Gotta Get Me Some Magic - Character Help

[PraxisVetli]

Hello Playground, so you guys know. This is Praxis's girlfriend. So no confusion.

Now to my point.
I play a heavily melee based character in a heavy melee group who are all around level 30. Problem is simply that we do not have a mage. My group is now obviously needing some magic since we got our butts handed to us recently. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how a melee based character should get some magic without throwing a huge dent into my BAB.

Any suggestions are a huge help. Thanks in advance!

[Chambers]

Some more information about your current character and what kind of magic you'd like to have would be helpful. The Duskblade is a base class that does melee fighting & magic very well but they don't have the spell versatility of a Wizard.

Some standard melee/magic prestige classes:

Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327)
Abjurant Champion
Runescarred Berserker
Suel Arcanamach
Spellsword


Sample Build: Fighter 2/Wizard 4/Spellsword 10/Abjurant Champion 5/Swiftblade 9.

That build would cast spells as a 20th level Wizard and have a BAB of +23/+18/+13/+8

[Eldariel]

Hello Playground, so you guys know. This is Praxis's girlfriend. So no confusion.

Now to my point.
I play a heavily melee based character in a heavy melee group who are all around level 30. Problem is simply that we do not have a mage. My group is now obviously needing some magic since we got our butts handed to us recently. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how a melee based character should get some magic without throwing a huge dent into my BAB.

Any suggestions are a huge help. Thanks in advance!

Well. Cleric can cast/persist [Complete Arcane] Divine Power to have BAB = Level all day without losing any casting. Wizard can use e.g. Wyrm Wizard or Arcane Disciple to get the same spell and persist it. Druid only loses 5 BAB over 20 levels so it's competitive out of the box especially with the Wildshape forms.

If you want native BAB (without spells), there are prestige classes like the Eldritch Knight in the DMG, the Abjurant Champion in Complete Mage, the Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) here and company, that give almost full casting and full BAB. You can qualify around level 5. Divine options exist too (though divine casters already have pretty good BAB without sacrificing any casting), such as Ordained Champion [Complete Champion], Fist of Raziel [Book of Exalted Deeds] and Knight of the Raven [Expedition to the Castle Ravenloft].

And again, straight Cleric/Druid have pretty good BAB right off the bat without any PRCs. Then there are some good mixture classes in Tome of Battle that mix Tome of Battle martial adepts with casters; Ruby Knight Vindicator (awesome class, by the way) for divine casters and Jade Phoenix Mage for arcanists. Either way, you can get almost full casting while also getting high BAB.


Honestly, on levels this high I'd suggest everybody has at least some magic. After all, magic does pretty ridiculous stuff on these levels and non-casters will be pretty lost without magical support. Imagine, for instance, the spell Mind Blank [Wizard 8]. It can be cast on anybody, lasts all day and grants blanket immunity to mind-affecting everything.

Add to that Greater Magic Weapon [Wizard 3/Cleric 4] & Magic Vestment [Cleric 3] and all weapons and armor in your possession are +5 even if they're normally just +1 with enhancements. Then you add Freedom of Movement [Cleric 4/Druid 4] (Mass-version exists in Spell Compendium), Heroes' Feast [Cleric 5] & Death Ward [Cleric 4/Druid 5] (Mass-version exists in Spell Compendium) and much of the usual problems like movement-impairing effects, death effects, poison, etc. are non-factors. Spell Resistance [Cleric 5] can give everyone pretty reasonable resistance against magic. Superior Resistance [Spell Compendium] could also give everyone +6 to saving throws. Then stuff like Energy Immunity/Resist Energy can make party members very resistant/immune to fire/cold/electricity/acid/sonic.

Then add to that the power to teleport around/shift planes so you never need to walk, the ability to fight magic (dispelling, disjoining, etc.), the ability to fly effortlessly, the ability to turn into basically anything (casters can turn themselves or warriors or whatever into Dragons, Angels, Demons or whatever suits the situation the best; those forms tend to, naturally, be much stronger than normal Humanoids in most circumstances), the ability to view distant places and ask gods questions on anything you need to know, and the ability to create things out of thin air and bind outsiders - magic is a superb force multiplier that's not only insanely useful but makes everybody in the party more powerful. Of course, simple stuff like Haste on level 3 is also a massive boost to combat-minded parties. Extra attack each round at highest attack bonus? Yeah, that's kinda good.

