Full Build Friday - Lucia Elowen [Elf Wizard]
- bjacobt1
- 25 minutes ago
- 14 min read
I'm a little late for her release, but I want to backtrack to build one of the newer characters from Zenless Zone Zero! It can be difficult to translate the details over the game over into Pathfinder Second Edition, but that challenge is part of the fun. This also gives me a chance to make another wizard and I'm always looking for ways to build some more casters. It's actually been a surprisingly short time since I built an animist, but I'm back at it again. As always, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in my best attempt to fit the character. These choice may not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.
I added a little something extra in the video for Lucia, and would appreciate your thoughts on it!
Let's tell the tale of Lucia Elowen from Zenless Zone Zero!
LUCIA
CHARACTER Lucia Elowen
SOURCE Zenless Zone Zero
BUILD GOALS
o Lucia is an Ether Support and a member of Spook Shack who writes up stories and info about Ethereals
o She comes from a tribe of thirens that live on the outskirts and were able to avoid detection by Ethereals due to meeting a powerful one called the Night Horror
o Passively, she can enter a Dream state, which increases the max HP of her allies and allows her to make Aftershock attacks that boost the damage of her allies
o Her attacks deal ether damage and the fifth attack of her basic combo summons an Ethereal figure, which is also summoned during her perfect dodge and deals damage in a circle
o Symphony of the Reaper causes her to summon an Ethereal that strikes in a line and increases the Sheer Force of her allies
o Charge, Great Armor is her ultimate, which summons a massive Ethereal that she rides into battle as it tramples foes. As this resolves, it creates an area that grants HP regeneration to Lucia’s allies
o By increasing her Mindscape Cinema, she can help charge the ults of herself and allies and always trigger crits with her Aftershocks
o Her unique W-Engine, Dreamlit Hearth, increases her energy regen and grants extra damage to allies whose HP she’s increased through her Dream state
Summary of Goals: The main conceit behind Lucia is her ability as a summoner but she also offers substantial support capability that she shares with her allies. She offers buffs ranging from more damage, more HP, and even healing. She wields a staff and book in combat, the latter filled with her vast research notes on Ethereals, which aids her in summoning them.
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Nephilim Elf
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Intelligence, +Dexterity, +Wisdom, -Constitution
o Ancestry Feat: Sublime Mobility – Climb Speed
Background: Occult Librarian
o Ability Boosts: +Intelligence, +Wisdom
o Skill Increase: Occultism (T), Academia Lore (T)
o Background Feat: Schooled in Secrets
Class & Subclass: School of the Boundary Wizard (Staff Nexus)
o Class Ability Boost: +Intelligence
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (T), Arcana (T), Athletics (T), Nature (T), Religion (T), Stealth (T), Survival (T)
o Spellbook: Cantrips – figment, infectious enthusiasm, phase bolt, shield; 1st – endure, runic body, summon animal, summon construct
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +0, Dex +2, Con +0, Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +0)
I don’t mean to overuse it, but the nephilim heritage comes with a number of things that will be useful for this build. It will help reference her thiren lineage and will start off by giving her Sublime Mobility for a low climb Speed, referencing her goat nature and their shared ability to climb. I like using elf for a few reasons. Firstly, it gives us the ears we’re looking for, its has a solid array of ability boosts for her concept, and elves used to be immune to sleep effects and go into a meditation rather than actual sleep, which goes perfectly with her and her tribe. Scholar is a pretty easy choice as her background, referencing her love of researching and writing about Ethereals. This same idea contributed to the use of wizard as her class, which was further inspired by her staff and the book that she summons her projections from. While my intent is to make her a conjurer, it has been remastered into the School of the Boundary, which also seems to contain a hefty dose of necromancy stuff. However, one of the big benefits is the existence of the fortify summoning spell, allowing her to bolster her summons so that they can better battle against bigger beasts. Additionally, based on the staff she wields, she’ll use the staff nexus arcane thesis and she will be using that staff as the basis for a few others that she’ll build as she advances. As for her spells, she starts with a smattering of bolstering effects such as infectious enthusiasm, endure, and runic body, but then grabs summoning spells like summon animal and summon construct. She also gets summon undead thanks to her arcane school. Now, as a note, summoning might actually got a bit beyond what Lucia actually does as her creations are meant to be short-lived – but she spawns them much more regularly in ZZZ then she would be able to in Pathfinder. So summoning within Pathfinder is a good middle ground to use for her.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Magaambyan Attendant Dedication – Primal
o Skill Feat: Additional Lore – Ethereal Lore
o Skill Increase: Nature (E)
o Attendant Known Spells: Cantrip – rousing splash
o Gear: cloak of feline rest
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Toughness
o Skill Increase: Arcana (E)
o Spellbook: 2nd – elemental zone, illusory creature, kgalaserke’s axes, oaken resilience, summon elemental
o Gear: wondrous figurine (onyx dog), cloak of feline rest, ring of discretion
