Spells for an Epic Wizard

[AWiz_Abroad]

All,

I'm working on building my first epic spellcaster. It's a good aligned campaign, my character is a good aligned OLD archmage who gets called out of retirement.

He's a Gold Half-Dragon Battlefield Controller, Conjuration Specialist banning Necromancy and Enchantment. Dragon type, and due to house rules can fly with his wings at 2x land speed.

25 Level Build (Already established)

Wizard 5/Mage of the Arcane Order 10/Master Specialist 3/Archmage 5/Loremaster2

Given this build, what non-epic spells would you suggest for each level to have memorized, which spells should be utilized as a buffstack that I'll draw from the order.

Finally, I'm thinking Timestop for the SLA of Archmage. Any better suggestions?

[Slipperychicken]

If your DM won't beat you to death for it, Genesis + Astral Projection (via planar-bound Nightmare) is a combo which makes you pretty hard to kill (and means your Astral self doesn't use up any "real" consumables -just the Astral copies), short of going to your plane and ganking you. Have some means to awaken yourself if someone busts into the Demiplane, and something like Greater Anticipate Teleport up so you can be 3 rounds ahead of any assailant. Have the Cleric Craft Contingent Revivify on you, in case someone finds one of the (~3) statted things which can actually sever the Silvery Cord.


Read through Spell Compendium, and then some Wizard Guidebooks. There's a lot of good stuff in there. Many of the coolest spells are around 4th level, I don't know why. With a Blessed Book or two, you should have pretty much every spell in the game in your book (typing the list will save you much headache. Even better if you can control+F search the document, like a PDF or something. There are spellbook apps out there, you could try those).

For added fun, take the feat Uncanny Forethought, from Exemplars of Evil. It lets you "reserve" a number of spell slots equal to your Int mod, then use them to cast any spell you know spontaneously. Extremely useful to someone with hundreds (if not thousands) of spells known, and many of them very situational. You will always have the right spell for the job, even before you load up on scrolls/wands.

Analyze Portal (sorc/wiz 3)- Can be great simply because it's unexpected. The DM might set you up with an unlabelled/random Gate to mess with you, but this will help quite a bit.

Antimagic Ray (sorc/wiz 7) is basically a save-or-be-useless at these levels. Does require a touch attack though.

Planar Bubble (sorc/wiz 7) can be sweet if you're in any nasty plane, the Far Realm, or worse yet, a DM-Fiat-Plane-of-Stupid. Yes, one of my characters was killed in one, shortly before I quit the game. Yes, you can save yourself from the same fate.

Mindrape (BoVD, sorc/wiz 9) while it's an [Evil] spell, I think that's rubbish; the only thing that makes it Evil in itself is the word "rape" in the name. Learn everything the target knows. The main attraction, however, is rewriting your target's brain completely. If you can't get creative with that, you're not trying. Talk to your DM about taking the [Evil] tag off. If your character believes that ends can justify means, take the spell anyway.

Probe Thoughts (sorc/wiz 6) If you want to use a lower level slot than Mindrape, or if you want to be a pansy-wansy Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes and never cast [Evil] spells.

Invoke Magic (http://dndtools.eu/spells/lords-of-madness--72/invoke-magic--1538/) (Sorc/Wiz 9) Take this spell and never look back, and keep the material component on your person at all times (your Bag of Holding won't work on a null-magic plane). Find a level 4 or lower spell which transports you to another plane (long enough to cast Plane Shift), and use it to escape any no-magic area you find yourself in. The potential of this spell to save your bacon is without compare.

[AWiz_Abroad]

Oh man, Uncanny forethought is amazing. SO amazing that I'm dropping off leadership off of my ECL 30, class level 25 wizard.

I appreciate the advice. This is my first epic campaign. I'm choosing an arcane caster, because frankly I'm the most familiar with them. As far as buff stacks go, how is this? My CL is 27 for most things, 28 for conjuration spells.