Lacking such, I can imagine how challenges you should be able to beat would completely wreck you. If you had one guy with 30 levels of Wizard-casting, one guy with 30 levels of Cleric-casting and one guy with 30 levels of Druid-casting, you can make the whole group much more potent.


It's worth asking, is your group using Epic BAB and Saves for levels 20-30? If you are, then it really doesn't, with regards to BAB, matter what you take on those levels so you only need to consider the first 20 levels.

[PraxisVetli]

Some more information about your current character and what kind of magic you'd like to have would be helpful.

Oh, apologies!

My current build is 9 Monk/1 Barbarian/1 Cleric/5 Kensai/ 11 Warblade/ 1 Half-Elf paragon/ 2 Martial Rouge. My build mainly allows me to do a bunch of things at the end of a charge, like full round attack. I am strongly Dex and Int based, so magic wise I would love if I could feed off of my Int score mainly. As for what kind of magic, I honestly have no clue as to what I should hone in on.

I will look into those prestige classes though, but I am really unsure if duskblade is for this character.

[Eldariel]

Oh, apologies!

My current build is 9 Monk/1 Barbarian/1 Cleric/5 Kensai/ 11 Warblade/ 1 Half-Elf paragon/ 2 Martial Rouge. My build mainly allows me to do a bunch of things at the end of a charge, like full round attack. I am strongly Dex and Int based, so magic wise I would love if I could feed off of my Int score mainly. As for what kind of magic, I honestly have no clue as to what I should hone in on.

I will look into those prestige classes though, but I am really unsure if duskblade is for this character.

In that case, I'd definitely look into Warblade/Wizard/Jade Phoenix Mage. You can take Warblade 2/Wizard 4/Jade Phoenix Mage 10/Abjurant Champion 5 and proceed into Epic Jade Phoenix Mage. You could probably talk with the DM about the martial schools of Jade Phoenix Mage since they're kinda restricted, and create an epic progression for the class. Alternatively, you could use Warblade 1/Barbarian 1 entry if you want to pick up Pounce without using magic for it. Either way, full casting and pretty good maneuvers should be nice.

You can make up for all the stuff you lose with the right spells, quite easily, so you shouldn't lose much personal power. Practiced Spellcaster [Complete Arcane] would get you full caster level, which is convenient with regards to fighting dispel attempts and such, and Persistent Spell allows persisting some buffs, which is nice. With epic levels, you don't even really need to mitigate it; you can just take Improved Spell Capacity for extra epic level slots.

[PraxisVetli]

It's worth asking, is your group using Epic BAB and Saves for levels 20-30? If you are, then it really doesn't, with regards to BAB, matter what you take on those levels so you only need to consider the first 20 levels.



We are using the Epic BAB and saves which are helping alot but since I am going to maybe play into magic now at such a high level I wasn't sure exactly how I should approach it. But you listed a lot of things that I can consider.

[PraxisVetli]

In that case, I'd definitely look into Warblade/Wizard/Jade Phoenix Mage. You can take Warblade 2/Wizard 4/Jade Phoenix Mage 10/Abjurant Champion 5 and proceed into Epic Jade Phoenix Mage. You could probably talk with the DM about the martial schools of Jade Phoenix Mage since they're kinda restricted, and create an epic progression for the class. Alternatively, you could use Warblade 1/Barbarian 1 entry if you want to pick up Pounce without using magic for it. Either way, full casting and pretty good maneuvers should be nice.

You can make up for all the stuff you lose with the right spells, quite easily, so you shouldn't lose much personal power. Practiced Spellcaster [Complete Arcane] would get you full caster level, which is convenient with regards to fighting dispel attempts and such, and Persistent Spell allows persisting some buffs, which is nice. With epic levels, you don't even really need to mitigate it; you can just take Improved Spell Capacity for extra epic level slots.

