Since that focuses mainly on uses of the feat reserves of strength, I decided to make a new thread for the build itself.
Character creation guidelines wrote:
Basically, it saves you having to bother about SR most of the time!
Edit: Reserves of strength is just...broken. Unless you actively hate your GM and co-players and want them to despise you, or get off on huge ego trips then I'd really reconsider using it.
'collegiate wizard, spellcasting prodigy'
You're only a wizard for 4 levels, so the extra spells aren't really worth a feat. And spellcasting prodigy has - I understand- been errata'ed and is now... very poor.
As the character is using metamagic, use feats which make metamagic easier and cheaper. You obviously need rapid metamagic and easy metamagic, metamagic school focus and arcane thesis are all good.
Regarding items: why not hand them to another character, change form, then take them back and wear them? This obviously only works where viable.
no, its not as effective as beguiler. but you can take a halruuan elder 2 dip and get the ability to cast greate rarcane fusion as a wizard spell.
then its just tiwn spell greater arcane fusion with twin spell celerities, using that to cast twin spell greater arcane fusion, containing...
action economy oficially broken to pieces.
Reserves of strength - I intend to use it in the way I understand it:
It removes the level cap only for the 1, 2 or 3 levels it adds. Still very powerful, but I won't be (ab)using it too much in-game.
Thanks for the hint concerning collegiate wizard - I thought I'd get to add two spells for each level of UM and archmage as well. This way it's really not worth it. Spellcasting prodigy now only works for bonus spells - which would mean one high level spell more. If I cannot think of anything better, this might still be worth it.
Rapid Metamagic - is that really worth it for the beguiler spells? I wouldn't think so...
Easy Metamagic is out due to being Dragon Magazine.
Metamagic school focus sounds nice.
Arcane thesis is great as well, but I need a solid spell to go with in the first place. Enervation comes to mind... any others?
Handing items to someone else works for a lot of items - but not for the +6 enhancement bonus to INT as that would mean losing bonus spells. Still, a good idea.
Thanks so far
Edit:
@Hijaxx: Halruan Elder would mean investing in a few more feats and while this might be a great 'trick' (I have no idea if/how it works), it's also what I consider game-breaking and what I don't want to do. I want to play in the game and not get thrown out! ;)
Quick check: When adding metamagic 'on the fly' using their class feature, is casting the spell a full-round action in the same way that sorc. spells are? If so, you really want to be able to avoid that if possible.
Arcane thesis is a feat I love... pick your favoured spell and stick it on there.
Sorc is worth it as your other class for arcane fusion if nothing else, IMHO. And a few other sorc-only spells are pretty cool. Plus there are lots of substitution choices for sorcs and practically nothing for Begs.
Sorc is worth it as your other class for arcane fusion if nothing else, IMHO. And a few other sorc-only spells are pretty cool. Plus there are lots of substitution choices for sorcs and practically nothing for Begs.
Hm... you almost have me! ;)
Arcane fusion is 5th, right? At 18th level I only get 4th level sorc spells and won't get them any higher... so I'll never have it. I do get a familiar which I can 'substitute' though. And there are other choices available, agreed.
Beguilers do need a full round so rapid metamagic might be useful, yes.
Another feat that might come in handy with all the metamagic the character will be throwing around is residual metamagic where he gets to apply one metamagic feat on the next round for free. Very good together with the spontaneous addition of another via UM.
Any more help on any of the points/questions I voiced above?
Archmage's Spell Power, an orange ioun stone, a Ring of Arcane Might (Complete Arcane), a masterwork holy symbol (Complete Champion - +1 CL to any school but Conjuration or Evocation), and things from this post are helpful for boosting CL.
The 'problem' with getting 9th level wizard spells as a UM is that you don't get 5th level sorc spells (specifically Arcane Fusion) and that you need to spend a feat. Now most people wouldn't see that as an issue, but normally you'd get arcane fusion as a UM a few levels earlier (14th?), and most campaigns (that I've ever played in anyway) end before 18th level and before D&D becomes a bit on an exercise in mathematics.
So in a 'typical' campaign in my experience, I'd be giving up a feat from early on in the game and having Arcane Fusion for 4+ levels in exchange for having 9th level spells that I might only get to use in a few play sessions.
I wasn't aware of the practised spellcaster/UM blag until being pointed at it here, and I have to say that in my case, I don't believe it's actually worthwhile. However, in your case it's likely to be a different kettle of fish.
Still though: 9th level spells vs. arcane fusion and a feat.
Later levels of the game might be all about getting off hugely optimised spells, but it's also about putting down spells fast... which is what AF is all about. And - let's face it - every high level caster you play is always going to have 9th level spells, but are you *ever* going to play another character who could get arcane fusion?
It's down to preference, really. But just make sure that you do consider both sides.
Also: You're 'double' specialising the wizard, right? If there any low level spells that you simply can't live without, then just take them as sorc spells.
Plus you get to dump your familiar for something rather more tasty.
You could go Wizard5 and grab Spontaneous Divination, granting you some prepped and spontaneous spells from the Wizard. You qualify for Ultimate Magus and should be able to apply every caster level increase to Wizard.
Oh, interesting idea... I do get the feeling that I'd lack the spells of the sorcerer side though - both for flexibility and for powering the UM ability.
Oh my... I am torn, Siranui.
Arcane Fusion is good, but is it that good that I give up on 9th level spells? Honestly, will there be that many 1st level spells that I would want to cast? Alright 'Benign Transposition' + XYZ comes to mind but a quickened benign transposition with a 6th-9th level spell added (offensive or whatever) seems like a more powerful solution?
Also: You're 'double' specialising the wizard, right? If there any low level spells that you simply can't live without, then just take them as sorc spells.
Plus you get to dump your familiar for something rather more tasty.
I haven't considered specialising at all yet. But that does seem like a good idea - I can take all spells I need from other schools on the sorcerer side, right? Not sure about losing three schools though.
And, yes, swapping the familiar for something good sounds... tasty indeed.
Edit: Btw - I saw that some other players are using the spell point system. THAT looks like it would make my UM incredibly more flexible (and powerful). It states nowhere what happens with two casting classes of the same type - do I simply add up all spell points to one reserve?