Abjurant Champion mid level character build

[Kafana]

Alright, so I've searched the web extensively for an abjurant champion build, but for the most part it seems like a prestige class that you would take along the way, which makes sense since it only has 5 levels. However, we should be starting a campaign that starts around level 7 and lasts up to level 9 or 10, so I'll have just about enough time to take Abjurant Champion and nearly max it.

Now, all the builds I've seen focus a lot on the level 20 character, which is why I'm not sure if they would suit me. I'm not really sure about anything. Which warrior class, which spellcaster, which feats, etc.

I think the sorcerer would suit me better since more spells per day mean more swift actions and buffs, though less options in the long run. As for warrior, I think the easiest build is the fighter, but I'm not sure if it's the best. What I'm looking for is great DPS and AC, but moderate versatility.

ToM and ToB are out, as well as psyonics and dragon magazines. Everything else is pretty much allowed.

[sideswipe]

honestly a focused specialist abjurer has the same spells per day (maybe more), you know more spells, you get the spells 1 level eariler, and your a wizard, so if you want to concentrate on fighting you can take the martial wizard variant in unearthed arcana and lose your scribe scroll and bonus feats and get fighter feats.

the only problem is the base attack 5 prerequisite. as a wizard or sorcerer you wont be able to take it until level 10, you could go
wizard 4/ fighter 2/spellsword 1 (or +1 base attack and advance wiz casting class like it)/ abjurant champion 5 (and then just wizard after if it continues after level 12)

ban enchant, illusion and probably necro or evocation.

then you get reasonable wizard casting, martial weapons, fighter feats (lots) abjurant champion stuff, and spells per day (abjuration mostly) as or more than a sorcerer.


edit- with the way the build is set out you could easily make an uber charger for maximum dps with your build, just swap the 2nd level of fighter for whirling frenzy barbarian lion totem for pounce, if that is a bit cheesey for you then just ubercharge with one big hit. and since you still have a few spells each day that are not abjuration you can cast haste (extra attack) nervskitter (more initative) and a few other low level buffs on yourself at the beginning of the fight to make you bigger and more badass as you charge in with your shiney spells protecting you (abjuration) and buffing you (others)

[fishyfishyfishy]

For a sorcerer base I would start with Sorcerer 4 / Paladin 2 / Spellsword 1 and go into Abjurant Champion from there. If you don't like the alignment restriction of paladin see if your DM will allow the alternate alignment paladins from Unearthed Arcana. It's a great fit mechanically with sorcerer.

[Mikeavelli]

I played an Abjurant Champion in a mid-high optimization game from ~level 9 to 18, but a lot of the considerations apply for lower-level play:

2 levels of Paladin really synergizes well with a Sorceror Abjurant Champion, on account of the +Charisma to saving throws. The combination is, in general, more powerful than going fighter.

Melee 4 / Sorc 2 / Abjurant Champion 1 is a good start, with a bundle of 1st level spells. It really shines when you gain one more level and can take 2nd level spells, including Wraithstrike, which is going to be your bread and butter. Wraithstrike = Full Power Attack + Touch Attack. Use a two-handed weapon for that extra special touch.

You're correct that, in practice, you're not going to be using your spells for versatility, you're going to be complementing your melee abilities. Pick spells accordingly.

- Enlarge Person + Reach Weapon means a 15' reach, which is great for both offense and defense.
- Mage Armor isn't actually an Abjuration spell, and doesn't give you Abjurant champion bonuses. Protection from Evil is an abjuration spell that grants a Deflection (delicious touch AC) bonus to AC, which is probably more useful. Most things you fight are going to be evil in a typical campaign.
- Have a way to fly, you're not going to be able to take the spell until you're nearly maxed out for the campaign, and flying is the single most important thing in the game.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Generally, you want your first six levels to give you four levels of spellcasting and four points of BAB. Fighter or anything else with full BAB 2/ Sorcerer or Wizard 4 is the most obvious, but Human Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#humanParagon) 1/ Fighter 1/ Wizard or Sorcerer 2/ Human Paragon 2 will also accomplish this and is almost always a better choice. Reasons why you wouldn't go with the Human Paragon build include taking Fighter 2 for Dungeoncrasher, which can be used with Melf's Unicorn Arrow in PH2 to great effect, and taking Paladin 2 to get your Cha bonus to saves if making a Cha-based character such as Sorcerer. In any case, you want to take a level of Spellsword at 7th, and start taking Abjurant Champion at 8th level.