Sadly, I can't do the Jade Phoenix Mage because I am LE not a good guy. But I defiantly see where you were going and I am pretty sure that if I talk to Praxis about it more that he would be willing to find something that can fit into that sort of build. Thank you for pointing out the last bits, that really will help with keeping it all "worth" it.

[Eldariel]

Sadly, I can't do the Jade Phoenix Mage because I am LE not a good guy. But I defiantly see where you were going and I am pretty sure that if I talk to Praxis about it more that he would be willing to find something that can fit into that sort of build. Thank you for pointing out the last bits, that really will help with keeping it all "worth" it.

Yeah, adapt Jade Phoenix Mage for what you are. It's the only initiator/arcane PRC but it's pretty bad. You could browse the Homebrew forum, I'm sure you can find less alignment/school restricted alternatives, or just homebrew one.

The general opinion is that JPM is a bit on the weaker side anyways 'cause of only getting two schools one of which is Desert Wind (which does a small portion of what magic does, except much worse; so in effect, for a Wizard/Warblade it's completely redundant). So in effect it only has one school.

[Urpriest]

Oh, apologies!

My current build is 9 Monk/1 Barbarian/1 Cleric/5 Kensai/ 11 Warblade/ 1 Half-Elf paragon/ 2 Martial Rouge. My build mainly allows me to do a bunch of things at the end of a charge, like full round attack. I am strongly Dex and Int based, so magic wise I would love if I could feed off of my Int score mainly. As for what kind of magic, I honestly have no clue as to what I should hone in on.

I will look into those prestige classes though, but I am really unsure if duskblade is for this character.

I think the others are assuming you're making a new character rather than adding on to this one. But your plan is to multiclass or PrC up into some casting from your existing build, right?

At this level, that's going to be very hard to do. It's easy to pick up some casting (and in general I'd recommend something fast-ish-progression like Suel Arcanamach, Urpriest, or some trick to access Nar Demonbinder), but at this level it's just going to be way too low level to be relevant. You're up against level 30 casters, after all, right? You might be better off taking Leadership and getting a caster cohort, if that's an option.

[PraxisVetli]

I think the others are assuming you're making a new character rather than adding on to this one. But your plan is to multiclass or PrC up into some casting from your existing build, right?

At this level, that's going to be very hard to do. It's easy to pick up some casting (and in general I'd recommend something fast-ish-progression like Suel Arcanamach, Urpriest, or some trick to access Nar Demonbinder), but at this level it's just going to be way too low level to be relevant. You're up against level 30 casters, after all, right? You might be better off taking Leadership and getting a caster cohort, if that's an option.


That is all correct.
I actually have the Leadership and Epic Leadership feat but I was going to go a whole different way with the cohort. Though seeing our butts be handed to us really hit a nerve (I'm trying to be sort of a leader for the group) so I really think I will consider that. I just was wondering if in the mean time there was a way to maybe get some casting so that we weren't screwed in the mean time.

Thank you.
I might still look at Urpriest and such because this campaign is going to be probably around a lvl 60 or so one. Thats what I have been told atleast. But yet again, thanks very much.

[Darrin]

I actually have the Leadership and Epic Leadership feat but I was going to go a whole different way with the cohort.

Take the Dragon Cohort feat (Draconomicon p. 104). Your ECL is high enough that a dragon cohort would have some pretty decent spellcasting abilities, in addition to being an all-around bad-ass. Have your dragon cohort take the Dragon Cohort feat himself. Have his cohort take the Dragon Cohort feat. Rinse and repeat until you have an entire army of dragons providing spellcasting for you.

[Eldariel]

That is all correct.
I actually have the Leadership and Epic Leadership feat but I was going to go a whole different way with the cohort. Though seeing our butts be handed to us really hit a nerve (I'm trying to be sort of a leader for the group) so I really think I will consider that. I just was wondering if in the mean time there was a way to maybe get some casting so that we weren't screwed in the mean time.

I assumed you'd be rebuilding your character class-wise or something to that effect. It's very hard to get Amazing Magical Powers immediately; level 1 spells aren't going to do too much at this point so while in 15 levels taking Wizard would pay off, right now it's not going to do too much yet.

