Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kyros_the_spawnslayer 11-06-07, 05:13 PM	After the game this past weekend, another character stated he's going to be a summoner so I have decided to go full out with a long-range attack spell user (like scorching ray & orb of force). The DM has let me reset this guy to an envoker and rechoose a feat since I dumped the whole summoning bit (though if I do need a meat shield I will keep a few summoning spells on hand), and also decided not to go into Archmage. Here is the new and improved set up for the human wizard, Kiros Dracier Stats Str 8 Con 12 Dex 15 Int 16 Wis 10 Cha 12 Levels 1st - 9th: wizard (evoker) 10th - 14th: argent savant 15th - 20th: wizard (evoker) Feats 1st - Spell Focus (Evocation) / Empower Spell / Scribe Scroll 3rd - Point Blank Shot 5th - Craft Wand (to always have a "sniping" spell on hand) 6th - Precise Shot 9th - Split Ray 12th - Arcane Thesis (scorching ray) 15th - Arcane Thesis (orb of force) / Chain Spell 18th - Maximize Spell 20th - Twin Spell
Undrhil 11-06-07, 09:26 PM	What book is Master Specialist in and does it apply to any school of magic?
kyros_the_spawnslayer 11-06-07, 09:43 PM	Master Specialist is from Complete Mage and the class has different abilities depending on what specialty your wizard is in (that mean generalist wizards can't become a MS). A few examples are when you summon a creature it gains some extra hp or in the case of my sniping wizard, when he casts an evocation spell that deals an energy type he'll gain an energy resistance to said energy for a set amount of time.
ObscureInfo 11-06-07, 10:24 PM	I think you are selling yourself short. Evocation is fine, but there are many other spells that are better for sniping. At low-levels, spells like Melf's Acid Arrow (conjuration) and Disrupt Undead (necromancy) would seem like good "sniping spells" but if you choose the wrong prohibited school(s), you would miss out. Also, what do you mean by sniping? A master of ranged attacks? Focus on rays and ranged attacks? Are you just dealing damage? If you mean, like a rogue, that you are attacking from cover or sneak attacking, you will need some Illusion and/or Transmutation spells to get into position. Once upon a time, they wrote up an article called "Rays of Light" in Dragon magazine (I miss that ol' mag....), annual #3, just after they converted to 3.0, with a ray specialist. It wasn't a class or a PrC, it was just ultilizing the options that a wizard or sorcerer would have and adapting those to a certain concept. And it had a spell for just about any occasion, vs. undead, vs. constructs, vs. shapechangers, even vs. psionics. Then you choose the right feats. So you could choose Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and eventually, Weapon Focus (ray)<cause it requires +1 BAB>. You also choose some new feats like split ray and such, I forget it all. It was awesome. But I never could justify such a narrow focus to my group and so never played it. But you could. Just look through the Spell Campanion and Complete Arcane and some of the other splatbooks for cool ray spells and feats. If you've got that issue or can find it, maybe you could use those spells, too. P.S. waiting til LvL 18 for Precise shot is a waste, if you ask me. For seventeen levels, you are going to have a penalty to blast those guys fighting your companions. Focus on your tactics first, then build your spell power. It seems like you are going for all the prequistions for your PrCs, and not on what is most useful for your character at the level they're at. Seriously, if you can go 17 levels w/o Precise, don't bother with getting it at 18th. Same with Point Blank Shot. Get them at Levels 1-3, if you get them at all. And think about what you want to accomplish and pick accordingly. Yes, an Evoker, master Evoker, Archmage is a powerful character, but what about different types of monsters and situations? Some monsters and NPCs have evasion and improved evasion. What about monks and monsters with high saves? Most evocations both require and also diminish with a save. Don't pigeonhole yourself into obscurity. And get those ranged feats earlier.