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Cantrip Expansion
o Skill Feat: Root Magic
o Gear: mage’s hat, dweomerweave robe, wondrous figurine (onyx dog), cloak of feline rest
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +0, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +4.5, Wis +4, Cha +0)
o Ancestry Feat: Extraplanar Supplication – bless
o Skill Increase: Occultism (E)
o Spellbook: 3rd – haste, shadow projectile
o Gear: animal staff, golden legion epaulet, mage’s hat, wondrous figurine (onyx dog), cloak of feline rest, ring of discretion
She delves into the Magaambyan Attendant Dedication (or the Collegiate Attendant as Pathbuilder calls it) to explore a little bit of primal magic to take the likes of rousing splash. Between this and her endure spell, we can emulate the max HP that she grants through entering her Dream state as there isn’t really a way to increase Hit Points in Pathfinder beyond that. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything at fourth level that really calls to me, so she’ll use Cantrip Expansion largely to ensure that she has a nice mix of utility and damaging effects to support her minions with. As for her skill feats, I will need to clarify some things. There is a chance that you may use this build in a setting that doesn’t contain Ethereals as they are within Zenless Zone Zero. As such, I would apply her fixation to a different sort of monster and then use Additional Lore for an appropriate subcategory related to them. However, I have no notes on the Root Magic skill feat, which I think is a fantastic reference to her more rustic people as compared to the rest of New Eridu. Toughness provides her with more Hit Points and along with the investments that we’ve been making into her Constitution, it is meant to call to mind how she scales with health in-game. The Nephilim heritage further comes in clutch this block as Lucia gains Extraplanar Supplication. This provides her with the bless spell and grants her an area that she can empower her allies with.
On that topic, we see some more buffing spells along the lines of kgalaserke’s axes, oaken resilience, and haste. There’s also a summon elemental here, which is pretty solid but perhaps the biggest get this block is shadow projectile. This allows her to react to the attacks of her allies and sneak in some extra damage outside of her turn, reflecting the Aftershock attacks that she makes while in her Dream state. This is unfortunately the main way we’ll be able to reflect that as I didn’t really find other options to feature it, but I’m happy that I got it in there in the first place.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Halcyon Speaker Dedication
o Skill Feat: Cognitive Crossover – Arcana and Nature
o Halcyon Spells: Cantrips – tame, protect companion; 1st – summon fey, summon plant or fungus
o Gear: +1 scroll robes, healer’s gloves, animal staff, mage’s hat, dweomerweave robe, wondrous figurine (onyx dog)
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Fleet
o Skill Increase: Nature (M)
o Spellbook: 4th – mountain resilience, replicate, winning streak
o Gear: staff of summoning, +1 scroll robes, quick runner’s shirt, healer’s gloves, golden legion epaulet, mage’s hat
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: Dualistic Synergy
o Skill Feat: Uzunjati Storytelling
o Gear: ring of wizardry (type I), staff of summoning, storyteller’s opus, +1 scroll robes, belt of good health, healer’s gloves
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Fey Influence – Faun
o Skill Increase: Arcana (M)
o Spellbook: 5th – flame dancer, quicken time, summon dragon
o Gear: +1 resilient scroll robes, mirror of sleeping vigil, ring of wizardry (type I), staff of summoning, quick runner’s shirt, wondrous figurine (candy constrictor)
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom (Str +0, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +5, Wis +4.5, Cha +0)
o Class Feat: Halcyon Spellcasting Initiate
o Skill Feat: Uzunjati Recollection
o Skill Increase: Crafting (T)
o Halcyon Spells: 2nd – feral shades; 3rd – the four hunters
o Gear: library robes, brooch of inspiration, summoning handscroll, ring of wizardry (type I), staff of summoning, clandestine cloak
Regrettably, the arcane spell list is a little lacking when it comes to the buffs and healing found within her kit. With that being the case, she follows up her Magaambyan Attendant with a Halcyon Speaker Dedication, which provides her with further summoning spells. She can follow that up with Halcyon Spellcasting Initiate, which does give her a damaging option with feral shades that I think is a fantastic representation of the hati swarm she summoned in her agent story, but there’s also another buffing option to be found in the four hunters, which is another way to give brief but team-wide buffs. However, in between those, she has Dualistic Synergy, which I mainly like for the extra temporary Hit Points that it can provide to mimic the health she builds and her Dream state and its Ether Veil. This skill feat focuses on knowledge and lore by starting with Cognitive Crossover for Arcana and Nature. There is a possibility that she should be focusing more on Occultism for Ethereals, but her approach to the study of them reminds me more of these two skills than otherwise. She also further explores her archetype through some of the skill feats that it provides, taking Uzunjati Storytelling and Uzunjati Recollection so that she can Perform with a skill that she can use to Recall Knowledge, covering how she will sometimes behave like a teacher. Fleet as her general feat and Fey Influence for the faun than aid her in the great journeys that she undergoes through the Hollows and across New Eridu with the latter even referencing that creature that she seems to be based off of.
