Best Lvl 10 Blaster?

[Delandel]

I'm trying to make a DD blaster that does the maximum pewpew possible with these restrictions:
Books: Core (PHB2), Completes, Races
Levels: Starts at 8, probably will finish at 10
Not allowed: Dragonwrought kobolds, incanatrix

From what I can tell, the best combination for blasting I can get is this:
Human Specialist Evoker 4 / Warmage 1 / Ultimate Magus 5

Feats:
1 - empower spell, metamagic school focus (evocation)
3 - practiced spellcaster (warmage)
6 - split ray
9 - residual magic
10 - maximize spell

Level 8 is -1 spell progression. Fireballs will be toasty because warmage edge is actually decent there. Empowered split scorching rays for big boom nova?
Level 9, +1 overall CL and one free empower / split meta per day. Residual magic could be fun.
Level 10, bonus feat, and a sweet 4 free empower / split meta per day. Empowered split enervation? Empowered maximized fireball?

Any way to make this better but keeping the DD emphasis in mind? I was considering spellscale sorcerer, same spell progression and access to practical metamagic and wings of cover/flurry. But that build looks way more feat starved so I'm not sure.

[woodenbandman]

Psion or Wilder.

Expanded Knowledge: Schism.

Either way, take Anarchic Initiate.

Use Wild Surge + Schism.

Profit.

[Mongoose87]

For the blaster, consider the Focused Specialist variant.

[Delandel]

You know, I've never actually looked into Psion or Wilder yet. Can it out-pew my build?

[PinkysBrain]

With linked synchronicity abuse? Sure.

[woodenbandman]

Synchronicity abuse isn't even necessary, though Linked Power is pretty much the be-all, end-all for action destruction. Here's a rundown.

Schism -> Wild Surging

Energy Stun (Double Threat powers are nice) + Linked Whatever + Schismed Energy Stun + Linked Whatever + Something quickened/swift + Linked whatever. That's 3 powers in the first round, 6 in the second. It'll burn your PP out like nothing you've ever experienced, but you can do it. And that's all that matters, right?

I think Wilders are just classier than psions, mainly because Wilder has its own niche and psions are kinda sorceror clones, but either one will work for the trick, as will an ardent. It's mainly just the power of Schism and Linked Power. Makes great for a BBEG, because if actions are power, then a god am psions.

[Myrmex]

Use solicit psicrystal to pass concentration of Energy Current (5th level power) to your psicrystal for at least 9d6 of damage to at least two targets/round.

Personally, I recommend psion or wilder, since it's easier for them to really pew pew without much feat investment or book work, and their spells are flexible with augmenting. All their energy spells do whatever damage you choose at the time of casting, too.

Though your build, coupled with Arcane Thesis & metamagic reducers could really put out some damage. I recommend going Focused Specialist. You get as many spells/day as a sorcerer, but have to give up another school.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I;m a big fan of the Magic missle spam.

Done as eaither a wizard or a sorcerer.

Arcane thesis mm
Metamagic school focus(evoc)
Twin spell
Empower spell
Quicken
resedule...

Can do alot of fun stuff may not seem like alot of dmg but you don't have to worry about immunities and you hit every thing all the time.. i would also pick up dispell for those pesky shield spells

Also I think you can splash wwarloci and go for eldritch thurge which i think can helpthe build...


But for simplisity go Wilder

[Myrmex]

Go with Missile Storm or whatever it's called. 3rd level version of Magic Missile in the Spell Compendium. Shield doesn't do squat to it.

[edit]
Oh yeah, books.
My bad. Ignore me.

[Stormthorn]

This stuff is all WAY above my optomization ability.

[gdiddy]

Shooty? I've got you're shooty.

Level Nine Warlock
Chaos Gnome


Feats
1 Point Blank Shot
3 Extra Invocation
6 Fly-By Attack
9 Quicken Spell Like Ability: Eldritch Blast 3/day

Invocations:

Least
Beguiling Influence
Entropic Warding
Frightening Blast

Lesser
Curse of Despair
Fell Flight
Walk Unseen


You aren't going to be very flashy, but you're going to be a flying concealed invisible gnome with a caster level of 10 in Warlock.

