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Coplantor
2010-03-12, 07:31 AM
So, my plan to play optimus prime was foiled by the fact that, the campaign wont be played, players wont show to the game and other stuff.

So, the solution was to play an E6 game that will rotate the DM between myself and the other two players set in medieval europe.

So, I decided to finally give a try to the wizard, of course, I wont be GOD because advancement stops at lvl 6, but I want to optimize a bit not to take the spot in the light but to provide as much help as possible to my fellow players.
Anyway, I decided to play a somewhat serious spanish wizard with a golden heart.

I noticed, while reading the complete arcane book, that some PrC can be accessed at lvl 6, so they felt like a nice "achivement" for my final level. If i'm going for a specialist wizard, then the mage of the arcane order seems like an awesome choice, mindbender's special telepathic ability is cool, and wildmage + practiced spell caster would improve my CL to 6 + d6

point buy 32, pretty much every sourcebook.

Requirements: Human. Bonus points if you can raise my caster level above my HD.

Aaaaaand GO!

Riffington
2010-03-12, 07:38 AM
and wildmage + practiced spell caster would improve my CL to 6 + d6


3+d6. You only get to add the +4 if you gain a hit die during the casting of a spell.
Mindbender is quite strong for this - your telepathy will be rare and highly useful.

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 07:51 AM
3+d6 min 6.
Mindbender is quite strong for this - your telepathy will be rare and highly useful.

It is indeed, plus he would be a strategist/tactician, so beign able to comunicate silently with everyone in a 100ft radius is a great advantage,
But extra spll slots + spell pool is quite awesome too

Runestar
2010-03-12, 07:59 AM
Focused specialist conjurer3/master specialist3. You aren't god, but still come pretty darn close.

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 08:03 AM
Focused specialist conjurer3/master specialist3. You aren't god, but still come pretty darn close.

Can you give me the sources fot his?

Gaiyamato
2010-03-12, 08:07 AM
Complete Mage. All of it is from Complete Mage.
I also love to use the custom spellbooks options from Complete Arcane as well. :D

Use the UA Conjurer variant and toss away your familiar for Rapid Summing and your scribe scroll for Augmented Summoning for free and get much better summon spells in for the bargain.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants

Runestar
2010-03-12, 08:09 AM
Throw in PHB2 for the abrupt jaunt alternate class feature. Complete arcane for sculpt spell. Else, most of the good conjuration spells are core. :smallsmile:

Gaiyamato
2010-03-12, 08:12 AM
If they allow non WoTC splat books you could also grab Enhanced Summoning from 101 Spellbooks by Studio Ronin. So you memorise your Summoning spells as one level lower (so Summon Monster I uses a 0th level spell slot).


Throw in PHB2 for the abrupt jaunt alternate class feature. Complete arcane for sculpt spell. Else, most of the good conjuration spells are core. :smallsmile:

Orbs kick ass and are non-core.

Awesome spell list online here btw:
http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/Index_Class_Desc.php?Class=Sor%2FWiz

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 08:15 AM
Complete Mage. All of it is from Complete Mage.
I also love to use the custom spellbooks options from Complete Arcane as well. :D

Use the UA Conjurer variant and toss away your familiar for Rapid Summing and your scribe scroll for Augmented Summoning for free and get much better summon spells in for the bargain.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants

If I go ths way I will use the Mage of the Arcane Order PrC at level 6 to get prohibited school spells from the spell pool.
Are there anyways to raise caster lvl?

Gaiyamato
2010-03-12, 08:26 AM
If I go ths way I will use the Mage of the Arcane Order PrC at level 6 to get prohibited school spells from the spell pool.
Are there anyways to raise caster lvl?

Lots. Practised Spellcaster. But you will be wanting to raise it above your character level. I'm not sure of many ways that do not use magic items below level 6. You could take one of the reserve feats at level 5 and get a +1 boost for some spells sometimes. Arcane Thesis works on only one spell.

If you take Master Specialist and stick to it it does give you Caster Level increases however.

