(3.5E) Wizard Build Advice

[NNescio]

I'm thinking of playing a wizard in my next game, and with the DM delaying the game several times I thought I might as well plan out my character's whole career.

I'm trying to go with a battlefield controller, so is something like the following good enough, or am I shooting myself in the foot by taking Archmage levels too early?

Human Focused Conjurer 3/Master Specialist 10/Archmage 5/Fatespinner 2
(In that order.)

Banned Schools: Evocation, Enchantment, Necromancy
ACF: Abrupt Jaunt, Enhanced Summoning

Flaw: Noncombatant

Feats: Human: Spell Focus(Conjuration), Flaw: Cloudy Conjuration, 1: Collegiate Wizard, 3: Sudden Widen. 6: Sculpt Spell, 9: Invisible Spell, 12: Spell Focus (Illusion), 15: Improved Initiative, 18: Maximize Spell-like ability - Timestop

Archmage Arcana: 14: Mastery of Shaping, 15: Arcane Reach, 16: Spell-like Ability - Greater Teleport , 17: Spell-like Ability - Time Stop, 18: Spell Power

Edit: I have access to spells from Spell Compendium, Complete Mage, Complete Arcane, and PHB II.

[The Giant]

Threads concerning 3.5 mechanical issues belong in the new D&D 3e/3.5e/d20 forum, not in Roleplaying General.

[Goonthegoof]

It's not like archmage levels are going to hurt you just because you took them earlier. You obviously know what you're doing already, but just in case you were unsure, yes heading archmage at 14 will work. You're obviously planning to do a lot of conjuration style control, and mastery of shaping is excellent if your allies are in the thick of it.

Though this is kind of the wrong forum now, they've split roleplaying games into seperate subforums and there's one for d20 games (which means primarily 3.5).

Edit: Ninja'd by a giant. How does that work?

[NNescio]

It's not like archmage levels are going to hurt you just because you took them earlier. You obviously know what you're doing already, but just in case you were unsure, yes heading archmage at 14 will work. You're obviously planning to do a lot of conjuration style control, and mastery of shaping is excellent if your allies are in the thick of it.

Though this is kind of the wrong forum now, they've split roleplaying games into seperate subforums and there's one for d20 games (which means primarily 3.5).

Edit: Ninja'd by a giant. How does that work?

Thank you for the reply.

I was somewhat concerned that I might feel the loss of high-level (relatively) spell slots if I go into Archmage early. 'though now that I think about it, I do have spell slots to spare from being a focused specialist.

Some additional questions:
1) I'm not exactly sure of what other PrCs to take after finishing Archmage. Are there any good alternatives to Fatespinner?

2) Is Spell Focus: Transmutation better than Spell Focus: Illusion, even if I plan to use Silent Image to 'bluff' my enemies?

3) Is it worthwhile to swap out Improved Initiative for Chain Spell? The ability to mass-buff sounds useful, but most of my allies are also full spellcasters.

Edit:

4) Is Spell-like Ability - Greater Teleport worth it considering I have access to Abrupt Jaunt and the Celerity line? Should I take something like Mastery of Elements or Spell-like Ability: Some 9th Level Spell instead?

Edit^2:
5) Reread Complete Arcane and it seems like I need a caster level of 22 in order to take Maximize Spell-like Ability for Time Stop. Any ideas on how to achieve it at level 18? Would something like Spell Power + Create Magic Tattoo + Ring of Arcane Might(Transmutation) + Orange Ioun Stone work? Even if yes, are there other alternatives?

[Andion Isurand]

If you can go can make it to level 9 without Abrupt Jaunt and instead keep your familiar....

...you can cast Greater Dimension Door (SpC) on it, and have the familiar ready a move action action to teleport the pair of you (or with others) anywhere within 'close' range whenever you're made the target of an attack or effect.

Setting up ready conditions is not as flexible as using an immediate action, and you'd end up using a 5th level spell to do this, but at least you wouldn't have to use as many of your own immediate/swift actions to make your escapes.

[NNescio]

If you can go can make it to level 9 without Abrupt Jaunt and instead keep your familiar....

...you can cast Greater Dimension Door (SpC) on it, and have the familiar ready a move action action to teleport the pair of you (or with others) anywhere within 'close' range whenever you're made the target of an attack or effect.

Setting up ready conditions is not as flexible as using an immediate action, and you'd end up using a 5th level spell to do this, but at least you wouldn't have to use as many of your own immediate/swift actions to make your escapes.

I can't speak to my familiar with only 3 levels of wizard though.

Empathic Link might work, but the familiar would be very fragile regardless, especially against spells that target HD (Blasphemy autokills it, for example.)

Edit: Wait.. how does Greater Dimension Door work again? I'm under the impression that the caster has to be the one performing the Move Action, and it requires a standard action to cast and has a rather short duration anyway.

[Andion Isurand]

Nice catch.

Well... if you go for 5 levels conjurer, you'd get a feat, which may or may not provide a more consistent benefit than the features gained from 2 levels of Fatespinner... but then of course you'd be delaying your progression to use this tactic by level 9, so its a lackluster option.

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" For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher. " (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#familiars)

Thankfully it doesn't say class level.

=================================

To have your familiar use Greater Dimension Door.... look under the Share Spells ability...

" Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. "

[NNescio]

Nice catch.

Well... if you go for 5 levels conjurer, you'd get a feat, which may or may not provide a more consistent benefit than the features gained from 2 levels of Fatespinner... but then of course you'd be delaying your progression to use this tactic by level 9, so its a lackluster option.

=================================

" For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher. " (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#familiars)

Thankfully it doesn't say class level.
I can't get bonus metamagic feats with the Enhanced Summoning ACF though.

Edit:
I could use the Combat Wizard ACF (grabbing Improved Initiative earlier and Augment Summoning at a later stage), and trade my 5th level bonus fighter-list feat (which is still technically a feat gained by my Wizard) for something like Spontaneous Divination, 'though I have a feeling that my DM will probably object at the idea of a Combat Wizard with the noncombatant flaw. (He doesn't have anything against optimization, but they need to 'make sense'.)

[Andion Isurand]

Bleh, I suppose it does read as an all or nothing option.

Edit: Aye, that works too, although there are lots of flaws to pick from.

[Goonthegoof]

Why not just trade out for abrupt jaunt and take the obtain familiar feat?

[NNescio]

Why not just trade out for abrupt jaunt and take the obtain familiar feat?

And get one with abilities determined by all arcane spellcasting classes instead of only wizard. Brilliant!

Swap out Improved Initiative for a hummingbird familiar, I guess?

[Goonthegoof]

That one's a favourite of mine, yep :smallbiggrin:

[Bobikus]

What Dragon Issue is the Hummingbird in?

[Andion Isurand]

The Hummingbird comes from Dragon Magazine 323 page 98

of course, the fly speed of birds is one of the many things about the animal stat blocks they could have done better with

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159125

[NNescio]

First game, and we were struck with homebrewed spells like Burning Hands with a 20ft range, a Gust of Wind that affects creatures of medium size, and a Inflict Light Wounds modified into a 5ft blast. (revealed by Spellcraft rolls.)

The party can only cast 2nd level spells, and the enemy spellcasters were disguised as common soldiers.

Oh and the same caster casted both the Gust of Wind and Inflict Light Wounds.

Should I start optimizing my Wizard to new heights? I'm afraid I have to break out some serious cheese in order to compete with the NPCs, especially since being a focused specialist limits me from using some homebrewed spells. (and I think the DM loves Evocation.)

The game was fun though, but I'm getting worried.