The Arcanist

So. We are at the Arcanist. I…you know what? Let’s just make the builds.

A Note on Spells Known

Just like the Wizard, an Arcanist is built to learn as many spells as they can from adventuring and from scrolls. As such, making an actual list of spells known would be extremely misleading about the raw versatility of this class. Pick and choose spells as appropriate to your goals.

Base Build

This is an example of a basic Arcanist build. I hate this already.

Class

Arcanist 20

Race

Elf, picking the Fleet-Footed Alternate Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 7

Traits

Warrior of Old for a +2 to Initiative, literally whatever else you wish here.

Favored Class Bonus

HP.

Skills

Spellcraft, various Knowledges, Craft(Sculpture)

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

3-Improved Initiative

5-Sacred Geometry(Extend Spell, Still Spell)

7-Craft Magic Weapons and Armors

9-Craft Wondrous Items

11-Craft Construct

13-Sacred Geometry(Ascendant Spell, Quicken Spell)

15-Sacred Geometry(Maximize Spell, Empower Spell)

17-Scribe Scrolls

19-Sacred Geometry(Silent Spell, Widen Spell)

Sacred Geometry is stupid.

Craft Constructs combined with Fabricate+Wall of Iron makes it easy to get yourself an Adamantine Golem.

Arcanist Exploits by Level

1-Familiar(Compsognathus)

3-Obfuscated Spellcasting

5-Philanthropic Magic

7-Quick Study

9-Potent Magic

11-Suffering Knowledge

13-Redirect Spell

15-Create Primal Event

17-Swift Consume

19-Arcane Discovery(True Name)

Your buffs and spells are buffed via your Arcane Reservoir, you can prepare spells really fast, if you are hit by a spell you can prepare it as an immediate action, and you get to steal the Wizard’s True Name Arcane Discovery because screw you wizard.

Equipment

Spellbook, Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So we get to go around with our Adamantine Golem, a 18HD Outsider, we can eat magic items to fuel our spells power, our Initiative being through the roof means we are playing first and we get the best of both worlds from spellcasting from Wizard and Sorcerer, including the ability to Sacred Geometry spontaneously our spells into their Mythic forms, Quicken them and all for free.

This build is broken and you should feel bad for playing it.

Counterspell Savant

There is a certain rule of thumbs that Counterspelling is bad because one you must delay your action and two you gotta have access to a spell opposite of the casted spell, succeed on a Spellcraft check and your action limits yourself at stopping that one spell.

We’re taking the School Savant Archetype for this build.

Class

Arcanist (School Savant) 20

Favored School: Abjuration(Counterspell)

Opposition Schools: Necromancy, Evocation

Race

Half-Elf, put that floating +2 into Intelligence.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 12

Traits

Warrior of Old for a nice +2 to Initiative, Spell Duel Prodigy gives you a +2 on Dispel Checks which is crucial for our build.

Favored Class Bonus

HP.

Skills

Spellcraft and Knowledge(Arcana). Everything else is extra gravy.

Feats by Level

1-Improved Initiative

Half-Elf Bonus-Skill Focus(Spellcraft)

3-Spell Focus(Abjuration)

5-Extra Exploit

Bonus 6-Improved Counterspell

7-Dispel Synergy

9-Spell Specialization(Dispel Magic)

11-Varisian Tattoo(Abjuration)

13-Destructive Dispel

15-Parry Spell

17-Leadership

19-Improved Familiar

Dispel Synergy makes targets of your Dispel Magic more susceptible to your own spells, and if you do a targeted Dispel Magic at a target via Destructive Dispel, they get at best Sickened and at worst Stunned. Parry Spell makes it so when you successfully counter a spell, you send it back to caster. This is hilarious. Finally you get Leadership because at this point you’re already broken, I do not think anyone will argue against it anyway.

Arcanist Exploits by Level

1-Replaced by School Savant

3-Replaced by School Savant

5-Counterspell

5-Familiar(Scorpion)

7-Replaced by School Savant

9-Spell Disruption

11-Counter Drain

13-Greater Counterspell

15-Greater Spell Disruption

17-Siphon Spell

19-Quick Study

So, now you can Counterspell as an Immediate Action by spending points from your Arcane Reservoir. And you replenish your Arcane Reservoir…hear me out…by counterspelling. That’s right. So now you get to Dispel for free on the spot, and you still get to play your normal rounds.

