Currently Wizard 4/Master Specialist 1/Red Wizard 5, was planning on taking Wizard + 1/Incantrix 4/Archmage 5 to finish out my normal levels... but I'm not really sure how epic ready that would be. I've looked through the epic handbook, and I understand how epic feats and epic spellcasting works... I'm just not really sure how class advancement works, since I won't have enough in any one PrC or base class to jump to an epic advancement.
Any thoughts on how epic ready this build would be? Also, any suggestions for replacements/changes in the order of classes would be appreciated.
Also, I was looking through items, and the Rod of Excellent Magic should be named the Rod that Makes Circle Magic Users Own Everything.
Epic Ready as a phrase usually refers to finishing some 10-level PrC so that you can benefit from their epic progression. Frankly, I don't see that much of a point in it.
Of course, you will get seven Cosmic Descryer levels ASAP. Win Game 1/day is a fun ability.
Save a few Archmage levels so you can get a couple SLAs. quickened Timestop might be fun.
For kicks, take two Wyrm Wizard levels and add Miracle to your spells known.
Outside epic spellcasting, you'll probably be picking lots and lots of Improved Spell Capacity. Getting a 9th level spell as a SLA usable at will should be fun, eventually, so I leave innate spell for your consideration.
Wizard 4/ Master Specialist 1/ Red Wizard 5/ Incantatrix 10/ to finish normal levels, then Archmage 5 in EPIC
use the SLA from Archmage for EPIC Spells(just dont use XP as a Mitigating factor when you develop the spell) .... and as Senevri said ..... Imp Spell Capacity + Innate Spell = WIN
Automatic Quicken Spell is nice, but you have to take it 3 times for it to really matter. You could instead just get the ability to cast Arcane Spellsurge and say screw that. Then once you've taken Epic Spellcasting, spend all the rest of your feats on taking Multispell over and over again...
Wait...yeah, so... I missed Multispell. That's amazing! Good point with the better Archmage SLAs in higher level slots. The cheaper level of quicken wouldn't hurt at all either from 10 incantrix.
So, you can just keep taking regular class levels for the features in epic levels? I guess my biggest question would be, if you're going to take class levels that give you bonus feat, and you're taking them for levels above 20... can you use those bonus feats for epic feats?
Of course, you will get seven Cosmic Descryer levels ASAP. Win Game 1/day is a fun ability.
I read the class... and I'm missing something. I'm guessing there's a way to get around the damage from that, so you can effectively boost CL/whatever you want to N*?
*(N=large but finite number)
Of course, you will get seven Cosmic Descryer levels ASAP. Win Game 1/day is a fun ability.
I read the class... and I'm missing something. I'm guessing there's a way to get around the damage from that, so you can effectively boost CL/whatever you want to N*?
*(N=large but finite number)
Yes, that's the basic idea. Essentially infinite CL once a day is hilariously world breaking. But you pointed out that you were only going to be playing to 25, so technically this doesn't apply. As such, I second Carnivores suggestion for Archmage 5. Really though, if you get even slightly creative with Epic Spells, you can be God (that is, even more so than a regular wizard.) There's a reason most people don't go epic.
Have fun with the opportunity =P
I've figured I could come up with the standard
-Boost Intelligence by 20
-Give myself +20 Armor
-Give myself +20 NA
-Give the Party DR 15ish
-Heal as well as a cleric(generic seed heal baby!)
-Profit?
With supplementary spell levels provided in the morning Circle magic fest... making each of these spells last a week isn't infeasible, which means they cane be up most of the time, with one epic spell still available to cast for the day.
Also, at level 25 I'm only looking at two epic feats... One of which has to be Epic Spellcasting(unless I'm missing some bonus epic feats somewhere). I was thinking multispell for the other, though some of the others do look very tempting....
Also, at level 25 I'm only looking at two epic feats
That's what people are talking about when they say "epic ready". If you finish incantatrix (or some other 10 level PrC) pre-epic, you get to take epic incantatrix, which gives you bonus epic feats.
If you don't, you can't use your bonus feats to pick up epic feats.
Of course, you will get seven Cosmic Descryer levels ASAP. Win Game 1/day is a fun ability.
Iread the class... and I'm missing something. I'm guessing there's a way to get around the damage from that, so you can effectively boost CL/whatever you want to N*?
Yup.
Consider: pick Arcane Disciple for domain with Blasphemy/Dictum/Holy Word.
Set up a contingent heal
Cast CL 150 "Kill anything with HD less than my CL" spell.
But, if you CAP at 25th, then it's not feasible.
I'd still recommend Wyrm Wizard Miracle just for the amazing versatility it offers.
You could still become a Planar Chaos wizard which can be crazy if you can apply that on Epic spells. Otherwise, it's an average option, at best.
If you can get the rod of free XP thingy, you have circle magic... you can make simulacrum....
And yeah, Rod of XP reduction for casting =free simulacrum (okay, they cost 1,000gp to make. Which is essentially free past level 20). Come to papa you silly little circle magic dream scenario. What's really nice about that set-up is while it's intended for circle magic abuse, it also sets me up perfectly for casting long term buffs infrequently.
