Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JStegmaier 07-05-05, 01:25 AM	Hiya, Within the month I'll be joining a new campaign apparently based on the ideas in the new "Heroes of Battle" book--that is, the PC group will be like a "special forces" in a large humanoid army. While a war between the "good peoples" of the world and a huge army of orcs is raging, we'll be doing special missions and such to assure the orcs lose the battle. With that in mind, I have chosen to make an "arcane caster" character. By arcane caster, however, I do not mean just wizard or sorcerer, but also things like the warlock that can fill the same role (I believe the psion and wilder can be made to do the same sort of things also.) Right now, I'm specifically looking at either a gray elf wizard (and taking advantage of the 1st level racial substitution level from Races of the Wild) or a halfing warlock, though I am open to absolutely anything. Basically, I want someone that's going to useful in a variety of situations. Despite this being a game about a war, it will not be a non-stop huge battle, so a warmage is probably not a good idea. Our characters will be starting at the 1st level. My DM really doesn't have any house rules, we play in a homebrew world and any book published by Wizards of the Coast is fair game (I believe between my DM and I we have every book published by WotC for 3rd and 3.5.) My beginning stats are 17, 17, 15, 15, 11, 10 (I kid you not. I actually rolled those with the 4d6 method right in front of my DM.) Any advice would be greatly appreciated--suggested builds, feats, Prestige Classes, spells and so on. Thank you in advance, JStegmaier
catharz 07-05-05, 04:06 AM	A "grey" elf wizard with the sub level an war weaver PrC would be awesome. Knock yourself out. Be an incantatrix too, while you're at it. Buff everyone silly. :D
JStegmaier 07-05-05, 08:21 AM	A "grey" elf wizard with the sub level an war weaver PrC would be awesome. Knock yourself out. Be an incantatrix too, while you're at it. Buff everyone silly. :D That seems like a great idea. I'd never seen the war weaver class before (my DM just bought the book yesterday) but it seem great. However, I was wondering if there was a way to change a spell's range (mostly to improve the touch-range buff spells) before getting to the fifth level of the war weaver. That is, a feat or item that would allow me to use touch-ranged spells at a longer distance than normal.
Rnd 07-05-05, 08:57 AM	Maybe "Divine Reach" (Hierofant from "Dungeon Master's Guide")...
tseb 07-05-05, 09:25 AM	However, I was wondering if there was a way to change a spell's range (mostly to improve the touch-range buff spells) before getting to the fifth level of the war weaver. That is, a feat or item that would allow me to use touch-ranged spells at a longer distance than normal. Reach Spell is a 2 level increase metamagic feat from the complete divine. Does pretty much exactly what you want, although you do gotta prepare the spell that way.
JStegmaier 07-05-05, 09:38 AM	Reach Spell is a 2 level increase metamagic feat from the complete divine. Does pretty much exactly what you want, although you do gotta prepare the spell that way. Thanks a ton. Am I right to assume I would need to be a level four war weaver before I could cast a Reach Spelled bull's strength through the eldritch tapestry? Or does only the actual level, not the level of the slot, that matters for eldritch tapestry?
Dark Kyosuke 07-05-05, 09:49 AM	That seems like a great idea. I'd never seen the war weaver class before (my DM just bought the book yesterday) but it seem great. However, I was wondering if there was a way to change a spell's range (mostly to improve the touch-range buff spells) before getting to the fifth level of the war weaver. That is, a feat or item that would allow me to use touch-ranged spells at a longer distance than normal. If you're worried about drawing enemy fire, Invisibility will be your friend until you can get the reach booster. Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're tyring to accomplish. I can, on the other hand, offer that a buffer will most assuredly be a special forces team's best friend. Blasting is one thing, but a few well-chosen spells can turn nearly anyone into a killing machine.
geekpocket 07-05-05, 11:22 AM	If you're looking for versatility, I recommend picking up a Domain through the Wizard Domains in Unearthed Arcana. The drawback is that you can't be a specialist, but that doesnt really matter because you lost that ability when you took the elf wizard sub level.
catharz 07-05-05, 05:43 PM	Thanks a ton. Am I right to assume I would need to be a level four war weaver before I could cast a Reach Spelled bull's strength through the eldritch tapestry? Or does only the actual level, not the level of the slot, that matters for eldritch tapestry? If the ability refers to "spell level," metamagic feats don't count (aside from Heighten, 'metamagic feats don't increase a spell's level). If it refers to "spell slot," metamagic does cound. If it refers to "spell level including metamagic feats," well, it does. If you email Customer Service and get a different answer... :yuck: Heh :D
Vaelan 07-05-05, 09:18 PM	A Gnome Illusionish with the 10th level racial subsitute level can contribute to massive battles very effectively. They would excel beyond most other casters in massive combats because the enemy commanders could not be equipped with relatively cheap items that allow them to see through Invisibility and thus accurately direct volleys at you.
maltravois 07-06-05, 12:58 AM	That seems like a great idea. I'd never seen the war weaver class before (my DM just bought the book yesterday) but it seem great. However, I was wondering if there was a way to change a spell's range (mostly to improve the touch-range buff spells) before getting to the fifth level of the war weaver. That is, a feat or item that would allow me to use touch-ranged spells at a longer distance than normal. If you don't want to suck up the feat for reach spell (which becomes superfluous at later levels of War Wizard), then try Spectral Hand. 2nd level spell, lets you deliver touch at a much greater distance and doesn't have a cap for number of touches per round.
Squirrelloid 07-06-05, 01:01 AM	The best things you can do is probably find ways to aid the party. Tensers lets you move the fighter about on your turn (awesome). Glitterdust can potentially blind lots of opponents (and literally end a combat). Unseen servant holds items and picks up dropped or disarmed weapons. Grease creates tactical hazards. Web (in suitable terrain), is just awesome. Oh, for metamagic my first pick would be sculpt spell. Because it really is that good. I'd read up on military strategy too. DnD missile combat should obey the N^2 power law, which means spells which allow you to prevent flanking and evelopement can be crucial, and spells which allow you to flank can be devastating. Edit: That said, mages are effectively artillery, which means optimal strategy and tactics for mass combats isnt something with a historical analog. Assuming no wizards of level higher than 8th, i imagine that ww2 era infantry tactics probably predominate, since it allows you to disperse your troops the most. Given casters higher than 8th level, it begs the question why anyone fields armies at all. The damaging cloud spells just destroy every unit they hit, and thats only the start of the wizards devastating arsenal. A single wizard in the 13-15 level range can singlehandedly destroy an entire opposing army lacking a similar wizard. At which point, why field the army? Let the wizards duke it out and that should decide the contest.