Wyrm Wizard [3.5]

[Kansaschaser]

The Wyrm Wizard from Dragon Magic gets Spell Research. It allows them to select any spell from any list and add it to their own.

If I were playing a Generalist Wizard, what spells should I take through Spell Research? If I take 10 levels of Wizard spellcasting before Wyrm Wizard, these spells could be 6th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th levels.

Suggestions?

[Acanous]

h~uuuh.

I'd reccommend you give the Druid list a once-over, they get some pretty nasty spells from 6-9.

Cleric wise, maybe grab Aspect of the Deity, or Divine Power?
Most Cleric spells, you get as a Wiz/Sorc spell of another name. With so few bonus choices, you're going to want to be highly selective. If you're Gishing, Aspect of the Deity and Divine Power are pretty nice.

Would be a good idea to go over those spells that are "Domain Only" and see if you want them. None spring to mind offhand, but I recall seeing at least one that you could *Only* get VIA domain.

[Kansaschaser]

I'm not much of a Gish with this character. I've followed most of the Generalist guidelines. One of the things I'm lacking is some form of healing. I'm not sure I should take some healing spells, but it is one thing that the Wizard can't do well.

[LTwerewolf]

Healing is typically the least effective way to keep your party alive. Shut the enemy down, or buff your party up, and they'll be far safer. Prevent damage, don't react to it.

[Kansaschaser]

Healing is typically the least effective way to keep your party alive. Shut the enemy down, or buff your party up, and they'll be far safer. Prevent damage, don't react to it.

That's what I normally do. But as a Generalist Wizard, I'm just trying to cover all my bases. There are certain things that divine casters can do that I can't cover as a Generalist Wizard. Healing being one of them.

During combat I usually only cast one or two spells at the most to help my companions. I cast a great number of my spells during downtime and between combat.

[Roguenewb]

Mass Heal is pretty hilarious. Normal heal ain't bad either, especially if you grab is a 5th from Adept. I think in theory you could also grab Shadowlord's 2nd level Dimension door or trapsmith's level 1 dispel magic

[ahenobarbi]

Why not miracle? It can reproduce a lot of spells (cleric 8th and lower, anything else 7th and lower) with no XP cost.

[Kansaschaser]

Why not miracle? It can reproduce a lot of spells (cleric 8th and lower, anything else 7th and lower) with no XP cost.

Miracle is very high on my list for 9th level spells. I really like Greater Visage of the Deity though.

[ahenobarbi]

Also Anyspell Greater (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Greater_Anyspell) would allow you prepare any 5th or lower arcane spell in 6th level slot (or 6th or lower arcane spell with Sanctum Spell and with Alternative Spell Source you could use it to prepare divine spells too...) .

[ahenobarbi]

Miracle is very high on my list for 9th level spells. I really like Greater Visage of the Deity though.

You could get sanctum spell and use miracle to duplicate sanctum-spelled Greater Visage of Diety :smallwink:

[LTwerewolf]

That's what I normally do. But as a Generalist Wizard, I'm just trying to cover all my bases. There are certain things that divine casters can do that I can't cover as a Generalist Wizard. Healing being one of them.

During combat I usually only cast one or two spells at the most to help my companions. I cast a great number of my spells during downtime and between combat.

But at the same time the same thing could be achieved by an eternal wand.

[Kansaschaser]

But at the same time the same thing could be achieved by an eternal wand.

Again, just trying to cover all my bases.

So, think of what a Wizard can't do easily with spells. What can the Batman Wizard NOT do?

Healing? Resurrection? Ability Restoration?

[DeusMortuusEst]

Body outside body (CM, 7th lvl wu jen), combined with incantatrix and archmage to get some sla:s and more clones and death throes. Make a bunch of suicide clones!

EDIT: Incantatrix is not for the explosion trick, but for using clones to help metamagic your own spells.

[Doxkid]

Again, just trying to cover all my bases.

So, think of what a Wizard can't do easily with spells. What can the Batman Wizard NOT do?

Healing? Resurrection? Ability Restoration?

The list is pretty short if you're a batman wizard, since that implies you are willing to go to great lengths to have things go yourway and have been doing things like that for a while.

Planar Binding things solve the healing and restoration problems you pose AND can be done pre/post adventure to save spell slots during the action.

Resurrection is replaced by Clone when you don't need it immediately, or are doing it as a contingency (which it usually should be for a wizard).

Revivify, on the other hand, is lovely. I recommend that spell.

[LTwerewolf]

SNA4 or heal both cover your healing bases if you really want that, plus SNA4 also can give you some other utility. A spell I find myself using more than i thought is the simple entangle spell.

Venomfire is great if you have a druid with a fleshraker or other animal that has a poison.

Heart of Earth is stoneskin but better with no component.

[Last Laugh]

Reincarnation (druid 4ish, phb I believe) is at the very least hilarious.
and when you think about, isn't your barbarian better as a badger?

[dextercorvia]

Also Anyspell Greater (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Greater_Anyspell) would allow you prepare any 5th or lower arcane spell in 6th level slot (or 6th or lower arcane spell with Sanctum Spell and with Alternative Spell Source you could use it to prepare divine spells too...) .

Only if you can get a domain slot.

[Kansaschaser]

Body outside body (CM, 7th lvl wu jen), combined with incantatrix and archmage to get some sla:s and more clones and death throes. Make a bunch of suicide clones!

