Force missile mage build 3.5

[Mellforce]

Hello, I need help to figure out a cool build for an arcane blaster who can hit hard and reliably while having a good choice of utility spells.
How do you see the force missile mage in this? I like it a lot but i'm not sure how to distribute the levels. I was thinking 5 mage / 5 fmm / 10 incantatrix? Or is sorcerer better then mage for this?
It's cool cos it's a lvl 1 spell so I can boost it with a lot of metamagic easly.

[Mike Miller]

I had a wizard/FMM/argent savant
Fun character. If your campaign is combat focused, go sorcerer. If it is any other setup, wizard gives you a better balance of spells over time.

[Troacctid]

I actually like wu jen. You get a bonus metamagic feat at 1st level, which helps a lot, and the 3rd level spell secret combos with force missile mage to make your magic missiles both stilled and silent for free. Incantatrix is generically overpowered, but the big payoffs are metamagic effect, which doesn't work on magic missile (unless you're taking Retributive Spell, but that's already free with Arcane Thesis, so eh), and improved metamagic, which won't come online until level 20. I think you can do better. Spellguard of Silverymoon, for example, has similar bonus metamagic feats, but piggybacks on the Combat Casting feat tax you already had instead of adding a new feat tax. Halruuan elder has similar metamagic stuff and also lets you cast your magic missile spontaneously. Argent savant has already been mentioned and is a good thematic option. Escalation mage has some great free metamagic abilities. There's also the mystic from Dragon #274, which, at 1st level, lets you choose a spell to permanently empower.

Some feats I would be looking at for a build like this: Arcane Thesis (PH2), Spellstrike (DC), Energy Gestalt (CM), Forceful Spell (D358), Fell Drain (LM), Fell Weaken (LM), Fell Frighten (LM), Deceptive Spell (Ci), Signature Spell (PGtF).

[Mellforce]

Why you say I can't apply metamagic to magic missile? I was thinking Incantatrix to spam empowered-twin-maximize ecc magic missiles.

Argent savant, I like only the 1st level... too bad for the caster level gone but it's decent.

Wu jen... I like the metamagic feat but I don't care much about silent magic missiles

mystic from Dragon #274 has a great lvl 1, requisites are a bit hard..


Fell Drain (LM), Fell Weaken (LM), Fell Frighten (LM) and Arcane Thesis (PH2) are awesome!

[Troacctid]

Why you say I can't apply metamagic to magic missile? I was thinking Incantatrix to spam empowered-twin-maximize ecc magic missiles.
The incantatrix's Metamagic Effect ability allows you to add metamagic to an ongoing spell after it's cast. Since magic missile is instantaneous, there's no opportunity to use the ability unless you combine it with a metamagic feat that gives it a duration. The only two metamagic feats that can accomplish this, IIRC, are Retributive Spell and Earthbound Spell. The former is fine, but you have to get hit in melee to trigger it, which is not really what you're going for. The latter is expensive, and impractical in combat. So you pretty much can't use the ability with magic missile.

EDIT: I forgot, there's also Ocular Spell (LoM). That one is actually pretty decent, although you lose the auto-hit.

[daremetoidareyo]

Showcase them and energy admixture those bad boys up to 2d4 apiece. You might get to skip the prereqs due to force missile mages class abilities.

[Troacctid]

Showcase them and energy admixture those bad boys up to 2d4 apiece. You might get to skip the prereqs due to force missile mages class abilities.
Twin Spell is better because it will proc whatever debuffs you attached to the spell (negative levels, saves vs. stun, etc.) a second time.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Dread Witch (4 or 5 levels) + Fell Frighten, optionally throw in Twin Spell, will result in your opponents having a very bad day. Spent primarily running from you in terror, even if they're mindless or otherwise immune to fear.

[Mellforce]

So the benefits from Incantatrix, regarding magic missile, would be just the 3 bonus feats and Improved metamagic. That's still a very big benefit, Improved metamagic + arcane thesis would make very easy to overload magic missiles with metamagic.
I don't know if that's the best way to go but it feels solid, just sad that the big benefit comes at very high levels, 20 probably.

I don't see the synergy with Dread Witch, fell frighten is making enemies shaken with no saving throws when I hit them with magic missile if I get it right so I don't really need dread witch abilities?

[Xervous]

Frighten being a fear effect Dread Witch is being mentioned for bypassing immunity to fear which is extremely common as you go up the levels.

While incantatrix is generically good there’s the matter of it being somewhat tangential to your goal until you hit the capstone. Short of the capstone it’s just giving you a metamagic feat here and there that you may not even be able to fit at the time (depending on gm rulings of invisible spell shenanigans). While it’s great at its 10th level you may have a more enjoyable time pursuing other options for a smoother power curve on a growing character.

[Mellforce]

While it’s great at its 10th level you may have a more enjoyable time pursuing other options for a smoother power curve on a growing character.

I agree on that, Incantatrix has an insane power spike at its 10th level... and it's just ok before that.
Since we start at low level it's better to think of something to enjoy the progression aswell...
So incantatrix is a no-brainer for or a level 20 build but not so much for a progression build.

Maybe one could do something with the bard as the base, so that I can use bardic music with the right feats to apply metamagic? Like bard/lyric thaumaturge/fmm?

[Xervous]

I’d advise against bard simply because you’re throwing out higher level spellslots that could fit more metamagic and more spells.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I don't see the synergy with Dread Witch, fell frighten is making enemies shaken with no saving throws when I hit them with magic missile if I get it right so I don't really need dread witch abilities?

Dread Witch 4 makes your fear spells ignore immunity to fear, letting your main shtick remain effective against undead, constructs, and the like. The 5th level isn't super necessary, but it does give you some nice things and fully progresses casting, so if you don't have anything better lined up it's well worth it.

EDIT: Actually, rereading the ability, it's a little iffy whether Greater Master of Terror applies to Fell Frightened spells. As a DM, I'd say they don't get the +2 to DC unless they also have the [Fear] tag (irrelevant for magic missile) but do penetrate immunity to the frightened condition. But YMMV.