A very rough Guide to the Unfair Exploiter Wizard / Trickster/ Azata or Lich recommended

[1ttffsse]

Can be a Merc or MC - both get 25 point buys at creation.

This is a rough outline guide....the first several levels on hard/unfair are critical and are more detailed. The later options are more by priority and because you can branch out with this archetypal build depending if it is your MC, a merc, and what paths you take.

This caster will prioritize getting the best DCs possible on their spells, and hence being the best pure caster. Great for crowd control. But some consideration to boosting damage (AT) is incorporated.

7 Exploiter Wizard/ 10 AT Arcane Trickster / 2 Vivisectionist / 1 Cross-blooded Sorc
Race Human: bonus Feat is OP (you may want the 4 feats listed in the build early as early as possible on unfair, that is why human was taken, but Elf is totally fine too they get spell penetration free…just a bit less ideal in my mind. Spell Pen kicks in really from level 5+.

Loremaster is somewhat buggy at the moment and while it does offer some neat extra feats at the end I am gonna ignore it for now.

Stats: 7 STR, 16 dex 12 con 19 INT 12 Wis 12 Cha, Add to INT on all level ups
Background: Guard (took it to get some attack bonus to the light crossbows - pickpocket is good too for +2 initiative)
Take skills to qualify for Arcane Trickster, Perception and whatever else (pursuasion if for some miraculous reason you can fit in weapon focus/ dazzling display/ shatter defenses in)
Level 1: Exploiter Wizard, Spell Focus Conjuration, Greater Spell Focus Conjuration, Meta magic: Selective Spell, Potent Magic (Arcane Exploit)


Basically with the first level we announce our intentions to be able to selectively lock up the field with cc conjuration spells
Level 2: Exploiter Wizard
Level 3: Exploiter Wizard, Metamagic: Bolster Spell
We take bolster spell because we want to also do some very potent (magic) nuking with magic missile early (and more powerful spells later)
Level 4: Exploiter Wizard
Level 5: Vivisectionist / Improved Sneak Attack
Level 6: Arcane Trickster
Level 7: Exploiter Wizard / Spell Penetration / Greater Spell Penetration / Dimensional Slide

From here the builds kind of branches depending if you are going Lich or Azata or if this is a merc. Trickster works too but is somewhat bland compared to Lich or Azata.

-If you can take Instrument of Freedom path on first mythic (this is your main), do it. It is best for ranged caster blasters.

So to finish up the character we have build priorities:

-You want to finish getting AT (Arcane Trickster) to 10 regardless asap…so by Level 17 You should be a Level 10 Arcane Trickster.
-On companion or Azata you will take the mythic feats to become proficient in casting Evocation spells Expanded Arsenal: Evocation, but also Mythic spell focus conjuration, to finish up getting the most bonuses to you DCs (Difficulty checks).
-On lich is will be Expanded Arsenal: Necromancy instead of either of the above two.
-You will take all the abundant (mythic) casting feats - that is a high priority…as you live by your spell slots/day.
-You will take Ascendant Element (Acid) if it is a merc since you will have mostly conjuration + evocation spells that deal acid. Ascendant: Negative (if Lich) and Ascendant: Cold or Electro (if Azata)
-On 1x Cross-blooded sorc you will take Arcane (higher spell DCs) as one bloodline and Elemental of your choice on the other, depending on what element you focus on)
-second level in Vivi gives you cognatagon for an additional +4 on Int. and hence +2 spell DC on spells, but you take it once you reach level 9 spellcasting
If Feats are left, get Elemental focus on the damage type of spells you cast most often (typically acid, electro or cold)

-“Control” Wizards do have in fact a pretty significant advantage over sorcs in this game because you will be running into enemies with constantly changing immunities- so you do not want a spontaneous spellbook.

-10x AT means your aoe nukes will have sneak attack for what it’s worth.

-With Exploiter potent magic, and crossblooded into Arcane, and Vivi level 2 cognatogon, you will have the highest DCs to make enemies fail their throws, and deal more damage on average. Exploiter is very frontloaded in terms of boosting spell DCs on control spells like grease, web, pits etc right at the start of the game, and that is a big deal. And if the enemy can’t be webbed cced you switch to nuker mode and spam them with bolstered magic missiles - especially combined with “Arcane Exploit: Increase Caster Level” against high priority hard to kill targets and bosses. So the “slow” early game of the blaster caster is solved, and after mythic 3 you just get better and blaster caster become strong aoe nukers by endgame.

Again, this build is there to give a good idea how to build a great support cc/blaster for hard/unfair for anyone interested...there may be combinations out there to deal more dice damage on Elemental Specialist subclass wizard rather than the Exploiter, but we are looking to maximize spell DCs here, especially early when game is hard…and the damage will come later…this build reliably beats certain enemy DCs on unfair early and provides guaranteed strong damage via bolstered exploit heightened missiles and aoe nukes.

On hard+ this is a very welcome backline control and damage dealer on any party.