EDIT: Incantatrix is not for the explosion trick, but for using clones to help metamagic your own spells.


The list is pretty short if you're a batman wizard, since that implies you are willing to go to great lengths to have things go yourway and have been doing things like that for a while.

Planar Binding things solve the healing and restoration problems you pose AND can be done pre/post adventure to save spell slots during the action.

Resurrection is replaced by Clone when you don't need it immediately, or are doing it as a contingency (which it usually should be for a wizard).

Revivify, on the other hand, is lovely. I recommend that spell.

Oh, great suggestions. I like them.

[Randomguy]

Pick up Last Breath and pair it with contingency. If you ever die, you'll come back at -1 hp as a different race. It lets you start venerable with less trouble, too.

Snag some high level spells at lower level by taking things from the duskblade and trapsmith class list. Look through the assassin and ranger lists, too. For example, there's a ranger spell that gives sneak attack based on CL, and your CL is twice as good as a rangers at least.

You could get some wu-jen only spells, Body outside Body in particular but there are other good ones.

And make sure you grab Wings of Cover and maybe Wings of Flurry, too, since they're sorcerer only.

[Coidzor]

Is Giant Size self-only? Might be worthwhile buff to grab for your pet beatsticks. I think it's Wu Jen 5, 6, or 7.

[Hirax]

Blizzard, from Frostburn. Creates white out conditions and 1 foot of snow per round for hundreds of feet around you.

[Doxkid]

Pick up Last Breath and pair it with contingency. If you ever die, you'll come back at -1 hp as a different race. It lets you start venerable with less trouble, too.


Last Breath isn't quite ...well...good, compared to Revivify. The only benefits are:
-It leaves the starting HP of the target 1 point higher than revivify

-It is 1 level lower a spell (4th instead of 5th)

-It has no material cost (a 1000 gold revive price is a steal though)

The downsides are:
-You take 1d4 damage per the target's HD (If it's your Contingency that might kill you depending on the order things go into effect)

-The subject loses 1 level (like it had been Raised or Resurrected)

-The subject's spells are expended (normal Raise Dead 50% chance to expend each spell slot)
-------------
I don't think 1000 gold is really an issue for a character that is level 9+.

[Randomguy]

Last Breath isn't quite ...well...good, compared to Revivify. The only benefits are:
-It leaves the starting HP of the target 1 point higher than revivify

-It is 1 level lower a spell (4th instead of 5th)

-It has no material cost (a 1000 gold revive price is a steal though)

The downsides are:
-You take 1d4 damage per the target's HD (If it's your Contingency that might kill you depending on the order things go into effect)

-The subject loses 1 level (like it had been Raised or Resurrected)

-The subject's spells are expended (normal Raise Dead 50% chance to expend each spell slot)
-------------
I don't think 1000 gold is really an issue for a character that is level 9+.

Which spell are you reading from? Last breath does have a material component of 500gp, you don't take any damage for casting it, you don't actually take level loss and I don't think you expend spells. (It says as reincarnate, and reincarnate doesn't say anything about losing spells at all, so I'm assuming you don't lose any). The advantage it has is that you can start as a grey elf and have that -2 strength and con erased and replaced by a possible bonus. You also come back as a young adult (which means immortality if you die often enough), so you keep your mental aging bonuses and lose your physical aging penalties.

FYI I mean the Last Breath from spell compedium, I don't know if it's printed anywhere else.

[Doxkid]

Ah, that'd do it. I was working from the older version. Possibly Masters of the Wild 3.0, or Complete Divine 3.5.

[Kelb_Panthera]

If you pick up Trancend mortality (Wu-jen 9) and Death pact (cleric 8) Pact of Return (cleric 7) you have an emergency "I'm nigh invincible for rounds/CL" button, followed by death and immediate revival.

Trancend Mortality is in Complete mage, and Pact of Return is in Heroes of Horror.

[Spuddles]

SNA4 or heal both cover your healing bases if you really want that, plus SNA4 also can give you some other utility. A spell I find myself using more than i thought is the simple entangle spell.

Venomfire is great if you have a druid with a fleshraker or other animal that has a poison.

Heart of Earth is stoneskin but better with no component.

Heal is worth having. Venomfire comes with the druid. Heart of earth is already a wizard spell.

[Khedrac]

I cannot remember how many spells you can research, but if you have one spare then Spellstaff from the druid list is good. Usually used by clerics with Miracle (who can cast it through Mircale) to store a Miracle in.

[hex0]

Check the Trapsmith and Telflammor Shadowlord lists for gems. Also, Hunter's Eye.

[Spuddles]

Favor of the Martyr nets you immunities to many, many things. Revivify is good for bringing back the dead with no level loss.

[Fable Wright]

You might consider Wings of Cover for personal defense. Immunity to one attack for a second level spell slot at no drawback is nice. (Avoid getting Ennervated, SoD'd, hit in melee combat, hit by breath weapon, AoE blast, and so on.)

[Randomguy]

Arcane Fusion and Greater Arcane Fusion are also good ideas, since they let you cast some of your spells spontaneously.

[hex0]

Anyspell, anyone? :smallbiggrin:

[dextercorvia]

Anyspell, anyone? :smallbiggrin:

Worthless unless you have a 3rd level domain slot.

[hex0]

Worthless unless you have a 3rd level domain slot.

Oh crap. Forgot that part.

Ok, obscure spell, then: Pact of Martydom