2 5d6 blasts a round, which can force a will save down the fear track. Throw in someone with intimidate, and you can just shoot them in the back as they run away from your bad self. DR/Cold Iron and Fast Heal make you even more survivable.

Curse of Despair on a flyby attack is everyone's friend. -6 to int destroys that oh-so-smart wizard, and -6 strength makes that armor kind of heavy. Of course, if you get creative with it and say, change their gender mid-fight, or make them blind and deaf, or if the target treats all humans as invisible (this makes your human barbarian friend much more dangerous). Of course, this is just the things that Wizards said were legal uses of Bestow Curse. You could probably come up with better stuff on the fly. If your Cha is at 22, then the Will save is a 20. In any case, you you have the all-purpose single target battlefield control.

Optimized? Not at all. More like the most ridiculous thing I could come up with.

[Gametime]

Unless I am much mistaken, Quicken Spell-Like Ability can't be used with Eldritch Blast. Quick Spell-Like Ability can only be applied to an ability with an effective spell level of half the caster level minus four, and Eldritch Blast is considered a spell of level equal to half your warlock level.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Unless I am much mistaken, Quicken Spell-Like Ability can't be used with Eldritch Blast. Quick Spell-Like Ability can only be applied to an ability with an effective spell level of half the caster level minus four, and Eldritch Blast is considered a spell of level equal to half your warlock level.

Errata fixed that.

[Kallisti]

Unless I am much mistaken, Quicken Spell-Like Ability can't be used with Eldritch Blast. Quick Spell-Like Ability can only be applied to an ability with an effective spell level of half the caster level minus four, and Eldritch Blast is considered a spell of level equal to half your warlock level.

I'm pretty sure there's just a flat number.

But for solid damage? Either go to Gleemax and find the mailman build, or just go ultimate magus. For pure awesome and respectable damage? Lazor Gnome all the way.

[gdiddy]

Of course, a wand of spectral hand, Boots of speed (for extra EBs), Wind Fan (for outrunning other flying stuff), and Gloves of Dex or Cloak of Cha +4.

It makes it possible to execute 4 touch ray attacks per round at 17.5 dmg per hit if you're nova-ing. Ideally against cursed/debuffed targets. 70 near-guaranteed damage for 3 rounds a day isn't bad. Also, you aren't going to get hit.

But I'm probably putting too much thought for a small-sized 1 LA warlock build.

[Godskook]

If you're going for a 1-target blaster, conjurer>evoker, due to orbs. Orb of fire does damage on an attack roll and dazes on a fort save.

[gdiddy]

In the first build, he already has the level in Warmage, presumably for the lesser orbs. Orbs are kind of problematic for bad BaB classes, though; causes MAD through dex.

[Myrmex]

If you're going for a 1-target blaster, conjurer>evoker, due to orbs. Orb of fire does damage on an attack roll and dazes on a fort save.

Only if you fight a lot of big party v1 monster type battles. Conjuration doesn't seem to have a whole lot going for it in terms of AoE damage.

Illusion w/ killer gnome is better than either school, for blasting. Ironically.

[RagnaroksChosen]

Only if you fight a lot of big party v1 monster type battles. Conjuration doesn't seem to have a whole lot going for it in terms of AoE damage.

Illusion w/ killer gnome is better than either school, for blasting. Ironically.

1st:
Hail stone
2nd:
Ice knife
3rd:
Acid breathe
4th:
Blast of flame
5th:
Vitrolic sphere
6th:
acid storm
acid fog
7 none
8: Incendiary cloud.
9: sphere of ultimate destruction

All of these have an Aoe element to them and are from conjuration i belive.

