Rainbow Warmage Build Advice

[Zylle]

I'm rolling a Warmage/Rainbow Servant for a 1-20 campaign and I have just a few questions. I've already gotten most of the information I needed from the awesome thread here: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2816.0

I just have a few specific things I'm looking for advice on.

1) The build in the thread linked above suggests taking a feat at first level to get Knowledge (religion) as a class skill, and then later taking Skill Focus for Knowledge (religion). What is the purpose of this? Two feats seems like a lot to spend on that so I'm assuming it must serve some kind of crucial purpose for the build later on?

2) After going Warmage 6/Rainbow Servant 10 what should I fill in my last few levels with? There are some suggestions in the thread I linked but it wasn't really explained what benefits you get from each of them.

3) My DM said that he would allow me to switch the Good and Law domains that you get as extra domains from the Rainbow Servant levels, with any other domain I like. What would be the best domains to get?

[Tvtyrant]

1. I believe you need a certain amount of skill points to qualify in that Prc.

2. I would suggest Fatespinner if you can get in it. Full progression and just enough goodies to be awesome.

3. Time and Travel seem the best to me.

[Shadowknight12]

It's for qualifying for Divine Oracle, which complements the build rather well.

[Zylle]

The PrC was the first thing I checked, it just requires 4 ranks in Knowledge (arcana). Easy enough, I planned to play a human anyway so I'll have more than enough skill points to take care of that. Divine Oracle does look like it has some neat stuff in the first 4 levels, I'll shop around and see if there's anything comparable that doesn't require taking 2 feats to qualify for though.

Thanks for the advice!

[Wings of Peace]

I would just like to point out that the Beguiler class also works, gets a better casting stat, and in my opinion gets a better starting spell list.

[darksolitaire]

Prestige Ranger/Bard/Paladin can additional spells to you spell list, as can Sandshaper. Not that you actually need anymore spells.

[Wings of Peace]

Prestige Ranger/Bard/Paladin can additional spells to you spell list, as can Sandshaper. Not that you actually need anymore spells.

Sandshaper is probably the next best for a Warmage, Prestige Paladin -> Sword of the Arcane Order for a Beguiler.

[Nightraiderx]

abjurrant champion is a very nice finishing touch for your now 1-3rd level cleric listed abjurration, and for spells known you get magical training + arcane preparation and now you can cast off the cleric list and the wizard/sorc list book,
I suggest you early entry for third level spells using versatile caster and then finishing your build with abjurant champ for a
warmage 5 Rainbow Servant 10 Abjurrant Champ 5
Benefits:
CL 20
+13 BAB can be Divine powered to 20
Free Extended 1-3 abjuration spells
Free Quickened 1-3 abjuration spells
crazy buffs to your cha
be a LG champion of justice that smites their foes with arcane might.
trade domain abilities for travel/law devotion

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

1. The build in question has levels in Divine Oracle, Sacred Exorcist, and Contemplative. Divine Oracle requires Skill Focus: Kn: Religion, the other two require a significant number of ranks in Kn: Religion. It's only there for prerequisites for other prestige classes, it serves no other purpose. Note you can get that Skill Focus feat for either gold or RP/effort via the Frog God's Fane in Complete Scoundrel.

2. Paragnostic Apostle (CC), Incantatrix (PGtF), and as someone already mentioned Abjurant Champion (CM) are all solid choices. You can actually go Warmage 1 into Rainbow Servant with the right tricks. The easiest would probably be Sanctum Spell + Versatile Spellcaster at 1st, and include the class's special prerequisite in your character's background.

3. There's a built-in adaptation for Rainbow Servant to make it focus on a different type of creature. My favorite for this would be the Phoenix, detailed in MM2. That would probably get the Good, Fire, and Renewal domains, and slightly different spell-like abilities. For strong domains in general, War gives some good buffs, Travel is second to none in spell selection, and Trickery, Time, and Luck are all pretty good.

[Spuddles]

Heighten spell sanctum spell and versatile spellcaster gets you 3rd level spells at 1st level, for super early entry.

[mregecko]

I ran a Warmage 4 / Rainbow Servant 10 / War Weaver 5 in a one-off ECL20 Elder Evils game.

It was very nice. Early entry into Rainbow Servant using Earth Spell / Heighten Spell shenanigans. You can get in even earlier with other cheese.

War Weaver is incredible with the # of spells a spontaneous caster gets, and the full cleric spell list.

If I were going to do it over again, I'd probably do really early entry cheese for Warmage 1 / Rainbow Servant 10 / War Weaver 5 / Incantatrix 4.

