Shadowcraft Suggestions

[Preaplanes]

Hello, everyone. I've got a 3.5 game coming up and would like some help figuring out, level for level, how to make a Shadowcraft Mage beyond "Roll a Gnome" and "Put points into your prereqs". I'm much better at semi-optimizing Clerics, and was hoping for someone with a bit more ability than myself to make some suggestions.

32 point buy
Wizard as the base class
Illusion specialization
I rolled LN and Female.
Allowed to take flaws
Allowed to take traits
Allowed to buy off LA
Starting L1 ("L0" technically)

The DM is willing, hell, eager to allow us to "water down" races/templates (reducing the capabilities along with the LA) so long as he looks over them. I'm on my honor here, since I have a better understanding of typical LA strengths than he does. Still, that does allow for some template flexibility.

I'd like to know what abilities I should buy, which flaws & traits I should take, which schools I should forbid, what levels to take when, where to drop the skill points each level, and what ranks and feats to take (and when to take them). It doesn't need to be hyper-optimized, but thought out a bit.

Assume standard character wealth per level.

As an aside, I'm a big fan of quickening spells if there's enough room for extra feats.

[Flickerdart]

Conjuration and Evocation seem like the obvious schools to drop, since you can crank up the reality on Shadow Conjuration/Evocation to compensate. If you don't want to lose access to the lovely Conjuration, then Enchantment is a good drop because of the overlap it has with all the Will saves and mind-affecting spells your school of choice has.

[Preaplanes]

Conjuration and Evocation seem like the obvious schools to drop, since you can crank up the reality on Shadow Conjuration/Evocation to compensate. If you don't want to lose access to the lovely Conjuration, then Enchantment is a good drop because of the overlap it has with all the Will saves and mind-affecting spells your school of choice has.

Thanks. Giving up Evocation is a no-brainer to me (not so much my casual party, they're the kind that think the party Cleric is best as a Cure dispenser and that the Bard is bottom-tier), but I was at a loss for Conjuration. I know it's a lot less of a loss if you're going SCM, but still hits pretty hard.

I think I'll drop Enchantment.

Anybody else have any advice?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Thanks. Giving up Evocation is a no-brainer to me (not so much my casual party, they're the kind that think the party Cleric is best as a Cure dispenser and that the Bard is bottom-tier), but I was at a loss for Conjuration. I know it's a lot less of a loss if you're going SCM, but still hits pretty hard.

I think I'll drop Enchantment.

Anybody else have any advice?

Evocation is a no-brainer. You can pick up Contingency with Greater Shadow Evocation.

Enchantment is a good school to drop, since the vast majority of it is obviated by Protection from <alignment>.

Necromancy can also be a good school to drop since so many things are immune to it. The gem here is Enervation. If you don't plan on getting it, drop the school.

Don't drop Conjuration. There's many Conjuration spells you can't duplicate with Shadow Conjuration. Besides, the whole point of the college is for SR: NO which Shadow Conjuration doesn't have.

Don't drop Transmutation either. Just too versatile a school.

If you are the primary arcane caster, don't drop Abjuration, you'll want the Dispel Magic line, if nothing else.

Obviously, dropping Illusion would be completely insane.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

These variants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#illusionistVariants):
Chains of Disbelief: Works with Silent Image.
Shadow Shaper: Hide is a class skill, which you need for Shadowcraft Mage.
Illusion Mastery: Take this if it can be substituted for Spell Mastery when taking Signature Spell: Silent Image. Especially take this if you go for Focused Specialist.

Take the feat Enhanced Shadow Reality from Dragon 325 for +20% more power to your shadow spells.

Focused Specialist (CM): One additional prohibited school, -1 general spell/day of each spell level, +2 specialist spell/day of each spell level. Net gain of +1 spell/day per spell level. Obvious prohibited schools are Enchantment, Evocation, and Necromancy.

Master Specialist (CM): Get four levels of this, its 4th level ability works with Silent Image. You can actually go Wizard 2/ Master Specialist if you get Earth Spell at 1st level, but including Spell Focus you'll need four feats. That means 1st, flaw, flaw, and taint if you really want to, but I'd just go Wizard 3 into it.

Shadowcraft Mage is a no-brainer.

Shadow Adept (PGtF): A one-level dip is pretty good for illusions, but it's very setting-specific.

Shadowcrafter (Und): This is the perfect class for finishing out your build. Wizard 3 (2)/ Master Specialist 4/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter 8 (9) is fairly standard.