One thing to keep in mind with Abjurant Champion is that the only abjuration spells that grants an armor bonus to AC are Luminous Armor and Greater Luminous Armor in BoED. Those are Sanctified spells, you must be good aligned and can only prepare and cast them, they cannot be learned by a spontaneous caster. That means if you're going to use Sorcerer you'll need to spend a feat on Arcane Preparation to get access to those. If you also consider that Wizard 1 gets you a Fighter bonus feat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard), a Wizard-based build is up two feats on a Sorcerer-based build. If you also consider that a Sorcerer needs to spend a feat on Ancestral Relic for a custom Runestaff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?267805-Sorcerer-Handbook#4) just to keep up and avoid learning spells he's only going to cast once per day, the Wizard is three feats ahead of a Sorcerer.

Starting at 7th level, I'd make a Fighter 2/ Wizard 4/ Spellsword 1, and plan to take Abjurant Champion for your next five levels. Get Dungeoncrasher from Fighter, take the Fighter feat variant for Wizard, and specialize in Conjuration with Enchantment and Evocation prohibited. Trade your familiar for Abrupt Jaunt in PH2. Be sure to get Practiced Spellcaster and Combat Casting, and I'd take Combat Reflexes and Power Attack with your two Fighter feats, and consider picking up Leap Attack at 6th. Your spells known should include Melf's Unicorn Arrow (which doesn't have to originate from the caster, it can come from above the opponent and bull rush them into the floor), Arcane Turmoil in CM, Cloud of Bewilderment in SC, Web, Glitterdust, Grease, Color Spray, Wall of Smoke in SC, Wraithstrike in SC, Shield, Luminous Armor, Protection from Evil, etc. Get a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend to use with Luminous Armor until you get Abjurant Champion, and also use it with Wraithstrike. Get a Rod of Bodily Restoration in MIC to fix the Str damage sacrifice that happens when your Luminous Armor spell ends. Use a Glaive (you can take one hand off to cast spells) and wear a spiked gauntlet. You can cast Extended Wraithstrike and Power Attack for your full BAB with Leap Attack, which you would still benefit from when making any AoOs until your next turn, and Wraithstrike will last for two full turns so you can do it twice from one spell. Once you get 4th level spells pick up Polymorph and the Minor Shapeshift reserve feat in CM.

[herrhauptmann]

You're correct that, in practice, you're not going to be using your spells for versatility, you're going to be complementing your melee abilities. Pick spells accordingly.

- Enlarge Person + Reach Weapon means a 15' reach, which is great for both offense and defense.

I agree on the spell thing. Spells that affect the enemy are a bad choice for a gish since you often lose caster levels (and therefore have a lower DC). A no save/no SR spell isn't a bad thing to get anyway, but you shouldn't focus on them. Wanna play a batman/god wizard? Then play a batman/god wizard; not a gish. All that said, Dispel Magic is still a good spell to keep, especially since you cast it quickened/extended for free.
If you get houserules or time to research, try to get Mage Armor as a dual school spell: Abjuration/Conjuration. Or just Abjuration. There's also shield for abjurant champ, and a few shield variants that mostly suck (in LoEF) and Lesser Deflect in SC.


Enlarge person+reach weapon actually gives you 20ft reach.
Reach weapons aren't +5ft, they're double your normal reach. So an enlarged human (or an ogre) with a longspear? Can't hit the two closest squares (5 and 10ft away); but he can hit 15 and 20.

