PDA

View Full Version : Need an ECL 22nd level character by Friday! HELP!



Brock Samson
2009-05-25, 11:01 PM
I just got invited this weekend to join some friends in their epic campaign. It sounds like pretty much anything goes as far as what I want to build, provided it's in a 3rd/3.5 book. No psionics though. It sounds like the rest of the group is not extremely optimized, but is pretty decently optimized. The party so far consists of a bard+some prestige classes, a wizard/warmage/incantatrix, I think a (rather sucky) monk, a cleric+some prestige classes, and maybe one other member.

Problem: I'm not sure what I want to play.
Problem: I don't actually own any books, but my DM owns EVERY book. But I won't see him again until Friday. I can probably get ahold of a couple books in the meantime, but no guarantees.

Also, what will my starting WBL be?

So what I need is first to figure out WHO I want to play, then an actual build for my character.

My thoughts so far:
Straight Druid (definitely isn't bad)
Divine caster/Arcane caster into some prestige class(es) that enhance both spellcasting levels. At 22nd level I'd have 9th level divine, and 9th level arcane spells, which will just be awesome!
Or making liberal use of any feats/prestige classes that reduce metamagic costs. The warmage/wizard/incantatrix in our party will probably be a pretty good damage dealer already, and yes blasting isn't always the best offense, but with cheap metamagic you're doing a damn good job.

I've never played higher than 14 level, fyi. So suggestions on items would also be very helpful. And ways to get immunities to common failures.

1. Isn't there an armor (in Book of Exalted Deeds?) that is basically a continual Death Ward?
2. Any items that give Mind Blank?
3. Ring of Freedom of Movement seems obvious.
4. Isn't there also something like the Starmantle Cloak that gives you immunity to nonmagical weapons? How well would this work if, say, you threw up an anti-magic field, but managed to exclude yourself from being affected by it? Would this technically give you immunity to every weapon?

Yes, there's a lot to respond to here, so let's start with what I should play. I'm really leaning toward divine/arcane caster into a dual-caster progression prestige class. Help me please!

Brock Samson
2009-05-25, 11:03 PM
Oh, and any races/templates are open as well. I've even considered the potential cheese of being an anthropomorphic bat. Basically, I'd like to be extremely optimized, then back it down to remain on par with the group at whatever optimization level they're actually at, occasionally truly shining when the need arises.

Brock Samson
2009-05-25, 11:24 PM
Another questin: Provided I can cast wish, would anyone recommend using wishes to give myself insight bonuses to my abilities, rather than spending the money on Tomes?

And what possible combinations of divine/arcane casting both use the same primary stat, to make my character more SAD?

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:12 AM
Wishes cost hideous XP. Lemme show you something else.

Gnome

Wizard 5 / Shadowcraft Mage 5 / IotSV 7 / Archmage 5

Level 22.

Through Silent Image (Level 1 spell), you can do amazing things.

For example:

Take Heighten Spell, Earth Magic, Arcane Thesis (Silent Image), Still Spell, and Arcane Disciple.

Arcane disciple adds certain spells to your wizard list. The level 9 spell it adds, if you pick the right domain, is Miracle, the 9th level Evocation spell of Inherent Bonusings.

Arcane Thesis Makes your Metamagic take 1 slot lower than normal. Your spells are automatically silent, so now you can still them too. This means that nobody can Spellcraft your Silent Image, and it Comes from a level 1 slot.

But also apply it to a Heighten Spell. Heighten Silent image to a 9th level slot, and it occupies an 8th level slot.

Now take Earth Magic, which raises the spell level 1 more. Now you're casting a level 10 silent image, out of a level 8 slot.

But why is this important?

Because Shadowcraft Mage lets you make figments mostly real (80%, actually). It lets you use a figment to copy any Conjuration (summoning), Conjuration (Creation), or Evocation spell on your spell list, as long as that spell is at least one level lower than the spell you're casting...

The 10th level spell you're casting...
Miracle's a 9th level spell on your class list.

And it's not being powered by deity. It's being recreated by shadow. So none of that pesky divine oversight.

Oh, and you can still go epic spellcasting, as well. Load half your slots with heightened silent images, and go to town. Summon monster 9? Easy stuff. How many spells can you get with a summon monster 9? Why, as many as you can find on the lists of the creatures you can summon.

IotSV is just there because it's one of the beefier defense classes in the game.

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:17 AM
For Div/Arc dualcasting...

Wizard 3/Archivist 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Dread Necromancer 4/MT 11-12

There are early entry tricks, but they're hotly debated. The above will get you 9th level spells on both sides by level 21, which gets you Epic spellcasting for arcane AND divine.

Best of all, it's all Int.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 12:18 AM
That seems pretty awesome, but possibly too awesome.

Can you tell me what books each class is from? And just a little more on IotSFV, it's been a long long time since I've looked at it.

And a little more on what Archmage lets you do?

peacenlove
2009-05-26, 12:19 AM
Hallo!
I would lean towards druid just because the progression for epic mystic theurge totally sucks at epic level (you do not continue to gain 2 caster levels (arcane/divine) but only one).

If you really want mystic theurge couple it with arcane hierofant from races of the wild so you have 9th level spells and can buff your animal companion to take some fron line roles. Plus you deal some nice control spells. Unlike straight druid, it is very feat intensive.

I have played at 21st level but as a shadowcaster :smalltongue: but i should tell you that control spells start to decline at epic levels (cause of the varying immunities, every monster should have at least 3 :smalltongue:). If you still plan to control your enemies there are 3-4 status effects that are rare to find resistance to. these are Daze, Petrification-Form altering magic, Slow, Dimensional Anchor.

Templates arent usually worth it unless they are outright broken (i am looking at you phrenic and feral!). Good defensive ones were shadow (from Lords of Madness) and dark (from tome of magic, you get it from an item).
BoED has the soulfire armor (+4 enchantment bonus) that is a death ward (sorta).

For mind blank there is a ring costing 120.000 gp that gives mind blank

Also it is imperative that you get magic items protecting you from disintegration/petrification. There are many monsters and high level spells out there that disintegrate you at will. There is an armor enchantment (proof against transmutation i think) that lessens the effects of these spells.

About the starmantle cloack, no it wouldn't work because antimagic field supresses magic. the moment a projectile has left the antimagic field it becomes magical. Also AMF is pretty small and unwieldy plus many creatures at this level do not fit in it.

I hope i gave some help, but surely many optimizers out there should have better information

Bulwer
2009-05-26, 12:29 AM
You could also play something simpler: Dread Necromancer or Beguiler 20 are very potent builds with full spellcasting, and DN comes with that lovely 20th level capstone of becoming a lich.

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:33 AM
That seems pretty awesome, but possibly too awesome.

Can you tell me what books each class is from? And just a little more on IotSFV, it's been a long long time since I've looked at it.

And a little more on what Archmage lets you do?