[herrhauptmann]

Suel arcanamach gets you casting that fits with your melee pretty well, though your access to schools is pretty limited. On the plus side, it uses Charisma just like leadership.
Suel+Abjurant Champ gets you some quickened/swift abjurations and extended buffs if you go to Suel3, but you'll still have a very low CL for the first 6 levels. After abjurant 5 ( >6 levels of play), your CL will at least be tied to your bab (bab+eab). So you'd have 3rd or 4th level spells, and a CL of 20+. Dispels against your buffs would also be a DC of Bab+eab+6 due to Suel1.


Swiftblade is great, but that requirement of only casting haste in your 3rd level spells (or whatever it is for your class) for an entire level really stinks. I've no idea how you would do in that instance, maybe haste as your only 3rd level will work, maybe it won't. Since you're currently 30th level with no casting PCs and have survived, maybe it won't be so bad.


Suel gives: abjuration, divination, illusion, and transmutation. No awesome conjuration spells unfortunately.
You need at least 4 levels of suel casting before swiftblade. So Suel1/AC3 works.


Sublime chord would round out that list and give you 9th level spells, but it requires 3rd level spells (suel casting 4), a lot of skills, and 1 level of bard or something else for Bardic Music. So bard1/suel1/AC3/Sublime9. 14 levels to get 9th level spells? Not worth it, not when Urpriest would give you 9th level spells in 9 levels.


Ur-priest gets you high level casting the fastest (as stated). And it's cleric casting too. If you don't like the idea of stealing from the gods, use the listed adaptation and worship a dead god as an ur-priest. Different worlds have varying numbers of dead gods.
On the downside, your Urpriest caster level would be very low, much lower at Ur6 than suel1/ac5. Many urpriests are already wizards or something, so they can add half their non-Ur casting level to their Urpriest spells.


Of course, you could do wizard3/Ur2/mystic theurge1. Or anything similar to wizard. suel2/Ur2/mt1. If you want to crunch numbers to on how your CL works with Ur, I'd really recommend a spreadsheet. When doing the half of your non-Ur casting, use the command =trunc(WizCL/2) instead of just =WizCL/2. (for openoffice at least, ms excel might be =int(wizcl/2) )


Biggest/fastest boost though, might be something like this. Suel1/Abjurant5. (Or sorc1/abjurant5 or wiz1/abjurant5). As stated, that gives you arcane casting at a very high caster level. Then do Urpriest and mystic theurge.
Your arcane spells will be lower level mostly (5th and below), but you'll use them with the skill of an Archmage. The downside, a lot of your CR appropriate enemies might have Globe of Invulnerability as a spell, or Su/Ex ability, so your ability to directly affect them with your suel spells will be low. This is an issue no matter what route you take for your casting, but it's less of an issue for Suel than it is wiz1/abjurant5 or sorc1/abjurant5, mainly because Suel casting is already limited.


Back to sublime chord, you could do something like bard1/suel4/Ur2/MT4. Take one level is sublime chord, then continue taking MT, only this time, you're advancing ur and sublime with MT instead of suel. Don't do this, I keep wanting to do it (see Sublime Arcanamach in my sig), and it really doesn't work very well. Sorc or Wiz/Abjurant/Ur/MT would work better. I really only include it for completeness.


I'm sorry if this list seems disjointed, I've been going back and editing it for a bit.

[PraxisVetli]

Suel arcanamach gets you casting that fits with your melee pretty well, though your access to schools is pretty limited. On the plus side, it uses Charisma just like leadership.
Suel+Abjurant Champ gets you some quickened/swift abjurations and extended buffs if you go to Suel3, but you'll still have a very low CL for the first 6 levels. After abjurant 5 ( >6 levels of play), your CL will at least be tied to your bab (bab+eab). So you'd have 3rd or 4th level spells, and a CL of 20+. Dispels against your buffs would also be a DC of Bab+eab+6 due to Suel1.


Swiftblade is great, but that requirement of only casting haste in your 3rd level spells (or whatever it is for your class) for an entire level really stinks. I've no idea how you would do in that instance, maybe haste as your only 3rd level will work, maybe it won't. Since you're currently 30th level with no casting PCs and have survived, maybe it won't be so bad.


