On the Lookout: Awesome Arcane Builds [3.X]

[Domriso]

Alright folks, I'm here with a specific goal in mind. I've been requested to play a villain in a friend's campaign, with a few restrictions. And by restrictions, I mean almost nothing. He's a time-traveling Wizard from the future with an airship of 20 men on a mission to kill one of the PCs mothers, who is a celestial being that becomes a corporate tycoon in the future and is ruining his business. We're talking far future.

So, definitely villain material. Still, I've been given almost free reign over the character, except that I have to be arcane based, probably Wizard, and I'm 21st level. Wanting to pull an awesome character out of my hat to make my character an amazing guy, I decided to look up some optimization builds for some cool stuff. I found a little bit out, but not many specifics of actual builds (it might just be that I'm not as good at searching for this stuff).

In an effort to rectify this, I'm coming to you, playgrounders. Where better to find out about game-breaking Wizard builds?

Specifically, we're playing 3.5, with some house rules (of which I am unaware, so I'm kind of playing loose until he tells me these). I'm trying to make an amazingly powerful and versatile arcane character, who has a lot of money (no limits thus far given, but I can assume pretty high, being a weapons-business tycoon from the future). I'm looking mostly for things which aren't breaking the rules, and I'd like to try to skirt the rules as least as possible. Still, this is the Wizard we're talking, and high level, so I'm sure some pretty sweet builds could be come up with.

Anyone want to flex those creative muscles?

[Malachei]

At 21st, you'll be getting your first epic feat, which I would advise to spend on Multispell.

Casting an additional quickened spell per round will have great effect on the action economy.

Also, Gate in a lot of monsters to keep the PCs busy.

[Hirax]

abjurer2/master specialist7/initiate of the severfold veil7/archmage5

You can arguably get into master specialist at 3rd level via the precocious apprentice feat. Simply put, this character is impossible to kill unless you can dispel the veils. And because dispelling favors the defender, and this character's CL and defense against dispelling are going to be jacked up, dispelling is virtually out. Melee characters can risk attacking you if they want, but they need to make a will save or be shifted to a random plane to do so. Oh, and if you take master of shaping with archmage, melee attackers will also be standing in an antimagic field while trying to hit you (which also crimps their saves to be able to even get past your veil to get the chance). You won't be in an antimagic field because of how you shaped it. Widen your antimagic field to thwart characters with long reach.

[SamBurke]

Alright folks, I'm here with a specific goal in mind. I've been requested to play a villain in a friend's campaign, with a few restrictions. And by restrictions, I mean almost nothing. He's a time-traveling Wizard from the future with an airship of 20 men on a mission to kill one of the PCs mothers, who is a celestial being that becomes a corporate tycoon in the future and is ruining his business. We're talking far future.

So, definitely villain material. Still, I've been given almost free reign over the character, except that I have to be arcane based, probably Wizard, and I'm 21st level. Wanting to pull an awesome character out of my hat to make my character an amazing guy, I decided to look up some optimization builds for some cool stuff. I found a little bit out, but not many specifics of actual builds (it might just be that I'm not as good at searching for this stuff).

In an effort to rectify this, I'm coming to you, playgrounders. Where better to find out about game-breaking Wizard builds?

Specifically, we're playing 3.5, with some house rules (of which I am unaware, so I'm kind of playing loose until he tells me these). I'm trying to make an amazingly powerful and versatile arcane character, who has a lot of money (no limits thus far given, but I can assume pretty high, being a weapons-business tycoon from the future). I'm looking mostly for things which aren't breaking the rules, and I'd like to try to skirt the rules as least as possible. Still, this is the Wizard we're talking, and high level, so I'm sure some pretty sweet builds could be come up with.

Anyone want to flex those creative muscles?

So... you just got offered the ability to completely annihilate a DM's game, for PLOT REASONS? You, sir, are a lucky dog. Savor this moment, and make it cheesy.

[Domriso]

abjurer2/master specialist7/initiate of the severfold veil7/archmage5

Dude... that's awesome, and exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. So awesome.


So... you just got offered the ability to completely annihilate a DM's game, for PLOT REASONS? You, sir, are a lucky dog. Savor this moment, and make it cheesy.

Exactly. I don't think the DM realizes what I can do with what he gave me, even though he's a fairly experienced DM. He doesn't know me, and he doesn't know that I intend to exploit all my resources.

[Tokuhara]

On a backstory standpoint, he doesn't have the motives of a villain. He's trying to change the future for the (hopefully) better. This falls under "Good Alignment" territory

[HugeC]

On a backstory standpoint, he doesn't have the motives of a villain. He's trying to change the future for the (hopefully) better. This falls under "Good Alignment" territory

Except he's murdering a good creature to do it, and it's all for personal gain. That's Evil, son. :smallbiggrin:

[gkathellar]

This is my PC build for the campaign I'm currently in, but if you can ignore the alignment issues, it could work very well for your purposes:

Beguiler 1/Rainbow Servant 10/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7/Sacred Exorcist 1/Contemplative 1.

Spell is the best domain choice for the Contemplative level (but you could switch Beguiler with Dread Necromancer, drop Sacred Exorcist and grab Time/Celerity/Trickery, because you don't want to miss out on Time Stop).

That gives you the whole cleric/beguiler list on tap, in addition to every other spell of 5th level and lower. You get a crapload of skill points from Int-based casting. You get DMM: Persist cheese with all your cleric spells, and like any proper BBEG your Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil levels make you completely invincible. Plus, your whole character is themed around rainbows, and tell me that's not awesome.

[Malachei]

I like Dweomerkeeper a lot.

[Domriso]

Plus, your whole character is themed around rainbows, and tell me that's not awesome.

That is pretty sweet. And those are some nice spell lists.


On a backstory standpoint, he doesn't have the motives of a villain. He's trying to change the future for the (hopefully) better. This falls under "Good Alignment" territory

No, no, he's a villain. He sells weapons, is angry because whatever the celestial is selling is counteracting his business, and he's traveling back into the past to murder her. Pretty much evil, even if the creature wasn't a celestial.


I like Dweomerkeeper a lot.

Ooo, damn, Dweomerkeeper is just mean. 4/day Wish? Ouch...

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Consider a simple, stylish Wizard 5/Incantatrix 10/Halruaan Elder X. Then (with you and your followers and either a Solar or a Simulacrum of one) basically do Team Solars (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188138) plus epic spellcasting.