Archmage Prestige class advice

[FriendlyTemplar]

In my buddy's game I'm currently playing a transmutation domain wizard, currently wizard and character level 13 about to be 14. I'm considering taking the Archmage prestige class and I want to get some opinions on 2 things:

1: Should I wait until level 15 to take the class?

2: Which High Arcanas should I take and at which levels? I do want to take at least 1 Arcane Fire.

Again, just looking for opinions. THANKS!

[NigelWalmsley]

1. Not sure if you mean "character level 15" or "Wizard level 15". In the former case, you are trading one point of BAB for one point of Will save (as Archmage gives +2 while Wizard gets a marginal +1). In the latter, you are trading a point each of Ref and Fort save and a feat for two points of Will save. And, of course, delayed or accelerated access to Archmage abilities. So, it depends if you think those tradeoff are worth it or not.

2. Arcane Reach is probably the best one. SLA could be good, if you can find some way to get value out of the difference between the rules for spells and the rules for SLAs. Mastery of Shaping is good for a BFC-er.

[FriendlyTemplar]

1. Not sure if you mean "character level 15" or "Wizard level 15". In the former case, you are trading one point of BAB for one point of Will save (as Archmage gives +2 while Wizard gets a marginal +1). In the latter, you are trading a point each of Ref and Fort save and a feat for two points of Will save. And, of course, delayed or accelerated access to Archmage abilities. So, it depends if you think those tradeoff are worth it or not.

2. Arcane Reach is probably the best one. SLA could be good, if you can find some way to get value out of the difference between the rules for spells and the rules for SLAs. Mastery of Shaping is good for a BFC-er.

Thanks for the advice. I also edited my post. I'm both Class level and Character level 14.

[NigelWalmsley]

I actually messed up that initial analysis. I basically had it backwards. If you wait until Wizard 15 (becoming Wizard 15/Archmage 1), you lose 1 point of BAB and gain 1 point of Will. If you go in at level 15 (becoming Wizard 14/Archmage 1), you lose 1 point of Ref and Fort and 1 Wizard bonus feat, and gain 2 points of Will. Regardless, the broad point remains the same. Archmage is a full casting PrC, and the Wizard gets very few class features that aren't casting, so figuring out the tradeoffs is quite easy.

[the_tick_rules]

as for which other 4 bonuses I'd double up on arcane reach, or once at the very least. touch spells at range is awesome. I'd also strongly recommend mastery of elements. Almost nothing resists sonic so that alone can bypass tons of resistances. mastery of shaping is pretty sweet, the ability to not hit your allies while slinging area of effect spells is nice. Personally I never thought much of arcane fire but it's all taste.

[Telonius]

Arcane Fire is ... not very much worth it. At maximum, you'll be doing 14d6 damage (from a 9th-level spell and an Archmage 5), for the cost of a 9th-level spell slot. Since it's supernatural, it ignores spell resistance, and it does require a ranged touch attack. Or, you could put Orb of Acid into your spellbook (as a 4th-level spell) and deal a maximum of 15d6 damage (at levels 15+), plus a knock-on effect if the enemy fails a save. It's SR: No, and requires a ranged touch attack. (If you take Mastery of Elements, you can change it to whatever element orb you want).

The only advantages Arcane Fire has is the range (Long, versus Close for the Orb spells) and the fact that you can channel any spell into it.

[Troacctid]

Arcane Fire is essentially a much worse version of a reserve feat (which you could already get as your Wizard 15 bonus feat if you really want). I'm not a fan.

Most of the abilities work best if you have the right stuff to combo with them. Mastery of Counterspelling is excellent with Reactive Counterspell or similar effects. Arcane Reach is good if you have a lot of touch spells. Mastery of Elements is good for blasting and great with Energy Gestalt. Mastery of Shaping is also good for blasting and other effects where you want to avoid friendly fire. And then Spell-Like Ability is generally useful for all builds, since it essentially lets you upgrade a 5th-level slot into an 8th- or 9th-level slot, but it works especially well with Sudden Empower or Sudden Maximize, since it permanently modifies the SLA with them without using up your daily use of the feat or increasing the spell level.

[Thunder999]

Mastery of shaping is excellent with any sort of AoE, from freezing fog to fireball, it's great to just not worry about the fact that your fighter is standing right by the enemy and it's OP as hell with antimagic field.
Arcane reach is always a nice one, plenty of good touch spells out there, shivering touch the dragon from a safe distance or cast a touch range buff from further away. Also probably makes touch range spells valid for chain spell and persistent spell, the first of which is fun for buffs and the second of which is character defining if you can handle the cost.
Spellpower (the +1 CL) isn't amazing, but is pretty nice when you don't have much else you want, your spells last a little longer, resist dispels a little better, beat SR more easily etc.

Spell like ability is excellent provided you're at least level 17, because you effectively trade a 5th and 9th level slot for two 9ths, pick something with no material component you'd want twice a day, timestop and shapechange being two easy picks, but really anything you want twice per day is good.

[Endarire]

+1 to Mastery of Shaping and Spell Power. If you're counterspell focused, get Mastery of Counterspelling.

Arcane Fire is meh. Some people like it, but a reserve feat will likely do you better.

[Erik the Green]

Tis a pity that you would be unlikely to get your DM to allow the 3.0 version of Spell Power, eg. +1 CL for a 5th level slot (as in 3.5), +2 CL (which stacks) for a 7th level slot, and +3 CL (which also stacks) for a 9th level slot. OP, perhaps, but that to me is about the only High Arcana option that clearly says, yes, after jumping through the necessary hoops an Archmage really is Just Better.
Just my 2 cents-E

[ViperMagnum357]

I would recommend Reach x2 and Shaping. Hierophants have to give up Caster levels to get reach, and other spellcasters have to spend a feat on Reach spell and then add a 2 level premium to all their spells; while there is no one-for-one replacement for Shaping in first party material.

Elements is a must have for a blaster, allowing you to change your elements on the fly for battlefield conditions, and allows you to use the best possible blasting spell in any given situation; range/area/damage and secondary effects tailored to the encounter, without worrying about mediocre damage.

Counterspelling does not come into its own until you are into mid Epic and can take Epic Counterspell; but if you do get that far, that can allow you to basically shut down any other spellcaster you are aware of and kill them without spending your own actions, which actually matters at those levels.