Permancied
Arcane sight, Resistance, See Invisibility, Tongues

Long Term: All Day& Greater
Contingency: Teleport to my keep whenever I reach 1/20th of my HP total.
Magic Weapon, Greater +5
Shrink Item Blessed Book
Detect Scrying
Heart of Fire
Heart of Air
Heart of Water
Heart of Earth

Medium Term 10Min/Lvl

Spider Climb:
Protection from Energy:
Spell Turning:
Resist Energy


Short Min/Lvl.

Invisibility
Mirror Image
Bear’s Endurance: Subject gains +4 to Con for 1 min./level.
Cat’s Grace: Subject gains +4 to Dex for

What else should be on my buff list each day? Through gear I've already got the INT boost (+6 enhancement Bonus), a +8 Armor bonus, (it sucks I can't stack it with the +4 armor bonus from my robe)

EDIT: I also banned Enchantment and Necromancy. Lawful good (not lawful stupid) wizard, with a mostly lawful good party

[QuidEst]

First level- make sure Unseen Servant is on there. It'll last all day with a single cast and takes care of all the minor stuff.

[Lord Il Palazzo]

Have you looked at Innate Spell (http://dndtools.eu/feats/players-guide-to-faerun--22/innate-spell--1651/)? It requires Still Spell and Silent Spell as prereqs, but lets you have the spell-like ability 3 times per day without costing you the additional spell slot of the High Arcana equivalent. You could use your wizard bonus feat for one of the prereqs if you don't already have plans for it.

[AWiz_Abroad]

Have you looked at Innate Spell (http://dndtools.eu/feats/players-guide-to-faerun--22/innate-spell--1651/)? It requires Still Spell and Silent Spell as prereqs, but lets you have the spell-like ability 3 times per day without costing you the additional spell slot of the High Arcana equivalent. You could use your wizard bonus feat for one of the prereqs if you don't already have plans for it.

My current feat laydown looks like this with two flaw feats, 2 racial feats, and Pathfinder-style feat advancement every 2 levels. The problem of course is getting those feats while maintaining the feat reqs for the classes, and keeping the craft wondrous at least (as I used it to build myself an Ioun stone). Craft ring can go, but thats the current gap in the party's crafting

Cloudy Conjuration
Sculpt Spell
Improved Speed
Skill Focus: Knowledge Arcana
Scribe Scroll
Cooperative Spell
Spell Focus Conjuration
Metamagic School Focus Conjuration
Quicken Spell
Craft Wondrous Item
Spell Focus Transmutation
Craft Ring
Energy Substitution
Uncanny Foresight
Skill Focus Spellcraft
Greater Spell Focus Conjuration
Extend Spell Like Ability
Automatic Quicken Spell
Multi-spell

[AWiz_Abroad]

First level- make sure Unseen Servant is on there. It'll last all day with a single cast and takes care of all the minor stuff.

But wouldn't unseen servant's restriction on speed be a limiting factor? With my feat I walk at 30 and fly at 70

[Lapak]

Mindrape (BoVD, sorc/wiz 9) while it's an [Evil] spell, I think that's rubbish; the only thing that makes it Evil in itself is the word "rape" in the name. Learn everything the target knows. The main attraction, however, is rewriting your target's brain completely. If you can't get creative with that, you're not trying. Talk to your DM about taking the [Evil] tag off. If your character believes that ends can justify means, take the spell anyway.What? It allows the caster to destroy a personality far more completely and utterly than actually killing the target, including the possibility of reversing their stance on everything that matters to them, turning them against everything they love, and making happy about it. It practically defines 'oppression' and is an utter rejection of 'the dignity of sentient beings.'

It's probably the most Evil spell published, rules-as-written. The name has nothing to do with it.

[Slipperychicken]

Uncanny Forethought requires Spell Mastery, so don't forget to take that, too.

"Short Term"/Pre-battle

Superior Invisibility (SpC, sorc/wiz 8): Like Greater Invisibility, but lasts minutes/level, and makes you immune to See Invisibility and a bunch of other things that would otherwise see you.

Ironguard (SpC, sorc/wiz 7): Immunity to metal weapons, even magic ones. I shouldn't need to tell you why this is awesome.

