that its "headshots" do less damage than the expected CR 20 HP (~448), although the bonus effects are nice. That being said, while only the first attack will auto-crit, there's nothing in the world stopping you from making a full attack, so the subsequent shots should do the trick.
I am pretty sure that pool of turning/rebuking is jusy multiple uses. To be honest, I don't understand your interpretation. Could you elaborate?
Actually, after reading the mimic class feature text, I see how the first interpretation can be valid. I am still skeptical about it, tough. If you held that interpretation, you would have to argue that using Turn/Rebuk Undead cleric class feature is the same as possessing it as the text states that you can use it once per day.
I've seen the discussions about Chameleons putting spells into spell books and the nature of a Chameleon's relationship with her spellbook, etc. on numerous discussion boards, but I've never seen anyone post what I think is the correct answer. This handbook doesn't really address the issue (strangely, IMO) though the description of Extra Spell provided seems to hint at it. I figured this discussion would be the best place for someone looking for more details about playing a Chameleon to find this answer.
Anyway, based on the fluff text for the Chameleon, it seems to me that the Chameleon's spellbook doesn't contain any spells. The Chameleon does not need to inscribe spells into her book, and therefore doesn't need to have a spell in her book to cast it. RoD pg 114 saysThis leads me to believe that a Chameleon does not pray for actual divine energy from a god for spells using Divine Focus, nor is she is actually reading her spellbook when she studies it for Arcane Focus. It's the mimicry of the other class's actions that give the Chameleons their power, not the substance of those actions.(click to show/hide)
I've seen the discussions about Chameleons putting spells into spell books and the nature of a Chameleon's relationship with her spellbook, etc. on numerous discussion boards, but I've never seen anyone post what I think is the correct answer. This handbook doesn't really address the issue (strangely, IMO) though the description of Extra Spell provided seems to hint at it. I figured this discussion would be the best place for someone looking for more details about playing a Chameleon to find this answer.
Anyway, based on the fluff text for the Chameleon, it seems to me that the Chameleon's spellbook doesn't contain any spells. The Chameleon does not need to inscribe spells into her book, and therefore doesn't need to have a spell in her book to cast it. RoD pg 114 saysThis leads me to believe that a Chameleon does not pray for actual divine energy from a god for spells using Divine Focus, nor is she is actually reading her spellbook when she studies it for Arcane Focus. It's the mimicry of the other class's actions that give the Chameleons their power, not the substance of those actions.(click to show/hide)
Hilarious and awesome, but sort of contradicts their fluff/rules text under Arcane Focus, "You prepare and cast these spells just as a wizard does, including the use of a spellbook (chameleons often use stolen or borrowed spellbooks)"
This is the most important piece of text. The fluff saying what the mimic mansion gives its graduates is exactly that, fluff.
Would you expect the armor, weapons, thieves’ tools and holy symbol to be magical in some way (+X sword etc)? To me these items would be non-magical, and all spell books are magical so it would have to be a fake one with gibberish in it.
To me the better questions are:
1. Can a Chameleon write spells into a spellbook?
2. Even if they are not in the Arcane Focus?
I have assumed that you can (or have someone that will) as this is strictly a GM's call, there is no real indication either way.