kyros_the_spawnslayer 11-06-07, 11:19 PM	This guy is going to be a ranged attack spell specialist. I would of added some levels of rogue but in order for SA to work I would have to be in 30ft. , along with that not everything is abled to be SAed. Also to really make use of PBS or SA I would have to be in the thick of it while a real sniper is on the edge of the battle filed scoping out his foes and taking out key targets. And like I already said the first two feats are unchangeable. Craft Wondrous Item is there mainly to upgrade magic items (like the amulet of natural armor he picked up) or something to make him a better "sniper" (gloves of dex). Also I found the Seeking Ray spell from PHBII very useful, who wouldn't like having a +4 bonus to snipe a foe with a ranged touch. Orignally I was going to have him as a crossbreed of summoner/ray user in that his summoned minions distract his foes until he can find a good place to let them have it without putting himself in danger. In the last battle a goblin adept summoned a nasty fiendish scorpion that nearly wiped out our heavy hitters, so my wizard would of been inspired to use spells to the same effect and later on take Augument Summoning.
zenlike 11-06-07, 11:31 PM	Take the level of Rogue and then go Spellwarp Sniper PrC. It sounds like that's what you are looking for. We've got one in my current group and he's a lot of fun. Or not.
Shadowhowler 11-06-07, 11:53 PM	If your plan is to be dealing direct damage at long range... this is ONE case where the Warmage may actualy be a good choice for you.
Cartigan 11-07-07, 12:04 AM	Warmage/Rogue/Spellwarp Sniper?
Shadowhowler 11-07-07, 01:41 PM	Warmage/Rogue/Spellwarp Sniper? That would certainly work well... spellwarp sniper has some great abilities for what the OP is looking for. However, the rogue and SA part would be mostly wasted, as he said he has no intention of being anywhere NEAR 30ft from the battle. He wants to be a distance sniper. I don't have my books in front of me... but I wonder if there is a way to get something like the spellwarp sniper prc without the rogue part. I think I recal a prc that had something to do with 'rays'... but I'm not sure if it would work. However, as a Base, The Warmage sounds like a better base for a direct damage arcane sniper then a wizard. More spells, almost all the direct damage spells, little bit more damage. of course, the Wizard will always be more versital. Some kinda Warmage/Wizard and then dubble casting PrC with the practiced spellcaster feats might work for this too... lots and lots of ammo.
Cartigan 11-07-07, 02:44 PM	That would certainly work well... spellwarp sniper has some great abilities for what the OP is looking for. However, the rogue and SA part would be mostly wasted, as he said he has no intention of being anywhere NEAR 30ft from the battle. He wants to be a distance sniper. 1) Level 10 Spellwarp extends to 60 ft 2) You need Sneak Attack (or some other similar ability I forget) to become a Spellwarp Sniper.
Mercurius 11-07-07, 06:31 PM	1) Level 10 Spellwarp extends to 60 ft 2) You need Sneak Attack (or some other similar ability I forget) to become a Spellwarp Sniper. Which means Ninja or Spellthief work, too. Ninja gives you unarmored AC boost (handy), and there's a Master Spellthief feat that boosts your Spellthief abilities based on your other caster class, which might be worth looking at, too. The only problem with Warmage is the lack of summon monster spells that the OP really would like to have access to to use as meat shields.
runestar 11-07-07, 09:25 PM	I am thinking that you should go conjurer instead. They have the orb spells, which are perfect for sniping. This also lets you ban evocation. You can also summon monsters as quickened actions, meaning that you are never without a tank.
kyros_the_spawnslayer 11-07-07, 09:54 PM	Well if I take the conjurer path, will my high arcana choices need to be changed if I go the sniping/summoning conjurer? Also if I do that the conjuruer path would the summoner PrC from the DMG fit well, because then I will have to figure where to put Arcane Discipline (Summoner Domain).
Empirate 11-09-07, 06:55 AM	Definitely take Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot. Otherwise you're missing stuff too much. I'd even consider Weapon Focus (Ray) if I were you. Precise Shot is a must if you plan on Ray-ing into melee. A wizard's ranged touch attacks, though it is the easiest attack roll in the game, isn't quite that good, you don't need a -4 penalty on top of that!
kyros_the_spawnslayer 11-13-07, 10:03 AM	Got through another game this past weekend (and survived) and it appear my wizard has a little competition in the summoning field with a wizard/sorcerer. Also I have begon to question whether or not to even take Forge Ring, by that time if I cast mage armor (or its greater version) then this guy would be okay for a good while. Further more I think maybe going into the Argent Savant class would be more usefull than Archmage, so I think I'll make some changes.