Friendly Fire (Exemplars of Evil, sorc/wiz 4)- Broken, broken, broken. You can redirect any ranged attack targeting you at another valid target within 30ft of you, for rounds/level. Keep in mind that floors and empty 5x5 cubes are "valid targets". "Any ranged attack" includes rays, arrows, acid spit, everything that needs an attack roll to hit. If you ever got a 10th level slot, use it to Persist this.

Repelling Shield (sorc/wiz 3)- After every melee attack against you (successful or not), attackers have to save or be pushed back 5ft. A way to say no to full attacks. Minutes/level.

Greater Mirror Image (sorc/wiz 4, PHBII)- All the awesomeness of vanilla Mirror Image, plus it generates new images every round, up to the maximum of 8. Also can be cast as an Immediate action, which is nifty.

Freedom of Movement (sorc/wiz 4)- This one spell makes whole combat styles useless against you. It's pretty much impossible to keep you down. 10min/level. Remember that you can discharge Heart of Water to get this for rounds/level in a pinch. You can also wear a Ring of it for like 40k.

Protection from X (sorc/wiz 1)- Mind Blank already has your mind-affecting needs covered, but this can patch the hole when something dispels your Mind Blank. Makes you immune to bodily contact by summoned creatures, which stops both grapples and natural attacks, although the creature can check SR against it. Also gives you bonuses on saves and AC against attacks and effects made by X-aligned creatures.

True Seeing (sorc/wiz 6)- This spell needs no introduction. It's the end-all Illusion-crusher. The material component shouldn't be any trouble at these levels. Get a Hathran Mask of True Seeing (Unapproachable East, 75k. Craft it yourself for only 37,500) if you're one of the many who detest any kind of consumables.


"Long-Term"

Mind Blank (Sorc/Wiz 8)- The sheer number of things this spell makes you immune to is stunning, like the whole Enchantment school of magic. The things this spell protects you from are really effing scary, so cast it every day, no matter what.

Chained Greater Magic Weapon. Whether you get Chain Spell from a rod or a feat, now all your friends' weapons get +5, so they can spend that cash on something useful.

Telepathic Bond (sorc/wiz 5)- So you can chat with your buddies in relative privacy. The interplanar version is level 7.

Greater Luminous Armor (Sanctified 4)- Sanctified spells can be cast by any Good aligned prepared spellcaster, which is very convenient for you. Basically it's Mage Armor at +8, free Daylight (countering Darkness effects 2nd level and lower), and melee attacks take a -4 penalty against you. That nets you +8 AC against ranged, and +12 against melee. Doesn't mean much when your enemies have such high attack bonuses, but every little bit helps.

If you have spell slots above 9th, you can use those to Persist things not otherwise possible. This will be very, very nice.


Useful thread is useful (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=331.0)


"Other"?

Orb of X (usually 4th level)- Hurt people without worrying about silly things like SR or AMF. Orb of Fire is really nice, since you can get a save vs. Daze in addition to the damage.

Know Vulnerabilities (sorc/wiz 4)- Good for when you don't know what you're up against.

Since 4th level slots are in such high demand, a Ring of Wizardry might be good for you, if your budget allows.

[AWiz_Abroad]

If your DM won't beat you to death for it, Genesis + Astral Projection (via planar-bound Nightmare). . .

With a Blessed Book or two, you should have pretty much every spell in the game in your book (typing the list will save you much headache. Even better if you can control+F search the document, like a PDF or something. There are spellbook apps out there, you could try those).

. . .
Invoke Magic (http://dndtools.eu/spells/lords-of-madness--72/invoke-magic--1538/) (Sorc/Wiz 9) Take this spell and never look back, and keep the material component on your person at all times (your Bag of Holding won't work on a null-magic plane). Find a level 4 or lower spell which transports you to another plane (long enough to cast Plane Shift), and use it to escape any no-magic area you find yourself in. The potential of this spell to save your bacon is without compare.