Shadowcraft mage is from Races of Stone

IotSV is Complete Arcane. A 7th level one can bring up veils, 2 at a time, that mimic the layers of prismatic walls, as an immediate action.

So if someone casts a Quickened Summon monster 9 to beat your buddy, or throws a 5000 pound rock at the fighter? In response, you can bring up the veils, and any creature must make saves versus dying, going to random planes, petrifying, going insane... the usual...

It'll also destroy that inbound rock, pretty much automatically...

Or stop the epic breath weapon...

etc.

It's basically Fullcast wizard + the ability to tell someone NO, 4 times a day.

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:34 AM
You could also play something simpler: Dread Necromancer or Beguiler 20 are very potent builds with full spellcasting, and DN comes with that lovely 20th level capstone of becoming a lich.

Becoming a lich isn't as good as you'd think. That phylactery doesn't have plot armor...

And you give up a lot to get those nice bonuses.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 12:40 AM
Forgot to mention, I cannot be evil.

I like the "Wizard 3/Archivist 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Dread Necromancer 4/MT 11-12" possible route, as it's all INT, but not sure about Dread Necromancer, sounds evil to me. And it'd be great to get some metamagic cost reductions somewhere, possibly spamming various persists, and getting immunities to the more common things.

What will my WBL be at 22nd?

Bulwer
2009-05-26, 12:41 AM
Dread Necro is any non-good, I think.

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:45 AM
Dread Necromancers can be Lawful Neutral, Neutral, and Chaotic Neutral, in addition to the Evil alignments. They just can't be GOOD.

Think Anti-hero, like spawn. They use bad forces for good reasons. And get to have the bonus of being edgy.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 12:52 AM
Just not sure my DM would really want that around. What are their class features anywho?

Talic
2009-05-26, 12:55 AM
I may be thinking true necro, not dread necro. Yeah, I think so.

True necro is basically another theurgish class.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 12:56 AM
Where could I find that? And what, besides theurging, does it do?

Baron Corm
2009-05-26, 01:07 AM
If you like immunities so much try a warforged Barbarian (pounce variant) 1/Fighter 2/X 2/Warforged Juggernaut 5/Frenzied Berserker 10/Legendary Dreadnought 2

The warforged juggernaut levels will give you immunity to most things out there, other than hit point damage. The frenzied berserker levels give you huge damage-dealing capabilities, as well as immunity to death from hit point damage as long as you're in a frenzy (if something can bring down your huge hit points). At level 22, you shouldn't have a problem making the Will save to stop killing your friends. Not to mention that you can use the Unmovable legendary dreadnought ability to automatically pass the save, if necessary.

[Dread necromancer is a class which casts solely necromancy spells and turns into a lich. True necromancer is a theurge class. Warforged juggernaut is from the Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron, I don't remember. Frenzied berserker is from Complete Warrior, and it improves Power Attack and Cleave. Legendary dreadnought is in the SRD. It is illegal to reproduce the exact class features of non-SRD books.]

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-26, 01:08 AM
Shadow Miracles don't work, unless you have a double-standard.
Your Shadow Evocations/Conjurations and Shadow Illusions copy spells from the general Sorcerer/Wizard spell list, which allows you to copy Evocations despite often having that as a prohibited school. Arcane Disciple adds Miracle to your character's spell list, but your shadow spells don't copy spells from your character's spell list they copy spells from your general class spell list. If you want your shadow spells to copy spells from your character's spell list, taking evocation as a prohibited school will make it so you can't copy any evocations at all other than what you gain from Arcane Disciple. You don't even have the option of doing that, since your shadow spells emulate spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, i.e. the general unmodified class spell list, not spells from your sorcerer/wizard spell list, which is what Miracle is added to.

Get Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm), the 10% XP bonus alone is worth spending the feat on. Plus you get to upgrade it as though you had all the necessary item creation feats, which means you pay half price for anything you put on it.

If you're going to make an Arcane/Divine hybrid, go Druid 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 4/ Arcane Heirophant 10+, in Races of the Wild. At level 20 that gets 17th level spellcasting in both classes, 13th level Wild Shape, 13th level Animal Companion benefits, and can cast Wizard spells in nonmetal armor without risking arcane spell failure. At level 22 you'll be able to Wild Shape into Huge forms up to 15 HD, so that means you can go around in Dire Tortoise form from Sandstorm and always get a surprise round every fight. Get Natural Spell for sure, probably Practiced Spellcaster twice, and I'd get Natural Bond and a Dire Eagle companion from Races of Stone. Be good aligned, and its Int score will be high enough that it too can be good aligned. Your animal companion should take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty from BoED to get obscene bonuses without even needing any magic items.

Talic
2009-05-26, 01:24 AM
Cite text showing that Banned schools aren't on your class spell list. I know they can't be learned or cast, and you can't use items with that trigger, but not sure about the "not on your list".

Second, for Miracle, you treat it as a Sorceror/Wizard spell. It's added to the Sorceror/Wizard list for you.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 01:33 AM
"If you're going to make an Arcane/Divine hybrid, go Druid 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 4/ Arcane Heirophant 10+, in Races of the Wild. At level 20 that gets 17th level spellcasting in both classes, 13th level Wild Shape, 13th level Animal Companion benefits, and can cast Wizard spells in nonmetal armor without risking arcane spell failure. At level 22 you'll be able to Wild Shape into Huge forms up to 15 HD, so that means you can go around in Dire Tortoise form from Sandstorm and always get a surprise round every fight. Get Natural Spell for sure, probably Practiced Spellcaster twice, and I'd get Natural Bond and a Dire Eagle companion from Races of Stone. Be good aligned, and its Int score will be high enough that it too can be good aligned. Your animal companion should take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty from BoED to get obscene bonuses without even needing any magic items."

I kind of like this, but does anyone think it would be too MaD? Would I just want to possibly just have a 19 or 20 in Wisdom, then up my INT as high as possible, relying on the former for buffing, and that latter gets to be a higher stat and used for more offense?

Does anyone else want to speak on the Archivist/Wizard defense?

Talic
2009-05-26, 01:49 AM
You can start with a 14 wis, 18 int, and a decent Con.

5 Stat boosts into int.

+6 int item, +6 wis item.
+5 int tome, +4 Wis tome.

Final stats? 24 Wis (good number of bonus spells for buffing and such), and Int 34 (For the high DC for offensive spells).

EDIT: With the items I listed above, you can have a 10 starting wisdom, and end with a Wis 20.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 02:08 AM
I thought that an ability boosting item (headband of intellect) didn't increase your number of spells per day? Am I wrong here?

