Questions and help (undead wizard)

[x-Anarion-x]

Greetins,

My necropolitan wizard/beguiler is about to start on his quest for havoc, destruction, candy and knowledge.

First: Familiars, I thought I had read somewhere that undead wizards can only get certain familiars (rat and a bat) because other animals might shun you.

Second: I al building towards an Ultimagus. If I ever get that far I wonder if the prestige class of Archmage is a good follow up. And if yes why so (because I think 3 feats is very expansive and because the Ultimagus special power is ,somewhat, all about metamagic feats)

Third (actually 2.5): Does the Archmage prestige class advance both arcane caster levels? (as in will my wizard as well as my beguiler casting power increase if I take the Archmage OR will only 1 advance?)

4th (actually 3.5... but 3.5 owns 4.0 anyway so....): Does an undead wizard need to rest 8hours to be able to prepare his spells? (Seems a bit odd as an undead does not tire and is immune to mind effecting spells, and I think that being mentally tired/not rested is pretty much the same as being effected by a mind effect)

Regards,
Anárion

[DCraw]

Unless a PrC explicitly states that it advances multiple spellcasting classes, it only advances one of them - although you do get to choose which. Archmage (like all caster PrCs) mentions this in its class features section:


If a character
had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he
could cast 7th-level spells before he became an archmage, he
must decide to which class he adds each level of archmage for
the purpose of determining spells per day.

This is not transitive, so you can't have your archmage levels advance your ultimate magus casting in order to advance both wizard and beguiler casting. The exception to this would be PrCs that have their own casting progression such as sublime chord or ur priest (as distinct from PrCs that advance the casting of another class).

An undead caster must still rest for 8 hours even if they don't tire. This is the same as elven casters needing to rest for 8 hours even though they only need to trance for 4. You are still awake, but you can't do anything strenuous. For example, you can keep watch while resting, but if anything happens it will interrupt your rest in the same way as if you had been woken up.

[GoblinArchmage]

First: Familiars, I thought I had read somewhere that undead wizards can only get certain familiars (rat and a bat) because other animals might shun you.


I think that's just for vampires. Necropolitans, I believe, can have whatever they want as familiars.

[JeenLeen]

I think that's just for vampires. Necropolitans, I believe, can have whatever they want as familiars.

There's a feat in Libris Mortis about undead familiars. You might be thinking of that. However, I believe GoblinArchmage is correct in that you can have a normal familiar. Indeed, I'm pretty sure (though not 100%) that unless you take a special feat you can only have a normal familiar.

Depending on the race you pick, you might be able to let that absorb some of the feat tax for Archmage (if you're still interested, knowing it won't advance both caster levels.) Even humans with a bonus racial feat helps, and some races offer particular bonus feats. (I don't recall the exact pre-reqs for archmage.)

[x-Anarion-x]

Thanks all.

I am playing a Necropolitan Grey Elf Beguiler/Wizard. (whoop whoop int and dex bonus)

For my 8-hour rest. I'll just jump in the back of the mule cart. :D

And about the Archmage, I'll cross that bridge when I get there, and burn it afterwards.