So. Genesis is specifically allowed as per DM. I think to avoid having a murder by DMG I'll see how the DM plays before introducing him to the joys of Astral Projection.

As per every spell. Yeah, with a Lvl 10 MotAO, as well as this particular character's backstory, (250 year old mage who petitioned the emperor to start a mage's academy, and then rose to become the head of said Academy, retired from said academy to pursue magical research), spell access is not going to be a problem. What sort of spellbook app do you recommend?

Thank you for the link. I'm modifying my buffs as we speak.

Invoke is just beautiful. For sheer utility sake I'm going to keep that one memorized.





It's probably the most Evil spell published, rules-as-written. The name has nothing to do with it.


Going to have to agree with Lapak on this one, I'm going for more an Elminster vibe than a Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun one.



Uncanny Forethought requires Spell Mastery, so don't forget to take that, too. . .

Superior Invisibility. . . Added to the list

Ironguard (SpC, sorc/wiz 7): . . . Added to the list


Friendly Fire . . . .The cheese is too much for me

Repelling Shield (sorc/wiz 3)- I'm giving this one a pass, I can use the auto quicken/multispell on the lower level spells to break action economy

Greater Mirror Image (sorc/wiz 4, PHBII)- How much better is this over the straight mirror image. They don't grow back, granted, but both produce 8 images. Am I missig something?

Freedom of Movement (sorc/wiz 4)- Normally, I'd agree with you, but House rules nerfed this, I'll just use Dimension door. I also have abrupt jaunt ACF on this guy

Protection from X (sorc/wiz 1)- Beautiful, added in. I love stackable AC bonuses

True Seeing (sorc/wiz 6)- Pricey, but I concur, worth it

"Long-Term"

Mind Blank (Sorc/Wiz 8)- and the nice thing about the PHB ones are, I don't have to keep them in my head, as long as the party gives me a few minutes in the morning to buff up, I can pull them from the Spellpool


Greater Luminous Armor (Sanctified 4)- I already have the armor bonus from an item, without that bonus, is this spell really worth it

[Slipperychicken]

I don't use a spellbook app myself, I just keep my spell lists in an Excel document, and Ctr+F to find anything in particular. If you know how to work the formulas, that can be pretty sweet if there's any number crunching you need done.

As long as you can search it easily, play with your "memorized" list, and mark sources and page numbers (to save time on looking the description up), you should be fine. Keep it digital if you can help it; no mess, no stress. Either mark your mastered spells with something noticable (like a red asterisk, or a different color), or have a separate list, just in case you lose your spellbook(s). Also make sure there's some difference between your notations for "kept it open for Uncanny Forethought", and "already cast from this slot today".

Arcane Sight (SRD, Sorc/Wiz 3) is a good one I forgot to mention. Permanency it for 1500xp, or Persist with a 9th level slot. It gives you a lot of information, very quickly. If you have the time to size someone up, it's a good way to gauge someone's casting ability. "Lingering Aura" plus the Christmas Tree effect makes it pretty easy to track a high-level opponent.

And when your DM notices all your awesome buffs, someone will try to Dispel them. Have some way to jack your CL up for your morning buffs, and/or grab a Ring of Spell-Battle. If it's within your cheese-tolerance, a Spellblade (player's guide to Faerun, pg 120) of Greater Dispel Magic will automatically absorb the targeted version of the spell harmlessly, and even let you send it back as a free action next round. Granted, the area version would still work, but that would only dispel one effect per casting.

Be sure to hash out exactly what Mind Blank does with your DM. The "protects against information gathering by divination spells or effects" indicates that it would foil True Seeing, See Invisibility, and countless other spells, possibly including Detect Magic and its ilk. In Mind Blank's defense, however, it is a much higher-level spell than True Seeing. If this does work, your illusion-based defenses (Invisibility, Mirror Image, Displacement) will become a lot more potent, since very little will be able to penetrate them.

