The ultimate Ultimate Magus

[themourningstar]

First, is there a motherfudging search function for this forum?1 If so, please point it out!!!
Pretty simple, playground. I want to be the ultimate Ultimate Magus. I love arcane casters, and I see godhood- literally, my dm will just have to accept it and retire my pc- in my future.
Ok, ok. Enough delusions of grandeur. Seriously though, I want to optimize an UM. I am joining a new group here in Houston, and get to design a fifteenth level character. I do not want to be a beguiler, or to take arcane thesis. Character details are as follows.

Concept: I want to play an austere character. He cares little for other people, only for his craft. Raistlin Majere at his finest (worst?). I want the character to be focused on destroying single foes. "sniper"
Books allowed: Any WotC material for sure, and any balanced homebrew.
Substitutions, etc: open
Class: I am thinking sorceror and wizard. I am slightly open to other base classes, but.. meh.
Level:15th (4th wiz, 1st sor, 10th UM?)
Race: Human (bonus feat!). I am open to other suggestions, but I prefer to go without any LA.
Feats: Open! Lord of the Uttercold, extend spell, heighten spell, fearsome necromancy, Leadership (almost for sure), Spell focus, spell focus greater, enlarge spell, ??
Prestige Classes: Ultimate Magus!
Spells known: ???


My biggest concern is class choice/ level distribution, race, feats, and spells known (especially my sorceror spells). Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
Oh! And any help with my cohort would fantastic too. I can't figure out if i want another spellcaster or a meatshield. Feel free to suggest monsters here. :) ECL can be up to 13. Also, my GP limit is 200,000, and any help there is good as well- my cohort gets 66,000, plus if I want to spend my main pc's gp on him i can. Thanks peoples!!

First game day is this Saturday!

[Namfuak]

There is a disabled search feature - the forums are already unstable, and it made it nigh-unusable sometimes. site:giantitp.com on Google tends to serve the same purpose.

There are a few theurge handbooks on this forum you can find that way, but one good trick for Ultimate Magus is to use practiced spellcaster on your spontaneous side, so that you always advance your wizard levels (because the lowest caster level, not effective level, class is advanced on levels that only advance one side, and you choose if they are the same, which they are with practiced spellcaster). This effectively means you can cast as a 19th level wizard and a 14th level sorcerer at 20, if I am doing the math right (it's probably off somewhere, so you should double check).

[Emperor Tippy]

The best Ultimate Magus is Wizard 5 (with the Spontaneous Divination ACF)/Ultimate Magus 10/Legacy Champion 5.

Spontaneous Divination Wizard is both a prepared and a spontaneous arcane casting class.

Ultimate Magus 10+ Legacy Champion 5 gives you 22 levels of Wizard. So at level 20 you cast as a level 27 wizard.

It technically works per the RAW. If you try to use it in play your DM will probably throw something at you.

[Hiro Protagonest]

There is a disabled search feature - the forums are already unstable, and it made it nigh-unusable sometimes. site:giantitp.com on Google tends to serve the same purpose.

You don't want to use the forum keyword search anyway.

[themourningstar]

lol, thanks for the warning on the search function. Also, thanks for the idea, I had never thought of adding gitp into my searches. I lost some google xp on that one.

Omj, I got a Tippy reply :o

I googled the Spontaneous divination wizard, not seeing the logic here. (I've read several Tippyverse threads, and fully realize that logic and optimization don't always go together. I would like a little bit of fluff with my optimization. )
I do, however, see the Legacy Champion. I am thinking instead of optimization i should of said.. Powerful? Bajesus. Epic level optimizers should have their own forum thread, dangit lol.

I prefer to avoid all flying objects, especially those thrown by my newfound DM. (My goal is to take over dming for this group- there is no set dm right now!!!!)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Never use Wizard/Sorcerer when you could go Beguiler/Wizard into UM.

Illumian (Krau/anything) Beguiler 1/ Wizard 4/ UM 10/ (PrCs) 5 gets 19/20 Wizard casting and 8/20 Beguiler casting with Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler. Illumians are Humanoid (Human) so you can get Able Learner and keep the Beguiler class skill list for your entire career. Get Versatile Spellcaster and you can spend two spontaneous spell slots of equal level to cast any spell you know of one level higher, which includes Wizard spells you've learned, and it also gives you early access to the next higher level of the Beguiler spell list.

[Crake]

Wizard 4/Sorc 1/UM 10 loses 2 levels of wizard casting over 15 levels, if you take practised spellcaster on the sorcerer side?

you end up with wizard 13 sorcerer 9? I think the main idea is to just use the heaps of sorcerer spell levels to just fuel metamagic on the wizard side, and also to keep a few spells handy.

Due to the caster level advancement of UM, you'd end up with a caster level of 17 on both sides so even though you have lower spell level access, your caster level is actually higher than your level.