[Delandel]

Well, for my build at level 10 it can do something like this:
1st round: Empowered (free, Magus) Scorching Ray (12d6+5)+50%
2nd round: Empowered (residual) Maximized Split Scorching Ray [(16*6)+5]+50% = 151 damage if you land 4 touch attacks, no SR no save. Granted, that's quite a nova, but sustainable if I switch metamagic school focus for arcane thesis. I probably should do that, but I liked the idea of flexibility.

The warmage level is to qualify for Ultimate Magus. It was that or Sorcerer. Warmage edge is actually decent with AOE spells like fireball since it applies the damage to each creature.

I think this build out-pews Warlocks, and has access to better debuffs + utility, though it probably can't do as much sustained damage AND debuff at the same time. The idea of a flying demonic gnome changing people's genders in the middle of battle is pretty much WIN in my eyes though. I'm very curious about psionics too. 9d6 to two targets a round, sustainable? That's 18d6 damage, pretty huge if you can modify it further.

I'm going to crack open the psionics books as soon as I have some time.

[Keld Denar]

The warmage level is to qualify for Ultimate Magus. It was that or Sorcerer. Warmage edge is actually decent with AOE spells like fireball since it applies the damage to each creature.

Um...no no it doesn't. Edge only applies to one creature per spell. Its dumb, but thems the rules.

[Godskook]

Only if you fight a lot of big party v1 monster type battles.

Or for shutting down the 'leader' in more regular encounters.


Illusion w/ killer gnome is better than either school, for blasting. Ironically.

Some of us(me in particular), think that shadow spells and shadowcraft mage are made of the kind of stinky cheese that makes Incantrix look respectable. Here's one spell that replicates an entire school of magic. Oh look, they gave it a second save to make it worse. Nope! Now, failing that save makes the spell better! I personally refuse to play a character with them memorized(at least, with optimization). Hell, for duplicating the relevant spells, shadow spells > miracle/wish at being miracle/wish. That's not right.

[tyckspoon]

Um...no no it doesn't. Edge only applies to one creature per spell. Its dumb, but thems the rules.

No, he was right. Fireball is one of the specific examples in the book; it applies to all creatures affected. The restriction is that each victim can only suffer one instance of Warmage Edge- if you hit somebody with five Magic Missiles/three Scorching Rays/whatever, you still only apply Warmage Edge once.

[Keld Denar]

Its about the most screwed up text I've ever read, honestly...



A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all creatures in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level warmage casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the warmage’s choice) gains the extra damage, even if both missiles are directed at the same target. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.


So, a Magic Missile that affects 2 different targets doesn't get it, while a Fireball that affects 2 different targets does? I mean, the Magic Missile example has the qualifier "even if both missiles are directed at the same target". So, a Magic Missile cast against 2 targets specifically wouldn't get edge. So, in one case, you have a single spell (Fireball) affecting multiple targets, getting edge on all of them. In the other case, you have a single spell (Magic Missile) affecting multiple targets, and only getting edge against one of them.

The example text directly contradicts itself, and the rule in the first sentance: "A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting." So yea...do what you want, but regardless, the text is horribly worded and ruled. Better wording would have been what they used for Fel Draining or simlar metamagic, which can only affect a single target once per spell, rather than how edge is laid out in CArcane.

[gdiddy]

Luckily, no one plays warmages...

[kamikasei]

It seems straightforward enough to me. A fireball is a single source of damage, though it may affect multiple people. A higher-level magic missile is multiple sources of damage, just as a scorching ray or other such spells are, even though all those sources may be directed at the same target.

It's clear enough how to apply it, it's baffling why they'd want it to work that way though. It's too arbitrary to make much sense for balance purposes.

[Tyndmyr]

Go with Missile Storm or whatever it's called. 3rd level version of Magic Missile in the Spell Compendium. Shield doesn't do squat to it.

[edit]
Oh yeah, books.
My bad. Ignore me.

Chain Missile. It's long range, too, which is handy.