[AWiz_Abroad]

So much good advice. The first session of this guy is in a few hours, so I present,

Malthengil, aka Alister Enumarm

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/103904547_4db254e360.jpg
This guy with Wings, and golden skin (But I couldn't not use this photo with the pipe)

Wizard5/ Mage of the Arcane Order 10/ Master Specialist3/ Archmage 5/Loremaster2
ECL 30 HOUSERULED+2LA RACE/Half Dragon (+5LA) 251 years old Lawful Good Type: Dragon

Movement: 40, Fly 80, Good maneuverability

Initative: +5 or +6 , +5 Improved Initative; Automatically Roll Twice (Ring)

STR 21 +5
DEX 23 +6
CON 23 +6
INT 42 +16
WIS 20 +5
CHA 22 +6

AC: 10+ DEX +4 NATURAL+ 1 INSIGHT + 8 ARMOR= AC 23+Dex
Touch AC: 10+1 + DEX = 11+Dex


Saves
Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save
7 (+7) 6 (+7) 16 (+7)


Skills 310 pts to spend.


Bluff (CHA) 11
Concentration (CON) 20
Craft Alchemy INT 21
Craft Drawing INT 21
Decipher Script INT 21
Gather Information CHA 11
Intimidate CHA 13
Jump STR 16

Knowledge INT


Arcana 44
Architecture 21
Dungeoneering 44
Geography 26
History 36
Local 21
Nature 21
Nobility and royalty 21
Religion 36
The planes 44

Listen WIS 8

Search INT 26
Sense Motive WIS 10
Spellcraft INT 44
Spot WIS 19
Swim STR 10



Flaws: Noncombatant, Inattentive. -2 Listen, -2 Spot, -2 Melee attack rolls

Feats:


Improved Flight
Sculpt Spell
Improved Speed
Skill Focus: Knowledge Arcana
Scribe Scroll
Cooperative Spell
Spell Focus Conjuration
Metamagic School Focus Conjuration
Quicken Spell
Craft Wondrous Item
Spell Focus Transmutation
Craft Contingent Spell
Maximize Spell
Forge Ring
Skill Focus Spellcraft
Extend Spell Like Ability
Automatic Quicken Spell
Automatic Quicken Spell
Multi-spell
Improved Initative


Special Qualities
Darkvision out to 60 ft, Natural Armor +4,
Breath Weapon, 30 ft Cone of fire, 6D8 Reflex (DC 10 + 1/2 half-dragon’s racial HD + half-dragon’s Con modifier) reduces damage by half.
_______________________________________________
Archmage Class Abilities

Mastery of Shaping: Super Sculpt
Spell Power: +1CL
Spell-Like Ability : Time Stop, Shapechange, Temporal Stasis

_____________________________________________
Loremaster Abilities.
Secret: Additional Feat

Lore:Bardic Knowledge for Wizards +16 INT modifier

__________________________________________________ _
Spells Per Day Memorized (Taking into account slots needed for Long term Buffs below as well as slots for Archmage Abilities.)

Lvl 1: 8 Protection from Evil x2, Nerveskitter x3, Grease, Open Slots 2
Lvl 2 7 Glitterdust x3, Mirror Image x2, Heart o Air, Open Slot
Lvl 3: 5 Shadow Phase, Slowx2, Fireball Energy Substituted Electricity, Fireball Substituted Cold
Lvl 4: 6 Wingbind, Unluck, Teleport, Black Tentacles, OPEN SLOT 2
Lvl 5: 3 Celerity x 3
Lvl 6: 6 Greater Dispel Magicx2, Lord of the Sky, Ray of Light, Acid Storm, Heart of Fire
Lvl 7: 7 Energy Substituted Delayed Blast Fireball Sonic x 3, Greater Teleport, Prismatic Spray, True Seeing, Reverse Gravity
Lvl 8: 5: Superior Invisibility x 2, Mindblank, Polymorph any object,
Lvl 9: 6: Channel Greater Celestial, Effulgent Ex., Energy Substituted Detonate (Sonic), Frostfell, Invoke Magic, Disjunction

