Never used exploits. Never needed them, aside from the fact I like challenge and thus they are incompatible with my idea of fun.dedude wrote: How are you building a facerolling shaman (without exploits)? I have been looking at the class a while now and can't really see it. Is it a DC build? They have good defense, poor melee offense and decent spell offense.
I would play one as a DC caster. STR 8 for sure, maybe even CON 8 (either that, or 10). Spellcasting Prodigy. Surely with a Monk dip for AC and movement speed, Hierophant being something I might consider, but not necessarily (I like it far more for Clerics). Blood Magic feat mandatory. Evil aligned. Wis to 19-20, CHA to the maximum you can get (min 26-28 base).
SS is inherently extremely hard to kill, because of its abilities and the nature of its spellbook. Furthermore, some of its spells are particularly devastating when you can count on high CL and DC (Ice Storm has no CL cap, Storm of Vengeance, Sunburst to quote a few), while others are just good regardless (hi, Moonbolt!).
Full Gr. CHA in the epics to get as high as possible, bar two epic spells (one save or die, one 3/day), complete the character.
There is this feeling that one needs to Shapechange to be ok, but that really isn't true. In fact, staying in your humanoid form and having a wand of Mirror Images slotted likely means you're next to immortal.
