First Time Playing a Wizard

[bebelmakor]

So I am about to start playing in a 3.5 City of the Spider Queen group. We have a party of 4-5 people consisting of a Tank Ardent, a duskblade, a Druid going a shifter route with a fleshraker, a cleric, and my Wizard. I'm asking the playground to double check what I have chosen for my build thus far. We are starting at level 10 with standard point buy. I'm going to prestige as an Archmage so I have some of my feats chosen for that. My biggest concern is my Item selection and the feat progression.

Starting as a human with the following stats.
Str:10
Dex:12
Con:14
Int:16
Wis:10
Chr:9

Going straight Wizard in the build and focusing on Debuffing and Battlefield control
1: Collegiate Wizard, Spell Focus (Necromancy)
2:
3:Spell Focus (Conjuration)
4:
5:Extend Spell
6:Metamagic School Focus (Conjuration)
7:
8:
9:Quicken Spell
10:Split Ray (this one I am not sure about)


For items we are using WBL so 49,000 starting gold.
I've got so far
Boccob's Blessed Book (12,500)
Robe of Arcane Might (21,000)
Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000)
Heward's Handy Haversak (2,000)

This leaves me with 9,500 left for other things.
I'm using the Logic Ninja's guide to Batman for my spell list.

Any recommendations you guys can give for the rest of this build?

[RolandDeschain]

I personally don't care for the spell focus feats, unless you're paying the feat tax for a PrC

[bebelmakor]

I personally don't care for the spell focus feats, unless your paying the feat tax for a PrC

They are requirements for the Archmage PrC. Spell focus for 2 schools of magic skill focus(Spellcraft)

[incarnate236]

If you're not terribly invested in the book you might look at circlet of rapid casting. Then delay quicken spell to pick up bouncing spell or persistent spell for your enchantments.

[RolandDeschain]

They are requirements for the Archmage PrC. Spell focus for 2 schools of magic skill focus(Spellcraft)

Yep, should have read your entire post. My bad....

[The Insaniac]

To be blunt, you've got too much metamagic. You'll never be able to use much of what you've got on one spell until much higher level. You need some way of lowering the costs. My suggestion would be metamagic school focus (conjuration) at 6th and the spontaneous divination ACF from complete champion in place of your tenth level bonus feat. You'll never need to prepare divinations again and you'll be able to quicken 3 control spells per day without increasing the level cost.

If you really want the reach, archmage has arcane reach as one of its high arcana. Lose a 7th level slot to give all of your touch spells 30 foot reach without level change.

[Quiet Wizard]

No Headband of Intellect? You need an INT booster, big time.

Going into the CotSQ, you best note that a tremendous amount of your opponents will have Spell Resistance. So SR=NO attack spells will be key for you. Especially those of the Conjuration school (Creation and Summoning).

You may also consider a Ring of the Darkhidden for 2000 gp. The vast majority of the opponents you'll be facing will have Darkvision. So the Ring will give you huge bang for the buck.

[bebelmakor]

To be blunt, you've got too much metamagic. You'll never be able to use much of what you've got on one spell until much higher level. You need some way of lowering the costs. My suggestion would be metamagic school focus (conjuration) at 6th and the spontaneous divination ACF from complete champion in place of your tenth level bonus feat. You'll never need to prepare divinations again and you'll be able to quicken 3 control spells per day without increasing the level cost.

If you really want the reach, archmage has arcane reach as one of its high arcana. Lose a 7th level slot to give all of your touch spells 30 foot reach without level change.

Solid points. I did specialize in Divination (should have mentioned that in the beginning and banned Evocation as our party build doesn't really require me to do much in the terms of damage. I like the metamagic school focus and will be switching out reach for that.


No Headband of Intellect? You need an INT booster, big time.

Going into the CotSQ, you best note that a tremendous amount of your opponents will have Spell Resistance. So SR=NO attack spells will be key for you. Especially those of the Conjuration school (Creation and Summoning).

You may also consider a Ring of the Darkhidden for 2000 gp. The vast majority of the opponents you'll be facing will have Darkvision. So the Ring will give you huge bang for the buck.

