How to create an optimized evoker

[Fargazer]

Exactly as the title says.

I'm assuming you'd go with the traditional build for ability scores and such for a wizard, but what'd be the best spell selections for an evoker? What would be the best schools to drop? What are the best evocation spells to take immediately? How do I play one effectively.

Naturally I'll make him totally obsessed with blowing things up. That kind of character never fails.

[JKTrickster]

That's the entire purpose behind the Mailman isn't it? Dealing damage with spells? It uses the Sorcerer and some other spells..

[Elric VIII]

My guess is that it would be similar to the Mailman Sorcerer (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer). Although it focuses on the Orb spells (conjuration) you could substitute evocation spells with similar effect. You would be more suceptible to spell resistance and saves, but it's doable.

Make sure to pick up the good evocations like Wall of Force, Forcecage, and Contingency.

You would be good at readying actions to blast enemy casters as they cast a spell and force them to save vs unbeatable DC to keep spell. casters have poor reflex saves, so you have a good chance of doing this (sadly, orbs do it better).

Against mooks, you are somewhat on even ground with a conjurer, as they can't make your DCs, you can beat their SR, and they die fast.

[dextercorvia]

Mitigated Metamagic is the most optimized evocation, I can think of. Things like Arcane Thesis, Practical Metamagic, Metmagic School Focus. Then there are CL bumps, as mundane as Spell Thematics, or Bloodlines of Fire, or as radical as Reserves of Strength, and Practiced Spellcaster+Wild Mage. I prefer Alacritous Cogitation+Ultimate Magus. You get full casting that way, and an extra 4 CL over 10 levels.

Edit: Streamers should be mentioned.

Edit2: Treantmonk's guide to Evocation Spells (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869246/Treantmonks_guide_to_Evocation_Spells:_Gods_tools)

[Psyren]

Sorcerer is better for this actually - not only are they metamagic kings, they also get a handful of insanely-damaging evocations like Wings of Flurry that Wizards don't. Plus the only way for a Wizard Evoker to get more ammunition is going Focused Specialist, which will result in you giving up a good school of magic.

[Fargazer]

That's the entire purpose behind the Mailman isn't it? Dealing damage with spells? It uses the Sorcerer and some other spells..


My guess is that it would be similar to the Mailman Sorcerer (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19868534/The_Mailman:_A_Direct_Damage_Sorcerer).

Although it focuses on the Orb spells (conjuration) you could substitute evocation spells with similar effect. You would be more suceptible to spell resistance and saves, but it's doable.

Hmm, while it can do blasty type things, as mentioned, better, it really defeats the point of specifically being directed to play an evoker if you're focusing on conjuration.


Make sure to pick up the good evocations like Wall of Force, Forcecage, and Contingency.

You would be good at readying actions to blast enemy casters as they cast a spell and force them to save vs unbeatable DC to keep spell. casters have poor reflex saves, so you have a good chance of doing this (sadly, orbs do it better).

Against mooks, you are somewhat on even ground with a conjurer, as they can't make your DCs, you can beat their SR, and they die fast.

Mitigated Metamagic is the most optimized evocation, I can think of. Things like Arcane Thesis, Practical Metamagic, Metmagic School Focus. Then there are CL bumps, as mundane as Spell Thematics, or Bloodlines of Fire, or as radical as Reserves of Strength, and Practiced Spellcaster+Wild Mage. I prefer Alacritous Cogitation+Ultimate Magus. You get full casting that way, and an extra 4 CL over 10 levels.

Edit: Streamers should be mentioned.

Edit2: Treantmonk's guide to Evocation Spells (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869246/Treantmonks_guide_to_Evocation_Spells:_Gods_tools)

Thanks, this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for.


Sorcerer is better for this actually - not only are they metamagic kings, they also get a handful of insanely-damaging evocations like Wings of Flurry that Wizards don't. Plus the only way for a Wizard Evoker to get more ammunition is going Focused Specialist, which will result in you giving up a good school of magic.

Focused specialist isn't really a problem if you're focusing majorly on evocation. Yes, it stunts you, but I am supposed to be playing a very specialized mage here.

[Elric VIII]

Hmm, while it can do blasty type things, as mentioned, better, it really defeats the point of specifically being directed to play an evoker if you're focusing on conjuration.

That was just to give you an idea of what to do with spells. You could easily have a twinimaxiempowered Fireball as you could Orb of Fire.

Incantrix and/or metamagic reducers are instant win. Just add your favorite spell and shake well.