[Waker]

You want to go Ultimate Magus, but you don't want to use Beguiler and you want to be a "sniper". Well, even if the idea will probably be met with derision, you could use Warmage. The class is Int/Cha, but since you will probably go the Practiced Spellcaster trick to boost Wizard casting, you only need a Charisma of 14 to cast your spells. Unless I miscounted, a Wizard 4/Warmage 1/Ultimate Magus 10 using the Practiced Spellcaster trick winds up casting as a 14th level Wizard and 9th level Warmage.
BF's suggestion on Illumians is a good one. Personally I would go with Naenkrau or Vaulkrau.

[Starbuck_II]

Sniper indicates you want Spellwarp Sniper? Lets you warp spells into ranged touches bypassing evasion, but then it does hit only one target (unless you applied chain spell metamagic like from a Metamagic Rod).


Wizard 5 (with the Spontaneous Divination ACF)/Ultimate Magus 5/Spellwarp Sniper 5

Next 5 levels in Ultimate Magus.

[Emperor Tippy]

lol, thanks for the warning on the search function. Also, thanks for the idea, I had never thought of adding gitp into my searches. I lost some google xp on that one.

Omj, I got a Tippy reply :o

I googled the Spontaneous divination wizard, not seeing the logic here. (I've read several Tippyverse threads, and fully realize that logic and optimization don't always go together. I would like a little bit of fluff with my optimization. )
I do, however, see the Legacy Champion. I am thinking instead of optimization i should of said.. Powerful? Bajesus. Epic level optimizers should have their own forum thread, dangit lol.

I prefer to avoid all flying objects, especially those thrown by my newfound DM. (My goal is to take over dming for this group- there is no set dm right now!!!!)

Spontaneous Divination gives you, as a class feature, the ability to spontaneously cast Arcane spells of first through 9th level. This makes Wizard a Spontaneous Arcane casting class (Spontaneous Divination being a class feature and not a feat).

That qualifies you for UM and UM gives you (8/10 levels) spellcasting advancement as if you have gained a level in your prepared spellcasting class and as if you gained a level in your spontaneous spellcasting class.

Thanks to Spontaneous Divination, Wizard is both of those. So on 8/10 levels of UM you gain two levels of Wizard spellcasting (for 18 levels total over the 10 levels of the class).

Legacy Champion progresses UM 4/5 levels and thus provides another 8 levels of Wizard casting.

[Nettlekid]

My suggestion is to use Wizard (with a Bard dip) and Sublime Chord to go into Ultimate Magus. The reason for this is that your Sublime Chord CL is based on your Wizard CL. So, let's say you go Bard 1/Wizard 9/Sublime Chord 1/Ultimate Magus 4 (very unoptimized build, but it's just for illustration). At level 11 your Wizard CL is 9, so Sublime Chord becomes 1+Wiz=10. Ultimate Magus will boost your Wizard CL by 10 over the course of 10 levels, so your Wizard CL ends up being 19 at level 21 (18 at level 20, giving you 9th level spells there). Sublime Chord will be progressed +7 over the course of the 10 levels, so you end up with a little 8th level casting ability on the Sublime Chord side, but your CL is Wiz+8, which is 27 at level 21. However, since Ultimate Magus raises your CL for all arcane spells by +4, Wizard CL is 23 at level 21, so Sublime Chord is Wiz+8+4=35. I also suggest spending 3000 XP to take three Bloodline levels, which net you a few nice treats and 3 kind of filler levels, which will boost both CL by 3 (and ergo Sublime Chord by 6 total). If you manage to get to level 22, take another level of Sublime Chord to get you to CL 42, and with its Song of Arcane Power ability you can cast a few spells at CL 46. With that, you barely need Persist spell, because 10 minute/level spells last almost 8 hours already. Uncapped damage-by-level spells become nukes. You can instakill anything with less than 36 HD if you have a Holy Word or similar spell. And not to mention you have Sublime Chord spell slots to fuel Metamagic from Ultimage Magus' ability, and those 3 Bloodline levels make you count as a level 13 Ultimage Magus, meaning that yes, Persist Spell is fair game if you're willing to sacrifice your 6th level slots from Sublime Chord.

It needs a lot of tweaking, but it's not bad, right? For one, you can put in about four or five other PrC levels into those Wizard 9, which could boost your CL even more.

[Spuddles]

Sniper indicates you want Spellwarp Sniper? Lets you warp spells into ranged touches bypassing evasion, but then it does hit only one target (unless you applied chain spell metamagic like from a Metamagic Rod).


Wizard 5 (with the Spontaneous Divination ACF)/Ultimate Magus 5/Spellwarp Sniper 5

Next 5 levels in Ultimate Magus.

Little hard to qualify for Spellwarp Sniper with that build, isn't it? Need a source of sneak attack, IIRC.

