Mailman build help?

[Harry]

I decided to play a mailman Next campaign I am playing in is this a good mail man? Wizard 5/Hathran 1/incantatrix 10/archmage 3/tainted scholar 1 ill ban enchantment I'll Take the ritual of alignment then buy of the LA is this build any good? If its too weak how can I change it to make it stronger?

[Toliudar]

This sounds like a plenty powerful structure, for the mailman or just about anything else.

Hathran wouldn't be accessible at level 6 - requires 4th level casting and the leadership feat. Given the fact that a lot of mailman builds rely on the stacking of metamagic effects, the two feats dedicated to getting into Hathran may not be worth the benefit. You'll also want to make sure your DM is okay with you maintaining the benefits of a prestige class if you stop qualifying for that class - specifically, I'm thinking of the tainted scholar and the good alignment requirement of Hathran.

I might be alone in this, but I don't know what the 'ritual of alignment' is that you're talking about, and I don't think you've specified what race/template you're taking, from which you'd be buying off the LA.

[Harry]

This sounds like a plenty powerful structure, for the mailman or just about anything else.

Hathran wouldn't be accessible at level 6 - requires 4th level casting and the leadership feat. Given the fact that a lot of mailman builds rely on the stacking of metamagic effects, the two feats dedicated to getting into Hathran may not be worth the benefit. You'll also want to make sure your DM is okay with you maintaining the benefits of a prestige class if you stop qualifying for that class - specifically, I'm thinking of the tainted scholar and the good alignment requirement of Hathran.

I might be alone in this, but I don't know what the 'ritual of alignment' is that you're talking about, and I don't think you've specified what race/template you're taking, from which you'd be buying off the LA.

I am playing human the ritual of alignment can give you the evil subtype its from savage species sorry I forgot it is LA+0 iirc Ok so what if I go wizard 6/incatnatrix 10/hathran 1/archmage 2/tainted scholar 1? and can't hathrans be lawful neutral?

[Toliudar]

My apologies - you're right about Hathrans and Lawful Neutral.

I've just taken a look at the Ritual of Alignment in Savage Species: as far as I can tell, it doesn't do anything to keep your actual alignment from slipping into evil - which, presumably, it will, since all of your spells count as Evil actions, once you become a tainted scholar. If you keep the fluff of all of these PrC's, it'll make for a fascinating character progression, anyway!

Have you plotted out feat selections?

[Snowbluff]

Metaphysical Spellshaper makes everything stronger if you have a way of being immune to Ability Damage.

[Harry]

My apologies - you're right about Hathrans and Lawful Neutral.

I've just taken a look at the Ritual of Alignment in Savage Species: as far as I can tell, it doesn't do anything to keep your actual alignment from slipping into evil - which, presumably, it will, since all of your spells count as Evil actions, once you become a tainted scholar. If you keep the fluff of all of these PrC's, it'll make for a fascinating character progression, anyway!

Have you plotted out feat selections?
The evil subtype gives me the ability not to die from taint and iirc when a wizard casts evil spells it doesn't affect there alignment And about feats To be honest no I know I want empower maximize twin split and arcane thesis i dont know what else to take do you have any suggestions on feat choice and which order to take them?

[Harry]

Metaphysical Spellshaper makes everything stronger if you have a way of being immune to Ability Damage.

Dm dosnt allow 3th party

[Snowbluff]

Dm dosnt allow 3th party

Then thank Heironeous and be done with it! :smalltongue:

[Toliudar]

The evil subtype gives me the ability not to die from taint and iirc when a wizard casts evil spells it doesn't affect there alignment And about feats To be honest no I know I want empower maximize twin split and arcane thesis i dont know what else to take do you have any suggestions on feat choice and which order to take them?

It's more accurate to say that arcane spells don't have the absolute restriction on them that clerical spells do. From Book of Vile Darkness:


Tapping into evil power is an evil act in and of itself, no matter what the effects or the reason for using the power might be.

If evil acts don't make your alignment turn to evil, what does?

For feats, start to look at metamagic reducers. Practical Metamagic requires the dragonblood subtype (you're getting spontaneous casting through Hathran). Quicken spell will help you add a second target.

[SirFredgar]

You could also go Silverbrow Human (you loose the +1 skill point a level, and gain feather fall 1/day as well as a +2 racial bonus to disguise and it's always a class skill) if you wanted the dragonblooded subtype to employ Practical Metamagic and keep the extra feat from human.

[Harry]

You could also go Silverbrow Human (you loose the +1 skill point a level, and gain feather fall 1/day as well as a +2 racial bonus to disguise and it's always a class skill) if you wanted the dragonblooded subtype to employ Practical Metamagic and keep the extra feat from human.

I forgot about silverbrow human i'll make it a silverbrow thank you :smallsmile:

[Harry]

It's more accurate to say that arcane spells don't have the absolute restriction on them that clerical spells do. From Book of Vile Darkness:



If evil acts don't make your alignment turn to evil, what does?

For feats, start to look at metamagic reducers. Practical Metamagic requires the dragonblood subtype (you're getting spontaneous casting through Hathran). Quicken spell will help you add a second target.

I'll check with my dm if i still keep the hathrans ability if I turn evil thanks for all the help:smallsmile:

[Kitzo]

Dm dosnt allow 3th party

Hey, have you looked into book of exalted deeds? or libris mortis? Soul fire, immune to ability damage, and some of my favorite things, as playing uber hd less creatures, soul fire gives you immunity to almost everyone you could wish, as a low HD char. If that doesnt fit your bill, you could if you really wanted to be mean, was make a bone knight, but thats more or less for melee people. If you wanted immunity to ability damage, get soul fire bracers of armor.