Basically, same missiles as produced by magic missile. You get to target 1+ levels/2 creatures, all the missiles hit the primary target, then bounce to hit secondary targets. Pretty useful, especially with metamagic. Especially Fell Drain, my personal favorite. Combine that with some means of acceleration, preferably twin spell and quicken spell, and watch things die horribly fast. Metamagic reducers are needed tho, so it is feat heavy.

Of course, making a pure blaster build is probably going to involve metamagic and metamagic reduction regardless, so it's not much of a sacrifice.

[Soras Teva Gee]

So, a Magic Missile that affects 2 different targets doesn't get it, while a Fireball that affects 2 different targets does?

One Fireball targets one area and Magic Missile targets up to five targets. And Magic Missile get one edge on one missile. If it got the edge while targeting two targets but not one, you'd have a weird dichotomy between having one missile enhanced then multiple missile enhanced merely by directing them differently. Its written so that it adds your Int modifier to damage but can't be stacked. Course it might begin to make Warmages not suck if it did apply to every instance plus used the actual casting stat.... well then if Warmages can also cast with metamagic as a standard action and with use of Arcane Thesis and ample metamagic plus a few rods of.... you'd could deal out quite a bit of damage.

Course nothing a Wizard or Metamagic Sorceror couldn't do, nevermind with Incantrix levels....

(Though back a moment, is a Warmage considered to case spontaneously. As in coming under the full-round-action rule?)

[tyckspoon]

One Fireball targets one area and Magic Missile targets up to five targets. And Magic Missile get one edge on one missile. If it got the edge while targeting two targets but not one, you'd have a weird dichotomy between having one missile enhanced then multiple missile enhanced merely by directing them differently. Its written so that it adds your Int modifier to damage but can't be stacked.


Doesn't strike me as a dichotomy; Fell Drain has a version that makes a lot more sense. It treats the *spell* as enhanced, not the individual missiles, and each spell may only inflict the Drain effect once. So a dude who gets hit by all five missiles was still only attacked by one spell, and five separate dudes who all get hit by one missile (or one fireball).. still are all attacked by one spell, so they all eat one level. Warmage Edge really should be errata'd to the same wording.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Doesn't strike me as a dichotomy; Fell Drain has a version that makes a lot more sense. It treats the *spell* as enhanced, not the individual missiles, and each spell may only inflict the Drain effect once. So a dude who gets hit by all five missiles was still only attacked by one spell, and five separate dudes who all get hit by one missile (or one fireball).. still are all attacked by one spell, so they all eat one level. Warmage Edge really should be errata'd to the same wording.

And I continue to think that makes less sense then either applied to one instance, or allowing to stack. It makes something like magic missile into a field sort of effect over an area, as opposed to being hit by essentially separate compact spells. Why shouldn't being hit more then once be like getting hit with a sword more then once. What basis for "should" aside from preferences on game balance is there?

(Though I do understand this sort of judgement is subjective)

[Myrmex]

1st:
Hail stone
2nd:
Ice knife
3rd:
Acid breathe
4th:
Blast of flame
5th:
Vitrolic sphere
6th:
acid storm
acid fog
7 none
8: Incendiary cloud.
9: sphere of ultimate destruction

All of these have an Aoe element to them and are from conjuration i belive.

True, but few of them do large amounts of burst damage in very wide areas. Most of the AoE fog-type spells require you to keep enemies trapped in them.


Its about the most screwed up text I've ever read, honestly...



So, a Magic Missile that affects 2 different targets doesn't get it, while a Fireball that affects 2 different targets does? I mean, the Magic Missile example has the qualifier "even if both missiles are directed at the same target". So, a Magic Missile cast against 2 targets specifically wouldn't get edge. So, in one case, you have a single spell (Fireball) affecting multiple targets, getting edge on all of them. In the other case, you have a single spell (Magic Missile) affecting multiple targets, and only getting edge against one of them.