[Optimator]

To parrot others, Incantatrix plus arcane thesis. If you want damage from Evocation, metamagic is the way to go.

[Godskook]

As an Evoker, you practically *NEED* Archmage for useful energy substitution. Most notable is the [sonic], which is difficult to find and rarely warded against. This also lends itself to a master specialist dip for the pre-reqs. I wouldn't go far into it though, as most of the boni are minor, although a free untyped(as in bonus type, not damage type) +50% 3/day is handy.

[Elric VIII]

As an Evoker, you practically *NEED* Archmage for useful energy substitution. Most notable is the [sonic], which is difficult to find and rarely warded against. This also lends itself to a master specialist dip for the pre-reqs. I wouldn't go far into it though, as most of the boni are minor, although a free untyped(as in bonus type, not damage type) +50% 3/day is handy.

Isn't that Major School Esoterica, AKA the capstone?:smalltongue:

I second Archmage.

You should also look into the spells Assay Spell Resistance(SpC) and True Casting(CM). They are both Divination, so you will be able to take them regardless of banned schools.

[Runestar]

As mentioned, there are useful evocation spells like wall of force and forcecage which don't deal damage. It might be possible to build an effective evoker which ironically, don't focus on blasting.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869246/Treantmonks_guide_to_Evocation_Spells:_Gods_tools

Take a look at this guide.

[Gavinfoxx]

Conjuration is the new Evocation! Really, Conjuration has *better blasting* than Evocation. It seriously is better at blowing stuff up, really! If you wanna play an Evoker, play 2e where it actually kicked ass...

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Wings of Flurry is sorcerer-only evocation, but it seems right up your alley. Large area of effect uncapped CL/d6 force damage, only targets enemies, reflex half and to avoid being dazed. Pump up that CL, throw in an empower, and go to town.

If you want to be an actual wizard who specializes in evocation, first look at all the fun battlefield control and utility evocation has to offer (shatter, wind wall, contingency, wall of fire, wall of force, howling chain, defenestrating sphere, et cetera). Assuming you want to focus on area blasting, I'd do the following:

Step 1: Pump up your will save. There are a variety of ways to do this. If you don't ban Abjuration (I wouldn't), casting Superior Resistance helps a lot.
Step 2: Take Born of the Three Thunders (CArc) and Quick Recovery (LoM)
Step 3: Blast and stun, and then (hopefully) make your save against daze. It's like a poor man's Wings of Flurry.

[Zonugal]

Take a look at the planar sorcerer substitution levels in the Planar Handbook. I believe the first one nabs you the effect of having any energy-based spell count as half energy & half force for damage. Very useful for this type of build...

[Lonely Tylenol]

I'm a huge fan of the Evocation school, but I wouldn't specialize in Evocation. If you want to blast, fact of the matter is Evocation is completely replaced by Shadow Evocation and Orb spells.

If you want to go the Metamagic focus route: Arcane Thesis an Orb spell and go to town. Orb of Force is untyped SLD6, SR no, no save to prevent damage. If you want to go with one of the typed energies, you can get an Energy Substitution rod or just Energy Substitution (Fire) on a non-Fire orb and Searing Spell (perhaps on a rod) so that you can bypass two energy resistances. The Orbs also have good secondary effects (Fire stuns, Cold blinds, and so on). Incantatrix, Mage of the Arcane Order and Archmage all help.

If you want to go the spontaneous caster route: not only does the Mailman employ the above strategies, but you can also go the Shadowcraft Mage route and get the entire Evocation school (not to mention most of Conjuration, including the above Orbs) with just Silent Image (adjusting the spell level through Heighten Spell). While the build itself is feat-intensive, if you invest in it you get access to the entire Evocation school, and your spells do more than 100% damage on a FAILED save. Best yet, you only use one level one known spell (for Silent Image), so you can load up on utility spells with the extra space you saved by NOT specializing in Evocation!

If you had to go the Evocation route, don't specialize; build something like The Mailman, abusing Arcane Spellsurge/Arcane Fusion/Celerity/Time Stop and breaking the action economy with your blasting.

[Kenneth]

sorry if i am a bit derailing this thread as i see you want info on feats and spells. but there is a wonmderful prestige class to take if you want to be a blaster.

the War Mage from dragonlance:age of mortals (pg 48-49). at the end of it ( it is a 5 level class) you get a +3 untyped bonus to every damage die you roll. so your fireball becomes 10d6 fire+ 30.

the earliest you can get intot his class is your 6th level, not only that but you alos get good fort and will saves, which is always a plus in my book.