Talic
2009-05-26, 02:13 AM
Doesn't increase skill points, I know that. AFAIK, it does for spells, though slots are lost if the bonus is.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-26, 02:18 AM
Druid/Wizard isn't very MAD since the only stats you need are Con, Int, and Wis, everything else can be 3's and you'll still be amazing. Wizard/Archivist isn't bad if you have only one high stat, but if you're using point buy you can get a few high stats and dump everything else. Never take more than ten levels of Mystic Theurge, its epic progression (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/prestigeClassProgressions.htm#epicMysticTheurge) is worse than you'd get by taking more Wizard and Archivist levels. If you're going to use that build, continue advancing True Necromancer instead of Mystic Theurge in the epic levels.

Another option would be to go Illumian (Krau) Beguiler 1/ Wizard 1/ Master Specialist 3/ Ultimate Magus 10, then continue advancing Master Specialist and maybe get one level in Mindbender or a few in Archmage or Incantatrix. With Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler you'll be able to add 10/10 UM spellcasting to Wizard, so at level 20 you'll have 19th level Wizard spellcasting and 8th level Beguiler spellcasting. You could instead go Gnome, still with Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler but you'd get 9/10 UM toward Wizard, and get Shadowcraft Mage 5.

You could make a 'The Word' build, go something like Cloistered Cleric 6/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 8/ Heirophant 4, with Practiced Spellcaster. Remember that you can add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order, so add Practiced Spellcaster first to have a caster level of 22, then add the +4 for Heirophant 4, with another +1 for an Ioun Stone for a caster level of 27. Get Divine Metamagic: Heighten Spell with Earth Spell (RoS) and take Improved Heighten Spell at 21, along with a lot of Night Sticks. Get as many Knowledge skills as you can, and make a check to identify each opponent every encounter to find out how many hit dice they have. Just asking "What's the DC?" about a monster will tell you, since the DC for any creature is 10 + HD. Then use Divine Metamagic: Heighten with Earth Spell to boost your caster level to whatever the DC was (10 higher than their HD) when you cast Holy Word, and they'll die without a saving throw. You could even do this with an Archivist if you take Sacred Exorcist for Turn Undead. It's a bit cheesy, but it's a guaranteed victory for even the most difficult encounters.

Try going Cleric 5/ Divine Oracle 4/ Dweomerkeeper (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20040522a) 10/ Contemplative 1, then more Dweomerkeeper in the epic levels. Use the feat Magical Training (PGtF) to qualify for it, and visit the Frog God's Fane detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get Skill Focus for Divine Oracle without spending a feat. You can use your Supernatural Spell ability to cast spells like Miracle and True Resurrection without any XP or costly material components.

@Talic: You're right, I guess I was thinking of another effect that actually removed the school from your class list, possibly something from 3.0 even. Regardless, Shadow Evocation/Illusion creates an "illusory version of a sorcerer or wizard evocation spell" which still does not account for a given character's spell list. Being on your class spell list does not make it a sorcerer or wizard spell, otherwise you wouldn't even need Arcane Disciple as long as someone somewhere took that feat to add Miracle to that spell list. You can't copy a sorcerer or wizard evocation spell from that guy's spell list, rather than the one from the book; just the same, you can't copy any evocation from your own spell list if it's not normally a sorcerer or wizard spell. Changing whether or not you have access to it does not change what classes in general have access to it, which is the list that Shadow Evocation draws from. As I said before, it copies spells from the general sorcerer/wizard spell list, not spells from your sorcerer/wizard spell list.

Talic
2009-05-26, 02:31 AM
You could make a 'The Word' build, go something like Cloistered Cleric 6/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 8/ Heirophant 4, with Practiced Spellcaster. Remember that you can add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order, so add Practiced Spellcaster first to have a caster level of 22, then add the +4 for Heirophant 4, with another +1 for an Ioun Stone for a caster level of 27. Get Divine Metamagic: Heighten Spell with Earth Spell (RoS) and take Improved Heighten Spell at 21, along with a lot of Night Sticks. Get as many Knowledge skills as you can, and make a check to identify each opponent every encounter to find out how many hit dice they have. Just asking "What's the DC?" about a monster will tell you, since the DC for any creature is 10 + HD. Then use Divine Metamagic: Heighten with Earth Spell to boost your caster level to whatever the DC was (10 higher than their HD) when you cast Holy Word, and they'll die without a saving throw. You could even do this with an Archivist if you take Sacred Exorcist for Turn Undead. It's a bit cheesy, but it's a guaranteed victory for even the most difficult encounters.Earth magic does not work that way. It increases Spell level, not caster level.


@Talic: You're right, I guess I was thinking of another effect that actually removed the school from your class list, possibly something from 3.0 even. Regardless, Shadow Evocation/Illusion creates an "illusory version of a sorcerer or wizard evocation spell" which still does not account for a given character's spell list. Being on your class spell list does not make it a sorcerer or wizard spell, otherwise you wouldn't even need Arcane Disciple as long as someone somewhere took that feat to add Miracle to that spell list. You can't copy a sorcerer or wizard evocation spell from that guy's spell list, rather than the one from the book; just the same, you can't copy any evocation from your own spell list if it's not normally a sorcerer or wizard spell. Changing whether or not you have access to it does not change what classes in general have access to it, which is the list that Shadow Evocation draws from. As I said before, it copies spells from the general sorcerer/wizard spell list, not spells from your sorcerer/wizard spell list.
The Ability specifically says you add it to your class spell list. If you're a Dread necro? They're on your dread necro list.

If you're a Sorceror/wizard? Then they're on your sorceror wizard list. It explicitly says that they are added to your spell list. That means, incidentally, that they are on your spell list. If you are a sorceror or wizard, that means that they are on your sorceror/wizard spell list. If a spell is on your sorceror/wizard spell list, it qualifies for the ability. Miracle is on your sorceror/wizard spell list. Thus, Miracle qualifies for the ability, for arcane disciples venerating trickery and luck.

This argument has been brought up before in CharOp. It does not hold weight by RAW.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 02:35 AM
Ok Biffoniacus_Furiou, give me one build, I want: 9th level arcane and divine spellcasting. And either turning for divine metamagic persisting, or wildshape. Can you give me your recommended build, and the sourcebooks they're in, what I'll be getting, then I can work on items/equipment/spells/other feats.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 02:41 AM
Oh, and having a Wisdom that's not that high, how am I going to prevent myself from taking any ability damage/drain that might prevent my divine spellcasting? Would persisting Death Ward work best? Would the afforementioned Soulfire Armor work? Would I want to persist Death Ward and Mind Blank, or are the risks of them being dispelled too great, and possibly use the ring that offers Mind Blank?

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 02:56 AM
Or if he's fallen asleep, anyone else with a good break-down following those guidelines, hop on in!

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-26, 02:59 AM
As long as you are standing on stone or
unworked earth (including normal soil), you can use
the Heighten Spell feat to added effect. If you cast a spell
using a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual
level, the spell is treated as a spell of two levels higher and
your effective caster level is increased by one. If you use
a spell slot two levels higher, the spell is treated as three
levels higher and your effective caster level is increased by
two, and so on.
It does indeed increase your caster level by however much you Heightened the spell by. That's why Earth Spell is so good for a Shadowcraft Mage build, at level 12 you'll be using a 6th level spell slot to cast a 7th level Evocation or Conjuration at caster level 18 and DC 25 + Int mod.


