Could use some help with my Dwarf SS

[Flights of Fantasy]

I don't have it yet, so I haven't had a chance to try it out. I also made a mistake. You can't get scribe rune until you reach Hierophant 6. From the description, it lets you scribe a spell onto a rune instead of a scroll. I'm assuming the rune can be reused where a scroll disappears. I'm also hoping it keeps the caster level, which would be really nice.

[Rhifox]

(Although I'm pretty sure Ice Storm also benefits from a +30 caster level).

It does, but its progression is so low that I don't tend to consider it. CL36 would only get you an additional 2d6 to the damage of it over CL30.

I think I'll still go for 4 levels of Hierophant so I can get scribe rune, an ability that's available to Dwarven Runesmiths. Plus the staff might make it so that Hierophant also progresses chastise spirit.

Scribe Rune definitely feels very dwarven. Chastise Spirit is a bit less wonderful as there's so few things affected by it, so whether they do or don't add progression for it to Hiero won't really change much (its damage also hasn't been increased on BG like most damage spells were, so you have to burn a lot of your Chastise slots just to kill one epic level mob). Weaken Spirits is generally superior to Chastise Spirits in my experience (it's so good for stripping the huge DR off those Earth Elementals in Nashkel Mines, and you only have to cast it once to get the maximum benefit), so progression would help a little in adding more uses of that.

Now, if Hiero had some feat choices that outright enhanced Chastise Spirits in some capacity (like Cleric and Druid hieros get for their own class abilities), that might make it more appealing.

How does that sound?

The rest of it sounds good to me! Though I'd suggest grabbing at least medium armor proficiency in some fashion so you can get mithral fullplate, as your dex is pretty low.

For Silence, you're basically never silenced. There's very few mobs that cast it, and most who do cast it as an AOE effect on the ground that you can just walk out of. I personally have Silent Spell on my shaman but only for RP reasons.


Also, I do agree that it would be nice if Telthor gave you a choice of companions to pick from, instead of locking you in to the wolf. I mean, I like the wolf, but shamans have to spend 3 whole feats just to get the same companion progression as druids and rangers, and we don't even get a choice for ours like they do. I also wish it was called something like 'Spirit Guardian' instead, as Telthors are a bit specific to Rashemen, but that's me nitpicking.

[Nyeleni]

Apart from free choice, we should be able to name the Telthor too.

[Nemni]

I have been pondering fey heritage though but purely for fey skin to add to his cold iron resistance.

I also find the idea of a fey dwarf a bit strange... but I guess anything is possible But since you have access to stoneskins and premonitions, you don't really need to improve your cold iron DR. As said before, defense is the one thing you won't lack as a shaman.

Yes Telthor is terrible. Even if one spends all those feats to improve it (and cutting of any multiclassing except Hirophant in the process) it still seems weaker than the animal domain/druid companion, and definitly far weaker than the dragon companion. I wish this feat would get an overhaul.

[Nyeleni]

It's the same as a wolf companion. Buffed with shaman/druid spells it's good enough. Of course a boar, bear or dragon youngling are slightly better. But not much.

They are only for support. You cannot expect summons to solo anything epic. Well, maybe the PM summon can, but I don't have any experience with that one.

[Nemni]

(Numbers taken from jegs, so I could be wrong.. but)
The biggest baddest wolf is a beast level 23. The best telthor is a magical beast level 19. Magical beast might have slightly better bab (like 2 perhaps?), but with 4 more levels the wolf will have 46 more hp and better saves. In addition to that the telthor seems to lack the multiattack feat, which is a big penalty. Edit: Furthermore you can't actually use one of the best companion buffs in the game, Nature's Avatar, on the telthor, which is another big penalty.

I just don't think that's resonable when you spend 2 more feats on this compared to the druid (and again, disable multiclassing possibilities). And boar, bear and especially dragon are not just slightly better, but quite a bit better.