(3.5) Dwarven Wizard Advice.

[Phoenix86]

Well, i'm creating a character for a new campaign (Dwarf Only) i'm going to play and i was wondering if i could get some advice from you D&D players.

This is what i have so far:

Race:
Dream Dwarf (RoS p88)

Class:
Fighter 1 / Wizard 1 / Runesmith 5 (RoS p118) / Earthdreamer 3 (RoS p110)
*DM allowed me to skip the 8 ranks ''stoneworking'' requirement for Runesmith.

Stats:
STR: 14
DEX: 13
CON: 18
INT: 20
WIS: 14
CHA: 10

Feats:

Earth Sense (RoStone p138)
Retributive Spell (CMage p47)
Sculpt Spell (CArcane
Craft Magic Arms & Armor (PH p92)
Vatic Gaze (PH2 p85)

Skills:

-5 Armor, weapon & stone related Crafts (high trained).
-Profession Miner
*Those are the important ones.

Yet to decide:

Items:
Fullplate?
Tower Shield?
Warhammer?

Spells:
Specialized wizard? (give up Necromancy & .......)

Familiar:
Should i get one?

Alignment:
Lawfull Neutral or Neutral Good?


Well, that's it. If you have some advice, please let me know.

[dragonfan6490]

I can't give you advice for your equipment, but if you specialize, give up Necromancy and either Enchantment or Illusion, to me, they don't seem to fit the dwarven flavor. Don't get me wrong, Enchantment is one of my favorite schools. I would say that your specialty ought to be either Transmutation or Abjuration.

Don't get a familiar, they're just not worth it.

Lawful Neutral would fit the flavor I think.

Them's my two coppers, take them as you will.

[Myrmex]

Transmutation is great for a gish. If you plan on mixing it up in melee, go with Transmutation. Otherwise, go with Conjuration. You get extra allies, great battlefield control, damage if you want it, and save-or-dies. I would keep illusion, just because being invisible is pretty awesome.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

You're a Gish. That means specializing in Transmutation, perhaps going focused specialist(CMage). Grab every self-buff you can, especially those with a duration of hours or 10 minutes/level. The bannable schools are Evocation(Shadow Evoc duplicates the worthwhile effects and you deal more damage with sword than spell), Enchantment(will saves blocked by a 1st level spell, yeah no), Abjuration(Anything you can do the Cleric does better) and Necromancy(great IMHO but most consider it bannable). If you wield a hammer use Greater Mighty Wallop, if you use an axe use Whirling Blade. Snag Extend Spell to make your buffs last longer and Quicken to make you able to cast them in combat.

Possibly don't sacrifice your familiar, as they can benefit from all the same buffs as you can, including Polymorph and Bite of the OHGODWHYWHY. Plus, there aren't any great subs for a Transmuter out there.

[Grumman]

Set aside 9,000 gp and Fabricate yourself a suit of glassteel Mechanus gear. Get each of the other party members to chip in the same amount, and make one for each of them, too.

[Bibliomancer]

I would advise getting a hummingbird familiar, if the DM will allow it. It grants a +4 untyped bonus to initiative. However, many DMs don't allow it since it originated in Dragon magazine.

[Draz74]

Plus, there aren't any great subs for a Transmuter out there.

Unless Flaws are allowed. You can simply take a Flaw that takes away your familiar, and therefore take any other Feat in its place. But Wizard would have to be your first character level.

[HCL]

Unless Flaws are allowed. You can simply take a Flaw that takes away your familiar, and therefore take any other Feat in its place. But Wizard would have to be your first character level.

Why would you trade your familiar for a feat? a familiar > a feat. Flaws like that don't even exist (in any wotc published book anyway)

get a raven and max UMD if you don't feel like going for the Improved Familiar/Draconic Familiar route

[Zaydos]

Why would you trade your familiar for a feat? a familiar > a feat. Flaws like that don't even exist (in any wotc published book anyway)

get a raven and max UMD if you don't feel like going for the Improved Familiar/Draconic Familiar route

It was a Dragon Magazine flaw... can't find the exact issue (I looked for it last time I was home). It is alright, although normally I just like the companionship the familiar offers. That and when you start having it cast spells, scout ahead invisible, and prove that you can break the dungeon to pieces with it.