Are you using point buy, or rolling your stats, or what? I'd say go Druid 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 4/ Arcane Heirophant 10+. Use Wizard for offense and Druid for buffs and Wild Shape.
You'll want the Spell Compendium for your spells, check the Batman Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104002) for good choices, also you'll want the spells Iceberg from Frostburn, Invoke Magic from Lords of Madness, and Celerity from PH2. The feat Quick Recovery from Lords of Madness is good to have for when you cast Celerity. Either specialize in Conjuration and get Abrupt Jaunt from PH2, or go with Snow Elf in Frostburn and take the Elf Wizard 1 racial substitution level from Races of the Wild. Both Iceberg and Invoke Magic are Evocations, so if you specialize you'll want to ban Enchantment and Necromancy.

Arcane Heirophant is in Races of the Wild, Dire Tortoise is in Sandstorm, Natural Bond is in Complete Adventurer, Wilding Clasp is in Magic Item Compendium, Item Familiar is in Unearthed Arcana or the online SRD I linked to earlier, Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty for your animal companion are in the Book of Exalted Deeds, Dire Eagle is in Races of Stone.

At Arcane Heirophant 13 you'll get Elemental Wild Shape, and you'll want to get the feat Improved Elemental Wild Shape from the epic section of the Characters chapter in the DMG. At the end of each day, Wild Shape into an Immoth from MM2 and store all of your remaining spells as Ice Runes. They remain indefinitely regardless of your form and they're a free action to activate. With just a few days of down time you'll have enough Ice Runes to last you quite a few adventures.

ChrisDemilich
2009-05-26, 03:14 AM
Wizard 13/Archmage 5 Lich
ECL 22

Strength 9
Dexterity 26 (15 + 5 enhancement bonus from wish + 6 gloves of dexterity)
Contstitution None. Undead.
Intelligence 33 (22 + 5 enhancement bonus from wish + 6 Headband of intellect)
Wisdom 15
Charisma 10

Hit Points: 18 D12 (115 Hit Points)

Speed: 30 feet.
Initiative: +8 dex
Base Attack Bonus: 9/4
Grapple Modifier: 8 (9 base att - 1 str)
Saving throws: Fort 11(6 base + 5 from cloak of resistance +5), Ref 19(6 base + 5 from Cloak of resist + 8 Dex), Will 17(10 Base + 5 Cloak + 2 Wis)

AC: 29(1 armor bonus, 8 dex, 5 natural armor, 5 deflection)

Skills: Choose your own. You have 143 Skill points, including adjustment from INT increase as you level.

Feats: again, choose your own, but I recommend Maximize spell, Craft Magic Arms/armor, Craft Construct, Quicken Spell, and Spell focus(necromancy).

Spells per day: level 0- 4 spells. Level 1- 4 spells, plus 3 bonus. Level 2- 4 spells plus 3 bonus. Level 4- 4 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 5- 2 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 6- 3 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 7- 1 spell plus 2 bonus. Level 8- 1 spell plus 1 bonus. Level 9- 2 spells plus 1 bonus.

Note: Several of the spell levels have less spells then they should. This is for the archmage high arcana. It is worth it.

Race/Class features: Summon familiar. Arcane reach(all touch spells have 30 foot range)-High Arcana, Mastery of Elements(Any elemental spell can be cast with a different element)-High Arcana, Mastery of Shaping(All area spells can be shaped to include holes, which are not affected)-High Arcana, Spell Like Ability 2/day-Horrid Wilting-High arcana, Spell like Ability 2/day-Quickened Fireball-High Arcana. From Lich: +4 turn resistance, Damage reduction 15/Bludgeon and magic, Immunities(Cold, Electricity, Polymorphing, Mind affecting attacks), Undead traits, Fear Aura-60 foot radius. DC 22 Will save, Paralyzing Touch - DC 22 Fort save, Touch attack 1/round. 1d8+5. DC 22 will to half damage, +5 Natural armor.

Items: Headband of intellect +6, Gloves of dexterity +6, Bracers of armor +1, Boots of Teleportation(For speedy retreats), Cloak of resistance+5, Ring of Protection +5.


Now for the fun stuff. You may notice that you are left with lots of extra gold over the starting gold for a level 22 character. You may also notice that technically, you are only a level 18 character, with an extra +4 to the ECL. If your DM agrees to allow you to start with the base experience of a level 22 character, but say that instead of gaining levels, you spent it on magic items, then... Golems. To be precise, a shield guardian, an iron golem, and 2 flesh golems(making sure to take the right skills to craft them).

Also, one use of genesis to hide your phylactery on a demiplane. Make the demiplane an extreme cold environment, with hurricane force winds, poisonous atmosphere, no oxygen(Maybe a chlorine atmosphere), and in the middle, a 100 foot radius steel sphere, with a permanent phase door leading into it. Inside the long winding corridor, set some traps, or mindless undead. Or a few permanent symbols of death work too.

If your DM does not agree, then spend the rest of your gold on a robe of the archmage, and maybe a good staff or two. And a rod of greater metamagic works too.

One thing to change. When you reach level 18, you get another feat. But because your ECL is 21 at the time, you can choose an epic level feat. Take Improved Spell capacity, giving yourself 2 tenth level caster slots. One from the feat, and one from high stats. Now, you have 2 slots that can fit a quickened, maximized fireball. Which you can cast as ice, sonic, electric, acid, or fire. Which is complete ownage.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 03:43 AM
Ok Biffoniacus_Furiou, that sounds like a plan!

Question: Why is the Dire Eagle so good?

I don't think I really want to specialize in a school of magic, how good is Abrupt Jaunt? And what does a Snow Elf offer?

What other feats would you recommend? And I will get one epic feat, Multispell, tenacious Magic, Ignore material Components, and (maybe)Improved Combat Casting all seem pretty good.

Talic
2009-05-26, 04:33 AM
Abrupt Jaunt is good on a level of YES.

a 10 foot teleport, for free, several times per day.

Through walls? Yup.
Outside of a threat range? Yup.

There are few things a 10' teleport can't get you out of.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 05:26 AM
That doesn't sound like anything the spell Greater Dimension Door couldn't do.

Talic
2009-05-26, 06:18 AM
G. Dim Door is a move action.

Abrupt Jaunt is immediate. It's like always having a ready action to teleport... Without having to actually ready an action.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 06:26 AM
Oh, stats are going to 5 rolls of a d8+10, and one 10 minus a d4.