[Piggy Knowles]

My favorite "other" class for an Ultimate Magus is the Nar Demonbinder from Unapproachable East. It gives you 8th-level spontaneous arcane spells in seven levels and has a CL that scales with your levels in wizard, meaning that you can advance wizard without too much trouble.

My current favorite UM build stub is Wizard 5/Ruathar 1/Unseen Seer 3/Nar Demonbinder 1/Ultimate Magus 10. That being said, if you want to keep things simple, you could easily start your level 15 build as Wizard 7/Nar Demonbinder 1/Ultimate Magus 7 and be fine. And by "fine" I mean casting 7th-level Nar Demonbinder spells and 7th-level wizard spells, with absolutely ridiculous metamagic capabilities. So, um, more than fine maybe?

The one downside to Nar Demonbinder is that it is Charisma-based, so you've got a casting stat conflict. If you're playing on a low point-buy, an uurkrau illumian can convert your bonus spells for both classes to Dexterity.

If you don't have Nar Demonbinder on hand, here's a link (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030502a&page=2) to an excerpt that Wizards released. However, they messed up on the excerpt - they somehow dropped off the seventh level of the class, and they said that Greater Spell Focus is a required feat, when in the book it's only standard Spell Focus.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Warmage is worthless for a UM build, because Warmage Edge only applies to your Warmage spells.

If you want to get Spellwarp Sniper, go Human Beguiler 1/ Spellthief 1/ Wizard 3/ UM 10/ Spellwarp Sniper 5, with the feat Master Spellthief. With this build you're free to take some or all of the Spellwarp Sniper levels prior to finishing UM, and you can still put 10/10 UM toward Wizard because Master Spellthief equalizes your caster levels. Still get Able Learner and Versatile Spellcaster, but you won't need Practiced Spellcaster. Use your Wizard spell slots for your sniping spells, and your Beguiler spells for utility, stealth, etc.

[ArqArturo]

Well, Illumians (which are an offshoot CL 0 race of humans) make good multclassing casters because of the Krau sigil (I think). Also, I second the motion for Warmage, because they use Intelligence in their damage, so your rays will be more powerful. Plus, your wizard levels will give you the necessary utilitarian spells to move out of the way.

[Emperor Tippy]

Little hard to qualify for Spellwarp Sniper with that build, isn't it? Need a source of sneak attack, IIRC.

Novice Shadowhands to get Assassins Stance. Gives you 2d6 sneak attack.

[Spuddles]

Novice Shadowhands to get Assassins Stance. Gives you 2d6 sneak attack.

Not if you don't meet the pre-reqs, which you won't unless you're using heroics/burning a feat.

[Emperor Tippy]

Not if you don't meet the pre-reqs, which you won't unless you're using heroics/burning a feat.

So throw on an Eternal Wand of Heroics. Not a problem.

[Gildedragon]

What about lost traditions on the sorcerer side?

specializing on the Wizard side, even focused specialization, might be advisable. Use your sorcerer side to get around the prohibition.

[kulosle]

Is there any cool way to use UM with bard? I've never really look at the class, but I think that would be great if it worked out. Like using Prestigious Bard or Heart Fire Fanner. Also is there a prepared arcane spell caster besides wizard?

[Gildedragon]

Sha'ir, Wu Jen, Savant
I am sure I am missing some, but those are the ones I can recall off the top of my head.

[Spuddles]

Is there any cool way to use UM with bard? I've never really look at the class, but I think that would be great if it worked out. Like using Prestigious Bard or Heart Fire Fanner. Also is there a prepared arcane spell caster besides wizard?

Sublime Chord comes to mind.

[Ravitiate]

While not the most exiting build, you can make one hell of a blaster with:

Wizard5/Incantatarix3/Nar Demonbinder1/Incantatarix4/Ultimate Magus10

Pick up Mother Cyst at level 9

Caster Level Wizard: 23
Caster Level Nar Demonbinder: 24

Typical featbuild:
Quick Recovery, Iron Will
Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Empower Spell
Extend Spell, Sculpt Spell
Mother Cyst
Quicken Spell
Practical Metamagic (Quickened Spell)
Twin Spell, Practical Metamagic (Twin Spell)
Persistent Spell
Practical Metamagic (Persistent Spell)

Gives you level 9 Wizard Spells and level 8 from Nar Demonbinder. Incantatarix gives lots of Metamagic tricks and Quick Recovery, Celerity and Quickened Spells give you great action economy. Empowered Twinned spells blasts most things to death.

Edit:
Read through your post. You can fit in Leadership if you for example buy Iron Will, though with your MAD for Int/Cha it might be better to use something like a Sun Elf or Spellscale and drop a feat all together. Depends on how your group decides ability scores

[Fouredged Sword]

Sha'ir 4 / sorcerer 1 / Ultimate Magus 10 / Mystic Thurge 5 works well.

