Build Advice

[GeekGirl]

Greetings all. My group is starting a new game, I think its time to try my hand at casting. I think I am going to give ultimate Magus a shot. My plan so far with pretty basic Beguiler 1/Wizard 4/Ultimate Magus 10/Something else. I'm not sure how to end the build. The group aren't great optimizers so I don't want anything to crazy. I was looking at Shadowcrafter or Shadowcraft Mage, or just finish Beguiler. I was planning more utility than blasting.
Any suggestion?

[gbprime]

If you pick up Combat Casting somewhere in that progression, you could use the last 5 levels on Abjurant Champion. BAB, d10 hd, and lots of special abilities plus full casting. BAB is the usual stumbling block of a requirement, but you'll have that without trying by 15th level. :smallcool:

Archmage is a solid ender too, but that assumes you need it and have all those feats to burn to get it.

[Keld Denar]

Any thoughts on race? I'd suggest Illumian. With Practiced Spellcaster for Beguiler, that would keep your CL even and maxed on both sides.

Shadowcraft Mage is kinda a Blasty class. It turns Illusions into Battlefield Control and Nukes. It's also very feat intensive. I'd either get more Wizard, or pop into Archmage. More CL boosting helps with SR and buffs.

I highly encourage Residual Magic from Complete Mage. It can basically double the effects of your Metamagic feature. Burn a 2nd level slot to apply Empower Spell for free on one spell, then cast it again the next round and the Metamagic applies itself again...for free. Just keep rolling the spells, and you'll effectively double your uses per day. It also makes wands and scrolls more potent, if you find any of those.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

You should specialize on the wizard side - either going conjuration or transmutation, banning enchantment and illusion. If you go focused specialist, ditch evocation. If you go with transmutation, you can buff your allies.

You want Practiced Spellcaster (Beguiler) sometime before entering UM so that almost all of your your solo +1 castings go to your wizard side. After UM, grab some sort of PrC for your wizard casting.

For metamagic, I'd recommend extend spell, chain spell, and maybe twin or repeat spell, depending.

[GeekGirl]

Thanks for everything so far. I probably should have mentioned this, but its 3.5 in a custom world, so races aren't what they usually are and may have other restrictions. I am probably going to be a gnome or human.