Feats look like: Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell, Sanctum Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, [Moar Metamagic]...

Be human and take a flaw for the first three feats at first level, and you're good to go.

Now you can persist all of the buffs that you cast amongst your allies after using only one casting. Or buff everyone as a move action.

Plus everything else that clerics and warmages can do!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Heighten spell sanctum spell and versatile spellcaster gets you 3rd level spells at 1st level, for super early entry.

You don't need Heighten Spell, just Versatile Spellcaster and Sanctum Spell:

A 1st level Sanctum Spell inside your sanctum is a 2nd level spell, thus you have knowledge of the 2nd level Warmage spell list. Spend two 1st level slots to cast a 2nd level spell with Sanctum Spell, which inside your sanctum is a 3rd level spell. This qualifies you for 3rd level spellcasting prerequisites.

[Spuddles]

You don't need Heighten Spell, just Versatile Spellcaster and Sanctum Spell:

A 1st level Sanctum Spell inside your sanctum is a 2nd level spell, thus you have knowledge of the 2nd level Warmage spell list. Spend two 1st level slots to cast a 2nd level spell with Sanctum Spell, which inside your sanctum is a 3rd level spell. This qualifies you for 3rd level spellcasting prerequisites.

How are you qualifying for sanctum spell?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

How are you qualifying for sanctum spell?

You can use any metamagic feat to qualify for it, I was just pointing out that Heighten Spell isn't a crucial component of this early-entry trick.

[mregecko]

You can use any metamagic feat to qualify for it, I was just pointing out that Heighten Spell isn't a crucial component of this early-entry trick.

It's used to quell an argument that you don't "know" any second or third level spells yet. There was never any official Wizards communication on if Versatile Spellcaster can be used to cast a spell of a higher level than normally available, only an FAQ that you can use it to cast metamagic'd 1st level spells. (their example is an extended first level spell).

A lot of people believe the wording of beguiler / warmage spellcasting makes it such that you don't "know" the spells until they are available.

So if you heighten a spell you unarguably know, an option which Wizards FAQ specifically called out as viable, there's no real resistance to the plot.

I personally don't think it's necessary. But that's the gist of why people throw it in there.

EDIT: Specifically, it's this line under their spells class feature:

He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a warmage gains access to a new level of pells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the warmage's spell list.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It's used to quell an argument that you don't "know" any second or third level spells yet. There was never any official Wizards communication on if Versatile Spellcaster can be used to cast a spell of a higher level than normally available, only an FAQ that you can use it to cast metamagic'd 1st level spells. (their example is an extended first level spell).

A lot of people believe the wording of beguiler / warmage spellcasting makes it such that you don't "know" the spells until they are available.

So if you heighten a spell you unarguably know, an option which Wizards FAQ specifically called out as viable, there's no real resistance to the plot.

I personally don't think it's necessary. But that's the gist of why people throw it in there.

Sanctum Spell does the exact same thing, it makes a 1st level spell count as a 2nd level spell just like a Versatile Heightened spell would.

[mregecko]

Sanctum Spell does the exact same thing, it makes a 1st level spell count as a 2nd level spell just like a Versatile Heightened spell would.

2x (Sanctum) 1st level spells = 2x (2nd effective level) spells...

Apply versatile spellcaster = 1x 3rd level spell....

The problem comes if you don't know any 3rd level spells, which some people don't think you do.

So Heightened Spell lets you use a 1st level spell in that slot.

Unless I'm missing something. But anywho... It's possible.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

2x (Sanctum) 1st level spells = 2x (2nd effective level) spells...

Apply versatile spellcaster = 1x 3rd level spell....

The problem comes if you don't know any 3rd level spells, which some people don't think you do.

So Heightened Spell lets you use a 1st level spell in that slot.

Unless I'm missing something. But anywho... It's possible.

You gain knowledge of the 2nd level spells via Sanctum Spell all by itself, it's a +0 metamagic that gives a spell a +1 Heighten when inside your sanctum. Cast a 1st level spell with it and it's a 2nd level spell, once you can cast 2nd level spells you know all the 2nd level spells on the list.

You can use Versatile Spellcaster to spend two 1st level slots to cast one of those 2nd level spells. Add Sanctum Spell to that 2nd level spell, as it's a +0 metamagic, and it gets treated as a 3rd level spell.

[Spuddles]

Sanctum spell still requires a metamagic feat as a prereq....

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Sanctum spell still requires a metamagic feat as a prereq....

Indeed it does, but it doesn't need to be Heighten Spell. You could pick up Fell Drain to qualify, you'd probably get more mileage out of it.