I am actually playing a War Mage generalist wizard right now, and though i mostly do battle field control spell.s when I do blast.. it hurts.

as for feats, quicken spell, maximize and empower are my favorite.

[Fargazer]

Archmage sounds like it will be good, as well as incantatrix. Thanks for all the advice guys.


I'm a huge fan of the Evocation school, but I wouldn't specialize in Evocation. If you want to blast, fact of the matter is Evocation is completely replaced by Shadow Evocation and Orb spells.

I'm not playing a focused evoker because I want to play a blasty character. I know there are far better ways to do that. I'm trying to optimize an evoker because I'm making a character who has to be a wizard, and has to be obsessed with evocation, not any specific thing evocation does.

[herrhauptmann]

the War Mage from dragonlance:age of mortals (pg 48-49). at the end of it ( it is a 5 level class) you get a +3 untyped bonus to every damage die you roll. so your fireball becomes 10d6 fire+ 30.


Hmmm, normally I avoid Dragonlance just because most DMs I've seen run the game have the players running around helping the Weis/Hickman characters.
But, that actually sounds good. Any other prestige classes to recommend, and which books they're in?


To the OP:
I'll second the idea of adapting the mailman sorcerer.
I'd suggest finding ways to easily get around SR. Either by making your spell ignore SR, or guaranteeing your diceroll will be high enough to beat SR even if the foes CR is 5 or more higher than your party ECL.

[Kenneth]

Hmmm, normally I avoid Dragonlance just because most DMs I've seen run the game have the players running around helping the Weis/Hickman characters.
But, that actually sounds good. Any other prestige classes to recommend, and which books they're in?


To the OP:
I'll second the idea of adapting the mailman sorcerer.
I'd suggest finding ways to easily get around SR. Either by making your spell ignore SR, or guaranteeing your diceroll will be high enough to beat SR even if the foes CR is 5 or more higher than your party ECL.

Nah not really unless your DM waves the whole abjuration focus part of the incantrix/incanter.

if that is the case then i would go wizard 5, War Mage 5 Incantrix 10. with all those pretty meta magic reduction feats and such.

I was lucky enough for my DM to do as such and let me tell you casting 4th level maximized and empower fireballs was pretty scary when you consider they are doing 120 damage 30 of which is untyped.

and yeah ive never really enjoyed dragonlance, not for the same reasons as you but, the whole ramance scheme ( it may just be me though) seems a bit weird for me. plus the whole crap about magic and being FORCED :furious:to join a dang college is something i dislike immensely.

[Thurbane]

Great Thunderclap is a nice little Evocation spell (3rd level, SC). It forces three seperate saves (Fort, Ref & Will), and is also SR:No.

[herrhauptmann]

I'd like to persist that spell Thunderhead.
Every round, a cloud above your head zaps you for 1 point of damage. Reflex save to avoid. It's a little slow for killing someone...

[ericgrau]

Spells:

Light: indispensable in low level dungeons, cast on chuckable objects
Magic Missile: pile on metamagic and pick fragile back row targets without fear of cover, melee nor concealment, pick things already wounded. Or spread it out to annihilate mirror images. Reliable damage allocation. Good on enemy d4 HD mages too regardless of the most common defenses, especially since most don't prepare shield, or even if they do they could be no save k'zapped before they have a chance to or realize what you use. Ready an action to disrupt casting. Naturally not usually for pinging many-HD beastly frontliners, choose targets wisely.
Flaming Sphere: awesome damage-over-time in their little niche at levels 3-6, make 2 of them
Fireball: highest damage around when multiple targets are available, switch spells or get energy substitution to get around resistances, which are uncommon anyway (even the most common, fire resistance, is fairly uncommon)
Resilient Sphere: the most common low save is reflex, plus immunities/escapes to this SoS are rare
Wall of Ice: most versatile wall by far
Wall of Force: strongest wall by far, cut most encounters in half making them far easier, no save no SR; this spell alone could make evocation worth it for me
Cone of Cold: huge area
Contingency of course
Force Cage of course
Delayed Blast Fireballs + time stop or other shennanigans

Pile on tons of metamagic feats too like empower/maximize and quicken. Spell focus is ok but not as useful as it is for other schools as many spells have no save or deal half even when you do save. Note that I have nothing listed for levels 8 or 9. Not much on those levels, but great for metamagic.