What caster build should I go for? help please!

[flappeercraft]

Right now im playing a campaign for 3.5 edition (low levels for the moment 3-5 lvl) but I dont know what I should exactly do with my wizard if I should specialize in a specific spell or something. To the moment im thinking I should become a Lich when I can and after having 5 more levels of wizard become an abjurant champion. Right now Im a Fighter 1 / Wizard 3 Dwarf. Im thinking that for spells I probably will specialize in scorching ray, for the moment I think I will get the feats, combat casting, empower spell, maximize spell, twin spell, searing spell, arcane thesis (scorching ray), easy metamagic (twin spell) and miser with magic. Should I go for that or go for something else? Also is incantatrix worth it im considering taking 5 levels for the bonus feats. So what im thinking I should go for is Fighter 1 / Wizard 10 / Abjurant Champion 4 / Incantatrix 5. Any suggestion on what I should do instead? If you guys need my rolls and or other info just ask.

[flappeercraft]

Also my dm told that when im able to cast wish or the cleric can cast miracle we can change my character race. Im thinking that drow would be a good choice (remember im becoming a lich most likely)

[flappeercraft]

Almost forgot to tell my whole party is evil and is following hextor so that restricts a few classes as well.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Lichdom is generally not worth the price of entry. You can get the whole immortality through undeath thing out of becoming a necropolitan (Libris Mortis) much cheaper.

Specialization's a suckers bet unless it's necessary for a very powerful option like incantatrix or red wizard.

Seems like you're kinda floundering on what you want. Incantatrix says "I want ultimate cosmic power," while abjurant champion says "I want to smash stuff with my magic stick." Hyperbole aside, the two PrC's are pulling in different directions.

What do you -want- to do with your spell-slinger? What is the picture in your mind of what this character will be doing at high level?

EDIT: also, the edit button is a thing.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Fighter 1/wizard 5/incantatrix 4/abjurant champion 5 is a servicable, casting-focused gish (self-buffed melee character). Your base attack isn't very high, but you'll still get a third iterative, so you can make do.

Scorching ray is a good metamagic seed, but lacks range, is SR:Yes, suffers more versus fire resistance*, has lower base damage output in the end-game (gains less with caster level), and lacks the additional debuffs that the orb spells have. Orb of fire forces a save versus daze, which is really, really powerful, especially if you're fighting big single monsters. It comes down to the specifics of your campaign. If you encounter few monsters with SR/resistance, monsters not particularly worth dazing, or if you don't fight a lot at longer ranges, scorching ray is probably better.

If you can, retrain or otherwise replace your fighter level with a warblade level, instead. That's a long shot, but worth it.



*Not as relevant with Searing Spell, but you could take an acid (or force) spell, and spend a feat elsewhere, because you know resistance will be much less of an issue.

[flappeercraft]

I know about orb of fire from spell compendium but due to a homebrew rule we use its not really damage efficient (read below you will see why, also the damage efficiency is counting all the metamagics im planning to learn in the feats). Also actually by the time I get to the level in which I can get all these feats and stuff the scorching will have 75ft range which is good enough and even if it wasnt enough the solution would just be getting a few metamagic enlarge rods or get enlarge spell. About the homebrew rule its pretty simple, we call it spell points and works sorta like spell slots just a bit differently. Every spell slot whether from class directly or ability score bonuses gives u spell points, a 1st level slot counts as 1 spellpoint, a 2nd level as 2 and so on. About how you use them its just casting normally a 1st level spell wastes 1 spell point and a 2nd level 2 points and so on, about 0 level spells they grant no spell points but they waste 0.5 points. With this homebrew rule if you only need to prepare once and you can cast it multiple times while you have enough spell points. About metamagic feats and this rule you need not prepare with the metamagics in advance you can just call it while casting instead thats about it. Well the reason it makes it not worth using the orb of fire as much is because it using the same feats but for that spell does less avg damage per spell point but I had forgotten about the daze which might make it worth.

[flappeercraft]

About the prestige classes going to different directions I know they do but that is the reason I chose them, so that way I am a really powerful caster but can at least hold my own without spells in case I ran out, other than that when was versatility ever hindering in a d&d game if not taken to the extreme? Also thanks about the advice with necropolitan I will check it out

Edit: I checked out necropolitan, it seems interesting but I dont know if its worth the level and exp loss. Although it might be a more price efficient way of being age immortal I think lich is a bit of a better option due to ressurecting every 1d10 days if destroyed, the bonus charisma, intelligence and wisdom, higher turn resistance and special qualities/abilities.

[flappeercraft]

About specialization as of right now I have no school im just learning what I can while I can since as specified with Incantatrix you are not able to learn any spells from the prohibited school but you can still cast them when you get the school. To the moment I dont know what school I should choose and which prohibited ones I should choose but as of now Im thinking divination as a chisen school since it gives only 1 prohibited school instead of 2.

[Eisfalken]

Edit: I checked out necropolitan, it seems interesting but I dont know if its worth the level and exp loss. Although it might be a more price efficient way of being age immortal I think lich is a bit of a better option due to ressurecting every 1d10 days if destroyed, the bonus charisma, intelligence and wisdom, higher turn resistance and special qualities/abilities.

You lose less XP than by becoming a lich, and save waaaay more the earlier you go necropolitan. You do realize becoming a lich adds +4 to your effective character level (ECL)? Meaning you have to get more and more XP to level up than any of your PC buddies, right?

[flappeercraft]

Yeah I do but actually the abilities Lich gives seem pretty worth it since more intelligence means better casting, damage reduction is pretty useful, the paralyzing touch can be useful too and so does the touch energy damage but the fear aura I will admit is useless. But also ressurecting after 1d10 days after being destroyed without level loss at level 11+ (12+ for me due to fighter level) seems pretty worth it since usually for ressurecting without level loss you need a cleric at least 17th level and to waste 25k Gp while for this waste 120k Gp and go die all you want you are not losing a level. Other than that undead immunities also seem pretty good. Maybe for the purpose of getting levels I might get Lich after a few more levels maybe 16+. If I get another alternative without so much LA (Level Adjustment) but is about as useful I will take it. Only reason I take Lich is for the phylactery ressurection and age immortality without having to cast Steal Life (Book Of Vile Darkness) every time when I have to get younger and waste spells that could be used in a fight if it does get to happen. Also about xp loss what do you rather go down a complete level and 1000 Xp or lose only 4800 Xp? If it is lowest Xp possible for that level which im pretty sure it is not sure at 4th level you would already lose 4k Xp but to lose 4800 Xp at 12th level isnt as much. For that 800 Xp just fight 1 or 2 6th level encounters and done.