Sculpting an Ice Sorcerer

[LoyalPaladin]

Hello everybody,
I'm working on a new character build (Stalwart Battle Sorcerer 15 / Abjurant Champion 5) and I need help with some crucial details. I'm looking for the best and most flashy ice (cold) spells in 3.5 edition. Along with that, I'd be really stoked if you had any spells that functioned as all day buffs, any cold or ice themed templates/races, and the best cold/ice enhancements for a rapier! I'll have two flaws, so some neat feats would be cool too! Thanks, playground. (I'll have a 36 point buy, if it matters.)

[Gildedragon]

Human White Dragon Dragonspawn for a +1 sorc level and cold magic theme

Lord of the Uttercold feat is deffos something you want

[LoyalPaladin]

Human White Dragon Dragonspawn for a +1 sorc level and cold magic theme
What's the source on this?

[Gildedragon]

What's the source on this?

Dragonlance campaign setting

[LoyalPaladin]

Dragonlance campaign setting
Oooooo. I love Dragonlance!

[GnomishPride]

The Frostburn book is the home of all things nice and cold. That's probably your best bet.

[LoyalPaladin]

The Frostburn book is the home of all things nice and cold. That's probably your best bet.
I've found some neat things there! I don't think there is a Cold Bloodline feat for Sorcs, but I'm AFB right now...

[Gildedragon]

There's the frost mage PRC; and the piercing cold feat is needed to overcome cold resistance

[ILM]

Various stuff:
- Icemail Armor gets you +2 to the DCs of [cold] spells
- Cold Focus / Greater Cold Focus also increases that DC
- Cold Spell Specialization gets you +2 damage per die for [cold] spells when it's cold
- The Cold Snap spell gets you another +1 damage per die for [cold] spells
- Empower spell adds damage die ;)
- Obviously, Snowcasting makes every spell a [cold] spell (even if it deals fire damage :p)
- Lord of the Uttercold and Piercing Cold feats help overcoming cold resistance/immunity

Spells for making enemies dead:
- Iceberg (F), because lol
- You could energy substitute a Snowcasted Detonate (PHB2)
- Field of Icy Razors (SC)
- Frostfell (F)
- Fimbulwinter (F) but see below
- Ice Claw (SC)
- Energy substituted Wings of Flurry (RotD) - no CL cap!

Buffs:
- A Major Iceheart (F) casts Fimbulwinter every day for you, which forces winter in a 15-mile radius area
- Control Temperature (F) lasts CL hours and lets you drop the temperature by 4 bands (see the temperature bands in Frostburn)
- If necessary, Cold Snap (SC) lets you drop that by another 50°F and Frostfell (F) by another 3 bands.
- Obscuring Snow (F) lasts CL hours, blocks all sight (including darkvision!) beyond 5 ft; couple that with Snowsight and you can see outwards but nobody can see you.
- Mantle of the Icy Soul (SC) gives you the cold subtype; Algid Enhancement (F) gives you a bunch of bonuses
- I like As the Frost (PHB2), (Greater) Aura of Cold (F) and Snowsong (F), though they aren't long duration. I guess if you had a way to persist them...

[LoyalPaladin]

There's the frost mage PRC; and the piercing cold feat is needed to overcome cold resistance
I'm aiming for more of a combat caster type character and I think Frost Mage lowers my hit die/BAB too much. Otherwise it's so cool... (No pun intended.)


Various stuff:
- Icemail Armor gets you +2 to the DCs of [cold] spells
- Cold Focus / Greater Cold Focus also increases that DC
- Cold Spell Specialization gets you +2 damage per die for [cold] spells when it's cold
- The Cold Snap spell gets you another +1 damage per die for [cold] spells
- Empower spell adds damage die ;)
- Obviously, Snowcasting makes every spell a [cold] spell (even if it deals fire damage :p)
- Lord of the Uttercold and Piercing Cold feats help overcoming cold resistance/immunity

Spells for making enemies dead:
- Iceberg (F), because lol
- You could energy substitute a Snowcasted Detonate (PHB2)
- Field of Icy Razors (SC)
- Frostfell (F)
- Fimbulwinter (F) but see below
- Ice Claw (SC)
- Energy substituted Wings of Flurry (RotD) - no CL cap!

