PDA

View Full Version : A good (cold) blaster mage PrC?



Lord of Syntax
2009-08-16, 03:28 PM
I am looking for a good 10-lvl full caster w/ cold or non-element specific blasting PrC for a sorcerer arount level 8? :smallconfused:

#Raptor
2009-08-16, 03:35 PM
Well, theres the Frost Mage from Frostburn... haven't taken a closer look at it yet, but entry is really easy and it doesn't loose caster levels, so it can't be too bad.

/E: Heh, just noticed that this PrC can be entered at lvl 6 instead of lvl 7 - most caster PrCs for Sorcerers can only be entered at lvl 7. Nice.
The bonus spells ain't terrible either, especially for a Sorcerer.

So, the bottom line is... looks like a really good choice for a Ice Blaster Sorcerer.

Salt_Crow
2009-08-16, 03:36 PM
I am looking for a good 10-lvl full caster w/ cold or non-element specific blasting PrC for a sorcerer arount level 8? :smallconfused:

Frost Mage from Frostburn is a cold-themed (duh) 10/10 spellcasting PrC. I'd probably only take the first 4 levels though; Piercing Cold is such a nice feat after all.

Of course, going Incantatrix never hurts either.

RTGoodman
2009-08-16, 03:37 PM
Just moved and don't have my D&D books with me, but there's the Elemental Savant PrC in either CDiv or CArc that lets you focus on an element, and I'd guess Cold is a choice.

Alternatively, if you've got Frostburn, most of the PrCs (and feats, and spells, and so on) are cold-related. That's probably the way to go.

Eldariel
2009-08-16, 03:48 PM
Elemental Savant is sorta meh due to losing out on two levels of casting; due to metamagic, that actually weakens your offensive capabilities (higher level slots, the more metamagic you can use). As a corollary, the best offensive PrC is the one that best enables using Metamagic - Incantatrix. The level 10 ability in particular is pure gold - an epic feat on level 15.

That said, yeah, Frost Mage sorta does what you want - the only problem is that few of the class features are actually geared towards spellcasting. Aside from Piercing Cold, none help you cast better offensively. Same really goes for Elemental Savant though; all it does is give you an elemental-specific Greater Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Focus. Those rarely are the factors you focus on as a blaster mage anyways (you can pierce Spell Resistance well enough when you care to, and more importantly, you can choose spells that don't grant it; Spell Focus is even more meh as it's a save for half). Both classes have most of their class features focused on weird stuff like Natural Armor, energy resistance and such...basically, becoming an elemental.


So yeah, I strongly suggest you focus your feats on the theme and pick a generic Wizard PrC using it to focus on blasting. There really is no class in print that would improve your offensive casting relevantly, other than Incantatrix (even metamagic specialists are sorta barren after that).

Salt_Crow
2009-08-16, 03:57 PM
So taking Eldariel's advice, you could go Sorcerer 6/Frost Mage 4/Incantatrix 10 with not much difficulties.

Lord of Syntax
2009-08-16, 04:02 PM
I can't have anything Faerun/Forgotten Realms/Eberron stuff so incantirix is out...

Tetsubo 57
2009-08-16, 04:23 PM
Can you take the Energy Substitution feat and just play a straight Sorcerer?

PinkysBrain
2009-08-16, 04:34 PM
What would be the point? Even a poor full progression prestige class is still better than sorcerer levels.

Eldariel
2009-08-16, 04:35 PM
You could try the Wild Mage + Practiced Spellcaster "trick" for higher caster levels earlier. Of course, you'll have to ask your DM that he accepts it (it's fine by RAW, but obviously a trick), but there you go.

The only real way to upgrade your offense is to up your caster level or get precision damage. Archmage does it, Red Wizard does it (but while it's in DMG, it's sorta settings specific - great option if you can pick it tho), Ultimate Magus does it (but requires a second class to advance alongside), and that's about it (other than for Shadowcraft Mage-tricks, but while that makes for great blasting, it's probably not what you're after here).


Precision damage pretty much requires a non-caster dip anyways; Rogue, Spellthief or similar for the starting point and then Unseen Seer, Spellwarp Sniper, Arcane Trickster or something like that to build onto the base precision damage. Oh, and qualifying for precision damage is something you need to account for here - probably not what your ordinary blaster is looking for.

Good news is that cold casting is well supported by stuff in Frostburn. Snowcasting & Piercing Cold are both handy feats. Spell Thematics, Arcane Thesis and few more and you can really be pumping up your caster level to get those 25d6 Polar Rays when you get it (which makes the spell almost worth casting over metamagicked lower level ones, though not quite).

HamHam
2009-08-16, 04:48 PM
Elemental Savant actually works kind of well with Frost Mage because Frost Mage lets you overcome, somewhat, the main weakness of Elemental Savant which is energy resistance.

And you only lose CL at level 5.

So, a Sorcerer 5/Frost Mage 4/Elemental Savant 4/X 7 build is pretty solid.

Throw in Snowcasting, Cold Focus, and possibly stuff like Cold Specialization (if you will be spending time in cold environments).