Also I'd seriously look at this:
Wizard 3/Master Specialist 2/Mage of the Arcane Order 1

You will need:
Spell Focus(Conjuration) <-- useful anyway and needed for MS.
1 Metamagic feat
Cooperative Spell

MS gives you Skill Focus (Spellcraft) + 1 free 2nd level or lower Conjuration spell.

take the variant and get either Abrupt Jaunt or Rapid Summoning and always lose the Scribe Scroll for Augmented Summoning.

Feats like Dimensional Reach are useful as well.

Snowcasting (+1 caster level if you use snow as a component - may use summoned snow) and Icy Calling (+4 STR, +4 DEX for summoned critters, max HP if summoned into cold temperatures) are also awesome ideas for a summoner.
Check them out in Frostburn.

Drift magic in sandstorm also adds +1 CL.

Take them both to summon [EARTH]+[COLD] earth creatures with +8STR, +4CON and +4DEX at +2 CL. lol.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-03-12, 08:34 AM
If you want to go the path of the most power, make a Spanish Kobold Wizard instead. It's a bit complicated, but it works out in the end:

It starts off with Battle Sorcerer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererVariantBattleS orcerer) from UA, also using the Stalwart Sorcerer variant from Complete Mage. You'll probably want to just take all six levels in this, since you'll be getting 3/4 BAB and 1d8+2+con HP/level. There are a lot of tricks involved in this, as follows:

You'll need the Dragonwrought feat and the Draconic Rite of Passage ritual from Races of the Dragon, and the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a).

Add to that the Sovereign Archtypes from Dragons of Eberron, specifically the Loredrake archtype which increases your Sorcerer spellcasting ability by +2 levels. This costs you nothing, it's one of the benefits of being a true dragon (with age categories) thanks to being Dragonwrought, which is detailed in Races of the Dragon.

Finally, you get the Spellhoarding template from Dragon 313. This exchanges your (gimped) Sorcerer spellcasting ability for Wizard spellcasting of equal level. The penalties those Sorcerer variants applied to your spells/day and spells known are lost along with the Sorcerer spellcasting progression, replaced entirely by Wizard spellcasting progression of equal level. At level 1 you'll be casting as a 3rd level Wizard, by level 6 you'll be casting as a 9th level Wizard, which means 5th level spells in E6.

Another benefit of Spellhoarding is that you don't need a spellbook, your spells are written on your scales, known as your spellhoard. Its size is limited only by how much time you wish to spend writing spells down. You can sacrifice spells from your spellhoard to substitute costly material components and XP costs for spells you cast. You can counterspell an opponent's spell and automatically add it to your spellhoard. You can even cast a spell directly from your spell hoard, as though it were cast from a scroll, in which case the spell is erased from the spellhoard. Note that you can copy the same spells multiple times in order to fuel these abilities. It also grants Int +2, Wis -4, a +5 bonus to Spellcraft checks, and you get Scribe Scroll and Eschew Materials for free. Keep in mind that a Wizard can learn spells higher level than what he can cast, and this is no exception. If you were to find a higher level spell, possibly from some ancient lore, you could add it to your spellhoard (multiple times) and then cast it as though from a scroll.


I'll agree that Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 3 is probably your strongest choice, especially considering the Abrupt Jaunt ACF in PH2. Enhanced Summoning and Rapid Summoning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants) are also strong choices, though you can't trade out your Familiar twice for both Abrupt Jaunt and Rapid Summoning. If you want to get both of those, take the feat Obtain Familiar (CA) and trade that for one ability and your class-granted familiar for the other. You could even go something like Beguiler 1/ Wizard 1/ Master Specialist 4 with the feat Versatile Spellcaster from Races of the Dragon. That will also allow you to spend Beguiler spell slots to spontaneously cast any Wizard spell you know of up to 2nd level, making it an extremely versatile build. Take the feat Able Learner from Races of Destiny and it won't cost cross-class ranks to keep up those nice Beguiler class skills. You can even go with an Illumian (RoD) with the Krau sigil to make up the caster level loss, which still qualifies for Able Learner due to its Human subtype.

Edit: Orange Prism Ioun Stone, Ring of Arcane Might.

Gaiyamato
2010-03-12, 08:41 AM
Yeah.. or just do that. rofl.

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 08:45 AM
Stuff

And this is why I love DnD, character creation and build is an art form.

