The_Blue_Sorceress
2007-11-19, 10:55 PM
Hey all,
I'm running a game for three players, a Barbarian, a Cleric and Rogue, and since I like a nice round 4-person party to work with, I added a wizard NPC. Originially, I was going to keep her straight wizard, but then I spotted the Ultimate Magus PrC in Complete Mage and I was struck by an overwhelming desire to aim this NPC at that class and let her rip. I'm not terribly concerned with high-level spell casting because first, I don't want to overshadow the PCs, and second, because I don't think it will end up being a high-level game, so it doesn't bother me that I'm not going to be casting all those ninth-level spells.
What I like is the ability to cast a plethora of low-level arcane spells. I can use the sorcerer spell slots for the sort of stuff that I will need to cast multiple times a day, or in a fight, and save the wizard spells for the special circumstances spells that the wizard's larger spell selection allows. The ability to port a handful of wizard spells over to her sorcerer list, and drop prepared spells and spells slots to add metamagic effects to a spell being cast are also appealing. The low BaB is mitigated in part by the fact that I'm using the fractional BaB rule from UA, which will mean that her ranged and melee touch attacks won't be as bad as the would be otherwise.
Is this a horribly underpowered idea, or will I be able to use this NPC as a helpful (but not spotlight-stealing) member of the party? Any other ideas on the Ultimate Magus would also be welcome.
-Blue
I'm running a game for three players, a Barbarian, a Cleric and Rogue, and since I like a nice round 4-person party to work with, I added a wizard NPC. Originially, I was going to keep her straight wizard, but then I spotted the Ultimate Magus PrC in Complete Mage and I was struck by an overwhelming desire to aim this NPC at that class and let her rip. I'm not terribly concerned with high-level spell casting because first, I don't want to overshadow the PCs, and second, because I don't think it will end up being a high-level game, so it doesn't bother me that I'm not going to be casting all those ninth-level spells.
What I like is the ability to cast a plethora of low-level arcane spells. I can use the sorcerer spell slots for the sort of stuff that I will need to cast multiple times a day, or in a fight, and save the wizard spells for the special circumstances spells that the wizard's larger spell selection allows. The ability to port a handful of wizard spells over to her sorcerer list, and drop prepared spells and spells slots to add metamagic effects to a spell being cast are also appealing. The low BaB is mitigated in part by the fact that I'm using the fractional BaB rule from UA, which will mean that her ranged and melee touch attacks won't be as bad as the would be otherwise.
Is this a horribly underpowered idea, or will I be able to use this NPC as a helpful (but not spotlight-stealing) member of the party? Any other ideas on the Ultimate Magus would also be welcome.
-Blue