Olo Demonsbane
2009-05-26, 08:56 AM
Wizard 13/Archmage 5 Lich
ECL 22

Strength 9
Dexterity 26 (15 + 5 enhancement bonus from wish + 6 gloves of dexterity)
Contstitution None. Undead.
Intelligence 33 (22 + 5 enhancement bonus from wish + 6 Headband of intellect)
Wisdom 15
Charisma 10

Hit Points: 18 D12 (115 Hit Points)

Speed: 30 feet.
Initiative: +8 dex
Base Attack Bonus: 9/4
Grapple Modifier: 8 (9 base att - 1 str)
Saving throws: Fort 11(6 base + 5 from cloak of resistance +5), Ref 19(6 base + 5 from Cloak of resist + 8 Dex), Will 17(10 Base + 5 Cloak + 2 Wis)

AC: 29(1 armor bonus, 8 dex, 5 natural armor, 5 deflection)

Skills: Choose your own. You have 143 Skill points, including adjustment from INT increase as you level.

Feats: again, choose your own, but I recommend Maximize spell, Craft Magic Arms/armor, Craft Construct, Quicken Spell, and Spell focus(necromancy).

Spells per day: level 0- 4 spells. Level 1- 4 spells, plus 3 bonus. Level 2- 4 spells plus 3 bonus. Level 4- 4 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 5- 2 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 6- 3 spells plus 2 bonus. Level 7- 1 spell plus 2 bonus. Level 8- 1 spell plus 1 bonus. Level 9- 2 spells plus 1 bonus.

Note: Several of the spell levels have less spells then they should. This is for the archmage high arcana. It is worth it.

Race/Class features: Summon familiar. Arcane reach(all touch spells have 30 foot range)-High Arcana, Mastery of Elements(Any elemental spell can be cast with a different element)-High Arcana, Mastery of Shaping(All area spells can be shaped to include holes, which are not affected)-High Arcana, Spell Like Ability 2/day-Horrid Wilting-High arcana, Spell like Ability 2/day-Quickened Fireball-High Arcana. From Lich: +4 turn resistance, Damage reduction 15/Bludgeon and magic, Immunities(Cold, Electricity, Polymorphing, Mind affecting attacks), Undead traits, Fear Aura-60 foot radius. DC 22 Will save, Paralyzing Touch - DC 22 Fort save, Touch attack 1/round. 1d8+5. DC 22 will to half damage, +5 Natural armor.

Items: Headband of intellect +6, Gloves of dexterity +6, Bracers of armor +1, Boots of Teleportation(For speedy retreats), Cloak of resistance+5, Ring of Protection +5.


Now for the fun stuff. You may notice that you are left with lots of extra gold over the starting gold for a level 22 character. You may also notice that technically, you are only a level 18 character, with an extra +4 to the ECL. If your DM agrees to allow you to start with the base experience of a level 22 character, but say that instead of gaining levels, you spent it on magic items, then... Golems. To be precise, a shield guardian, an iron golem, and 2 flesh golems(making sure to take the right skills to craft them).

Also, one use of genesis to hide your phylactery on a demiplane. Make the demiplane an extreme cold environment, with hurricane force winds, poisonous atmosphere, no oxygen(Maybe a chlorine atmosphere), and in the middle, a 100 foot radius steel sphere, with a permanent phase door leading into it. Inside the long winding corridor, set some traps, or mindless undead. Or a few permanent symbols of death work too.

If your DM does not agree, then spend the rest of your gold on a robe of the archmage, and maybe a good staff or two. And a rod of greater metamagic works too.

One thing to change. When you reach level 18, you get another feat. But because your ECL is 21 at the time, you can choose an epic level feat. Take Improved Spell capacity, giving yourself 2 tenth level caster slots. One from the feat, and one from high stats. Now, you have 2 slots that can fit a quickened, maximized fireball. Which you can cast as ice, sonic, electric, acid, or fire. Which is complete ownage.

First of all, this wasnt exactly what he wanted. The OP wants 9th level arcane and divine spellcasting, and to be able to either DMM Persist or Wildshape.

Second, you cant do XP like that. Nope, no way.

Third, QUICKENED MAXIMIZED FIREBALL IS IN NO WAY OWNAGE! 60 damage! I am currently making a high level build that can spam 800 damage a turn with Orbs of Fire that do force damage. 60 damage is not what you want to spend your 10th level slots on. Cast Split Ray Twinned Enervation for 4d4 negative levels. That does an average of 50 points of damage, and gives them a -10 on....basically everything. Including Caster Level.

[/rant]

Gaiyamato
2009-05-26, 08:59 AM
Why not just use the instant magic wizard class option for a conjurer and get teleport 10' at will?

Much better than abrupt jaunt. lol.

Becoming a liche isn't so great. Though it is cool.

Volkov
2009-05-26, 09:00 AM
Great Wyrm Black, White, or Brass Dragon.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-26, 01:51 PM
Why not just use the instant magic wizard class option for a conjurer and get teleport 10' at will?

Much better than abrupt jaunt. lol.

Those are the same thing.


Snow Elf gets +2 Dex, -2 Cha. If you don't specialize, you want to use the Elf Wizard 1 racial substitution level, and that's the only setting-neutral elf race that doesn't take a penalty to a stat you need.

The top two animal companions are Dire Eagle and Fleshraker dinosaur from MM3. You'll want to give it Vow of Poverty, which means it needs to have a good alignment. Companion Familiar makes its Int score high enough to have a non-neutral alignment, and an eagle would be more inclined to be good-aligned than the fleshraker. Plus exalted creatures can't use poison, which the fleshraker can't choose not to do. With VoP it can get Touch of Golden Ice anyway. You could maybe get a Dire Tiger instead, but I like the eagle because it can fly. You can even use its ability to deliver touch spells with Produce Flame so it deals extra fire damage on its attacks, or with (Maximized) Shivering Touch from Frostburn so its attacks deal no-save Dex damage for the next 22 rounds.

Your first epic feat should be Epic (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1093992) Spellcasting (http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-548975), especially considering you would get twice as many epic spells/day. Just keep max ranks in Kn: Arcana, Kn: Nature, and Spellcraft and you'll be good. Your second epic feat should be Improved Elemental Wild Shape, as I said before.

Use the Fighter feat Wizard variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) from UA to get a Fighter bonus feat instead of Scribe Scroll, I'd make it Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, or Combat Reflexes. For feats I'd get Practiced Spellcaster twice, Natural Bond, Natural Spell, Quicken Spell, Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, and Epic Spellcasting.

