Help with a Wu Jen Build

[Tokuhara]

So I may be headed to a blind game of 3.5 and am planning on trying the only full arcane caster I have yet to play: Wu Jen.

So what I'm thinking is a Fire Elf Wu Jen going into Sacred Exorcist and Silver Pyromancer. My biggest problem is filling out the overall build.

I'm allowed any official 3.5 books. However, I don't want to go Gish, so no JPM please.

Thanks!

~Toku

[flappeercraft]

While I don't know too much about Wu jen, something I do know is that some sweet spells they get are Giant size and Body Outside Body which you could depending on DM cast Giant Size and then get Body Outside Body cast and get Giant body guards for a minute. For that I would recommend taking 3 levels on Incantatrix and Persist the Body Outside Body clones but dispel the Giant size on self. Could be a nice trick

[ATHATH]

You've played as a Sha'ir?

[Tokuhara]

I played Sha'ir in a one-shot. Overall, kinda meh, but I can see the appeal.

My main issue is that I plan on taking Silver Pyromancer all the way to 5 after a 2 level dip into Sacred Exorcist. Just need to fill out until that point and follow up Silver Pyromancer for added effect

[Grod_The_Giant]

The classic finishing move would be to duck into Archmage, I think. Body Outside Body shuts down spellcasting, but your clones can still use SLAs.

As for how to lead into Sacred Exorcist... I dunno, there are plenty of solid full-casting PrCs you can access before then. Fatespinner. War Weaver. Ruathar. Mage of the Arcane Order. What are you planning on focusing your character around?

[sleepyphoenixx]

You could just take more Sacred Exorcist. The Turn Undead ability is useful for the Silver Pyro's Purge Undead feature (you can get some very impressive damage from that.
Paragnostic Apostle works too for the earlier levels.

Mage of the Arcane Order would do wonders for your spell list. So would Rainbow Servant, if you're allowed early entry.
Incantatrix 3-4 is awesome on any arcane caster for obvious reasons. All 10 levels are great too.
Spelldancer, for the same reason as Incantatrix. If you can afford the feats or qualify with spells/items at least.
Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil is also really good if you can fit it in.
Spellguard of Silverymoon lets you cast a lot of personal spells on others. And use Transcend Mortality as an attack. It also gets 2 free metamagic feats and an improved version of Selective Spell on top, all in 5 levels.
Usually i'd suggest War Weaver, but i'm not sure the Wu Jen list has enough useful buffs on it. You do get full paladin list access though, so it's worth considering at least.

[shortround]

Usually i'd suggest War Weaver, but i'm not sure the Wu Jen list has enough useful buffs on it. You do get full paladin list access though, so it's worth considering at least.
Imagine: your entire party, but all of them wielding lightning swords.

In terms of your build, I advocate for taking Energy Substitution into Born of the Three Thunders because I once read that Fire Shuriken's Instantaneous cast time sorta implies that the Fire Shuriken are just in your possession, so your morning prep could include Dazing yourself with Energy Substituted Born of the Three Thunder Shuriken and then you just have them in your possession and can throw them whenever. Even if your DM doesn't rule that way, you still have three and you can just choose to throw them normally 1 at a time instead of 3 at once, spending one round being dazed to potentially have three rounds of Fort to Stun and Ref to Prone effects out of one spell slot.

[Tokuhara]

So the entirety of my goal is to do sacred/fire damage, combining Sacred Spell with Silver Flame. That and generally being the bane to undead and evil outsiders everywhere. So anything that will make me hate on those would be nice as a secondary toolkit in addition to my "No, you are taking that fire damage" would be lovely.

Think pyromancer to the apex

So for me, feats like

Blistering Spell, Firey Spell, Consecrate Spell, Master of Ice and Fire, and Battle Blessing

Are all good, as well as any "Use a turn undead to do X" feat

Although the top, definitely looking to get Fire Domain and Light of Aurifar if I can, because MORE FIRE

[flappeercraft]

So the entirety of my goal is to do sacred/fire damage, combining Sacred Spell with Silver Flame. That and generally being the bane to undead and evil outsiders everywhere. So anything that will make me hate on those would be nice as a secondary toolkit in addition to my "No, you are taking that fire damage" would be lovely.