Finally, any suggestions for ways to avoid counterspelling? CL 40 stops non epic pretty cold (barring Disjunction)... but other than that I'm not really up on the counterspelling tricks and how to stop them.
Thanks for all the advice!
the best way to avoid counterspelling is to go first, get your dex up in the 90s and you'll be fine.
theres a reflection seed that can bar disjunction.
the best way to avoid counterspelling is to go first, get your dex up in the 90s and you'll be fine.
That doesn't work against a dedicated counterspeller that can do it as an immediate action. They'd also need to be able to act while flat-footed, but if we're talking about an epic caster that should be a given...
Also: Celerity.
That doesn't work against a dedicated counterspeller that can do it as an immediate action. They'd also need to be able to act while flat-footed, but if we're talking about an epic caster that should be a given...
Free action even, in epic.
Unfortunately epic dispels are not even tied to CL, there's just a Spellcraft DC increase for every point you add to the dispel check (past the +10 basis). So your opponent can have a +60 dispel (but so can you) ; fortunately epic slots are few.
So you'll try to use Ward seed to defend, but that can be taken down with Destroy (this time it's a CL check so it'll have to be a Cosmic Descryer or a Greater Consumptive Field-using caster or...).
It's a nuke race - it's up to your DM where he stops.
You haven't mentioned what you use for offence, but take a look at the armor properties in the ELH: in epic targeted and ray spells can quickly become moot.
That doesn't work against a dedicated counterspeller that can do it as an immediate action. They'd also need to be able to act while flat-footed, but if we're talking about an epic caster that should be a given...
Free action even, in epic.
Yeah but with Reactive Counterspell you can do it on the other guy's turn. So it's like an immediate action, except better since you can do it more than once per round.
Also, blanket immunity to disjuntion makes me more happy than words can express. Though I estimate that would tenatively put the spell DC up in the 200s without mitigating factors... which is rather stenuous to create and cast.
Oh, you can use the Ward seed to be more selective... say immunity to dispel, greater dispel, reaving dispel, and disjunction... That's a much more reasonable Spellcraft DC. With mitigating factors (circle simulacrum ftw!) I can get that one with only a day or two's effort.
Also, for offense I'm a focused specialist Conjurer(secondary focus transmutation). I figure with Multispell, Epic Spellcasting, and the Epic Metamagic cheapener I should be golden for spamming BC and Debuffing(and if I can fit in easy metamagic Quicken... yeah). And on top of it I've got circle magic.
Good times!
BC has to be hard control, i.e. Wall of Force rather than the clouds since Freedom of Movement is also readily accessible.
The truth is, unless you abuse Epic Spellcasting (and your DM lets you do so), gishes actually overtake pure casters at some point in epic IMHO.
I'm giving general principles but actually at level 25 you should be mostly fine with pre-epic tactics.
I didn't even mention it because it's more widely known, but save DCs typically have trouble scaling fast enough to match monster saves. I can't remember if Circle Magic helps with that - probably a little since IIRC it makes Heightening easier, but I'm not sure it's always enough.
BC has to be hard control, i.e. Wall of Force rather than the clouds since Freedom of Movement is also readily accessible.
The truth is, unless you abuse Epic Spellcasting (and your DM lets you do so), gishes actually overtake pure casters at some point in epic IMHO.
I'm giving general principles but actually at level 25 you should be mostly fine with pre-epic tactics.
I appreciate everything, since my high level play has been limited, and I've never been in epic before. Between boosting intelligence(I've got 24 with no items at level ten, so I'm riding a bit above the normal charop curve), and the ability to heighten some spells to 20th level slots with heighten from Circle magic, I think I can mostly keep my DCs on pace. Actually now that I think about it, cranking my int as high as possible for the bonus slots and higher DCs should probably be my first thing.
How's this tenatively look for an epic buff?
I'm Smarter Than You
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 16
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Target: personal
Duration: 10 Days
To Develop: 144,000 gp; 3 days; 5,760 XP. Seed: fortify (DC 17). Factors: change target to personal (-2 DC) increase enhancement bonus to +40 (+78 DC), Increase Duration +1100%(+22DC) Mitigating factors: change casting time to 10 minutes (-18 DC), 9 Assistants Contributing 5th level spells (-81 DC)
The caster of this spell gains a +40 enhancement bonus to his intelligence for the duration of the spell. Yay Simulacrum circle magic assistants!
Also don't forget the XP cost for developing ; even a DC 16 is not cheap (16*9000/25 = 5760).
Heighten tops up at 9th level ; I'm not sure if Circle Magic circumvents that. There's an epic feat that removes that limit (Improved Heighten Spell), but it's not as good as the other feats you intend to take, and it may not be compatible with Circle Magic.
If you're going to use a Ward, add Antimagic Field to the lot - it's potentially more dangerous than the dispels if you rely on non-epic buffs.