Get a standard Metamagic Rod of Extend and a 6th level Pearl of Power. Each day alternate between casting Energy Immunity twice and Superior Resistance every other day, and on the days in between cast Energy Immunity three times, always using the Rod of Extend, and use the Pearl of Power on an Energy Immunity so you only use two 6th level Druid spells each day doing it. Those will all last 48 hours at a time, so you'll always be immune to all five types of energy and get a +6 Resistance bonus to all your saving throws. Persistent Shield (for both you and your companion), Persistent Swift Fly, Persistent Swift Expeditious Retreat, and Persistent Displacement should all be among the spells you cast each day. Get a Lesser Rod of Extend to put Greater Mage Armor on both yourself and your companion each day. Get about six standard Strand of Prayer Beads that's had the Bead of Smiting removed, they're unbelievably cheap. Use a Bead of Karma before casting your buffs each day. Always have a Moment of Prescience up, get a few 8th level Pearls of Power if you want. Stay in Dire Tortoise form and you'll always get a surprise round, if the opponents get to act in the surprise round use your Moment of Prescience on your initiative roll. Everything should be disabled or severely debuffed before they get to act, and dead within one round from your other party members.

Brock Samson
2009-05-26, 11:25 PM
Thanks yet again Biffoniacus_Furiou.

As Bad-A** as I've heard the fleshraker is, the Dire Eagle sounds like a better role-playing buddy, esp. with Vow of Poverty and touch of Golden Ice.

I'll go for epic spellcasting, what's a decent epic spell/s to go for that aren't too difficult to achieve? What items will up my spellcasting skill?

Without still/silent spell, will I need to worry about being in an area of silence? Still is mute with a Ring of Freedom of Movement I suppose.

What book is Natural Bond in? And what book is Persistent?

I assumed Pearls of Power and Prayer Beads are in the Magic Item Compendium?

Energy Immunity, Superior Resistance, Swift Fly/Expeditious Retreat: In the Spell Compendium?

And isn't there a link floating around about a Druid's Handbook? Would that have the best advice for offensive/de-buff spells?

Kornaki
2009-05-26, 11:28 PM
I assumed Pearls of Power and Prayer Beads are in the Magic Item Compendium?

DM's guide even. Yes, core has a couple useful things in it :smalltongue:

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-27, 12:11 AM
Epic spells DC 1-40 (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1093992)
Epic spells DC 40+ (http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-548975)

There are also some new epic spells in Frostburn, Sandstorm, and maybe the Races Of books.

Natural Bond is in Complete Adventurer, Persistent Spell is in Complete Arcane. Those spells are in the Spell Compendium, the Swift spells may also be in Complete Adventurer, I think Energy Immunity is also in Complete Arcane or Divine. You should also check out the spell Arcane Spellsurge in Dragon Magic.

Possibly also get a standard Rod of Empower and two more 6th level Pearls of Power along with some Unguent of Timelessness. Cast Fire Seeds (PHB) Empowered to make eight holly berry bombs at a time, three times/day during your buffs with your Bead of Karma active, and put the 24 berries in the Unguent of Timelessness. Give them all the same activation trigger. At caster level 26 each berry will deal (1d8+26)x1.5, for an average of 366 damage per spell, 1098 for three spells' worth. Put the berries in a pouch and have your companion drop them in the center of up to four opponents and you can speak the command word as a free action out of turn. As long as the eagle flies over the spot it wants them to drop it can drop them as a free action and unerringly hit the spot it wants them at. Maybe give each set of three spells a different trigger word, though it would be tragic if you mixed up which pouch was dropped and blew up your companion...

I'm sure there's a Druid handbook somewhere (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=3.5+druid+handbook&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=3.5+druid+handbook&fp=DWOx7jnoh5E). If you ever cast Summon Nature's Ally for another combatant (I'd only do that in a Time Stop), get Storm Elementals from MM3 or Air Elementals in Whirlwind form. They're good for serving as a distraction for foes to waste their actions on, rather than dealing damage.

Brock Samson
2009-05-27, 12:51 AM
Thanks even more. Can anyone tell me about:
1. What items will up my spellcasting skill?

2. Do I need to worry about being silenced?

3. How can I protect myself from antimagic field+grappled?

4. What does Arcane Spellsurge do?

5. So now I'll be immune to all energies (yay!), provided it's not dispelled, and my resistance bonus will rock. No question here, just unmitigated yay.

6. Any other must-have items I should pick up? Wilding clasps definitely. Put them on virtually everything and be able to be uber-buffed even in animal form, on top of any spells to buff myself.

7. Can anyone tell me just how much gold I'll start with as a 22nd level character? I'd like to now start putting things down on a character sheet.

Brock Samson
2009-05-27, 01:21 AM
Oh, and does anyone want to help me think up a backstory/personality/name for this character now?

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-27, 02:18 AM
1. An item that grants a Competence bonus to Spellcraft will help with epic spells. You can get up to +30 on a non-epic item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/basics.htm), for 90,000 gp. The Strands of Prayer Beads have a Bead of Karma, which grants +4 caster level for 10 minutes 1/day. An Orange Prism Ioun Stone (DMG) gives +1 caster level, a Ring of Arcane Might (CA, MIC) gives +1 Arcane caster level. Pearls of Power for commonly used spells are good, Metamagic Rods are good.

2. If a Silence spell is targeted on a point in space near you, you won't get a saving throw for it but you can just move away. A Silence spell targeted at you allows a saving throw, but you can't move out of it. A Whisper Gnome with the Silencing Strike feat can no-save Silence you if he hits you with a sneak attack, but Fortification should protect you. Have a Contingency set to Dimension Door or Teleport you a certain distance away if you get Silence by an AoE on a point in space, if you think you should be worried about it. In Dire Tortoise form with Moment of Prescience for initiative you should get to act first every encounter, no matter what, so you shouldn't really worry about it. I'd get a Greater Metamagic Rod of Silent Spell just in case.

3. Freedom of Movement means you don't get grappled. If you do, a lowly 1st level Benign Transposition is usually enough to get out of it, otherwise use Abrupt Jaunt (PH2) or failing that Dimension Door. The spell Invoke Magic from Lords of Madness gets around AMF, use it to Teleport away and regroup or out of range and Iceberg them. If you see an opponent casting a spell you should always use Spellcraft to identify it, if it's AMF and you're close enough to be within the area use Abrupt Jaunt to get away, if you have it.

4. It reduces the casting time of your spells, for one round per level any spell you cast with a standard action casting time is now a swift action, a 1 round casting time becomes a standard action, and 2-10 round casting times take one fewer round to cast. It even affects the casting times of epic spells.

5. Indeed.

6. Starmantle Cloak in BoED maybe, Belt of Magnificense +6 from Miniatures Handbook is amazing, maybe also get a Monk's Belt effect added to it, and a Gemstone of Heavy Fortification from Draconomicon is a must-have. Get at least two fresh Rods of Absorption (DMG) and always be holding one.

