Building an Imaskari lord

[ShadyRaven]

Hi guys! I'm trying to build an Imaskari lord as a viillain for a campaign. He should be around level 23 and working on building a new Imaskarcana (an artifact).

I'm struggling coming up with a build to reflect what I want him to be able to do.

So far, I have a domain wizard (portals themed domain) with an item familiar (which the PCs might conveniently destroy to weaken the villain).

I'd like to somehow fit in the build as many levels of artificer as possible (or at least progress infusions) without sacrificing his wizard spellcasting.

As far as I know, prcs that advance spellcasting can be used to advance infusions but only if they don't explicitly advance arcane or divine spellcasting.

I was wondering if there is maybe some trick that uses dual progression classes to enhance both wizard and artificer at the same time.

Any ideas? Will this require some homebrew prc?

[DarkSoul]

With as firmly rooted in Faerun as this guy is considering the concept, I think you should ditch the artificer levels and go with a wizard base and use feats and prestige classes to reduce the cost of item creation. You can even have others pay the XP costs, unwillingly if need be.

[Buddy76]

The only way that I can think of to theurge Artificer and Wizard is to use the Psionic Artificer variant from Magic of Eberron and enter Cerebramancer to advance both classes. If you go by the table at page 232 of the Magic Item Compendium, PA can craft psionic equivalents to almost every magic item. Legacy Champion can keep advancing Cerebramancer after level 10 (and seems to fit your BBEG's concept).

Keep in mind that you need to manifest second level powers to enter Cerebramancer, so you'd need to take a few levels of another psionic class in order to qualify. If you're open to that kind of stuff, dragon magazine 319 (page 26) has Athasian Humans, which are able to manifest a 2nd level power when they hit 5th level (of any class), so you wouldn't need to take a second psionic class. Even if you go Athasian Human, however, you should concider dipping Ardent 1 for the magic mantle, as that would leave your Psionic Artificer fuctioning pretty much as a normal "magical" Artificer as well.

One feat that I find very flavorful for Artificer types is Planar Touchstone . Visit the Catalogues of Enlightment site (both the feat and the site are from the Planar Handbook) and choose the Warforged domain (Faiths of Eberron) so you can rebuke, command or bolster constructs as a cleric equal to the character's level. Don't know if you can spare a feat on such a minor ability, though.

Finally, since we're talking epic, you could give the BBEG an epic destiny (https://web.archive.org/web/20090218080723/http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080428). Artifact Lord seems appropiate for this kind of character.

[OgresAreCute]

With as firmly rooted in Faerun as this guy is considering the concept, I think you should ditch the artificer levels and go with a wizard base and use feats and prestige classes to reduce the cost of item creation. You can even have others pay the XP costs, unwillingly if need be.

Could use the sacrifice rules from book of vile deeds or that liquid pain/ambrosia loop for experience costs, since this is a villain and all.

[Seharvepernfan]

If he's the villain, why are you bothering? Just make him a wizard and let him craft whatever you think he should. If you feel bad about it, make most/all of his feats be crafting related.