Spell Resistance was a minor concern to me but since I plan to focus more on shaping the battlefield via walls and funneling enemies into the melee party members. The only time it will really worry me is the inability to debuff the BBEG if he has really high spell resistance.

As to the Headband, I did read some where on the forums, talk about just adding intellect bonuses to current magic items. Any idea how that works. I would rather have the Circlet mentioned above for a head slot but you are right, More Int=More Power. Cause duh, Knowledge is power!!


If you're not terribly invested in the book you might look at circlet of rapid casting. Then delay quicken spell to pick up bouncing spell or persistent spell for your enchantments.

I never saw this circlet and would indeed prefer that to the book but i was planning on the headband as noted but was wondering if i could add an intellect boost to a current magic item such as a necklace of protection.

[Bullet06320]

Solid points. I did specialize in Divination (should have mentioned that in the beginning and banned Evocation as our party build doesn't really require me to do much in the terms of damage. I like the metamagic school focus and will be switching out reach for that.


focused specialist ACF is an option to look at, as well as the ACFs in UA may be an option for you
take 2 flaws if allowed, for 2 additional feats at first level

master specialist was almost designed to go straight into Arc-mage, it gives you skill focus spellcraft, so one less feat to waste for the prereqs.

and it seems you like conjuration, so switching to a conjuration specialist might be worth looking into

[incarnate236]

Solid points. I did specialize in Divination (should have mentioned that in the beginning and banned Evocation as our party build doesn't really require me to do much in the terms of damage. I like the metamagic school focus and will be switching out reach for that.



Spell Resistance was a minor concern to me but since I plan to focus more on shaping the battlefield via walls and funneling enemies into the melee party members. The only time it will really worry me is the inability to debuff the BBEG if he has really high spell resistance.

As to the Headband, I did read some where on the forums, talk about just adding intellect bonuses to current magic items. Any idea how that works. I would rather have the Circlet mentioned above for a head slot but you are right, More Int=More Power. Cause duh, Knowledge is power!!



I never saw this circlet and would indeed prefer that to the book but i was planning on the headband as noted but was wondering if i could add an intellect boost to a current magic item such as a necklace of protection.

The way the rules read to me there isn't anything prohibiting a particular enchantment (ie fox's cunning for int) being used in the creation for any type of item. When I last had a mid level wizard I had someone craft my int bonus to a belt slot and bought the circlet at a magic shop.

[bebelmakor]

The way the rules read to me there isn't anything prohibiting a particular enchantment (ie fox's cunning for int) being used in the creation for any type of item. When I last had a mid level wizard I had someone craft my int bonus to a belt slot and bought the circlet at a magic shop.

There is actually a full rule set for it in the MiC I found the other day. You can do it to really "any" slot, but suggests to keep them in the same as the usual enhancement. The upgrade would cost the same as the first enhancement would normally cost, minus the Masterwork Quality item. So to add +2 int (the highest the DM is allowing at start) would be the base cost of 15 for the circlet and an additional 4 for the enhancement. I just have to clear it with the DM

[Stella]

When I last had a mid level wizard I had someone craft my int bonus to a belt slot and bought the circlet at a magic shop.

And that belt slot INT item would of course involve a body slot affinity cost of WBL. Per RAW.


Body Slot Affinities

Each location on the body, or body slot, has one or more affinities: a word or phrase that describes the general function or nature of magic items designed for that body slot. Body slot affinities are deliberately broad, abstract categorizations, because a hard-and-fast rule can’t cover the great variety among wondrous items.

You can use the affinities in the list below to guide your decisions on which magic items should be allowed in which body slots. And when you design your own magic items, the affinities give you some guidance for what form a particular item should take.

Some body slots have different affinities for different specific items.

Wondrous items that don’t match the affinity for a particular body slot should cost 50% more than wondrous items that match the affinity.

Belt slots have affinity with "Physical improvement", only Headband or helmet has affinity with "Mental improvement."

But it's still possible, just more expensive:

Wondrous items that don’t match the affinity for a particular body slot should cost 50% more than wondrous items that match the affinity.
50% more expensive.