Also, Lord of the Uttercold from CA can make all your Cold spells deal half negative energy damage, which with Elemental Savant will be all of them. Combined with Piercing Cold, you can deal 75% damage to cold immune creatures and 50% damage to Cold subtype creatures assuming they are not also resistant or immune to negative energy.

tyckspoon
2009-08-16, 07:35 PM
What would be the point? Even a poor full progression prestige class is still better than sorcerer levels.

Unless the entry prerequisites also suck- it's better to be a regular Sorcerer and have your limited choices remain open than to have to burn two-three feats, cross-class skill points, or spells known on things you otherwise have no use for.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-08-17, 08:54 AM
Elemental Savant actually works kind of well with Frost Mage because Frost Mage lets you overcome, somewhat, the main weakness of Elemental Savant which is energy resistance.

And you only lose CL at level 5.

So, a Sorcerer 5/Frost Mage 4/Elemental Savant 4/X 7 build is pretty solid.

Throw in Snowcasting, Cold Focus, and possibly stuff like Cold Specialization (if you will be spending time in cold environments).

Also, Lord of the Uttercold from CA can make all your Cold spells deal half negative energy damage, which with Elemental Savant will be all of them. Combined with Piercing Cold, you can deal 75% damage to cold immune creatures and 50% damage to Cold subtype creatures assuming they are not also resistant or immune to negative energy.The main weakness of Elemental Savant is lost casting.

Frosty
2009-08-17, 12:02 PM
If nothing else, you can always eventually go into Fatespinner and Archmage.

Doc Roc
2009-08-17, 12:43 PM
Actually, Eldariel is incorrect just this once. :smallwink:
There is precisely one superb blasty-blasty PrC in print, the excellent War Mage from Age of Mortals. Across five levels you get:

Your Cha to AC for 3 or so Allies.
+3 to each damage die of all spells you cast.
Free metamagic feats.
Full casting.

Pre-reqs are trivial. It's basically designed specifically for sorcerers, too.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-08-17, 12:48 PM
Actually, Eldariel is incorrect just this once. :smallwink:
There is precisely one superb blasty-blasty PrC in print, the excellent War Mage from Age of Mortals. Across five levels you get:

Your Cha to AC for 3 or so Allies.
+3 to each damage die of all spells you cast.
Free metamagic feats.
Full casting.

Pre-reqs are trivial. It's basically designed specifically for sorcerers, too.Your failure to mention Incantatrix scares and confuses me.

Doc Roc
2009-08-17, 12:49 PM
Incantatrix is banned at most tables, and isn't a blasty-blasty PrC. It's THE PrC when it's allowed. Failing to take it indicates you aren't interested in the optimum, which is perfectly fine by me. It's literally good enough that every caster who can have it should have at least three levels of it, preferably five, and probably 10. That's not a PrC I want to talk about seriously.

Here, for reference, is my incantatrix build:

Silverbrow Human Female
2 flaws
Buy Iron Will with Otyugh Hole. Buy box of chocolates for GM.
Wizard 3/ early entry War Weaver 5/Incantatrix 3/Tainted Scholar 2/Incantatrix 7

Frosty
2009-08-17, 12:52 PM
But the Warmage seems so good that no sorc in his right mind would turn it down. That also screams a bit of overpowered-ness.

Doc Roc
2009-08-17, 01:01 PM
Actually, if you aren't casting for damage, War Mage is completely pointless really. The Metamagic feats are picked from a short-list of blaster-centric feats. The damage bonuses only apply, obviously, to damage spells you toss out. The Cha to AC is nice, but it's easily gained in other ways.

Eldariel
2009-08-17, 02:23 PM
Actually, Eldariel is incorrect just this once. :smallwink:
There is precisely one superb blasty-blasty PrC in print, the excellent War Mage from Age of Mortals. Across five levels you get:

Your Cha to AC for 3 or so Allies.
+3 to each damage die of all spells you cast.
Free metamagic feats.
Full casting.

Pre-reqs are trivial. It's basically designed specifically for sorcerers, too.

I, actually, was not even aware of the existence of the said book (and my knowledge of D&D 3.X books is quite extensive). Mostly because my Dragonlance Fu is practically inexistent - I own precisely one Dragonlance-book in Dragonlance Campaign Settings and never really read much of worthwhile stuff outside it. I guess I must take a second look now :smalltongue:

But yeah, if that's accessible and you are really sure you want blasting, go for it! Awesome to have someone else covering for my mistakes :smallwink:

Jalor
2009-08-17, 03:37 PM
It's safe to assume that no FR or Eberron means no Dragonlance either.

Sorcerer 5/Frost Mage 4/Mindbender 1/Elemental Savant 4/Fatespinner 4/XX 2?

If your DM allows War Mage and you find some totally honest and legal way to get the book, then try Sorcerer 5/Frost Mage 4/War Mage 5/Elemental Savant 4/XX 2.

Doc Roc
2009-08-17, 03:39 PM
But yeah, if that's accessible and you are really sure you want blasting, go for it! Awesome to have someone else covering for my mistakes :smallwink:

It's really bloody obscure. It's not like you forgot to mention incantatrix or something. <3