Blaster type wizard pathfinder

[cbarrett76]

Hey guys,

I've only ever played 4E but just joined a homebrew campaign for pathfinder and have rolled a wizard. We started at level 3 and I've played 2 games so far. The DM and the group don't really know a lot about wizards and the more i read the more confused I get. I want to make something that does a TON of up front damage that lets me really nova in a round. The DM said I shouldn't specialize so I haven't. My character is a level 4 human. He gave me an extra feat last night and so I have improved initiative, maximize spell, and he tweaked toughness to give me 1 magic point per level for more spells. My next feat which I need to take now I was thinking of either taking the thing that prevents spell resistance (he did say the next boss had resistance) or the feat that lets me cast the spell as a free action (quickened spell? hastened spell? something like that). My goal is eventaully to blow up all the enemies on the field in one turn with a couple super powered fireballs The DM lets me rest 1 hour to get all my MP back and I have a magic item that holds 10 MP that I can draw out and refill in an hour. He's been really generous with resources for my wizard so I think I can pull of some nasty novas fast.

Any other suggestions on how to do waht I am trying to do? Must have feats? Must have spells as I level up? Am I making something that is going to get killed in a matter of weeks without taking more defensive talents? Any help would be appreciated.

[Kurald Galain]

In Pathfinder, you should always specialize as a wizard. If you want to blow things up, the obvious choice is evoker.

You don't really need Maximize or Quicken spell at level 4, because you need more levels to actually use those feats. But you seem to be using a heavily houseruled version, because wizards normally don't have MP or refills, so I'm not sure how to help you further than that.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Magic point system... gonna need a list of house-rules. It sounds more like you're playing a psion, and psions are much better at nova'ing.

In any event, when I make a blasty arcanist I'm always tempted to roll a sorcerer instead. Specifically a pyromaniac gnome sorcerer with crossblooded (red dragon/orc) bloodlines, for +1 CL on fire spells and +2 damage per die on fire spells. Then I take traits like Metamagic Master and Magical Lineage on my favorite spell. For instance, at level 8 this character could cast a maximized fireball for 72 fire damage, reflex half, which is not bad at all for area damage.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, arcane and divine casters don't use magic points, so you're doing something unorthodox at your table, and we'd need to know what.
By default, wizards play more like a card game; you have a "deck" of each spell level and make a virtual "hand" out of your spells at each spell level in the morning, then for the rest of the day you play spells out of those "hands". Tho ones with "points" are psionic.

The kind of spellcaster you are trying to make has been done, and is usually titled by the term "Mailman", because they deliver damage. Use that in your search when looking for builds and the like.
In general, spellcasters are considered to be nerfing themself when they are blasting; they do good damage, but the other effects available to them are ludicrous when understood well. As such, there's not as much advice on blasting spellcasters as there is on other kinds.

[cbarrett76]

Thanks guys, so the way spells work at the table is this:

I get points, 1 point for every 1st level spell I get for the day, 2 points for second level, 3 for third, etc. I get 1 extra point per level, and points from other bonuses. Right now I have 16 points plus a magic item that lets me refill 10 points as a standard action if I refill it in the morning. A 1-hour rest refills my points and a 2-hour rest refills my points and the magic items points. This means that I can cast 8 second level spells in 1 combat and then refill to cast 5 more. At level 5 I will be able to cast probably 6 fireballs due to my increased MP.

If I choose to maximize the spell it costs 3 extra points. If I chose to quicken it or whatever its another point and to do the thing that makes it hit 1.5 times harder is another point. So a maximized, quickened, 1.5X power fireball costs me 8 points and as soon as I am 5th level I can do that. I checked this math with the DM and he is OK with this.

This system seems a little broken to me which is why I am wanting to maximize damage. At 5th level my super fireball as described about will do about 45 points of damage and I can do 2 in a round and I don't think many things are going to survive a 90 damage blast at level 5.

[Alefiend]

Yeah. more information is needed. I can't say you're doing it wrong—as long as you're all having fun—but your group is definitely using a ton of homebrew and variant rules that make it hard to give meaningful advice. Irrelevant since you posted a clarification.

