Editing Beguiler (section)

==Basic Features==

On the first look, Beguilers kind of suck. Terrible BAB (yet despite this proficient in hand crossbow, rapier, shortbow, and short sword for some reason), only a single good save (Will), and pretty weak hit points. They get spellcasting about on par with a sorcerer, but rather than getting to choose spells, they get access to a set list of each spell level. So why in the world would you want one of these guys?

Well, hold up there, chief. First off, they get as many skills as a bard does, both in quantity (6 + Int) and quality (they have all the usual "skill monkey" skills, including the delightful Use Magic Device). Since their spellcasting is Int-based, you can safely dump charisma. Since you're probably never going to be a gish, you don't need Strength (at the very least, you need to seek damage output from another source such as sneak attack), and you can pretty much dump Wisdom as well (though watch out if you want to be a scout, since Wisdom affects Listen and Spot).

Secondly, beguiler spellcasting is actually pretty fucking good. True, you don't get to pick any spells, but the ones you get are usually some real bread-and-butter picks. You've got a great mix of social/"face" spells (''charm''/''dominate'' variants, ''glibness'', ''suggestion''), stealth (most ''invisibility'' variants, ''undetectable alignment'', ''misdirection'', ''nondetection'', ''silence'', ''blur''/''displacement''), and even some really handy divination for scouting (''detect secret doors'', ''detect thoughts'', ''clairaudience/clairvoyance'', ''freedom of movement'', ''locate creature'', ''sending''). Sure you lack a few little extras, but that's what UMD and some spare magic items are there for. You even get some good situational spells: ''mage armor'' and ''mirror image'' for defense, and the ''whelm'' variants (which do nonlethal damage and are one of the few "offensive" spells to target Will instead of Fort or Ref). And before you think that beguilers are just so much meatbread for a dedicated God-wizard, not so: they do in fact get access to ''greater dispel magic'' and ''time stop'', which is nothing any archmage can handwave at the best of times.  (Note, I wouldn't try to get into a pissing match with a fully tricked-out wizard or CoDzilla, but hey, a beguiler can hold their own, something sure to make the bastards look twice. Just ready an action for the ''greater dispel'' each round and pray to the gods you win your caster level checks.)

Lastly, beguilers get a smattering of secondary abilities that kind of make it worth sticking with them a bit. Armored mage means they can wear light armor, and if you drop a feat for Battle Caster, and find some way to pick up medium armor proficiency, you can take advantage of mithril full plate just like other gishes do. Trapfinding needs no explanation: if the rogue truly wants to sell it off for an ACF, a beguiler has no trouble stepping up to the plate and taking over that role. Cloaked casting isn't entirely worth it... unless you get to beguiler 20, when you actually get to ignore SR, and if you need to have it explained why this is a great thing, you clearly don't play much 3.5. Surprise casting is not bad, but there's no spells in the beguiler list that require attack rolls, but you can in fact get a feint as a swift action eventually, which is even cooler with certain builds. Advanced learning is the clutch ability here: you can slide any enchantment or illusion spell into your list, which automatically means you go right for ''shadow conjuration'' and ''shadow evocation'' spells at every opportunity, which basically doubles (or more) your available spells. You even get Still Spell and Silent Spell a bit later, because why the fuck not be more stealthy when casting spells?