Suel gives: abjuration, divination, illusion, and transmutation. No awesome conjuration spells unfortunately.
You need at least 4 levels of suel casting before swiftblade. So Suel1/AC3 works.


Sublime chord would round out that list and give you 9th level spells, but it requires 3rd level spells (suel casting 4), a lot of skills, and 1 level of bard or something else for Bardic Music. So bard1/suel1/AC3/Sublime9. 14 levels to get 9th level spells? Not worth it, not when Urpriest would give you 9th level spells in 9 levels.


Ur-priest gets you high level casting the fastest (as stated). And it's cleric casting too. If you don't like the idea of stealing from the gods, use the listed adaptation and worship a dead god as an ur-priest. Different worlds have varying numbers of dead gods.
On the downside, your Urpriest caster level would be very low, much lower at Ur6 than suel1/ac5. Many urpriests are already wizards or something, so they can add half their non-Ur casting level to their Urpriest spells.


Of course, you could do wizard3/Ur2/mystic theurge1. Or anything similar to wizard. suel2/Ur2/mt1. If you want to crunch numbers to on how your CL works with Ur, I'd really recommend a spreadsheet. When doing the half of your non-Ur casting, use the command =trunc(WizCL/2) instead of just =WizCL/2. (for openoffice at least, ms excel might be =int(wizcl/2) )


Biggest/fastest boost though, might be something like this. Suel1/Abjurant5. (Or sorc1/abjurant5 or wiz1/abjurant5). As stated, that gives you arcane casting at a very high caster level. Then do Urpriest and mystic theurge.
Your arcane spells will be lower level mostly (5th and below), but you'll use them with the skill of an Archmage. The downside, a lot of your CR appropriate enemies might have Globe of Invulnerability as a spell, or Su/Ex ability, so your ability to directly affect them with your suel spells will be low. This is an issue no matter what route you take for your casting, but it's less of an issue for Suel than it is wiz1/abjurant5 or sorc1/abjurant5, mainly because Suel casting is already limited.


Back to sublime chord, you could do something like bard1/suel4/Ur2/MT4. Take one level is sublime chord, then continue taking MT, only this time, you're advancing ur and sublime with MT instead of suel. Don't do this, I keep wanting to do it (see Sublime Arcanamach in my sig), and it really doesn't work very well. Sorc or Wiz/Abjurant/Ur/MT would work better. I really only include it for completeness.


I'm sorry if this list seems disjointed, I've been going back and editing it for a bit.


Well dang, I came back to alot.
I really like how you have been breaking them down.
It makes it easier so that I have multiple ways at looking at my problem and finding a very fitting solution. I have to do a little research which I sadly don't have time for that at this moment. But if I have any questions, may I message you?

[avr]

Just one thought. The Use Magic Device skill and a bunch of scrolls/wands/staves might scale up faster than any PrC you might enter, if you threw all your skill points into UMD for 2-3 levels. Also easier to retrain into if that's an option.

[gorfnab]

Bard (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8284) might be of some use.
Bard 8/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5 (advancing Sublime Chord casting)/ Sacred Exorcist 3 (advancing Sublime Chord casting)/ Bard or Bard Prestige Class 10 (Virtuoso {advancing Bard casting, and inspire courage (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830.0)}, War Chanter {for melee boost, see Inspire Legion}, Seeker of the Song {alternate music options}, Warrior Skald {for melee boost})

[herrhauptmann]

Well dang, I came back to alot.
I really like how you have been breaking them down.
It makes it easier so that I have multiple ways at looking at my problem and finding a very fitting solution. I have to do a little research which I sadly don't have time for that at this moment. But if I have any questions, may I message you?

Sure thing. Urpriest, Eldariel, and Chambers both have a lot of good advice too. Advice I think they've put into play before. Me? I was mostly just talking out loud and throwing things out there.
Runescarred is good (Unapproachable East), your scars are sort of like scrolls carved into your body. It's not casting per se, but it is strong in nonepic games (preferably with a caster to help back him up.) I've no idea how it would work in an epic game.

