I need to optimize a warmage

[Wafan]

I'm currently in a campaign playing as a human Warmage.
I'm lvl 5 and wondering what prestige classes and feats would help optimize my character.

I am looking to become a vampire with the template from the Lords of the Night Playtest
I was curious if this was a good template or if there are any better templates that I would be able to take on.

Current feats aren't a problem as my DM is going to allow them to be switched out for xp/gold.

I realize that rainbow servant exists, but my DM will only let me go up to lvl 9 in this. (To broken for a T3 campaign)

[Cerefel]

I'd recommend a Mailman type build where you just stack metamagic reducers and metamagic on a single spell to the point where you just obliterate anything you cast at.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Swinging in the other direction, since some DM's will balk at you being able to nuke anything you choose to target, consider taking the ecclectic learning ACF and entering sand shaper so that you can expand your capabilities beyond "blow crap up."

[Wafan]

I'm currently in a campaign playing as a human Warmage.
I'm lvl 5 and wondering what prestige classes and feats would help optimize my character.

I am looking to become a vampire with the template from the Lords of the Night Playtest
I was curious if this was a good template or if there are any better templates that I would be able to take on.

Current feats aren't a problem as my DM is going to allow them to be switched out for xp/gold.

I realize that rainbow servant exists, but my DM will only let me go up to lvl 9 in this. (To broken for a T3 campaign)

On a separate note, do you know of any "good" armor enchantments that will help me either hide or assist in spellcasting?

[AnonymousPepper]

On a separate note, do you know of any "good" armor enchantments that will help me either hide or assist in spellcasting?

That's not something ASAs are generally good at. The best ASAs are generally the immunity ones - crit immunity (fortification), death and negative energy immunity (soulfire), and baleful polymorph/etc. immunity (proof against transmutation).

You want to be able to hide, you break out the magic item creation rules and stack Hide bonuses on something. Which there is an ASA to do, mind you, but it's better to put it on something else.

You want better spellcasting, you get a Robe of the Archmagi or similar. A list of specific magic items will benefit you far more than the list of ASAs will.

[Rangô]

I personally like better to get more than energy damage from warmage, there's a way that I feel tasty with Energy Gestalt (tactic feat from CM, prerequisite Spell Focus Evocation(+1 to CD of spell)) which allow you to do 3 manouvers:
- Acrid Fumes: cast acid spell and then fire spell to impose sickened state restricting to only move actions (Living creatures and no-inmune to poison).
- Brittle Blast: cast cold spell and then sonic spell to empower +50% damage to second one against objects and constructs (Spell resistant hurts but you have the chance to make it count).
- Improve Conduction: cast cold spell and then electric spell to impose slowed for 1 round and fatigate state (living creatures only).
With your Energy Orbes could be pretty awsome, moreover big area spells as classic fireball, think in having Energy Substitution preferably [acid] (from RC).
About templates I've not a nice tip, usually you will be penalizes with LA, something whereby you don't want to deal because of loss caster level, same happens with PrC's, if you are looking for one I strong recomend not waste CL, always you should be able to cast the highest spell level possible at your basic class, maybe Master Specialist (CM) could be suitable following Energy Gestalt.

Bonus Tip: Rune Staffs are your friends (MIC)

[Troacctid]

A good way to get extra utility is with a familiar, especially an upgraded one. An imp, lantern archon, or coure eladrin will provide you with extra actions and a strong selection of useful spell-like abilities.

[manyslayer]

Bonus Tip: Rune Staffs are your friends (MIC)

How are runestaff's of any use to a warmage? You spend your own slot to cast from the runestaff but the spell to be cast must be on your list so as a warmage you can already cast it.


By expending a prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot, the wielder can cast a spell of the same level or lower from the runestaffs list, as long as that spell also appears on the wielder's class spell list.

[Fizban]

Exalted Arcanist gives you all Sanctifed spells as effective spells known, and depending on how your DM rules on interactions may also give you it's whole list of exalted arcanist spells. Frost Mage gives you a number of spells known but while it somehow can give you a 9th level spell known before you can cast it you still only get the Conjure Ice Beast line up through 4th (Conjure Ice Beast is great).

Sand Shaper has been mentioned, but make sure to note that the Summon Desert Ally line is absolutely terrible due to the mechanics of the template involved (Dustfrom removes all special attacks, almost all the creatures on SDA rely on special attacks). Sand Shaper's utility comes from having all the ability score buffs along with Resist Energy, some animal control from Speak With and Dominate Animal, and saving slots on Dispel Magic and a bunch of sandy attack spells: it gives you room to play with your main spells known, but a warmage is in it for the buffs and Dispel Magic.

You can even do Abjurant Champion if you want: qualify via Fire Trap, gain some extra BAB, hp, and defensive effects you can't normally do. May or may not be worth two feats, though you can add some armor to your spell list (Draconic Legacy: Fang Dragon includes Shield, or Luminous Armor off the Sanctified list via Exalted Arcanist, both of which are also feat intensive).

The Draconic Heritage line of feats can be useful: the Draconic Breath and Draconic Lineage X give you Supernatural abilities that can't be blocked by spell resistance or stopped by anything less than Antimagic Field, Draconic Legacy can give you some useful spells depending on which dragon it is, and the other draconic feats can give you options that don't seem that great compared to sor/wiz but are lacking on warmage.