Honestly, finding spells to bolster damage directly can be a bit difficult. Often, this build will rely on increasing a character’s attack bonus to then increase their ‘damage’ by making it more likely to happen. Or giving them more chances to do so as seen with the quickened condition from winning streak or quicken time. However, flame dancer does provide us with a direct boost to damage for a single creature’s unarmed attacks that fits solidly for this concept. Mountain resilience is another buffing spell that provides the players with some protection and she can round out the block with two other sort of summoning spells. Replicate lets her make a simulacrum of one of her companions while summon dragon lets her call forth a legendary beast.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Robust Health
o Skill Increase: Occultism (M)
o Spellbook: 6th – aura of the unremarkable, halcyon infusion
o Gear: greater staff of summoning, library robes, wondrous figurine (ruby hippopotamus), brooch of inspiration, mirror of sleeping vigil, ring of wizardry (type I)
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Shared Synergy
o Skill Feat: Disturbing Knowledge
o Gear: +2 resilient scroll robes, accolade robe, greater staff of summoning, wondrous figurine (ruby hippopotamus), brooch of inspiration, summoning handscroll
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Fey Ascension
o Skill Increase: Survival (E)
o Spellbook: 7th – duplicate foe, shadow raid, true target
o Gear: ring of wizardry (type III), +2 resilient scroll robes, greater brooch of inspiration, greater staff of summoning, greater healer’s gloves, wondrous figurine (ruby hippopotamus)
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Halcyon Spellcasting Adept
o Skill Feat: That’s Not Natural!
o Halcyon Spells: 4th – elemental gift; 5th – summon giant
o Gear: fossil fragment (amber mosquito), ring of climbing, ring of wizardry (type III), +2 resilient scroll robes, accolade robe, greater staff of summoning
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str +0, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +5.5, Wis +5, Cha +1)
o General Feat: Adopted Ancestry – Human
o Skill Increase: Arcana (L)
o Spellbook: 8th – summon elemental herald
o Gear: +2 greater resilient scroll robes, fossil fragment (amber mosquito), wondrous figurine (marble elephant), major animal staff, moderate boots of free running, greater brooch of inspiration
Given her nature as a support, Shared Synergy is an important upgrade to Dualistic Synergy by letting her apply one or both of the benefits of her spells to an ally instead. She can also get Halcyon Spellcasting Adept to get the likes of elemental gift, which is nice for the range of benefits it provides, whether that be persistent fire damage, extra damage on metals weapons, greater speed, or even refreshing temporary HP for the target. I like Distrubing Knowledge as not everybody appreciates the unusual knowledge and fascination that Lucia has with Ethereals and certainly regard her info dumps as this more than anything else. In a similar vein, That’s Not Natural will be said less in fear or trepidation but more in excitement and delight. Given some of her restorative capabilities, I have her taking Robust Health as her first general feat, but then she swaps to Adopted Ancestry for the human because there’s an option I have in mind that would actually be a perfect fit. On that note, she does actually explore her faun inheritance a bit further with Fey Ascension, which provides her with some spells that she can Step or Stride alongside when casting.