SLAs 2/Day: Time Stop/ Shape Change/ Temporal Stasis

Open Slots filled through Arcane Order Spellpool

Spellbook

1st Lvl: Grease, Benign Transposition, Protection from Evil, Nerveskitter, Deep Breath
2nd Lvl Heart of Air, Web, Glitterdust, Mirror Image
3rd Lvl: Slow, Heart of Water, Shadow Phase, Fireball
4th lvl: Wingbind ; Black Tentacles, Unluck, Teleport
5th lvl: Heart of Earth, Celerity(House ruled Grants a +4 dodge bonus to AC and an extra action per round.) Telekinesis; Draconic Polymorph, Greater Blink
6th lvl: Heart of Fire, Lord of the Sky, Acid Storm, Contingency, Greater Dispel Magic, Ray of Light
7th lvl: Delayed Blast Fireball, True Seeing, Teleport, Greater; Reverse Gravity
8th lvl Prismatic Spray [lvl 7]; Superior Invisibility, Temporal Stasis; Mind Blank, PAO
9th lvl: Invoke Magic, Mage’s Disjunction, Detonate, Bind Greater Celestial, Effulgent Expuration, Meteor Swarm; Gate, Time Stop: Frostfell


__________________________________________________ ____________________
Gear

Sloppy formatting I know.

+6 Intelligent Circlet of Rapid Casting: 51,000
Antitoxin (x4, 50 GP ea.) Price: 200 GP
Belt of Battle (MIC). 12000GP, waist slot. +2 competence bonus to initiative. Extra Action
Blessed Bandage Price: 10 GP. Auto stabilize
Boccob's Blessed book: (12,500 gp) x1
Chaos Flask (x2, 100 GP ea.) Price: 200 GP Weight: 1#
Cloak of Mysterious Emergence (DMagic). 13000GP, shoulders slot.
Everfull Mug Price: 200 GP Weight: --
Eyes of the eagle (2.5k) +5 spot
Fast Torch (x2, 5 GP ea.) Price: 10 GP Weight: 1#
Flint & Steel Price: 1 GP
Hand of Glory (DMG, 8,000 gp)
Heward's Fortifying Bedroll x2 6,000 gp
(Heward's) Handy Haversack (DMG). 2000GP
Ioun Stone Orange +1 CL 30,000gp.
Ioun Stone, Dusty Rose (+1 insight), no body slot, 5,000gp.
Ioun Stone, Deep Red (enhancement), +2 DEX no body slot, 8,000gp
Ioun Stone, Pink (enhancement), +2 Con 8,000gp. DMG, p. 260
Lasso Price: 1 GP Weight: 3#
Marbles (x4, 2 SP ea.) Price: 8 SP Weight: 8#
Needle Price: 5 SP Weight: --
Pipe of Arcane Might: 40,000
Ring of Mental Fortitude (DMG2). 110000GP
Ring of Spell-Battle (MIC). 12000GP, ring slot.
Ring of Anticipation, 6,000
Robe of Arcane Might (Conjuration) 21,000gp
Shapesand (jug) Price: 100 GP
Stonebreaker Acid Price: 20 GP
Survival Pouch Price: 3300 GP
Universal Solvent Price: 50 GP
Vest of the Archmagi (MIC, 200k)
1lb Tobacco 1gp
A statuette: Contingency Focus 1,500 gp
Diamond, 1,000 GP (Invoke Magic)
True Seeing Goop, 250gp


Crafted Items
Tome of Clear Thought +4
Ioun Stone Pale Green
Crafted Contingency: Waterbreathing CL 10
Crafted Contingency: Featherfall: Fall more than 9.75 feet
Crafted Contingency: Deep Breath CL10: Suffocation

Daily Buffs
Permancied
Arcane sight, Resistance, See Invisibility, Tongues

Contingencies
Contingency: Teleport home whenever I reach 1/20th of my HP total.
Crafted Contingencies Above

Long Term Buffs : All Day In place 1 minute post finishing studying spellbook.

Magic Weapon, Greater +5
Shrink Item Blessed Book
Detect Scrying
Heart of Fire
Heart of Air
Heart of Water
Heart of Earth



EDIT: NOW A HALFLING