Oh yeah, for Jade phoenix, there is an adaptation mentioned in the PrC called Ebon Phoenix Mage. I believe your soul houses a portion of that of the demon/devil rather than being a reborn priest who sealed/killed him. Flip good for evil, holy for unholy, etc.
It's technically homebrew, but it'd be better balanced than arcane swordsage. Arcane swordsage is another option too actually. You'd have to track down some advice on how to actually make it work.

Forgot to ask, you're going from level 30 to 60? Geeze, yeah, you need casting bad.
What level did this game start at, and how long have you been playing? (# years or sessions, your choice)

Can you give us your full build? We've got your level breakdown, and a desire for a leader type, but I think that's it.

[Eldariel]

I'll still have to repeat my question, since it does matter a lot far as your options go: Is retraining your current class/feat build an option? That is, can you retrain/change your old classes to a degree to incorporate casting instead of purely martial? PHBII has rules for retraining (basically, takes a while of in-game) so it's even in the books as an option. Perhaps, if such massive changes feel breaking the suspension of disbelief, you could ask your deity or whatever for help and have them provide you with the option to relearn stuff because magic.

It would certainly help you to get level-appropriate magic immediately, especially since your party as a whole could really use some buff spells right now, and I don't think level 1 spells would really cut it.


If it's not, I do second fast progression casters - especially Ur-Priest (since you could enter immediately and get 9th level spells in 10 levels) and Sublime Chord (the mentioned Suel Arcanamach entry would work). They would help you as fast as possible though the spells that would really help your party would still be many levels away without retraining.

[PraxisVetli]

Prax prax here, not the gf for a post.
Retraining, no, not currently an option.

As for level-wise in the campaign, campaign started at 1st lvl, might go as far as 50-60.

[Urpriest]

Prax prax here, not the gf for a post.
Retraining, no, not currently an option.

As for level-wise in the campaign, campaign started at 1st lvl, might go as far as 50-60.

How fast are you leveling? :smalleek:

For that matter, to put things delicately...how are you planning to make level 50-60 even make sense? I mean, low-epic can sort of work...but go too far, and things get kind of weird, in terms of rules coherency.

[herrhauptmann]

As for level-wise in the campaign, campaign started at 1st lvl, might go as far as 50-60.
How has it taken 30 levels to realize the party needs some casting?

[PraxisVetli]

How fast are you leveling? :smalleek:

For that matter, to put things delicately...how are you planning to make level 50-60 even make sense? I mean, low-epic can sort of work...but go too far, and things get kind of weird, in terms of rules coherency.
Still Prax for this one:
With weekly/biweekly sessions, the campaign's creaping on two years now.
So it's not like we shooped to 30.
Well, it's a lot less hard to make it make sense, when all it is is melee. On top of which, for ~half the players, it's their first campaign. As in... took 15 lvls before someone scrolled through here and said "oh hey, Power Attack's kinda broke"
You know what I mean? So, considering that we're just now realizing how big the world is, and that we spent half our build being cool instead of optimizing, it's not nearly so bad as it could be.

How has it taken 30 levels to realize the party needs some casting?
:smallredface:
Yeah kinda. FTR, the campaign started with a cleric, a warmage, and a psycoportationist. But the Cleric dropped, the warmage fell off the grid, and the Psych was a cheater.
So yeah...
mostly because we could just charge and obliterate everything before it had a chance to react. But now, creatures are starting to come with Quickened Spells, and suddenly the game's VERY different.

[herrhauptmann]

Sorry you got a cheater. They suck.

Will the entire party add casting? Or just the OP?

[PraxisVetli]

They do suck. But its ok, he got eaten by a Gauth.
To answer the question though, the rogue recently discovered UMD, and there was talk of introducing a DMPC cleric, though meh.
So now ideas are circling, the current contender is for the OP to take Leadership and Epic, (which she has, but cohort hadn't been intro'd yet) and the group obtain a mutual NPC at can cast. We're currently exploring your and Ur-Priest's piles of advice.
(Of which we're quite grateful for!!!)
Group also has a Chargebot Duskblade (me) that could cast more often too if needed.

[Urpriest]

Is Epic Spellcasting going to be allowed?