Buffs:
- A Major Iceheart (F) casts Fimbulwinter every day for you, which forces winter in a 15-mile radius area
- Control Temperature (F) lasts CL hours and lets you drop the temperature by 4 bands (see the temperature bands in Frostburn)
- If necessary, Cold Snap (SC) lets you drop that by another 50°F and Frostfell (F) by another 3 bands.
- Obscuring Snow (F) lasts CL hours, blocks all sight (including darkvision!) beyond 5 ft; couple that with Snowsight and you can see outwards but nobody can see you.
- Mantle of the Icy Soul (SC) gives you the cold subtype; Algid Enhancement (F) gives you a bunch of bonuses
- I like As the Frost (PHB2), (Greater) Aura of Cold (F) and Snowsong (F), though they aren't long duration. I guess if you had a way to persist them...
These are all awesome! One thing stands out...


Lord of the Uttercold
This has to be the coolest (again, no pun intended) feat ever.

Edit:
Is there a way to qualify to Eldritch Knight without taking levels in another class?

[Gildedragon]

I assume that the martial weapon proficiency is what's biting your keister
Tensers Transformation would work

Alternatively: challenge based entry
"Eldritch Knight
Tourney of the Grand Eagle. Every year, the eldritch knights have a two-day tournament in a tent city they magically create outside the city walls. On the first day, applicants go through an archery contest, a duel with swords, and another duel using a melee weapon of each applicant’s choosing. (The duels are to unconsciousness, and clerics are on hand to heal the gravely wounded.) On the second day, applicants engage in a series of spellcasting duels—everything from fights between summoned monsters to games of counter spelling one-upsmanship. Using a complex scoring system, the eldritch knights select two applicants to join their order..."

[Khedrac]

Edit:
Is there a way to qualify to Eldritch Knight without taking levels in another class?
Not easily - the problem with Eldritch Knight is that it requires all martial weapons so unless you are an outside or similar you need another class.
It also is not generally considered a worthwhile prestige class.

[LoyalPaladin]

I assume that the martial weapon proficiency is what's biting your keister
Tensers Transformation would work

Alternatively: challenge based entry
"Eldritch Knight
Tourney of the Grand Eagle. Every year, the eldritch knights have a two-day tournament in a tent city they magically create outside the city walls. On the first day, applicants go through an archery contest, a duel with swords, and another duel using a melee weapon of each applicant’s choosing. (The duels are to unconsciousness, and clerics are on hand to heal the gravely wounded.) On the second day, applicants engage in a series of spellcasting duels—everything from fights between summoned monsters to games of counter spelling one-upsmanship. Using a complex scoring system, the eldritch knights select two applicants to join their order..."
That, and the ranks in Knowledge (The Planes)...

Where did you find the challenge entry? That's pretty awesome.


Not easily - the problem with Eldritch Knight is that it requires all martial weapons so unless you are an outside or similar you need another class.
It also is not generally considered a worthwhile prestige class.
I'll probably end up in Abjurant Champion. :smallannoyed:

[dysprosium]

Edit:
Is there a way to qualify to Eldritch Knight without taking levels in another class?

The Militia feat from Players Guide to Faerun grants proficiency with all martial weapons. However it is a Forgotten Realms specific regional feat that can only be taken at 1st level.

[RedMetal]

Where did you find the challenge entry? That's pretty awesome.


Test-Based Prerequisites, from Unearthed Arcana. It can be found in the SRD, under Variant Rules > Campaigns.

[Gildedragon]

You could always ask the DM for a cold-fluffed Jade Phoenix Mage. Ditch battle sorcerer for some warblade; an ice themed desert wind: Arctic blizzard or something

[LoyalPaladin]

The Militia feat from Players Guide to Faerun grants proficiency with all martial weapons. However it is a Forgotten Realms specific regional feat that can only be taken at 1st level.
We almost always play in Faerun now'a'days. I've decided to bag Eldritch Knight, I had some wrong ideas about it and now I'm at my books.


Test-Based Prerequisites, from Unearthed Arcana. It can be found in the SRD, under Variant Rules > Campaigns.
That's super awesome. I'd never heard of that!


You could always ask the DM for a cold-fluffed Jade Phoenix Mage. Ditch battle sorcerer for some warblade; an ice themed desert wind: Arctic blizzard or something
I like the idea, but most of my DM's would put this on the no-fly list.

[Gildedragon]

Pity. Cold resistance is about as common as that for fire; it would just have been a matter of changing the descriptors. All blue fire and the like.

Blueice armor might be thematically appropriate