Sadly, I wont take this masterpiece, I want to play a human.

Mushroom Ninja
2010-03-12, 09:05 AM
Focused Specialist Conjuror 3/Master Specialist 3

Drop your familiar for Abrupt Jaunt (phb2)

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 09:09 AM
wich are the main benefits of the master specialist?
Also, wich schools should I drop?

EDIT: By focused specialist you mean using the focus caster variant?

Draz74
2010-03-12, 11:24 AM
Mindbender doesn't seem compatible with "a heart of gold" to me. Plus it means you can't drop Enchantment, which is IMO the weakest school overall.

And you should definitely trade your familiar out for something cool (Abupt Jaunt or otherwise), since you can (eventually) just pick one up again via feat.

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 11:28 AM
Oh, I was only going to take the first mindbender level, for the telepathy. But I think I'm going for the Conj 3, MS 2, MoAO 1.

Draz74
2010-03-12, 11:33 AM
Oh, I was only going to take the first mindbender level, for the telepathy. But I think I'm going for the Conj 3, MS 2, MoAO 1.

Yeah, my comments are still valid even for 1 level of Mindbender. :smalltongue: Your other plan sounds good, though.

One more warning: E6 sometimes allows awesome capstone feats to reward pureclass characters. Make sure there aren't any Wizard 6-only capstone feats being offered that you'll be very sorry to miss out on.

Coplantor
2010-03-12, 11:36 AM
One more warning: E6 sometimes allows awesome capstone feats to reward pureclass characters. Make sure there aren't any Wizard 6-only capstone feats being offered that you'll be very sorry to miss out on.

I already checked that, they require Caster lvl 6 Mbwahahaha!

Gnorman
2010-03-12, 01:07 PM
If you want to go the path of the most power, make a Spanish Kobold Wizard instead. It's a bit complicated, but it works out in the end:

Quick question: Spanish? Aroooooo? Am I missing something really obvious here, or was anyone else confused/intrigued by that as well?


take the variant and get either Abrupt Jaunt or Rapid Summoning and always lose the Scribe Scroll for Augmented Summoning.

Snowcasting (+1 caster level if you use snow as a component - may use summoned snow) and Icy Calling (+4 STR, +4 DEX for summoned critters, max HP if summoned into cold temperatures) are also awesome ideas for a summoner.
Check them out in Frostburn.

Drift magic in sandstorm also adds +1 CL.

Take them both to summon [EARTH]+[COLD] earth creatures with +8STR, +4CON and +4DEX at +2 CL. lol.

Augment Summoning and Icy Calling's STR bonuses don't stack.

gorfnab
2010-03-12, 03:23 PM
Not exactly a wizard but a support caster anyways Mystic Ranger (Dragon 336 or here (http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Classes-Base.pdf) on page 91) with Sword of the Arcane Order (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Sword_of_the_Arcane_Order) (CoV) feat can easily pretend to be a wizard (casts sorc/wiz spells from a spellbook), can be more versatile, and be more self sufficient. Plus if you take the Wildshape (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/dnd35/soveliorsage/unearthedCoreClass.html#simple-ranger) variant ranger (UA) you can pretend to be a druid too.

faceroll
2010-03-12, 03:55 PM
If you want to go the path of the most power, make a Spanish Kobold Wizard instead. It's a bit complicated, but it works out in the end:

It starts off with Battle Sorcerer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererVariantBattleS orcerer) from UA, also using the Stalwart Sorcerer variant from Complete Mage. You'll probably want to just take all six levels in this, since you'll be getting 3/4 BAB and 1d8+2+con HP/level. There are a lot of tricks involved in this, as follows:

You'll need the Dragonwrought feat and the Draconic Rite of Passage ritual from Races of the Dragon, and the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a).

Add to that the Sovereign Archtypes from Dragons of Eberron, specifically the Loredrake archtype which increases your Sorcerer spellcasting ability by +2 levels. This costs you nothing, it's one of the benefits of being a true dragon (with age categories) thanks to being Dragonwrought, which is detailed in Races of the Dragon.