For her wizardly spells this block, halcyon infusion offers some buffing options by giving them one of Lucia’s spells, but I’m honestly not 100% on this one. Shadow raid saves as another reference to her horde of hati while duplicate foe and summon elemental herald gives her some more allies to call to the battlefield with incarnate spells, such as the latter, working nicely for her short-lived summons.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Effortless Concentration
o Skill Feat: Unified Theory
o Gear: major library robes, ring of wizardry (type IV), illuminated folio, fossil fragment (amber mosquito), ring of wizardry (type III), major animal staff
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Heroic Presence
o Skill Increase: Survival (M)
o Spellbook: 9th – summon ancient fleshforged
o Gear: amplifying aeon stone, greater boots of bounding, major library robes, ring of wizardry (type IV), fossil fragment (amber mosquito), wondrous figurine (marble elephant)
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Halcyon Spellcasting Sage
o Skill Feat: Planar Survival
o Halcyon Spells: 6th – field of life; 7th – regenerate, summon stampede
o Gear: crown of intellect, amplifying aeon stone, fossil fragment (triceratops frill), major library robes, ring of wizardry (type IV), illuminated folio
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Fast Recovery
o Skill Increase: Survival (L)
o Spellbook: 10th – manifestation
o Gear: +3 greater resilient scroll robes, crown of intellect, greater accolade robe, amplifying aeon stone, greater boots of bounding, fossil fragment (triceratops frill)
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Intelligence, +Charisma (Str +1, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +6, Wis +5, Cha +2)
o Class Feat: Explosive Arrival
o Skill Feat: Legendary Guide
o Skill Increase: Society (T)
o Gear: true library robes, true endless grimoire, archivist’s gaze, greater accolade robe, amplifying aeon stone, fossil fragment (triceratops frill)
I had to take a few cracks at this final array of feats, but it begins with Effortless Concentration to make it easier for her to maintain her summons or the occasional buffs that have the sustained condition. She finishes out her halcyon speaker archetype with Halcyon Spellcasting Sage, which gives her a healing area with field of life based on her Charge, Great Armor ultimate. She gets more healing over time with regenerate and she also features summons stampede in inspiration of her ultimate and the hati rampage. Finishing off the build, I want a feat that I would have loved to take much earlier in the form of Explosive Arrival. This causes her summons to deal damage upon arrival and while it’s only 1d4 per rank, it doesn’t give enemies a chance at a save so it’s a decent trade-off. Following her achievements in Arcana, she takes Unified Theory, which frees her up to take Survival skill feats such as Planar Survival and Legendary Guide. These are very handy for her explorations into the Hollows and the extended time that she will sometimes spend there while also playing into her nomadic nature. Fast Recovery provides her with some more healing, but the big non-class feat of the block is Heroic Presence. She uses her human Adopted Ancestry to land this feat and gain a single action way to spread temporary Hit Points around for the entire team. That’s not too many spells left to talk about with summon ancient fleshforged being the most pertinent, and the Bone Breaker probably being the best fit for the ruthless fiend that Lucia adores as much as she does.
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: The biggest benefit to a free archetype game would be the class feats from the wizard that she can take, including taking Explosive Arrival much, much earlier. From the archetypes she already has, Flexible Halcyon Spellcasting would be great for some more spells, Adept Storyteller expands on her love of sharing stories, and Fulminating Synergy lets her potentially buff allies while also nailing enemies with some damage. Beyond that, I would consider exploring her telling of tales further with a Folklorist Dedication and its array of feats.
BUILD CONCLUSION
Lucia Elowen is a nephilim elf wizard who attended the School of the Boundary and developed a staff nexus arcane thesis. She has a background as a scholar, reflecting her studies into the Ethereals and the abundance of notes that she takes on them as part of the Spook Shack forum. The nephilim heritage and the Fey Influence for the faun play into her thiren nature while some of her Survival feats aid her in surviving on the outskirts of New Eridu. For her Dream state and the Ether Veil it generates, she wields a wide variety of spells that provide temporary Hit Points, such as rousing splash, endure, the four hunters, and even Heroic Presence. Meanwhile, her Aftershock attacks rely on her shadow projectile spell as she reacts to her allies making attacks of their own. Her attacks, Special Attack, and ultimate all summon figments of Ethereals, which leads to her using the School of the Boundary in the first place with its fortify summoning spell and then a wide array of summoning and incarnate spells, such as summon animal, summon stampede, and summon ancient fleshforged. The Explosive Arrival is a solid way to represent the circular damage that she finishes off her basic combo with and while it went unmentioned, she could slip into any of the array of line spells that the arcane spell list has access to for the Symphony of the Reaper. I like some of the incarnate spells for Charge, Great Armor while the regeneration it leaves behind could come from field of life, based on the area it affects, or just straight-up regeneration. For the extra damage granted by her W-Engine, we’ll mainly rely on simply increasing the attacks of her allies with the likes of bless, simply more attacks with haste, and even the occasional actual boost to damage with kgalaserke’s axes or flame dancer.
A love of lore leads this leaping lady into lost lairs to learn of lethal legends and their leering like, later leaning on their likeness to lambast the lawless.
Lemme know what you think and what other builds you would like to see!
If you want to join in on the discussion of these builds and the ones I do for monsters or just hang out with a bunch of fellow TTRPG nerds, check out the Discord server. We also have a Twitter where we try to post teasers for the blog. To kick off December, I have a build that is sure to put a smile on your face - one way or another.
Have a fantastic Friday!
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