[jedipilot24]

The Mailman concept really works better with Sorcerer.
However, if you are determined to play a blaster wizard...be a Focused Conjurer banning Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy.

[LTwerewolf]

The Mailman concept really works better with Sorcerer.
However, if you are determined to play a blaster wizard...be a Focused Conjurer banning Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy.

This. Sorcerer gets a few nifty tricks that really bring the build together. It's one of the two times that sorcerer is straight up better at something than the wizard.

[docnessuno]

This. Sorcerer gets a few nifty tricks that really bring the build together. It's one of the two times that sorcerer is straight up better at something than the wizard.

I disagree. A focused specialist gets as many spell as a sorcerer, doesn't need to override their problems with metamagic and gets higher level sots one level earlier and gets two bonus feats along the way.

As for the build (no flaws):

Focused specialist Wizard 5 (Scribe scroll, Skill focus - spellcraft, Halruuan adept, Spell thematics, Empower spell, Iron will from Otyugh Hole)
Incantatrix 10 (Residual metamagic, Arcane mastery, Spell focus - evocation, Spell focus - conjuration, Maximize spell, Twin spell, Quicken spell, Persistent spell)
Halruaan elder 4 (Extraordinary spell aim) [Adroit casting on two feats between Twin, Quicken and Maximize]
Archmage 1 [Mastery of Elements]

[Dr.Epic]

Meh, mailmen are okay. But I'd rather build a milkman. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6-z4tNRErY) They have better evocation spells.

[Gavinfoxx]

Sorcerer6/Incantatrix10/Arcane Devotee4

If you choose to be a Silverbrow human for the bonus feat, than I'd suggest, well, this build:

1. Iron Will (you get this to qualify for a prestige class)
Flaw: Precocious Apprentice: Scorching Ray - Replaced by Improved Initiative at level up as soon as you stop using Fiery Burst
Flaw: Fiery Burst - Replaced by something like Force of Personality at level up as soon as you stop using fiery burst
Human: Empower Spell
3. Easy Metamagic: Empower Spell
6. Maximize Spell
7-Incant. Enlarge Spell (you mostly don't use this, it's for a prestige class. you can use it if you want though!)
9. Residual Magic
10.Incant. Easy Metamagic: Maximize Spell
12. Quick Recovery (this is from Lords of Magic, and helps greatly with Celerity abuse, as multiple action abuse is a big part of the Mailman)
13Incant. Twin Spell
15. Practical Metamagic: Maximize Spell
16Incant. Easy Metamagic: Twin Spell
18. Practical Metamagic: Twin Spell

I'd strongly suggest being a Silverbrow.

From this point on, you can basically automatically empower EACH AND EVERY ONE of your damaging spells, ALL THE TIME, for no cost in time or spell level or anything else. Then, you can focus on getting Maximise and Practical and Easy Metamagic, letting the Incantatrix's Improved Metamagic reduce Maximise to +0, so you can have Empowered, Maximized ANYTHING all the time. Finally, by level 18, you can have Empowered, Maximized, Twinned spells at:

Empower+2, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature)
Maximize+3, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature), -1 Practical Metamagic
Twin+4, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature), -1 Practical Metamagic for a net of +1 spell levels for EmpowerMaxiTwinned anything

Anyway, with this, you can spend the two flaws in stuff for the reserve feats, getting Precocious Apprentice: Scorching Ray, and Fiery Burst. At a later point, you could trade those out for Improved Initiative, and Force of Personality from Complete Adventurer (so you get good Will saves, cause you totally dumped Wisdom)

ALTERNATE CLASS FEATURES: You get the Metamagic Specialist ability from the PHB II, as your first level of sorcerer. Some other alternate class features, like from Races of the Dragon, are optional. Also alternate class features from Planar Handbook, are optional but useful.

I would suggest Lesser Orb of Acid as your specific Lesser Orb. At level 2, I'd suggest Lesser Orb of Acid and True Strike as your spells. This would give you an acid attack (lesser orb of acid) and a fire attack that works a different way (your fiery burst).

[LTwerewolf]

I disagree. A focused specialist gets as many spell as a sorcerer, doesn't need to override their problems with metamagic and gets higher level sots one level earlier and gets two bonus feats along the way.

But at the same time you're locking yourself out of schools that the sorcerer doesn't have to. Learn to love knowstones.

[Roaan]

Empower+2, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature)
Maximize+3, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature), -1 Practical Metamagic
Twin+4, -1 Easy Metamagic, -1 Improved Metamagic (class feature), -1 Practical Metamagic for a net of +1 spell levels for EmpowerMaxiTwinned anything

This won't usually work. Most metamagic reducers specifically say they CANNOT reduce a metamagic below +1. Meaning the best you can get (from a SANE GM) is down to a +1 for everything. Even then it is still pretty broken considering you can EmpowerMaxiTwinned a Disintegrate for 36d6x1.5x2 = 648 damage at level 18 (9th level spell).

Also worth noting one of those metamagic reducers is Sorcerer only, meaning the OPs wizard build could not benefit from it.

Finally my own suggestion: Dragon Spawn from the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. This BEAST nets you +7 Natural Armor, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Sorcerer Caster Level, An Elemental Subtype (Invulnerability AND Vulnerability) all for +1 LA. (Dragonlance Camp. Set. page 223)