Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TheRealInspectorHound 05-13-05, 02:59 AM	Just asking for general advice or critiques on the following build. I've not played a real caster-type in a good long while, so I've been playing with a wizard build. The original concept was of the typical arrogant, knowledge-as-a-route-to-power-hungry wizard. All-around utilitarian (item crafting, divination, etc.) wizard with enough blasting to carry his weight in combat, although "battlefield control" and buffing would probably be his primary contribution. Spell duel capability a must, since he's an arrogant bastard likely to make enemies of his peers. So I was flipping through books (Books allowed include Core and the Complete series) seeing what gave full caster progression without too much "baggage" (no undead-obsessions or whatnot) or prerequisites I wouldn't take anyway. Archmage was obvious, but you can't get into that until high level. Geometer stood out because of Glyph of Warding (not really that usefull, on second blush), the ability to scribe spells more effectively, and no feat prereqs. That starts at 7th (you need 9 ranks in various skills to qualify). Initiate of the Seven Viels struck me next, since it provides excellent (and really cool!) offensive, defensive, and anti-mage power for little opportunity cost. That you can take at 10th level (12 ranks as a prereq). Once that wraps up, I could finish up with either Geometer or Archmage. Things I didn't consider, and why: Mage of the Arcane Order: Cooperative spell bites, and there's no garauntee that the DM will include the orginization (I imagine the character as fairly antisocial and indepdent anyway, but on these boards that can be filed under "secondary concern" ;)). It's definitely very attractive, and the bonus feat at second level quickly makes up for having to waste one on Cooperative spell. Incantrix: No Forgotten Realms materials. Loremaster: Intense prerequisites, useless skill focus feat. So, here's the build as it stands: Human, 28 point buy on a fairly standard wizard spread. Wiz 1- Collegiate Wizard, Extend Spell Wiz 2 Wiz 3- Craft Wondrous Item Wiz 4 Wiz 5- Spell Focus: Abjuration (Wizard Bonus) Wiz 6- Greater Spell Focus: Abjuration Wiz 6/ Geometer 1 Wiz 6/ Geo 2 Wiz 6/Geo 3- Skill Focus: Spellcraft Wiz 6/Geo 3/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 1 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 2 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 3- Spell Penetration Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 4 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 5 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 6- Spell Focus: ? Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 1 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 2- Feat? Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 3 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 4 Any advice on feats or High Arcana is appreciated. If I were to modify this for Mage of the Arcane Order, I'd have to drop Craft Wondrous Items in order to get Cooperative Spell, take MoAO from levels 6-9 and pick up... Empower, probably, as his bonus metamagic feat. Then he'd pick up the Craft feat instead of Spell Penetration at 12th level. Item-wise, not many thoughts besides standard protections, Int boosting, scrolls for various not-prepared-on-a-regular-basis-spells, Ring of Counterspells, and Rings of Wizardry or Arcane Might. Spell-wise, I'll be checking all the relevant CO library posts. :)
Endarire 05-16-05, 06:31 PM	Can you take flaws from Unearthed Arcana? If so, take noncombatant for a feat. If you start below 5th level, precotious apprentice from Complete Arcane in the Arcane Campaign section helps. If you can manage it, and you think it would be appropriate, get Mindbender, also from Complete Arcane. Finally, it is Geometer, not Geometrist. -EE
beshabas 05-17-05, 06:06 AM	Here is your build: Wiz 1- Collegiate Wizard, Extend Spell Wiz 2 Wiz 3- Craft Wondrous Item Wiz 4 Wiz 5- Spell Focus: Abjuration (Wizard Bonus) Wiz 6- Greater Spell Focus: Abjuration Wiz 6/ Geometer 1 Wiz 6/ Geo 2 Wiz 6/Geo 3- Skill Focus: Spellcraft Wiz 6/Geo 3/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 1 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 2 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 3- Spell Penetration Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 4 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 5 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 6- Spell Focus: ? Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 1 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 2- Feat? Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 3 Wiz 6/Geo 3/IoSV 7/Archmage 4 Wiz 5- Spell Focus: Abjuration (Wizard Bonus) - Wizard's bonus feat applies only to Metamagic, Item creation or Spell mastery Assuming that these PrC are fixed,other recommended feats to take as a mage: - Improved initiative (my DM rules that my veils cannot come out if i am flat footed... plus it provides a good start to battles) - Craft contigent - Innate spell (3x spell like ability is cool! not sure which book though) - Ancestral relic (to get the ring of spell battles and ring of counterspell effect) - Item familiar (to get the ring of spell battles and ring of counterspell effect) - Insightful reflexes - replace your reflex save I think you can forgo spell penetration as there is this new spell called: Allay resistance, +10 to your spell penetration and it is also cast as a swift action