If so, I'd go for something that gives you 9ths as fast as possible, like Urpriest or Divine Crusader. With those in place you can take Epic Spellcasting and do the rest of your casting with Mythals and Shadow versions of casting monsters (I like Elemental Weirds: low CR and HD, free divinations, and if you get a bunch of the air ones you can say you do cloud computing).

As a stopgap, Shape Soulmeld (Planar Chausuble) and Open Soul Chakra will give you Gate 1/week, so 1/week you can call in some spellcasting outsider to help you out. If I'm reading the Incarnum rules right (which is always a question with Incarnum) the Gate from the soulmeld uses your Meldshaper Level as its Caster Level. The feat Shape Soulmeld gives you a Meldshaper level of half character level, so 15 for you. Gate lets you call in something of double your CL in HD, so you could call up a caster with 30 HD. Either go for a Tiefling with 30 levels in casting classes, or an Arcanaloth with 12 levels of Sorceror-progressing PrCs, depending on DM tolerance.

Edit: It may be far easier to get a Duskblade up to snuff casting-wise in an Epic environment. Does said Duskblade have any Improved Spellcasting feats as of yet?

[herrhauptmann]

I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but there's also Ultimate Magus. An arcane dual casting prc, combining spontaneous and prepared. Unlike Mystic Theurge it has actual class features.

However, I personally haven't spent much time on it because the sorcerer and wizard spell lists are pretty much identical, and if we're going to get you into a dualcasting prc, I think you'd be better served with two different lists. Wizard/cleric, Sorcerer/druid, something.

Further suggestion:
Druid 5, violate vows, then take blighter 9. Gives some wildshape, and gets 9th level spells in 14 levels.

[Zombulian]

MFW LvL 30 group without a caster. (http://i.imgur.com/0fqEo.gif)

So you want to change your build or just add stuff in? If you want to change it up and keep the whole punchy-vibe, you could always try a Tashalatora Psion or Psychic Warrior.
Or maybe instead (if you're okay with it being Divine) go for a Sacred Fist Cleric build, persisting Divine Power is one of the few ways to get your BAB above 20.

[PraxisVetli]

MFW LvL 30 group without a caster. (http://i.imgur.com/0fqEo.gif)

So you want to change your build or just add stuff in? If you want to change it up and keep the whole punchy-vibe, you could always try a Tashalatora Psion or Psychic Warrior.
Or maybe instead (if you're okay with it being Divine) go for a Sacred Fist Cleric build, persisting Divine Power is one of the few ways to get your BAB above 20.
Prax:
Your face made our day.
In response to Ur-Priest, we're mostly looking at Ur-Priest (irony) and ooooooh yes, Epic Spellcasting is acceptable (spells are of course subject to DM approval). What, or if easier, where can I find, Mythals?

[Urpriest]

Prax:
Your face made our day.
In response to Ur-Priest, we're mostly looking at Ur-Priest (irony) and ooooooh yes, Epic Spellcasting is acceptable (spells are of course subject to DM approval). What, or if easier, where can I find, Mythals?

Mythal is an Epic Seed from Lost Empires of Faerun. It's basically an area buff (typically tied to a location, but doesn't need to be, it can be tied to a person instead) that can give you access to lots of different spells, in addition to various other cool defenses. The Shadow seed is also in that book, for shadow-duplicates of casters-goodness.

[herrhauptmann]

Mythals are the foci for epic spells, practically manmade artifacts. Different mythals have different effects.
Check forgotten realms campaign setting, magic of faerun, lost empires of faerun, waterdeep, silver marches, and others.

Existing mythals? Floating cities of netheril(shade and sakkors). Silverymoon, Water deep, Myth Drannor, Skullport, evereska, the thing running the dracorage...

[PraxisVetli]

Prax:
Hey, sorry, been a lil crazy round these parts!
Mythals! yup, pretty wicked, reading LEoF right now, thats pretty crazy. The groups Rogue and I are gonna be looking at one tomorrow night, seeing what we can do. Awesome Idea, thanks a lot guys.
So far end goal-New, "party-cohort" NPC, with teh castings.
Mythal of uber-buff.
And since its a group project, group's been "hintingly promised" that if we step up our game, DM will reward with "Proctiv's Move Mountain" for our new city we wanna run (long story).

Any other ideas?