Just Starting (fire gensi wizard)

[Blaro123]

Need help creating strongest character I can to keep up with experienced friends that wont help me.

Lvl 1
Race Fire gensi
Class Wizard
Str 15
Dex 17
Con 17
Int 18 after race
Wis 16
Cha 16 after race

Need every thing else and need a layout for a strong character later.

Wanting to build character that is essentially a pyro.

Please keep simple

[Zanos]

Did you roll stats in order, or can you assign them where you want?

[Blaro123]

Did you roll stats in order, or can you assign them where you want?

I can move anywhere.

Stats
17
17
18
15
16
16

I'm technically lvl 4, but am just building so I can form any way.
I just don't know what doing.

[Nifft]

Some light reading:
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8718
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=487
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?223438-3-5-Incantatrix-Handbook-%28WIP%29

Enjoy.

[SethoMarkus]

Do your experienced friends focus on optimization and/or power gaming? Do they focus more on roleplay and/or story progression? Do they favor fluff and "the rule of cool" over mechanics, or stick to by-the-book and RAW?

Just because your friends more experienced does not mean that they will have "stronger" characters. They may also be refusing to help build your character because they see that as part of the process of getting to know the game. (I mean, it is also possible they are being jerks and want the new guy at a disadvantage, but I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt.) It's also worth noting that having a strong or optimized character means nothing if you don't know how to play it, and that damage output does not necessarily mean "strong" (and in high OP, high level play focusing on damage output almost ensures a character that is not "strong").

I'd absolutely suggest reading the links provided by Nifft, as well as having a discussion with your friends about their expectations of game play and how they think you'll be able to contribute. This is a great opportunity to also let them know how you plan on contributing and what your expectations are for the game.

[Blaro123]

Do your experienced friends focus on optimization and/or power gaming? Do they focus more on roleplay and/or story progression? Do they favor fluff and "the rule of cool" over mechanics, or stick to by-the-book and RAW?

They told me to figure it out and to find out for myself. Other then that as long as you can logically prove how your doing things our DM is fine with it.

I just got done going through Nifft's stuff and found a prestige class called incantrix that sounds like fun. I just want to keep the theme of my wizard being a pyro.

i want to be able to rain damage, but do so in a way that actually helps and to do it as much as possible.

[Zancloufer]

Few things:

1) Do you really want to be a Fire Gensai? It has LA+1 which means you will be one level behind the entire party, and one CL short. In other words while everyone else would be level 4 you would be only level 3! If you swapped your Charisma and Intelligence and went human you would have the same stats, +1 Skill point and feat AND be a level higher in exchange for some trivial bonuses.
If you really want a fire themed race UA has the Fire Elf. -2 Con and Cha but +2 Int and Dex. With your current array you could have stats like:
Str 15
Dex 18 (16+2)
Con 15 (17-2)
Int 20 (18+2 ; Your a Wizard with a +Int race PUT INT AT 18!)
Wis 16
Cha 14 (16-2)

Cha and Str are your low stats, especially with your epic array here. 15 Con also means a +1 item of Con will boost you to 16 Con which is very solid. 18 Dex and 20 Int are also nice on a wizard, especially if you want to "blast" as you need dex to make those ranged touch attacks.

Spells and Feats: (Lesser) Orb of Fire and Scorching ray are quite nice low level spells to get for fire based blasting. Worth noting though: Fire resistance is quite common, I would pick up feats like Searing Spell (Meta-magic that helps overcome fire defence) and Energy Substitution (turn those fire spells into something else.)

[Gildedragon]

If you do take Searing Spell (and you should) you ought Arcane Thesis; not sure what spell would benefit the most from it, but it means it could be always searing

[Zancloufer]

If you do take Searing Spell (and you should) you ought Arcane Thesis; not sure what spell would benefit the most from it, but it means it could be always searing

Orb of fire probably. It's up to 10d6 damage and ignore SR/AMFs and with Searing spell would ignore most fire resistance as well. Pretty much anything you can make a touch attack against gets burned. Even worse with stuff like Incantrix and more meta-magic, could make a (discount) mailman that way.

[Gildedragon]

Though if what you want is pure pyro: sorcerer or (hellfire) warlock are stronger choices.

[Red Fel]

Though if what you want is pure pyro: sorcerer or (hellfire) warlock are stronger choices.

A bit of this. Fact is, a Wizard gets more spells to play with, but if all you're doing is blasting, you don't exactly need diversity. The Mailman Sorcerer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?447435-quot-The-Mailman-A-Direct-Damage-Sorcerer-quot-%28from-Wizards-forums%29) is often considered the Ur-example of the blaster caster - the entire build is dedicated to a a simple premise of blasting: Cast spells that cannot be resisted or saved against, and make them cause a great deal of damage.

The execution boils down to extensive Metamagic abuse, but the end result is exactly what it tries to be. On any given turn that you can cast a spell, you can destroy something. Break out a Lesser Orb of X, load it up with metamagic, send it out. For example, a Lesser Orb of Fire, with no metamagic on it, will deal 5d8 Fire damage at CL 9. Ranged touch attack, no save, no SR. And that's before you tack on your favorite metamagics to turn the thing into a Lesser Orb of Fire machine gun.