Definitely get Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm), make it your belt, say it starts as Strength +2 (4000 gp); upgrade it to Magnificense +6 (196,000 gp), add Monk's Belt properties (13,000 gp x1.5), add +30 Spellcraft (90,000 gp x1.5), add Armor +10 (100,000 gp x1.5), add a +5 Enhancement bonus to armor (25,000 gp), add Ruby Cincture of Immutability properties (MIC, stops you from being forced into your normal form from a Wild Shape) (12,000 gp x1.5), add the properties of all seven of the pieces of the Seven Veils set (MIC, you can walk through Prismatic Walls/Spheres unhindered and are immune to Prismatic Spray) (63,000 gp x1.5), add Sustenance (as Ioun Stone) (4,000 gp, /2, x1.5), add Sustains without Air (as Ioun Stone) (18,000 gp, /2, x1.5), add Freedom of Movement (as Ring of) (40,000 gp x1.5), add the Wilding Clasp property (4,000 gp). Your total cost for this item is 363,250 gp and 28,740 xp. If you have minimum XP for ECL 22, you'll get an extra 23,100 xp from the 10% bonus your Item Familiar grants, putting you only 5640 xp behind for making that item yourself, or if you only want to pay that 10% extra XP (hiring others to do the other upgrades for you) it will cost you 433,750 gp and the 23,100 xp.

It will get three special abilities, plus one more when you hit level 23. It should have Purpose: Defend (your character's race, alignment, followers of your deity, etc.), Dedicated Power: Dimension Door on itself and you which it should use to escape bad situations, which costs another 50,000 gp. Its other two abilities should be Increased Sapience and Spell Use. Its ability scores should be Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 12, plus the +6 Enhancement bonus that the item has makes it Int 22, Wis 18, Cha 18. Invest a 9th level Wizard spell slot and you get a bonus 6th level Wizard spell slot. Designate which two of your prepared spells occupy those spell slots, and your item can cast those two spells for you if commanded, using its own actions to do so.

If you go Druid 1/ Wizard 3/ Druid 2/ MT 4/ AH 12 in that order, and take Item Familiar at level 3 and invest all of your skill points from then on, your invested skill points will total 66+(Int bonus x18), or your total skill points minus 20+(Int bonus before level 4 x6). Divide your invested skill points by three to determine the unnamed bonus to skill checks you can get, at 25 max ranks you can add up to +25 to a single skill, which should definitely go on Spellcraft first, then maybe Concentration, then probably divide the rest between Spot and Listen. If your Int score starts at 18 base, +1 for age at level 4, and +1 for levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, and a +5 Inherent bonus at level 16 via a +5 Tome, you'll have a total of 48 uninvested skill points, and 193 invested skill points. That gives you +64 to distribute among your skills, no more than your current ranks to any skill. I'd add +25 Spellcraft, +9 Concentration, and +15 to Listen and Spot.

If all else fails, your belt can always have an action readied to use its Dimension Door ability if it would come under direct or indirect attack, such as from Disarm, but note that Disjunction and Dispel as well as Sunder attempts cannot affect it as being an intelligent item it is treated as a construct, which means it stays functional in an Antimagic Field. For that reason, just add any other items you want to it as additional properties at x1.5 cost if they normally take a belt spot, x2.25 if they normally take a spot but have no waist-spot affinity (DMG sidebar page 288), or at /2, x1.5 if they normally don't take an item spot at all. It will cost you half that price in gold and 1/25th that price in XP to upgrade it. Remember that limited-charge or expendable items such as wands, potions, and a Rod of Absorption cannot be added to an intelligent item.

7. 1,200,000 gp at ECL 22.

Brock Samson
2009-05-27, 03:30 AM
Much thanks again. I still don't know how good the elven racial substitution level is vs. say, the Anthropomorphic Bat for the insane wisdom boost, or strongheart halfing, gnome, or even human. Middle-aged sounds like a decent-ish trade.

I also probably won't go with the item familiar, as awesome as it is, because it sounds like something the DM would have me for.

Arcane Spellsurge sounds OMGFAMAZING! What level is it? Seriously, that's like quicken-spell on crack. I keep thinking of how fun it'd be to turn into a large cat and pounce in, then swift action benign transposition, letting a melee'er with a delayed action full-attack to their heart's content. Keeping me safe and the damage pounded on. Of course it'd be a lot of fun to rain death from above as well as a small bird, or just chilling out inside the ground as an earth elemental and raining hell from underneath. With my familiar covering the air, and my changestaff for the ground level.

Question: so I'll want to stick in Arcane Heirophant as I level right? How exactly does that work, I thought it was a 10-level prestige class? (again, maybe showing my non-epic experience here).

Brock Samson
2009-05-27, 03:32 AM
Oh, and how much do I want "Assume Supernatural Ability?", I may or may not be able to take flaws.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-27, 07:17 PM
If you want to get Assume Supernatural Ability, then you want to take the feats Aberration Blood and Aberration Wild Shape from Lords of Madness. Your animal and even plant Wild Shape forms don't have many (if any) supernatural abilities that would be worth the feat, and Elemental Wild Shape grants you their supernatural abilities anyway. Aberration Wild Shape lets you take the form of a Choker (extra standard action every round) or a Beholder (eye rays at will), which makes Assume Supernatural Ability worth having. In the epic levels whoever acts first in a fight will usually win the fight, so always adventure in Dire Tortoise form and you'll always get a surprise round even if there normally wouldn't be one, or you'll always get to act in the surprise round if they surprise you in which case you can use Moment of Prescience to win initiative anyway. Taking a form with supernatural abilities is not worth not being able to act first.

Anthromorphic Bat is even cheesier than using Item Familiar. I'd probably go Gnome or Whisper Gnome (RoS), Race of Water (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) (UA), Dragonborn of Bahamut (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b&page=1) (RotD) with the Mind aspect, and specialize in Conjuration with Wizard for Abrupt Jaunt. They've done a good job of including extremely useful spells in all of the bannable schools in the higher levels, Evocation has Iceberg and Invoke Magic, Enchantment has Ray of Dizziness and then some, Necromancy has Enervation, and Illusion has Superior Invisibility. I'd probably get rid of Enchantment and probably either Illusion or Necromancy, though either would be a painful loss. And I'd get the Item Familiar, but maybe not make it so over-the-top. Keep in mind it will be extremely difficult to remove or destroy, so there shouldn't really be any risk of suffering the drawbacks of losing it. That it can't be Sundered or Disjoined and functions in an Antimagic Field, plus upgrading it yourself for half price and the 10% XP bonus, are enough to make it worth having.

At 20th level you should be Druid 3/ Wizard 3/ Mystic Theurge 4/ Arcane Heirophant 10. Once you go epic you can continue advancing Arcane Heirophant beyond level 10, assuming it would continue advancing both class' spellcasting as well as your Companion Familiar and Wild Shape abilities. Its d6 HP and four skill points/level alone make it better than finishing out Mystic Theurge, which becomes completely worthless after its tenth level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/prestigeClassProgressions.htm#epicMysticTheurge). If your DM decides to give Arcane Heirophant a worthless epic progression similar to the shaft that Mystic Theurge got, instead go two more levels of Wizard for the Spontaneous Divination variant in Complete Champion, then get three more Mystic Theurge levels and jump into Incantatrix (PGtF).