Think pyromancer to the apex

So for me, feats like

Blistering Spell, Firey Spell, Consecrate Spell, Master of Ice and Fire, and Battle Blessing

Are all good, as well as any "Use a turn undead to do X" feat

Battle blessing is only for paladins or am I missing something on what you are doing? Also Searing spell from Sandstorm could be useful

[Tokuhara]

Battle blessing is only for paladins or am I missing something on what you are doing? Also Searing spell from Sandstorm could be useful

Battle Blessing requires the ability to cast Paladin Spells.

Silver Pyromancer gives you the ability to cast Paladin Spells

And yes, Searing Spell is on my list

[flappeercraft]

Battle Blessing requires the ability to cast Paladin Spells.

Silver Pyromancer gives you the ability to cast Paladin Spells

And yes, Searing Spell is on my list

"You can cast most of your paladin spells faster than normal." According to the description of the feat, first sentence

[Tokuhara]

Either way, it was an example of a feat that would look good

[Anthrowhale]

Sacred Item (Paladin 4, Complete Champion) is permanent-until-discharged spell that ensures undead and evil outsiders feel the hate. Use it liberally on all of you and your allies weapons and ammunition with maximize spell and empower spell for a nifty +50 damage on the first hit or a +50 retributive damage when they hit your clothing/armor.

Aligned Aura (Paladin 4, Complete Champion) is something like a weaker form of the Silver Pyromancer ability by spell.

[Tokuhara]

Sacred Item (Paladin 4, Complete Champion) is permanent-until-discharged spell that ensures undead and evil outsiders feel the hate. Use it liberally on all of you and your allies weapons and ammunition with maximize spell and empower spell for a nifty +50 damage on the first hit or a +50 retributive damage when they hit your clothing/armor.

Aligned Aura (Paladin 4, Complete Champion) is something like a weaker form of the Silver Pyromancer ability by spell.

Oh. Those are sexy.

I need these in my life, even as a "non-paladin"

[Anthrowhale]

You might also look into Energy Admixture[Fire] on the more fire theme. If you took Snowcasting and Incantatrix, you could add [Cold] to any spell when casting then add Energy Admixture[Fire] after the fact to add fire damage. A Maximized Empowered Energy Admixture[Fire] Sacred Item lets you do +100 damage on hit.

The most powerful fire spell in the game (as long as the DM ignores range restrictions on area) is Erupt from Serpent Kingdoms. You could get access via Wyrm Wizard 2. This could be used as a tactical army killer via Spellguard 3. At caster level 20 that does 200 fire damage in a 2000' radius burst to any chosen type.

[Tokuhara]

So in short, pretend I'm a wizard and ignore the desire to get the Fire domain and Light of Aurifar.

So what I'm looking at is Wu Jen into a prestige class of some variety until I get Sacred Exorcist and the 5 levels of Silver Pyromancer, topped with more Exorcist with buckets of Fire-Themed Metamagic and Divine Feats that I qualify for.

[Anthrowhale]

So in short, pretend I'm a wizard

Pretend you are a wizard pretending to be a cleric is more accurate for Wyrm Wizard I think :smallsmile:


... and ignore the desire to get the Fire domain and Light of Aurifar.

+2d6 fire damage when turning which does not work with Purge Undead seems rather meh. You can achieve +2d6 cumulative with Purge Undead using items that increase your caster level.



So what I'm looking at is Wu Jen into a prestige class of some variety until I get Sacred Exorcist and the 5 levels of Silver Pyromancer, topped with more Exorcist with buckets of Fire-Themed Metamagic and Divine Feats that I qualify for.

You have to choose between those extra levels of Sacred Exorcist and Fire-Themed metamagic. Divine Feats also generally are not that good because they typically consume your Turn Undead pool diffusing the theme. If you really want to use your turning pool on something other than Purge Undead, consider Divine Metamagic[Energy Admixture[Fire]].

A reasonable compromise is something like Wu-Jen 5/Incantatrix 2/Sacred Exorcist 1/Silver Pyromancer 5/Incantatrix 2/Sacred Exorcist 5. This gives you the capacity to use Energy Admixture[Fire] on high level spells you or others cast at the cost of -2d6 damage when using Purge Undead.