You are charisma sad and get something like Sha'ir 19/20 and sorcerer 14/20 casting. (I forget how many levels untimate magus looses)

Sha'ir counts as a divine spellcasting class, so you can advance it and sorcerer with mystic thurge to finish out the build.

You get tons of utility, and can get any wizard spell in a just a short period. Your sorcerer spells are great metamagic reducers for your sha'ir spells.

[Vedhin]

Well, I've been tinkering with UM myself lately, but unforunately I've been working on a gish build. My only advice from that is that you might be able to use Precocious Apprentice to qualify on the prepared side, and take more levels on the spontaneous side so UM progresses the prepared side.

And the Nuker (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/29194961/) ought to be everything you're looking for.

As for the cohort, a spellcaster is probably better. Look into the (White) Dragonspawn template from the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Its a +1 LA and gives you +7 Natural Armor, flight, a bite and two claws, an every 2d4 rounds breath weapon, lowlight and darkvision, stat boosts AND 1 level of Sorcerer spellcasting. So its like a level in ubersorcerer. If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana's LA buyoff, it just gets better.

[Waker]

Sha'ir 4 / sorcerer 1 / Ultimate Magus 10 / Mystic Thurge 5 works well.

You are charisma sad and get something like Sha'ir 19/20 and sorcerer 14/20 casting. (I forget how many levels untimate magus looses)

Sha'ir counts as a divine spellcasting class, so you can advance it and sorcerer with mystic thurge to finish out the build.

You get tons of utility, and can get any wizard spell in a just a short period. Your sorcerer spells are great metamagic reducers for your sha'ir spells.

Sha'ir/Sorcerer would work great for Mystic Theurge, but sadly not for Ultimate Magus. You need to prepare spells from a spellbook.

[Fouredged Sword]

Reverse them and go Sha'ir 4 / sorcerer 1 / Mystic Thurge 5 / Ultimate Magus and get the arcane preparation feat allowing your sorcerer side to prepare spells maybe? Not sure that meets the "from a spellbook" clause.

[Piggy Knowles]

Just for fun...

Illumian (krau sigil), Evoker 5/Paragnostic Apostle 1/Sanctified One of Wee Jas 2/Nar Demonbinder 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Archmage 1

ACFs: Domain granted ability (evil) replacing 5th-level wizard feat, energy affinity (sonic) replacing familliar.

Relevant feats: Practiced Spellcaster (Nar Demonbinder), Primitive Caster, Arcane Thesis (Blasphemy), Silent Spell

Nar Demonbinder CL when casting blasphemy:

Base 20 (5 wizard +1 NDB +8 UM +2 krau +4 practiced spellcaster)
+4 Arcane Spell Power
+2 Arcane Thesis
+3 Primitive Caster (use Silent Spell to take away verbal component, then add it back in)
+1 Energy Affinity (Sonic)
+1 Evil domain
+1 Archmage's Spell Power
+1 Divine Understanding
+1 Ring of Arcane Might
+1 orange ioun stone
=CL 35 as a base on blasphemy

Now pop a Spell Enhancer as a swift action and that's CL 37. And against the particularly nasty enemies, use Sanctified Spell and add your Int bonus to your caster level. Assuming an Int of 28, that's CL 46, just enough to paralyze, weaken and daze a great wyrm gold dragon, the most powerful creature in the Monster Manual.

Oh, and inimical casting means blasphemy can be used to hit any alignment.

And you're still casting 9th-level wizard spells and 8th-level nar demonbinder spells, just in case you were worried that the build was giving up too much versatility for the ability to cast superpowered blasphemies.

This is a fairly tame boosting of caster level, and doesn't involve anything like UMDing beads of karma, Greater Consumptive Field, Tainted Scholar, etc.

[Starbuck_II]

An underused version:
Wizard 3/Duskblade 1 (they are spontaneous)/Ultimate Magus

Duskblade gets many spell slots and you can use those for metamagic for Wizard side.

[Spuddles]

Reverse them and go Sha'ir 4 / sorcerer 1 / Mystic Thurge 5 / Ultimate Magus and get the arcane preparation feat allowing your sorcerer side to prepare spells maybe? Not sure that meets the "from a spellbook" clause.

In the fluff of arcane preparation: "You can prepare an arcane spell ahead of time just as a wizard does."

Suggests that you prepare from a book.

Alternatively, pick up Magical Training from FR. That gives you spells and a spellbook to study them out of.

As long as we're in the Realms, Wizard+Southern Magician gets you divine spells. So for overcharged wizard progression:

Wizard3/MT10/UM7, using Uncanny Foresight and Southern Magician to qualify. That gets you wizard 34 casting.

[gorfnab]

Wizard 5 (Spontaneous Divination ACF )/ Knight of the Weave 1/ Ultimate Magus 10/ Incantatrix 4