Optimize Dispel Magic?

[bean illus]

I have been reading, and i realize that dispel magic is often considered not optimized, and for several reasons, one of which is the caster level cap on dispel checks (which can work both ways).

Possibly/probably even more unoptimized is, I'm thinking of putting it a sorcerer, ... on a gish.

I picture an elven prince in greater luminous armor with his longsword, and Larethian Protector bow (1d6 x cha) for ranged. And he quickens/auto/orsomething on dispels.

I'm considering a cleric dip for TU, and a church inquisitor to sorcerer dip for the extra TU pool 16-20 or more TU) and + 4 to dispel. CL 19 +4. But I'm afraid that might not be worth it, because time stop trumps dispel?

But of course we know Sorcerers can't have nice things. How great is the advantage on dispel for wizards?

( Otoh, Chameleon gets CL 20 in 10 levels. It's not spontaneous,* but ...)

I'm wondering about feats, items, prcs, etc, that could boost dispel checks, please. Or anything, lol.
3.5 1st party only. Humanoid, no evil, no level adj.

I know there's dispel, greater, slashing, and chain. Are there others?

[ExLibrisMortis]

Azurin Cloistered Cleric 4/Church Inquisitor 1/Paragnostic Apostle 1
Spontaneous domain casting (Magic domain)
Abilities: 13+ Wisdom (to cast dispel magic), 13+ Constitution (to qualify for Soultouched Spellcasting), 14+ Charisma (to have 5 turning attempts)
Domains: Inquisition (bonus, from Church Inquisitor), Knowledge, Magic, Purification
Feats: Divine Defiance1, Soultouched Spellcasting azurin, Domain Focus (Magic)3, Versatile Spellcaster6
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks
Items: dispelling cord (1000 gp)
Caster level 6, +1 for abjurations (Purification domain), +1 for Magic domain spells (Domain Focus)
+7 on dispel checks (+4 untyped Inquisition domain, +2 insight Soultouched Spellcasting, +1 untyped Penetrating Insight, from Paragnostic Apostle)
+2 competence on dispel checks 5/day from dispelling cord

With one turn undead use, you can counterspell as an immediate action, burning any prepared spell(s) to spontaneously cast dispel magic. With Versatile Spellcaster, you have at least five third-level spells per day. Your bonus on dispel checks is +17, 5/day, and +15 after that (but you're out of spells anyway). At level 6, nothing magical is going to get past you for a long time.
If you already have CL 10 already, you don't need the Purification domain power and Domain Focus.
If you already have spontaneous dispel magic, you don't need Spontaneous Domain Casting.
If you get Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment), you don't need the Inquisition domain.
If you get your Turn Undead from Sacred Exorcist, you don't need the cleric level.

Divine Defiance requires "divine caster level 3rd", so that's going to be hard on a sorcerer.
Greater luminous armour is a sanctified spell, so it's not available to sorcerers normally.

Soultouched Spellcasting works equally well on a sorcerer, and scales up to +4 if you find another source of essentia (azurin and the feat provide 2 points).
Dispelling cord works equally well on a sorcerer.
Paragnostic Apostle works equally well on a sorcerer.


Overall, if you want to run a gish who can dispel really well, I'd recommend running a cleric gish. It's just so much easier.

[Mike Miller]

Spell compendium has Dispel screen. There is a dispelling breath spell. Probably more

[Firebug]

5 levels in Abjurant Champion would allow you to quicken Dispel Magic (and any other abjuration school spell of 3rd or lower) for free.

[mesc]

Chain spell metamagic feat is good. It lets you target multiple targets with the casting, so you can pretty much dispel all of the enemies magic items in 1 turn.

Reserves of strength feat lets you break the CL cap.

[Falontani]

Shadowcaster has several mysteries that are very good for dispelling/counterspelling.
Nocturmancer puts a focus of dispelling/counterspelling on a shadowcaster/arcane theurge.

Warlock have several at will invocations that can dispel, and Eldritch Theurge is a warlock/arcane theurge that allows you to put aoe effects and eventually touch effects on your eldritch blast (So an eldritch blast with a greater dispelling screen attached)

[Khedrac]

One level of Paragnostic Apostle can net you another +1 bonus to dispel checks...

Penetrating Insight: You gain a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance, or to successfully dispel another caster's spell. (Knowledge [arcana] 9 ranks)

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Divine Defiance is feat that requires a divine caster level of 3, and allows you to use turn undead to counterspell as an immediate action. Excellent if you've been boosting your dispel checks!