Low DC Wu Jen?

[Jeff the Green]

I'm thinking about building a Wu Jen/Spirit Shaman theurge (specifically, a modified arcane hierophant), and to reduce MADness, I'm planning on making it an Urrkrau Illumian (krau helps getting into theurge classes early too).

But looking at the spell-list, I'm wondering how well a low-(well, medium-)Intelligence Wu Jen with low DCs would work. It seems like most of their spells have saves. Is this a feasible idea?

[Thurbane]

Does your DM allow 3rd party material?

Lost Tradition (from Bastards & Bloodlines) is a 1st level only feat, and sets all of your casting for one class (max spell level, DC and bonus spells) to a stat of your choice.

[Vaz]

Well, you're dropping Caster Levels anyway as a Theurge, so you shouldn't really be blasting. 1-2 DC straight away), and Wu Jen don't do it quite so well as Wizards (their spell equivalents are a level behind).

Wu Jen should smash out Spirit Binding and combat buffs (Giant Size+Bite of the Werebear = +48 Strength, Incantatrix to Persist/Extend.)

Minute Form+ Camoflage for +26 to hide checks, Bite of the Weretiger as well for +12 Dex IIRC.

[Jeff the Green]

As I worked on fleshing out the rest of the build, I realized that arcane hierophant's BAB requirement means I'll be four levels behind in Wu Jen rather than just three, which means my DCs are going to be low. On the other hand, I realized that there's not much point in being an illumian since I can't dump Charisma anyways, so Intelligence just got put at a higher priority. The same question applies, though


Does your DM allow 3rd party material?

Lost Tradition (from Bastards & Bloodlines) is a 1st level only feat, and sets all of your casting for one class (max spell level, DC and bonus spells) to a stat of your choice.

This isn't for a specific campaign yet, and I wouldn't allow the feat except in unusual circumstances, so I'd prefer to avoid it


Well, you're dropping Caster Levels anyway as a Theurge, so you shouldn't really be blasting. 1-2 DC straight away), and Wu Jen don't do it quite so well as Wizards (their spell equivalents are a level behind).

Wu Jen should smash out Spirit Binding and combat buffs (Giant Size+Bite of the Werebear = +48 Strength, Incantatrix to Persist/Extend.)

Minute Form+ Camoflage for +26 to hide checks, Bite of the Weretiger as well for +12 Dex IIRC.

I'm not terribly interested in blasting anyway. I was more interested in control-ish and buffing spells.

Also, as I mentioned, I'm going for a re-jiggered arcane hierophant, which means the build will be something like SS 4/WJ 1/MT 2/AH 10/MT +3. I also don't particularly want to self-buff. Are Wu Jen any good at buffing allies/is there a way to make them good at it?

[Vaz]

Magic of the Land, Silverymoon and War Weaver, but that goes mainly for single classed Wu Jen.

A wu jen usually gets someone else to do it for them, they summon Incorporeal creatures and then bind them.

There are quite a few suggested spells available if you follow the Spell Compendium's advice to increase its list.

[DMVerdandi]

Are you absolutely certain that's what you want OP?
To be honest, I would choose an archivist. Think about it this way, Instead of spreading yourself too thin between wu jen, Spirit shaman and mystic theurge, You can instead learn spells from
-Shaman OA
-Druid
-Shugenja (Which has most of the Wu jen spells on it anyway)
-EVERY OTHER DIVINE CLASS.

Simply have a gentleman's agreement with your DM, so that their is no scarcity of the spells you are looking for. Perhaps join an archivist's guild that has already circulated the scrolls of general divine spells.

Instead of having to deal with foreign magic marts, just join a guild, if possible. Have them take 5% of your loot for unlimited access to a library in which you can copy any spells you want, and behind the game, agree with your DM that you won't copy down more than... 5 spells every time you have down time.


It's reasonable, you get what you want, and everything is good.