Finally, you get the Spellhoarding template from Dragon 313. This exchanges your (gimped) Sorcerer spellcasting ability for Wizard spellcasting of equal level. The penalties those Sorcerer variants applied to your spells/day and spells known are lost along with the Sorcerer spellcasting progression, replaced entirely by Wizard spellcasting progression of equal level. At level 1 you'll be casting as a 3rd level Wizard, by level 6 you'll be casting as a 9th level Wizard, which means 5th level spells in E6.

Another benefit of Spellhoarding is that you don't need a spellbook, your spells are written on your scales, known as your spellhoard. Its size is limited only by how much time you wish to spend writing spells down. You can sacrifice spells from your spellhoard to substitute costly material components and XP costs for spells you cast. You can counterspell an opponent's spell and automatically add it to your spellhoard. You can even cast a spell directly from your spell hoard, as though it were cast from a scroll, in which case the spell is erased from the spellhoard. Note that you can copy the same spells multiple times in order to fuel these abilities. It also grants Int +2, Wis -4, a +5 bonus to Spellcraft checks, and you get Scribe Scroll and Eschew Materials for free. Keep in mind that a Wizard can learn spells higher level than what he can cast, and this is no exception. If you were to find a higher level spell, possibly from some ancient lore, you could add it to your spellhoard (multiple times) and then cast it as though from a scroll.


I'll agree that Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 3 is probably your strongest choice, especially considering the Abrupt Jaunt ACF in PH2. Enhanced Summoning and Rapid Summoning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants) are also strong choices, though you can't trade out your Familiar twice for both Abrupt Jaunt and Rapid Summoning. If you want to get both of those, take the feat Obtain Familiar (CA) and trade that for one ability and your class-granted familiar for the other. You could even go something like Beguiler 1/ Wizard 1/ Master Specialist 4 with the feat Versatile Spellcaster from Races of the Dragon. That will also allow you to spend Beguiler spell slots to spontaneously cast any Wizard spell you know of up to 2nd level, making it an extremely versatile build. Take the feat Able Learner from Races of Destiny and it won't cost cross-class ranks to keep up those nice Beguiler class skills. You can even go with an Illumian (RoD) with the Krau sigil to make up the caster level loss, which still qualifies for Able Learner due to its Human subtype.

Edit: Orange Prism Ioun Stone, Ring of Arcane Might.

Spellhoarding has no listed LA, and thus ineligible for use as a PC template.

Coidzor
2010-03-12, 07:59 PM
Quick question: Spanish? Aroooooo? Am I missing something really obvious here, or was anyone else confused/intrigued by that as well?

The character is to be Spanish. It's set in Medeival Europe.

No further details about the setting as far as I know though. I'm assuming it's either human-only or he just would prefer to be a humie.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-03-13, 01:30 AM
Spellhoarding has no listed LA, and thus ineligible for use as a PC template.

It's actually the effects of a psychological disorder which any dragon can contract. A Dragonwrought Kobold could contract any of the listed disorders and would therefore suffer its effects. Each one is curable, as detailed in the article, though Spellhoarding is the only one which doesn't impose significant penalties. There are plenty of RP balances which a clever DM can easily take advantage of.


He's Spanish because nobody would suspect it! Plus the OP specified that the character would be a Spaniard. Of course, I would understand not wanting to play a Spanish Kobold, since bad things could happen (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0357.html).


Focused Specialist grants even more spells/day, but more of your daily spells have to be from your chosen school, and you have to pick another prohibited school. It's useful for a versatile school like Conjuration, but be careful as it typically trades versatility for stamina. The most common prohibited school choices are Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, and Illusion. In E6 Necromancy is particularly good to lose since you'll never get Enervation anyway. Evocation is the most easily replaced school in the game, its only selling points being Contingency, Wall of Force, Forcecage, Invoke Magic (LoM), and Iceberg (FB), none of which will be available in E6, though Shadow Evocation will also be unavailable. Enchantment has the downside of nearly half the creatures in the game being outright immune to it. In E6 it does have some extremely useful spells like Ray of Stupidity and Ray of Dizziness, so when its spells are useful they'll typically outright win. Illusion is similar to Enchantment, though spells like Invisibility and Displacement are still useful and since the release of SC with Superior Invisibility it's fairly necessary to keep it. It also has (Greater) Shadow Evocation, so it's typically been lost only when Evocation is kept, but in E6 you could easily go without this school.

