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JWhitehead
2007-08-29, 02:15 PM
In a campaign starting next week I will be playing an ultimate magus blaster. First thing is first, I know blasting is far more unpopular than the batman builds round here and I know ultimate magus draws a lot of flack anyway from some people so please if you read this and feel the need to say so, dont.
The campaign is going to focus heavily on sky ships and piracy, and my character will be taking feats to keep his caster level high. at 8th his fireballs will be cl 12 on the ship.ds
what I am asking is actually a list of people's favourite damage spells for spell levels 3-5 that maximize at 20 dice not 15. Mt Ultimate Magus will be doing all 15d6 on the fireball at 10th and I cant figure out what spells to give him afterwards

RTGoodman
2007-08-29, 02:58 PM
Well, I know you said you don't want spells with a 15d6 maximum damage, but you should consider the Orb spells from Complete Arcane. They max at 15d6, but they also ignore spell resistance (if memory serves me right) and the higher level ones have special side effects.

Reinboom
2007-08-29, 03:08 PM
Blast of Flame is a 4th level cone that ignores SR as well, if you want area. Though it maximizes at 10.
Kelgore's gravemist is also neat (PHB2). 1d6 cold damage a round with no save OR SR - and it lasts a round per caster level with no cap. Then, everything damaged becomes fatigued unless they have spell resistance.
Vortex of Teeth (Spell Compendium) is another per round damage spell with no cap. In this case, 3d8 per round. Once again, no save and it's force. It also has a pretty large radius (40 ft.).

What are these ships made out of?
--
and aside, if you are the main arcanist I still recommend you cover a few basic things such as dispel magic, identify, Fly, teleport, and similar. It's not "blaster" but with an ultimate magus you'll have enough working room aside your blasting - and dispel magic is normally quite important.

The Mormegil
2007-08-30, 06:48 AM
I recommand Channeled Pyroblast for the Sorceror side: it's pretty much a quickened blast/round and can be channeled for large area and more damage (did someone say something about my 8th level sorceror that deals 180 damage every two rounds?).

Apart from it: take sink (SC) and use it, possibly chained. I would like to see the BBEG fleet that raises above his city/palace... and crashes down again with a single casting!

Also: magic missle, scorching ray, resounding thunder (CM), lightning leap (CM), incendiary surge (CM), re3sonating bolt (CAr).

Spell Compendium has some good spells: sound lance, combust, orbs of (also CAr), greater fireburst (15d10 damages...), chain missle, force missles, vortex of teeth, sword of deception, cyclonic blast...

Yes, they all stop at CL 10-15. Well, what did you expect, higher level spells are there for something!

One spell that's definitly what you're looking for was in Savage Species: I don't remember the name, but it's a 3rd level scorching ray that deals 5d6 cold damage every 5 caster levels (max 20d6 at CL 20), but that's it. And since it will deal 15d6 damages from CL 15 to CL 19, it's not that useful.

My suggestion: don't focus on CL, focus on metamagic. Ultimate Magus is just that: Metamagicked blasts all around!

CASTLEMIKE
2007-08-30, 12:26 PM
Don't forget the Hellfire Warlock PRC which isn't limited to Warlocks.

Acid and Sonic Balls and Orbs are nice.

Since there is the Energy Substitution feat that will let you make a Fireball into a corresponding Acid Ball or Sonic Ball with comparable usually better 1D6 energy damage original spell research should be able to duplicate that and other spells like Scorching Ray.

You can can a Quickened level 4 spell for 15D6 and follow it up with an empowered level 4 spell normally capped at 15D6 without a level change using the Ultimate Magus PRC meta specials leaving them level 4 spells which is huge when you think about it.