The example text directly contradicts itself, and the rule in the first sentance: "A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting." So yea...do what you want, but regardless, the text is horribly worded and ruled. Better wording would have been what they used for Fel Draining or simlar metamagic, which can only affect a single target once per spell, rather than how edge is laid out in CArcane.

It obviously means that you can't use Warmage Edge against the same target multiple times with a "barrage" type attack, just like you can't get multiple sneak attacks with Scorching Ray.

[RagnaroksChosen]

True, but few of them do large amounts of burst damage in very wide areas. Most of the AoE fog-type spells require you to keep enemies trapped in them.


I guess Acid breathe and Blast of flame are two that have decent areas and do some good dmg.
Blast of flame is a 60ft cone

[Samb]

I'd say wilder is the way to go. Wild surge to buff damage and save PP, surging euphoria and 3/4 BAB progression all make it stirctly better at blasting than psion.

If you have the book Untapped Potential, the Meanad sub levels are definatily worth taking. At level 1 you don't gets dazed with wild surge, at level 3 you can add another +2 to your wild surge when you use outburst.
Also pick up the ACF educated for more powers and don't forget to research must have powers.

[Samb]

Sample wilder blaster build (with educated AFC):
1)Maenad sub level (linked power)
2)wilder
3)Meanad sub level (Inquisitor)
4)wilder
5)wilder (EK: Minor creation)
6)wilder (Practised manifester)
7-8)wilder
9)Wilder (EK: energy missile)
10) Cognition Thief (schism and another telepath only power)

Maenad race will negate the daze chance on wild surge and lets you boost ML with outburst.

Educated will turn the class feature volatile mind into EKs.

Inquisitor is to qualify for Cognition Thief PrC. Just make sure you have the power psionic blast the qualify for CogThief. The PrC is just there to let you get schism faster, but it is very good in its own right.

Practised manifester will make schism only -2 ML as opposed to -6, and allow you to pick better powers as you advance CogThief.

[Jeff240sx]

Well, for my build at level 10 it can do something like this:
1st round: Empowered (free, Magus) Scorching Ray (12d6+5)+50%
2nd round: Empowered (residual) Maximized Split Scorching Ray [(16*6)+5]+50% = 151 damage if you land 4 touch attacks, no SR no save. Granted, that's quite a nova, but sustainable if I switch metamagic school focus for arcane thesis. I probably should do that, but I liked the idea of flexibility.

I'm not a rules lawyer, but I'm about to prestige into Ultimate Magus myself.

And I don't think that you can do this via UM. The class ability states that you cannot modify a spell already enhanced with metamagic.
So if you took the liberal interpretation of Residual Metamagic, then you could keep Empowered the following round, but you couldn't do the Maximized Split routine the following, as it would be metamagic'd from memorization, and wouldn't allow the UM ability to add another.

Your better casting would be Split Scorching Ray (16d6 +5=61avg) in round 1, and then Twinned/Repeated Split(residual) Scorching Ray (32d6 +10=122avg) in round 2.

I don't even like Scorching Ray at level 10, I prefer an Orb. No SR, 1 attack, and should be something around 11d6 + save vs. suck.
Quickened Orb, Twinned Orb of something else in round 1. 33d6 +10= 125avg
Residual Twinned + adamixtured orb in round 2. 44d6+10 = 164. Assuming that your quickened didn't residual also...

[Delandel]

Clearly I must look into this wilder class. Thanks for the suggestion!

About my example, I'm assuming that I prepared Scorching Ray (unmodified) and Maximized Split Scorching Ray (+3 lvl adjustment using metamagic school focus, making it a 5th lvl slot). I use the UM ability for the unmodified ray making it empowered, and then use the residual feat to carry on the empower to my max/split ray. I don't use the UM augment ability on the second cast. I'm pretty sure that works, but I could be wrong.

I picked s-ray because at level 10 I'm casting like a level 11, making me roll 12d6 unmodified. I dunno how you'd be able to do quicken + twin orbs, that's at least +6 adjustment and UM can't help you shave that down until you have 8 lvls in the PrC.