Master Specialist grants Skill Focus: Spellcraft for free, grants another spell known at the 2nd level, and gives you Greater Spell Focus as a bonus feat. Its greatest appeal is probably that it can be taken so early, though I'm not sure if it's worth sacrificing Wizard 5 if you're able to use one of the ACFs from Complete Champion. You can get Spontaneous Divination, which allows you to convert a prepared spell into any Divination spell you know of equal or lower level. There's also the option of gaining a domain's power, such as that of the Travel domain, but not any of the spells it grants. Both of those are a replacement for your bonus feat gained at Wizard 5.

Also keep in mind how you split your levels. Wizard 6 grants a +3 BAB and base saves of Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +5. A 3/3 split such as Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 3 would grant a +2 BAB and base saves of Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +6. Going Wizard 5/ MotAO 1 would be a +2 BAB with Fort +1, Reflex +1, Will +6. If you go Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 2/ MotAO 1 you'd get +2 BAB, Fort +1, Reflex +1, Will +8. None of this would matter if you're using fractional BAB and base saves, which is a good idea for E6, but if not you're best off going either Wizard 6 or using a 3/3 split. It's not a very significant difference, but it's another +1 to each of your poor saves for your character's career.

Pluto
2010-03-13, 01:59 AM
I don't usually like the Precocious Apprentice entrance to Master Specialist, but in E6, it nets a Minor Esoterica, which is a nice use of a feat (and heaven knows you'll have enough feats).

So I'd probably lean toward Wizard 2/Master Specialist 4.

Or keep Mindbender/MotAO. Those are nice too.

Riffington
2010-03-13, 08:30 AM
Evocation is not actually painless to lose in E6. The great thing about E6 is that your enemies need not be 6+ level. A host of guards (say, 3rd level fighters; a dozen or two) make a very plausible challenge. Depending on the campaign, lower level humanoids may be the most common challenge. So Fireball is actually a strong spell.

Yora
2010-03-13, 08:50 AM
Ot to talk in very well known examples: What would Aragorn have given for just one fireball at Amon Hen (in the movie). :smallbiggrin:

Coplantor
2010-03-15, 07:07 AM
Also keep in mind how you split your levels. Wizard 6 grants a +3 BAB and base saves of Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +5. A 3/3 split such as Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 3 would grant a +2 BAB and base saves of Fort +2, Reflex +2, Will +6. Going Wizard 5/ MotAO 1 would be a +2 BAB with Fort +1, Reflex +1, Will +6. If you go Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 2/ MotAO 1 you'd get +2 BAB, Fort +1, Reflex +1, Will +8. None of this would matter if you're using fractional BAB and base saves, which is a good idea for E6, but if not you're best off going either Wizard 6 or using a 3/3 split. It's not a very significant difference, but it's another +1 to each of your poor saves for your character's career.

We are using fractional BAB and saves, we ussually do..
A after all I'm going for Wiz 3/MS 2/ MotAO 1 and use the spellpool for limited access to prohibited spells.

Now my greatest doubt is if I'll use a flaw to get Precocious Aprenctice at lvl 1

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-03-15, 07:31 AM
We are using fractional BAB and saves, we ussually do..
A after all I'm going for Wiz 3/MS 2/ MotAO 1 and use the spellpool for limited access to prohibited spells.

Now my greatest doubt is if I'll use a flaw to get Precocious Aprenctice at lvl 1

Precocious Apprentice is not a bad feat at all for E6, considering it grants an extra spell slot of your second-highest level available. Plus the fewer Wizard levels you can take, the better off you'll be. Wizard 2/ MS 3/ MotAO 1 would probably be the way to go. There are some extra flaws specifically for Wizards in Dragon 333, the most notable of which is probably Forlorn (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Forlorn) though I wouldn't take that on a Conjurer because you'd lose Abrupt Jaunt. Arcane Fatigue (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Arcane_Fatigue) and Arcane Parasites (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Arcane_Parasites) are the other two which are fairly easy to cope with. Murky-Eyed from the SRD will probably have the least effect on the game, and there are a few others there worth looking at.