lonewolf 05-17-05, 07:42 AM	You might be interested in changing your character to elf instead to gain advantage of the great racial substitution levels from Races of the wild. The first is just GREAT, the third is good and the 5th is probably not so good for you. btw: If you can change to Grey elf with +2Int,+2Dex,-2Con,-2Str
OMAGAN 05-18-05, 12:17 PM	just a quick question whats the feat Collegiate Wizard from and the spell Allay resistance, +10 to your spell penetration and it is also cast as a swift action which bool is that from ??? thanks
DisposableHero_ 05-18-05, 01:16 PM	Some suggestions on the subject of spell dueling: High Arcana: Mastery of Counterspelling - This can be downright awsome in mage on mage duels. Turning around a MDJ can end a spell duel before it even begins. Spell: Reaving Dispel (Complete Arcane) - The highest caster level possible for dispel base counterspelling (or dispelling if you don't feel like using MDJ and wasting magic items) ability to snag enemy buffs (especially fun against divine buffers), comes with a mastery of counterspelling style retarget option. It requires a solid spellcraft check to use effectively, but by default you will have at least +22 so you should be in fine shape. Feat: Reactive Counterspelling - I know you mentioned no FR material, but this one has no thematic basis in FR and fits perfectly with you character's concept, so if you can get your DM to ok it, its worth the investment when combined with the two above options. Those would be my suggestions
Mr. Dog 05-18-05, 06:17 PM	It's actually ASSAY Resistance, and it's Sor/Wiz 4 / Clr 4, from Complete Arcane, pg 98.
beshabas 05-18-05, 10:18 PM	just a quick question whats the feat Collegiate Wizard from and the spell Allay resistance, +10 to your spell penetration and it is also cast as a swift action which bool is that from ??? thanks Collegiate Wizard is from Complete Arcane page 181 Allay resistance (or was it Assay Resistance) is from Complete Arcane page 98 Enjoy!
TheRealInspectorHound 05-20-05, 10:03 PM	Thanks for the advice, fellows, although I actually didn't get a chance to read any of it before the character went into play... oops. :p I ended up going with Mage of the Arcane Order after all. We started at 11th level, and the final version ended up being: Wiz 1- Collegiate Wizard, Extend Spell Wiz 2 Wiz 3- Spell Focus: Abjuration Wiz 4 Wiz 5- Cooperative Spell (wizard Bonus) Wiz 5/Mage of the Arcane Order 1- Spellpool I Wiz 5/MotAO 2- Empower Spell Wiz 5/MotAO 3- Bonus Language Wiz 5/MotAO 4- Spellpool II, Skill Focus: Spellcraft Wiz 5/MotAO 4/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 1 Wiz 5/MotAO 4/IoSV 2 I took human for the bonus feat, of which I had all too few. Reactive Counterspell would be excellent if I only had the feats (improved initiative, improved counterspell, reactive). Perhaps I'll pick it up later. I have a feat at 12th, 15th, and 18th... I could pick up Wondrous Items or I could go for Reactive Counterspelling. Item Familiar is also exceedingly shiny (+10% xp, another slot of my second-highest level, bonus skills, special abilities), if I can get my DM to go for it. If I go for Reactive Counterspelling, I have to sacrifice everything else to do so, and I do want to be able to craft items. Improved Initiative definitely seems worth it on its own. And if I want archmage, I need another spell focus. So three of Improved Initiative, Craft Wondrous Item, Spell Focus, and Item Familiar? The question is, in what order.... Mastery of Counterspelling looks like an excellent choice, and thanks for pointing out Reaving Dispell. That might be the only High Arcana worth taking for me, though... perhaps the spell-like ability one, but that's about it. Perhaps I'll wrap up with a few levels in Geometer (or Mage of the Arcane Order) after all, or skip archmage entirely (since I want feats other than spell focus). Assay resistance (level 4? really? thought it was level 5...) is definitely something I'll pick up- I didn't have it at first, and ended up having all my spells defeated by SR! Still a load of fun to play, though. Collegiate wizard gives LOTS of spells, augmented with scrolls scribed for free into a boccob's book. I really dig the planning aspect of playing a wizard.