But now you say the system seems broken and therefore you want to exploit it? Perhaps you can let us know what kind of enemies you've been fighting. Most encounters should be over long before you've used up your casting pool. At any rate, you're going to want to diversify your blasting, because fire resistance/immunity is easy to get.

[Mato]

Have you considered a sorcerer?

In PF a human sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer) buys off the drawback for the crossblooded archetype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/crossblooded). Pick draconic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/draconic-bloodline) and orc (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/orc-bloodline) for +2 damage per die.

If D&D's rules are on the table, use flaws to pick up iron will and reserves of strength, take elder giant magic in your 1st level slot and I guess fast learner (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/racial-feats/fast-learner-human) for extra spells known. You can then cast shocking grasp after breakfast and as a touch spell choose to hold the charge throughout the day. You can lead into an encounter with a 7d6+14 touch attack (deals 38.5 damage on average) at the first level for some amazing one hit kills. Even by level 5 you'll still be using this combination, except it'll deal 11d6+22 (60.5) by then.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Wow, that's like a noob DM's conception of 3e psionics. Many broken. So damage. Wow!

The honorable thing to do is ask your DM if what he really wants is the psionics system published under pathfinder license (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed), which is much more reasonable.

Then again, honor kills PCs. Get metamagic reducers; like I stated with the sorcerer, metamagic master (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/wayang-spellhunter-minata) and magical lineage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/magical-lineage) are your friend. Quicken spell is the best metamagic for you and everyone, but also nab Dazing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/dazing-spell-metamagic). For when you can't immediately kill your foes, make sure they can't act.

[Kudaku]

So you can trade in 4 level 1 spells to make any spell you can cast Quickened? Ah man... :smallbiggrin:

[holywhippet]

Have you considered a sorcerer?


I'm not sure if changing class will help this player. If the DM is house ruling the wizard, odds are he will house rule the sorcerer as well.

[cbarrett76]

Wow, that's like a noob DM's conception of 3e psionics. Many broken. So damage. Wow!

The honorable thing to do is ask your DM if what he really wants is the psionics system published under pathfinder license (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed), which is much more reasonable.

Then again, honor kills PCs. Get metamagic reducers; like I stated with the sorcerer, metamagic master (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/wayang-spellhunter-minata) and magical lineage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/magical-lineage) are your friend. Quicken spell is the best metamagic for you and everyone, but also nab Dazing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/dazing-spell-metamagic). For when you can't immediately kill your foes, make sure they can't act.

Yes honor with this DM will get us killed. The boss monsters do about 28-35 damage per round to level 4 characters. Its another reason I need to nuke hard and fast. Even the non-boss creatures hurt doing 18-22 points of damage each. I need to win initiative and nuke hard or the paladin is toast and then they are going to eat me.

[cbarrett76]

So you can trade in 4 level 1 spells to make any spell you can cast Quickened? Ah man... :smallbiggrin:

No 4 points would be quickened AND maximized :)

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Yes honor with this DM will get us killed. The boss monsters do about 28-35 damage per round to level 4 characters. Its another reason I need to nuke hard and fast. Even the non-boss creatures hurt doing 18-22 points of damage each.You're not always going to win initiative (unless you do crazy things). What's the paladin doing to avoid death? There are some pretty silly self-healing paladins in PF.
I need to win initiative and nuke hard or the paladin is toast and then they are going to eat me.That reminds me of the best line in all of cinema: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyophYBP_w4

[cbarrett76]

You're not always going to win initiative (unless you do crazy things). What's the paladin doing to avoid death? There are some pretty silly self-healing paladins in PF.That reminds me of the best line in all of cinema: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyophYBP_w4

The paladin has 38 hit points, I've seen bosses hit for 40+ so he kind of hopes not to get one shot and heals himself as quick as he can. His LoH has been house ruled to heal for a lot so he can top himself off and the druid has a spirit wolf that is a meat shield. My job is to kill the things before they kill the meat shields.