Post-Ultimate Magus question

[Trilby]

Hello again playground,

I have a character who at one point will be a Wizard 5 / Beguiler 1 / Ultimate Magus 10. I'd end up with beguiler 9 / wizard 14 (ECL is higher) casting. If I were to take another Wizard level at that point, would that be Wizard 15 (I'd like to do this for the bonus feat, and finish of with three levels of Archmage as opposed to 4)? An argument could be made for Wizard 6, but that'd be weird as far as spell progression and stuff.
Then again RAW is a fickle mistress, but she is also terribly unclear to me here, so if the playground knows?

As a theoretical question (no way am I taking Wiz 6), if I had to take Wizard 6, what would that mean for my spell casting, would it progress? Or shrivel up and die (regress to Wiz 6)? Does this simply mean that I can't progress as a vanilla wizard after UM?
The feat is not a must, but more feats are great IMO, and this bonus feat would allow me to take 11 feats in stead of 10, so that'd be nice (being human was not an option, I wanted to be an elven generalist).

This is a long ways of, but I'd like to be prepared (insofar as plans ever really work out :smallwink:)

Feats so far:
1: collegiate wizard
3: practiced spellcaster: beguiler
W5: sculpt spell
6: versatile spellcaster
9: spell focus: illusion
UM5: empower spell
12: spell focus: transmutation
15: skill focus: spellcraft
UM9: chain spell
W15: allowed? if so: spell mastery, or permanent spell, or alacritous cogitation
18: same as above

[Fax Celestis]

You would get class features from wizard 6, but would have effective spellcasting of wizard 15.

You can't jump forward in class features. A rogue 1/fighter 4 who takes a rogue level gets Evasion, not Trap Sense +2

[Firest Kathon]

If you take another level in Wizard, your character will be Wizard 6 / Beguiler 1 / Ultimate Magus 10. You will get all the benefits of becoming a 6th level Wizard (+1 BAB, +1 saves, no feats). Your casting, however, will now be that of a Wizard 15 (I think, don't know the Ultimate Magus), so you will get +1 spell of 4th and 8th level. Beguiler casting will not change at all.

So, in general and regarding class features, your character looks the same whether you take Class A, Class B, Class A or take Class A, Class A, Class B.

[Trilby]

So, in general and regarding class features, your character looks the same whether you take Class A, Class B, Class A or take Class A, Class A, Class B.

That makes a surprising amount of sense. No reason not to go into Archmage for that extra high arcana then. :smallsmile:
Thanks!