What synergizes with Awesome Display?

Question

I'm thinking about building a Heavens Oracle with Awesome Display, and I'm looking for things that synergize well with that, especially at higher levels where Color Spray will not be effective, even with the benefits of Awesome Display, high charisma, and feats. The usual options are obvious:

• Gnome (+2 Charisma and +1 to Illusion DCs)
• Maximum Charisma
• Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration
• Spell Focus Illusion and Greater Spell Focus Illusion

Are there other character options that synergize well with this ability and allow it to be useful even at higher levels?

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Note: My GM and I have negotiated a minimum 1/4 HD for purposes of Awesome Display. A creature would be reduced from to 1 HD, then 1/2, then 1/4 so if I have a +5 charisma a 3 HD creature would could as 1/4 HD for spells such as hypnotic pattern.

Answer 1

The Heavens mystery already gives you most of the spells that work with Awesome Display: color spray, hypnotic pattern, and rainbow pattern. About the only one you're missing is Scintillating Pattern.

If you want Scintillating pattern, the only good way I know of to get it as an Oracle spell is to be an Elf for the oracle archetype Ancient Lorekeeper, at which point you can select it as your level 9 bonus spell (instead of its usual level 8 spell status)

However, that hurts your charisma due to a lack of a CHA race bonus, which is the last thing you want to do with this build, so consider asking your GM if a Half-Elf would qualify for that archetype due to elf blood. If so, that's probably the way to go if you want Scintillating pattern. At a level 9 spell, that's pretty late to plan for though...

Aside from that, boost your charisma like mad of course. +6 Headband, inherent bonus from tome, and so on.

If you have 2-3 spare feats, something any character can do to make your spells harder to save against is getting Nature's Soul and Animal Ally (Boon companion optional) and building the animal companion as a Dazzling Display build to apply Shaken to the enemies for -2 to their saves.

Lastly, get the Seeker oracle archetype. Among other perks (Trapfinding) you get +4 to overcome spell resistance with your bonus spells (i.e. all your pattern spells)