The Fey and Fiendish Heritage feat lines from Complete Mage effectively give you some "spells known" and "spells per day" with their 1/day spell like abilities, all of them things you can't do. Fey is generally better but fiendish isn't terrible.

If Dragon Magazine material is available, the Bloodline feats give you a bunch of spells known. Their usefulness is tied to level since most only have a few good spells and are otherwise trash (pick the feat that's useful for the range you're playing in), but they're one of the easiest ways to get spells you don't normally know.

If you'd rather have raw power than versatility you can go metamagic, but depending on what a "T3" game means for your group you could easily outgun everyone (just don't use more than one metamagic reducer). Practical Metamagic (Empower Spell) is generally sufficient for most purposes. I also like the simplicity of just spamming Arcane Thesis, which works better with Searing Spell/Consecrate Spell but goes against the Warmage's larger spell list.

And of course you should always ask your DM if you can fix the Warmage's spell list. Contrary to popular belief it's not useless (as you probably know since you're playing it), but the Orb bloat and lack of high level options in PHB+Complete Mage leave gaps in the patterns which make it disappointing at mid levels and weaker at high levels. Here's my expanded list for your consideration:
spell compendium set (+PHB)
1: +corrosive grasp, ice dagger, wall of smoke, scatterspray, blades of fire (SpC dropped to 1st)
2: +scorch, snowball swarm, snake's swiftness? (flame blade)
3: +acid breath, icelance, chain missile, rust ray
4: +(dispel magic), defenestrating sphere? ("divine" power?)
5: +(waves of fatigue), vitriolic sphere, earth reaver
6: +(greater dispel magic), +acid storm,
7: +radiant assault
8: +bombardment, avasculate (and -incendiary cloud and polar ray because they suck and I hate them)
9: +black blade of disaster

[Wafan]

That's not something ASAs are generally good at. The best ASAs are generally the immunity ones - crit immunity (fortification), death and negative energy immunity (soulfire), and baleful polymorph/etc. immunity (proof against transmutation).

You want to be able to hide, you break out the magic item creation rules and stack Hide bonuses on something. Which there is an ASA to do, mind you, but it's better to put it on something else.

You want better spellcasting, you get a Robe of the Archmagi or similar. A list of specific magic items will benefit you far more than the list of ASAs will.

Thanks for the help! I'll look into stacking items and ones that help my spellcasting.

[ATHATH]

If you want to blast and are getting annoyed at Energy-Immune enemies, consider dipping 1-3 levels in Paragnostic Apostle for the Manifest Ethos ability.

Also, check out the Cerebrosis and the Mother Cyst feats.

[Bobby Baratheon]

The Mother Cyst feat will get you ten spells and allow for some interesting gameplay. Basically, you "tag" someone with a necrotic growth, then you can do all sorts of stuff to them. Blow them up, mind control them, scry on them, etc. I use to do "tag and release" type missions on prisoners to track them to their bases. . . There's loads of applications. If your wisdom is all right, and you have a couple of extra feats, consider picking Arcane Disciple. If your wisdom sucks, your DM will probably let you take Dynamic Priest to switch spells known to Cha instead of Wis. Nine extra spells for the price of two feats isn't bad, and you can take Arcane Disciple for more than one domain provided that they are pertinent to the same deity.

[nedz]

Why has no one mentioned Arcane Disciple ?

You do need Wisdom and a Patron Deity but this is the standard way of giving you more options.

[Bobby Baratheon]

Why has no one mentioned Arcane Disciple ?

You do need Wisdom and a Patron Deity but this is the standard way of giving you more options.

. . . I did?

[nedz]

. . . I did?

Ah, sorry - I was possibly swordsaged.

[PraxisVetli]

And of course you should always ask your DM if you can fix the Warmage's spell list. Contrary to popular belief it's not useless (as you probably know since you're playing it), but the Orb bloat and lack of high level options in PHB+Complete Mage leave gaps in the patterns which make it disappointing at mid levels and weaker at high levels. Here's my expanded list for your consideration:
spell compendium set (+PHB)
1: +corrosive grasp, ice dagger, wall of smoke, scatterspray, blades of fire (SpC dropped to 1st)
2: +scorch, snowball swarm, snake's swiftness? (flame blade)
3: +acid breath, icelance, chain missile, rust ray
4: +(dispel magic), defenestrating sphere? ("divine" power?)
5: +(waves of fatigue), vitriolic sphere, earth reaver
6: +(greater dispel magic), +acid storm,
7: +radiant assault
8: +bombardment, avasculate (and -incendiary cloud and polar ray because they suck and I hate them)
9: +black blade of disaster


+1 to this.
Solid list, still has that warmage feel, but spells like Ray of Rust and Waves of Fatigue add some versatility.

[Fizban]

Rust Ray is a natural choice for the "object hate" slot which is absent at 3rd level, Waves of Fatigue is there because they already have Waves of Exhaustion and good luck convincing me there's a reason they shouldn't get the lower level version.

I could have sworn I'd wrote something about needing wisdom for Arcane Disciple but sure enough I made no mention of it, must have been somewhere else.

[Rangô]

How are runestaff's of any use to a warmage? You spend your own slot to cast from the runestaff but the spell to be cast must be on your list so as a warmage you can already cast it.

Damm! You're absolutely right!, I thought you can cast any staff's spells without the restriction of your spell list. Not useful in deed, it just makes sense for wizards

[Sahleb]

If you're still into hiding, Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis is good for that. Combine with a custom item of +however much you can afford to hide, that'll make you good.