Building a Killer Gnome - advice welcome

[Janthkin]

Hi folks,

I'm building a level 7 character for a non-optimized campaign, and really want to explore the illusionist theme.  Given the makeup of the rest of the party (Duskblade, Rogue/Assassin, Shield-bashing Fighter, Rogue/Fighter), we have a need for some spellcasting, and divine casting would be seriously welcome.

Basic rules:
Start with the following array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8; add 6 points wherever you want them (but no more than +3 to each stat).
PHB races (or close to - some variant races might be allowed, but LA races & templates are out).
No flaws, no skill tricks.
Standard gold (19k at 7th level).
PHB I/II, Complete * books (no Psionics), SpC, MIC, RoS previously approved

My initial thought is a (Rock) Gnome Bard 1/Cloistered Cleric 4/Divine Prankster 2, with entry into Shadowcraft Mage at level 9.  (The Heighten Spell early entry trick won't work for this DM, nor will a non-gnome Shadowcraft Mage.)

1: Bard 1; Spell Focus (Illusion) (Racial substitution level: Gnome Bard 1 from Races of Stone)
2: CC 1; Spontaneous Domain (Illusion) ACF
3: CC 2; Arcane Mastery (Bard 1 was good for something!)
4: CC3
5: CC4
6: DvP 1; Steady Concentration
7: DvP 2
8: DvP 3
9: ShM 1; Heighten Spell
10: ShM 2
11: ShM 3
12: ShM 4; Residual Metamagic

Is the Divine Prankster worthwhile?  Some lovely synergy there (Infuse Figment!), but it does cost me a level of cleric casting.

I've left off some of the usual optimizations - no Earth Spell, no DMM - to better fit into the power level of this campaign.  So yes, I know I'm leaving easy money on the table. 

Equipment:
Headband of Conscious Effort   MIC 109   2000
Rod of Ropes   C Scoundrel 116   4000
Anklet of Translocation   MIC 71   1400
Ring of Silent Spells    MIC 127   2000
Ring of the Darkhidden   MIC 122   2000
Heward's Handy Haversack   DMG 259   2000
+1 Blueshine Mithril Chain Shirt   MIC 7   3600
Misc. crap       200
Healing Belt       750
Shiftweave outfit   MIC 133   500

Thoughts or suggestions?  Is the level of Bard too high a price for what I get from DvP?  Is there a non-convoluted way of getting those ranks in Perform & Sleight of Hand that doesn't involve Bard?

[Kremti]

Check out this link:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5638.0

Go open the "On the Aggregate of What Has Come Before" and "PhaedrusXY’s Cloistered Cleric Entry"

Strip out some DMM, adjust a wee bit, and you'll be all set!

-K

[Janthkin]

Thanks for the reply.  Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to get Shadowcrafter in - we're not playing in FR, so the DM has blocked access to the setting-specific books.  And while you CAN get to Divine Prankster eventually without the Bard level, it eats up a ton of skill points for a really long time to do so.

Which brings me back to wondering if the DvP synergy is worth the effort to obtain.

[Hallack]

Things to consider:

• Bard 1 gets you 4 points in those Priankster prereq skills.  Unless some sort of houserule is in effect you are still going to be buying 4 points crossclass for Divine Prankster
• The Divine Prankster id pretty good but due to cross class purchases and Shadowcraft delay it probably isn't worth it.  Would be good for after Shadowcraft levels though.
• Trickery Domain gives Bluff and Hide as class skills solving a lot of your cross class cost issues for entering Shadowcraft.  Other options can be found as well.
• If you are going SCM you may as well get on into it when you can instead of delaying.  Getting in at 8 means keystone ability at 10.

[Kremti]

Thanks for the reply.  Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to get Shadowcrafter in - we're not playing in FR, so the DM has blocked access to the setting-specific books.  And while you CAN get to Divine Prankster eventually without the Bard level, it eats up a ton of skill points for a really long time to do so.

Which brings me back to wondering if the DvP synergy is worth the effort to obtain.

Yeah, as Hallak said, and also the link, if you keep reading, says the Shadowcrafter is an "optional" levels that can be swapped out for other things.  But (repeating myself) as Hallak said, you'd probably want to get into the DvP *after* Shadowcraft Mage, I think.

-K

[Janthkin]

Things to consider:

• Bard 1 gets you 4 points in those Priankster prereq skills.  Unless some sort of houserule is in effect you are still going to be buying 4 points crossclass for Divine Prankster
• The Divine Prankster id pretty good but due to cross class purchases and Shadowcraft delay it probably isn't worth it.  Would be good for after Shadowcraft levels though.
• Trickery Domain gives Bluff and Hide as class skills solving a lot of your cross class cost issues for entering Shadowcraft.  Other options can be found as well.
• If you are going SCM you may as well get on into it when you can instead of delaying.  Getting in at 8 means keystone ability at 10.

All good points (though I'd note that not only does Bard get you 4 class ranks in Perform & Sleight, it also gives you class skill progression in those skills; if they are never class skills, then you can only increase skill rank by 1/2 a rank each level...meaning you can't meet the 8 rank requirement until level 14 at best).

Sorry, I left out the Domains - this is a priest of Garl Glittergold, with access to Illusion & Trickery domains, for exactly the reason you highlight.

[StreamOfTheSky]

If you're using spontaneous domain, you probably want to pick up Rapid Metamagic feat (C.Mage) at level 9.  Since basically very spell you cast is going to be a spont. cast heightened Silent Image...

[phaedrusxy]

Here is a version I actually played for a bit in a PbP game. I did not use shadowcrafter, but did use the "non-racist" adaptation of SCM, which let me be an Illumian and use the pseudo-DMM Naen Hoon on Heighten Spell to qualify early for the PrC. We weren't allowed flaws, but this was allowed, so it was really about the only way to get in early. The DM also let me retrain those Sigils later in the game, so the final version isn't listed with them.

I have quite a few notes on spells to use with Shadow Illusion, etc, and you might even be interested in looking through the game thread to see how it played.