[3.5] Help picking a wizard feat

[macdaddy]

I am playing a Wizard in a campaign.

I am currently a 4th level wizard (Focused specialist Conjurer with Rapid Summoning and scribe scroll) and have the following feats: Extend Spell, Meta Magic School Focus(Conj), and Sculpt Spell.

When I hit 5th level, I will use my bonus feat on Spell Focus(Conjuration), and move into Master Specialist at 6th level.

For my 6th level feat, I am unsure of what to take. Currently I am leaning towards Augment Summoning, mainly because there doesn't seem to be anything that stands out at this level.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[Spuddles]

{Scrubbed}

[Libertad]

Extend Spell's a cool and versatile metamagic feat. Apply it to Rope Trick for 12 hours to rest in an extra-dimensional space, and regain your spells sleeping in a dangerous dungeon! Keep in mind that this tactic's considered cheesy by many DMs, but it can be useful in campaigns with high lethality. It's got many other uses as well, such as Extended Mage Armor for a nice armor bonus.

I'd recommend Augment Summoning, as it's invaluable for buffing up your summoned minions. +2 hit points per hit die's nothing to sneeze at!

[Keld Denar]

Cloudy Conjuration is petty fun. Takes a little creative use, but lots of potential. No save sicken is a rather nice debuff, and sets other casters up for offense.

Augmented Summons is good, as noted above.

Spell Focus: Transmutation or Necromancy set you up for Archmage entry.

And its never to early for Quicken Spell. 4th level slots are only 1 level away at 6th, and with MMSF, you can cast Quickened Grease once or twice a day.

[Autopsibiofeeder]

Since you seem to be focused on summoning (at least, that's what I get from your post), Augment Summoning is a decent choice. But I am mostly posting to point you towards the Paragnostic Apostle PrC. With one level, you can get fast healing 2 (scaling up to 5) to your summoned monsters. Might work nice with the Master Specialist Conjurer plans you have.

[Acanous]

Kinda surprised you didn't go for 4th level Master Specialist entry. Is the one feat really worth the two dead levels when you're not even sure what you want it for?

At any rate, for what you're doing you definately want Augment summoning.
Cloudy Conjuration is good, you'll want that later, too. Empower/Maximize spell are things you'll want to pick up later, and Extend is something you'll want soon.

then start summoning hordes of monsters with bonus HP and STR in clouds of "No save for you", who stick around all combat long.

[Keld Denar]

Extend Spell is generally cheap enough to put on a metamagic rod. Lesser extend is dirt cheap, and medium extend isn't too bad by the time you need it. Unless you plan on taking Persist spell, you can generally safely skip extend spell.

Maximize Spell is also not really worth your time, especially compared to Empower Spell which is only a +2 vs the +3 that is maximize.

[macdaddy]

I delayed going into master specialist at 6th level instead of 4th level so I could use sculpt spell starting at 3rd level. With meta magic school focus, I could immediately start sculpting glitter dust. Otherwise i would have to wait until 6th level.

I have rapid summoning instead of abrupt jaunt, because my GM won't allow it. I figure this way i can at least get something out of it, as my familiar would be worthless with the multi classing. We have a druid who does the summoning, i don't see much use until 3rd level spells.

I took extend spell because meta magic school focus and sculpt spell each require a meta magic feat as a prerequisite. Extend seemed like the most useful (mage armor, rope trick, etc).

I like paragnostic apostle, but think master specialist is a better entry for3 to 4 levels. I can hold off on spell focus transmutation until a higher level for entry into archmage.

Empower/maximize are probably of little use. Most of my spells are battle field control, buff and debuff. I use very few damage spells(have yet to cast one).

So augment summoning doesn't seem that bad to people. When i get 3rd level spells i will have 3 conjuration slots available. One will definitely be a summon, and a celestial bison with an extra 10 hp and +2 hit and damage (and grapple) is pretty darn good. Same with the ape. So not a bad feat.

[Flickerdart]

Augment Summoning is necessary to enter Malconvoker, the coolest summoning PrC, so go for that one.

[ericgrau]

Empower is great on variable debuffs like ray of enfeeblement and enervation. In fact I'm confused why spell focus (necromancy) was recommended when the best necromancies have no save. Unless you're specializing in another school, and you aren't, there aren't any great options for your second spell focus. But transmutation, illusion, evocation and enchantment are ok options. I put the best first but really whichever school you go to for mass save or x spells is your best choice. If all your transmutations are buffs or single target then it becomes a bad choice instead. Evocation might be an option for resilient sphere since even though it's single target, monsters tend to have poor reflex saves.

If you like summons then I'll second augment summoning. Quicken spell is also nice for quickened summons. They may not be strong but they don't cost an action, they can flank and they can absorb a hit. If you can communicate with animals then you might direct them aid another. Flanking + aid another = +4 to hit = about 30%-50% more damage from your main summon's first attack and over half that for remaining attacks. That's nothing to sneeze at.

[macdaddy]

You can do aid another on to hit rolls? I thought you could only do that on skill checks. Where does it say you can do it on to hit rolls?

Quicken spell is good, and on the list, i just think its probably better at 9th, when i can quicken spells with it.

I chose to ban necromancy over illusion when going for focused specialist. So the only de buffs i have access to are via transmutation. Too bad. Besides, I always seen to have to fire mine into combat, making it quite difficult to hit.

[Medic!]

Aid Another (SRD) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#aidAnother)

Right 'dere...you can add +2 to an ally's attack or their AC with it as well.

+2 to-hit, the reason for (un-improved) familiars since 363 BG :smallbiggrin:

[Keld Denar]

In fact I'm confused why spell focus (necromancy) was recommended when the best necromancies have no save.

There are still plenty if decent necromancy spells that allow saves. Ray of Exhaustion still has a partial effect on a successful save, but a failed save its better. Fleshshiver tracks on a significant amount of damage and a mean debuff if the save its failed. Heck, Fear is a petty sick spell, especially when sculpted. Sure, Ray of Enfeeblement and Enervation don't allow saves, and neither does Waves of Exhaustion, but there are some good ones that do.

Plus, taking Spell Focus Necromancy opens up MMSF for necromancy, and we all know how much Enervation loves Split Ray and/or Quicken Spell. Split Ray is also nice for Stun Ray, a 7th level conjuration, for disabling 2 foes in one round.

If you look at it, I think that SF Necro gets a bit more love than Transmutation or Illusion. Many I'd the best spells from those schools don't get saves either.

[ericgrau]

Ah I was looking at core spells. While the other schools also have good no save spells, I saw more good core save-or-x spells in the other schools. Necromancy also has circle of death which I forgot. It's the single target save or X necromancies that aren't that efficient. I wasn't sure to even put enchantment on the list either. Like fleshsliver other spell compendium spells might change things.

It all depends what spells he picks. In the end he's focusing on conjuration not another school so spell focus is only worth it at all for archmage; it won't get much use on its own. It wouldn't be good to dump more feats into a handful of spells either. His choice depends on which school he happens to have spells with save-or-x in; spells which are already good on their own without any feats or that work well with his conjuration focused feats.