Barrier Wizard

[Stag]

Hellow, I have this idea for a wizard that deal primarily in barriers, protections, and various things like that. The only problem I have is that for some reason a bunch of the defensive oriented spells are split all over the magic schools. I was wondering what the best school would be to specialize into, and/or take spells from in general?

[erikun]

Probably an Abjurer/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil or Abjurant Champion (gish) are what you are looking for. Iot7V is ridiculously powerful, thanks to being able to drop what are effectively prismatic walls on command - there are some other good prestige classes for an Abjurer to go into as well. Abjurant Champion is a good gish that can cast spells like Mage Armor for an extended duration and larger AC bonus.

If you're looking at dropping walls and stuff around the battlefield, then a Conjurer would probably be a better choice. They have a number of Wall of ___ spells. You might want to allow Evocation for Wall of Force, Forcecage, and other effects if that's what you're going for.

[eggynack]

I'd advise going abjurer into Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil (CArc, 44). For bonus points, take some levels of Master Specialist (CMage, 70) beforehand, because there's some great prerequisite crossover there. Apart from that, you can never go too far off course with a conjurer. Between all of the different battlefield control spells, you can be a pretty defensive guy.

[Fouredged Sword]

Why not go whole hog

Wizard 4 / Ruthgar 4 / Abjurant Champion 2 / ISFV 10

Use early entry to get 3rd level spells and get into ruthgar, giving you weapon profs and bab to get into abjurant champion. That gives swift abjurations and better armor spells, but then go ISFV as soon as possible.

[HalfQuart]

Abjurant Champion is a good gish that can cast spells like Mage Armor for an extended duration and larger AC bonus.
Actually just about the only spell that Abjurant Armor works on is Shield, since Mage Armor is a Conjuration spell... it seems that this is not the intent of the class ability, since it also says "Abjurant champions rely on mage armor, shield, and similar spells instead of actual armor." -- but RAW Mage Armor doesn't work.

Abjurant Champion is still a pretty good PrC... I like the Swift Abjuration power a lot. Arcane Boost at 4th level isn't so good -- it would be better as an immediate action, since the defensive buffs only last one round. But full BAB is nice, even for a caster that isn't gish-focused, since it helps with touch attacks.

[Roguenewb]

Also Rauthar, only has 3 levels.

[Psyren]

Why not go whole hog

Wizard 4 / Ruthgar 4 / Abjurant Champion 2 / ISFV 10

Use early entry to get 3rd level spells and get into ruthgar, giving you weapon profs and bab to get into abjurant champion. That gives swift abjurations and better armor spells, but then go ISFV as soon as possible.


Also Rauthar, only has 3 levels.

And 7FV only has 7 levels IIRC. These will allow you to finish off AC if you want, as well as look into Master Specialist.

[Fouredged Sword]

... Indeed it does. Add in all of abjurant champion.

Master Specialist is nice, but fitting it in the build doesn't grant anything really good for just a dip in abjuration. It doesn't cost much ether though...

[Lostbutseeking]

Actually just about the only spell that Abjurant Armor works on is Shield, since Mage Armor is a Conjuration spell... it seems that this is not the intent of the class ability, since it also says "Abjurant champions rely on mage armor, shield, and similar spells instead of actual armor." -- but RAW Mage Armor doesn't work.

Abjurant Champion is still a pretty good PrC... I like the Swift Abjuration power a lot. Arcane Boost at 4th level isn't so good -- it would be better as an immediate action, since the defensive buffs only last one round. But full BAB is nice, even for a caster that isn't gish-focused, since it helps with touch attacks.

You can use Luminous and Greater Luminous Armor from BoED though which are Abjuration.

[HalfQuart]

You can use Luminous and Greater Luminous Armor from BoED though which are Abjuration.
Yes, if you somehow get access to Sanctified domain spells. There's also Ectoplasmic Armor from SpC, but that only applies to incorporeal touch attacks.

[Zanos]

War Weaver works well for buff wizards as well, if you can stand the lost caster level. Buff your entire party as a move action.



Yes, if you somehow get access to Sanctified domain spells. There's also Ectoplasmic Armor from SpC, but that only applies to incorporeal touch attacks.
Sanctified is not a domain. Any non-evil prepared caster can prepare a sanctified spell, although in this case only a good creature can benefit from luminous armor or it's greater variant.

[erikun]

Stag, I think a bit of clarification for what you mean by "Barrier Wizard" might be in order. When I hear it, I think the Barrier Warrior (and so someone who smashes people with magic shields) while you mention wards and such, which may be something completely different.

The abjuration school is most likely what you are looking for. It has ward spells like Protection from Evil, Shield, Protection from Arrows, Resist Energy, Glove of Invulnerability, and so on.

If you are looking for force effects to push/shove people around, trap them, or keep them out, then evocation is worth looking into. They have the various Bigby's ___ Hand spells, which are great at keeping opponents away. There is also Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Otiluke's Telekinetic Sphere, Forcecage, and of course Wall of Force.

Conjuration, with it's various ways to create large amounts of matter, can work just fine at keeping stuff out as well. Wall of Ice, Wall of Stone, Wall of Iron, Web, Solid Fog, Evard's Black Tentacles, and many others can prevent creatures from getting into a place. Plus, summons and binding are great ways to discourage entry.

If you want to play a specialist wizard, it would be easy to specialize in any one of the above schools and just focus on the spells you want. Just so long as you don't ban any of the three above, you have access to all the spells. For that matter, if you only have a few spells you are interested in casting over and over, looking at the sorcerer isn't a bad idea.

[HalfQuart]

A lot of the Wall spells are actually Evocation: Wall of Coldfire (Frost), Wall of Fire, Wall of Force, Wall of Ice, Wall of Limbs (SpC), Wall of Moonlight (PGtF). So if you go Specialist Wizard, you won't want to ban that school.

[Fouredged Sword]

I would go specialist (conjurer) and bad necromancy and enchantment. That leaves illusion (fake walls, shadow walls), abjuration (defensive spells), trasmutation (walls made from environment), evocation (energy walls), and conjuration ( summoned walls).

Then go ISFV and abjurant champion.