Arcane Spellsurge is a 7th level spell, but keep in mind you cannot make a spell take longer than normal to cast. If you want to cast two spells per round, one spell must have a normal casting time of a standard action, and the other must have a normal casting time of one round or two rounds. You cannot cast two spells which both have a normal casting time of a standard action unless you get Multispell, as both will count as a Swift Action.

graymachine
2009-05-27, 08:03 PM
Just some random things:

Necropolitan would be a decent template; it's a 1 LA that basically gives all of the undead immunities. I also think that it doesn't require you to be evil.

Try to find a monsterous humanoid that you like and apply the Monster of Legend template (MM2 or MM3). It's a +2 LA that will make you cry tears of joy. I think there's a list out there that sorts monsters by type.

Buy anything that can boost your Caster Level, price be damned. The Ioun Stone and the Ring are the obvious examples. Better yet, make them yourself; take the item creation feats that cover your items and essentially double your starting gold. It'll make you great friends in the party when you show up with potent presents that cost you next to nothing.

Make sure to take Craft Contingency. They are insanely expensive, but having multiple contingencies goes a long way towards keeping you alive. Furthermore, the spell the continguency uses doesn't have to be on your spell list, i.e. you pay a cleric to put a true rez in your contingency you're crafting.

I'm sure I'll have some others as they occur to me; a lot of this is what I included in my 19th lvl wizard I built for a planescape game. Fully tricked out, your casting stat should hover, like his, in the mid 40s.

P.S.- Try to swing the item familiar if you can; way to useful, regardless of what you tie it into.

P.P.S.- I built a Wizard/Ur-Priest/Mystic Theurge that worked out *very* well. I had my DM wave the evil requirement by presenting a different take on the gods, so maybe you can too.

sofawall
2009-05-27, 09:02 PM
I seem to recall some talk of AMF and being inside one, and am appalled we have yet to see Sculpt Spell/Mastery of Shaping.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-27, 09:23 PM
AMF with Extraordinary Spell Aim is probably the best way to go, but it's not within this character's means to make it Persistent so it's not really worth using.

Necropolitain is a death wish in the epic levels, of all the immunities undead gain they end up being one of the most vulnerable creature types the higher level you get.

Craft Contingent Spell in Complete Arcane is definitely something to get, use a flaw to shuffle your feats around and get it for sure. Make a Contingent Indomitability to trigger whenever it would be needed, and a Contingent Heal to trigger after that gets used. Contingent Revivify (get someone else to cast it as you create it) is also good to have, though I'd include a Contingent Greater Teleport to be cast on your corpse just prior to that going off.

graymachine
2009-05-27, 10:33 PM
AMF with Extraordinary Spell Aim is probably the best way to go, but it's not within this character's means to make it Persistent so it's not really worth using.

Necropolitain is a death wish in the epic levels, of all the immunities undead gain they end up being one of the most vulnerable creature types the higher level you get.

Craft Contingent Spell in Complete Arcane is definitely something to get, use a flaw to shuffle your feats around and get it for sure. Make a Contingent Indomitability to trigger whenever it would be needed, and a Contingent Heal to trigger after that gets used. Contingent Revivify (get someone else to cast it as you create it) is also good to have, though I'd include a Contingent Greater Teleport to be cast on your corpse just prior to that going off.


Craft Contingency has almost limitless uses. I found that it was best, after covering the bases Biffoniacus has touched on, is to set up big spells you might need tied to a key word phrase. This way you can get off big spells that you might desperately need with a free action (speech.)

I can agree that an undead template can become a large deficite, but assumably, the character is going to take necessary precautions. There are several feats/spells/etc. throughout a number of books that aid against turning/control (assuming this is what you mean), as well as against the lesser problems. My point here would be that the cost via Necropolitan would ultimately be lesser without some extremely clever jerry-mandering.

Brock Samson
2009-05-28, 12:05 AM
Actually, seeing as I'll get Shapechange from both my 9th level Druid Spells, and potentiall 9th level Wizard (if I take it), I can pretty much turn into anything and get their supernatural abilities can't I?

I'll definitely rock the Dire Tortoise form. Especially since Overland Flight is hours/level, only a 5th level spell (so easier than persisting swift fly), and means I can literally always be a flying Tortoise of amazingness (I'll win the race).

Are there any, any other items/spells that increase your caster level?

Craft Contingency sounds like it'll go a long, long way to keeping me alive. I might have to make it happen, even potenially over another feat, depending. If not I can still just use the "Contingency" spell to have Heal ready.

graymachine
2009-05-28, 06:59 PM
Well, make sure to take 2 flaws out of Unearthed Arcana to get 2 extra feats.

Also, I'd place getting Craft Contingency as a major goal. Keep in mind that when the contingency is triggered the effect is immediate; the casting time for the spell already occurred when the contingency was crafted. This means that a true rez brings you right back to life, albeit in the condition under true rez. You can also get the benefits of a prearranged Planar Ally while casting it "instantly." Level drain up to a certain point triggers a greater restoration. And so on. More than allowing you to protect yourself it allows you to set up clever gambits.

Have you settled on a race? If you can, you really want that Monster of Legend template.

Are you planning on taking Leadership/Epic Leadership? If so, what cohort ideas do you have?

I'm trying to recall all of the tricks I had, but I'm out of town, away from character sheets.

EDIT: You might want to take another look at Overland Flight. If I recall correctly, the fly speed is 30 feet and has a clumsy movement.

Brock Samson
2009-05-28, 11:06 PM
Actually I noticed today in Draconomicon that you can get "Dragonic Wings", 5th level spell, 1hour/level, and 100 ft fly. This... makes me happy.

I'm going to see if I can swing the 2 flaws.

I don't really want to slow down game play by taking leadership, seeing as I'll already have an animal companion and might be doing some summoning, I don't want to take much longer than anyone else to increase everyone's fun.

mostlyharmful
2009-05-29, 03:44 AM
I don't really want to slow down game play by taking leadership, seeing as I'll already have an animal companion and might be doing some summoning, I don't want to take much longer than anyone else to increase everyone's fun.

This is how a Druid should be, if you aren't taking more actions than the rest of your team put together by fifth level you're undermining yourself, between you, your AC, your summons, trained, charmed, dominated, and hired you should have a small army. Doens't mean you have to take them with you everywhere, just drag along your AC and cohort but that should be enough to tip you over the actions=power threshold.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-29, 01:28 PM
This is how a Druid should be, if you aren't taking more actions than the rest of your team put together by fifth level you're undermining yourself, between you, your AC, your summons, trained, charmed, dominated, and hired you should have a small army. Doens't mean you have to take them with you everywhere, just drag along your AC and cohort but that should be enough to tip you over the actions=power threshold.

Don't forget a Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) on top of everything else, what druid wouldn't want a second animal companion that's just as powerful as the first?