Equipment

Spellbook. Component Pouch. Get yourself some Masterwork Tools(Mickey Mouse Fantasia Wizard Hat) for a free +2 in Spellcraft.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You get to get the best of both worlds from Wizard and Sorcerer, and get to tell enemy spellcasters “no” once per turn during their turn for essentially free, on top of possibly stunning them, or sickening them. Again, that’s on top of casting all the spells. Stupid good build.

Blade Mage

The eternal question of “this arcane class is cool, but can we make it into a Gish?”

The answer is yes, yes you can. Take the Blade Adept Archetype, take one level of Fighter, with the Lore Warden Archetype and then take the Eldritch Knight Prestige Class. Your leveling should look like the following:

Class

Arcanist (Blade Adept) 9/Fighter (Lore Warden 1/Eldritch Knight 10

Race

Wayang. This may sound weird for now but wait for it.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Int.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 12/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 8/Cha 12

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 8/Cha 14

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 15/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 7/Cha 14

Traits

Wayang Spellhunter and Magical Lineage, both on the Battering Blast spell(from Dungeons of Golarion). So now when you apply metamagics on that spell, it is cast at lvl-2. So a Tenebrous Spell enhanced Battering Blast is now a lvl 1 spell(originally 3rd). See where that shenanigan goes?

Favored Class Bonus

HP. Doubly so if less PB than 25.

Skills

Spellcraft, Knowledge(Arcana).

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Weapon Focus(Rapier)

5-Fencing Grace

7-Extra Exploit

9-Improved Initiative

Bonus 10-Combat Expertise

11-Piranha Strike

Bonus 11-Tenebrous Spell

13-Improved Critical(Rapier)

15-Critical Focus

Bonus 15-Accursed Critical

17-Improved Trip

19-Staggering Critical Bonus

19-Heighten Spell

So, you can use your Sentient Rapier surprisingly good via Weapon Finesse+Fencing Grace. Improved Critical+Critical Focus opened the doors to get some great critical feats such as Accursed Critical and Staggering Critical. Improved Trip just adds salt to the injuries and via the Eldritch Knight’s Spell Critical and your massive crit range of 15-20, you can cast spells as a swift action whenever your crit which is ridiculous.

Arcanist Exploits by Level

1-Replaced by Blade Adept

3-Replaced by Blade Adept

5-School Understanding(Evocation-Admixture)

7-Arcane Weapon

7-Armored Mask

9-Replaced by Blade Adept

You can switch up your spell elements a few times a day, get a sentient magical blade that you can upgrade by spending Arcane Reservoir and can summon an illusory Armor that acts as a Mage Armor which makes you look very cool.

Equipment

Your Sentient Rapier, Spellbook, Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You get both access to 9th level spells and a BAB of +15 at lvl 20, which makes you by default a Gish. Add to that a sentient rapier that lets you cast quickened spells whenever you crit(which should be fairly often), and your main spell, Battering Blast can be cast at literally all spell levels which is really, really nice and adds a ton of damage on the battlefield. By yourself, assuming one crit per turn, you are dealing some 24d6+15 per round before any buff whatsoever, while Bull Rushing your targets. This is great.

Wild Sage

Okay, but what if I want to play the weird ass hermit that lives in a dirt house in the middle of the moors and lives off of mushrooms and wild game and plants? Well, as weird as that is going to sound, I do, in fact, have a build for you. We are taking the Collegiate Initiate Archetype.

We are taking the Collegiate Arcanist and the Mage of the Third Eye Prestige Classes. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Arcanist (Collegiate Initiate) 6/Collegiate Arcanist 4/Mage of the Third Eye 10

Race

Human, put that floating +2 in Intelligence.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Int.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 15/Int 20/Wis 7/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 16/Int 20/Wis 7/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 16/Int 20/Wis 7/Cha 7

Traits

Reactionary for that +2 to Initiative, Silent Hunter to get Stealth as a Class Skill.

Favored Class Bonus

HP again!