[Mikeavelli]

I agree on the spell thing. Spells that affect the enemy are a bad choice for a gish since you often lose caster levels (and therefore have a lower DC). A no save/no SR spell isn't a bad thing to get anyway, but you shouldn't focus on them. Wanna play a batman/god wizard? Then play a batman/god wizard; not a gish. All that said, Dispel Magic is still a good spell to keep, especially since you cast it quickened/extended for free.
If you get houserules or time to research, try to get Mage Armor as a dual school spell: Abjuration/Conjuration. Or just Abjuration. There's also shield for abjurant champ, and a few shield variants that mostly suck (in LoEF) and Lesser Deflect in SC.


Enlarge person+reach weapon actually gives you 20ft reach.
Reach weapons aren't +5ft, they're double your normal reach. So an enlarged human (or an ogre) with a longspear? Can't hit the two closest squares (5 and 10ft away); but he can hit 15 and 20.

I have been doing reach weapons wrong for over 10 years.

O.O

[Kafana]

Starting at 7th level, I'd make a Fighter 2/ Wizard 4/ Spellsword 1, and plan to take Abjurant Champion for your next five levels. Get Dungeoncrasher from Fighter, take the Fighter feat variant for Wizard, and specialize in Conjuration with Enchantment and Evocation prohibited. Trade your familiar for Abrupt Jaunt in PH2. Be sure to get Practiced Spellcaster and Combat Casting, and I'd take Combat Reflexes and Power Attack with your two Fighter feats, and consider picking up Leap Attack at 6th. Your spells known should include Melf's Unicorn Arrow (which doesn't have to originate from the caster, it can come from above the opponent and bull rush them into the floor), Arcane Turmoil in CM, Cloud of Bewilderment in SC, Web, Glitterdust, Grease, Color Spray, Wall of Smoke in SC, Wraithstrike in SC, Shield, Luminous Armor, Protection from Evil, etc. Get a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend to use with Luminous Armor until you get Abjurant Champion, and also use it with Wraithstrike. Get a Rod of Bodily Restoration in MIC to fix the Str damage sacrifice that happens when your Luminous Armor spell ends. Use a Glaive (you can take one hand off to cast spells) and wear a spiked gauntlet. You can cast Extended Wraithstrike and Power Attack for your full BAB with Leap Attack, which you would still benefit from when making any AoOs until your next turn, and Wraithstrike will last for two full turns so you can do it twice from one spell. Once you get 4th level spells pick up Polymorph and the Minor Shapeshift reserve feat in CM.

This looks great. I have a question though, what tier would you assess this build to be? I like playing lower tier 3 or higher tier 4, since it gives me enough options but doesn't make me a god. I once played a tier 2 and it was somewhat boring to know that in most situations you'll come out untouched with your enemies reduced to nothing.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

This looks great. I have a question though, what tier would you assess this build to be? I like playing lower tier 3 or higher tier 4, since it gives me enough options but doesn't make me a god. I once played a tier 2 and it was somewhat boring to know that in most situations you'll come out untouched with your enemies reduced to nothing.

It really depends on what spells you pick, but most decent arcane gish builds are in the neighborhood of Tier 2-3.

[Sayt]

- Mage Armor isn't actually an Abjuration spell, and doesn't give you Abjurant champion bonuses. Protection from Evil is an abjuration spell that grants a Deflection (delicious touch AC) bonus to AC, which is probably more useful. Most things you fight are going to be evil in a typical campaign.

Abjurant Champion specifies that it buffs armour and shield bonuses to AC. It doesn't buff deflection bonuses.

Luminous armor is an abjuration spell that provides an armor to AC buff, but is Good Only and has a sacrifice component. Ectoplasmic armor also proves an armor bonus, but only against incorporeal touch attacks.

My abjurant champion took a level in runesmith and went with Mithral Battleplate.