Skills

So, we need Spellcraft, Linguistics and Stealth. We also need Knowledge(Arcana, Engineering, Nature) and Diplomacy at least at 5. I would also recommend Craft(Sculpture).

Feats by Level

1-Scholar

Human Bonus-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

3-Extra Exploit

5-Eye of the Arclord Bonus

5-Spell Mastery

7-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

9-Craft Constructs

11-Orator

13-Sacred Geometry(Quicken Spell, Ascendant Spell)

15-Improved Initiative

17-Iron Will

19-Toughness

You do eventually get Orator, you get Craft Construct meaning Fabricate+Wall of Iron shenanigans for lots of money to craft your favorite golem. Sacred Geometry is as busted as it always has been.

Arcanist Exploits by Level

1-Replaced by Magaambyan Initiate

3-Item Crafting(Craft Wondrous Items)

3-School Understanding(Universalist)

5-Replaced by Magaambyan Initiate

Equipment

Spellbook, Component Pouch. A Jar of Dirt.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, not only do you get to switch your Spell Mastery spells pretty much at will meaning shenanigans, but you also get a magic third eye that grants you insane bonuses, are a surprisingly good social character despite being a…well…weird ass hermit covered in mud… On top of getting access to the Wizard spell list, you also get access to druid spells which gives you some great versatility. Get yourself a Fossil Golem and get to play the absolute mad man that your character is.

The Archmage named Screw You All

Name of build says it all. We are taking the Occultist Archetype and one level in both Sorcerer with the Crossblooded Archetype and in Wizard, and we are variant multiclassing into Witch. Our leveling should look like the following:

Classes

– Sorcerer (Crossblooded)1/Wizard 1/Arcanist (Occultist) 18//Variant Multiclass Witch

Wizard Arcane School: Void

Opposite Schools: Fire, Air

Sorcerer Bloodlines

Phoenix, Elemental(Fire)

Race

Human, we will need the feat. Put that floating +2 in Intelligence will ya?

Ability Scores

All increases in Int.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 12

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 12

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 12

Traits

Reactionary as you expected, Magical Knack to still get full spellcasting on your Arcanist levels.

Favored Class Bonus

HP.

Skills

Linguistics, Spellcraft, Use Magic Devices, Craft(Scultpure), Knowledge(Arcana, Engineering).

Feats and Variant Multiclassing by Level

1-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

Human Bonus-Orator

1-Patron(Woodlands)

Wizard Bonus 2-Scribe Scroll

3-Witch’s Familiar

5-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

7-Hex(Slumber)

9-Craft Wondrous Items

11-Cantrip

13-Sacred Geometry(Ascendant Spell, Quicken Spell)

15-Hex(Evil Eye)

17-Arcane Discovery (True Name) 19-Hex(Animal Forms)

So, we get the best Hexes, plus the ability to shapeshift, Sacred Geometry on Quicken Spell and Ascendant Spell, we get Orator and are now incredibly suave, we get a Familiar, and on top of all of this since we have a Wizard Level we can take Arcane Discoveries instead of feats meaning one True Name. Oh, we also get a Patron for more spells because as if we needed more.

Exploits by Level

3-Replaced by Occultist

5-Bloodline Development(Phoenix) 7-School Understanding

9-Replaced by Occultist

11-Item Crafting(Craft Constructs) 13-Counterspell

15-Counter Drain

17-Arcane Discovery(True Name) 19-Greater Counterspell

So we get an almost full Bloodline, a full Arcane School, can Craft Constructs, Counterspelling shenanigans and on top of all of that bs a second True Name.

Equipment

A Spellbook and a Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build.

sigh.

Ok, so you get to have the Phoenix Bloodline as a Sorcerer 19, get the Void Arcane School as a lvl 19 wizard, get some of the best Witch’s Hexes, can Summon Monsters like a Summoner, on top of having an Adamantine Golem, being a great social character, you get to heal allies with your Fire spells which any damage spell you cast can be converted into such, you have a familiar, have two 18HD outsiders at your service.

You get to do exactly 100% of everything in the game by yourself. Heal. Social. Scouting(via spells), Debuffs, Buffs, damage you just can do everything. Including casting Mythic Spells.