Also just take the flaw and then Obtain Familiar (from Complete Arcane) feat and your familiar is that of your caster level instead of class level.

[Optimystik]

Why would you trade your familiar for a feat? a familiar > a feat.

Abrupt Jaunt, that is all.

[Vizzerdrix]

You said it was a dwarf only game, so I assume it will take place mostly below ground.

I'd ban Evocation and Enchantment myself. Setting off a fireball in a cave is a bad idea. You may hit a gas pocket. Banning Abjuration looses you access to Abjurant Champion if you want to go gish.

Full plate isn't a bad idea, neither is using a maul or two handing a war hammer. I'm not a fan of tower shields myself, preferring the shield spell instead (wit abjurant champion).


As good as they are, I don't see a flying familiars being that useful in a dwarven environment. Something with tremor sense, or something that can dig would be handy. Alternatively, an animated smithing hammer or a mephit familiar for an assistant could be a fun alternative. Remember, your familiar isn't going to be worth much in combat, so versatility is key.

[Phoenix86]

Ok guys, i've been reading your advices and i've decided to go for this build so far (beside all the things stated in the first post):

Spells:

Specialized Wizard & Focused Specialist ===> Conjuration
Give up Necromancy, Enchantment & Illusion

*Thanks to: Dragonfan6490, Myrmex, Sstoopidtallkid & Optimystik.
I also think that those schools don't fit the Dwarven flavor and becoming a Focused Specialist was a great idea. To be honest, i haven't really discarded the Transmuter build, but i would like to see how a Conjurer ends up like & maybe keep the Feats as they are (Both, Abrupt Jaunt & Sudden Shift sound interesting).
BTW:Excuse me if i sound ignorant here, but i really didn't got the part about ''Shadow Evocation''...

Familiar:

I'm thinking no here, cause i don't want to spend feats on it, but i'll delay my decision.

*Thanks to: All of you...
No hummingbird familiar & no trade familiar for a feat in this campaign.

Aligment:

Lawful Neutral
*It was actually my first choice, but i was looking for a second opinion. Thanks Dragonfan6490.

Items:

Warhammer:
I think GALEB DUHR HAMMER (MIC pg 52) fits the character & the background (blacksmith/fighter died in a Duergar invasion before the fall of Mithril Hall, he was my master and he gave me his hammer with his last breath. I took his shield too btw... ).
I know i'm not the best wielder for it, but let's see what my DM says...

Armor:
Not sure that ''glassteel Mechanus gear'' fits the character profile Grumman.

[Phoenix86]

You said it was a dwarf only game, so I assume it will take place mostly below ground.

Actually we'll start in Mithril Hall, just after the reconstruction. But my character has been living above ground for a long time.

I'd ban Evocation and Enchantment myself. Setting off a fireball in a cave is a bad idea. You may hit a gas pocket. Banning Abjuration looses you access to Abjurant Champion if you want to go gish.

I think i'll keep Evocation, the AOE Spells with the Sculpt Spell feat sounds really interesting for the caves (the 120ft line above all ).
Abjurant Champion sounded interesting, but i want to try a different build, a more ''earth-loving dwarf uses magic'' not the ''warrior find another weapon in magic'' build.

Full plate isn't a bad idea, neither is using a maul or two handing a war hammer. I'm not a fan of tower shields myself, preferring the shield spell instead (wit abjurant champion).

I wanted him to look heavy, so full plate & tower shield sounded interesting.

As good as they are, I don't see a flying familiars being that useful in a dwarven environment. Something with tremor sense, or something that can dig would be handy. Alternatively, an animated smithing hammer or a mephit familiar for an assistant could be a fun alternative. Remember, your familiar isn't going to be worth much in combat, so versatility is key.

I agree with you, but to be honest i haven't made much research about familiars yet.

[Grumman]

Armor:
Not sure that ''glassteel Mechanus gear'' fits the character profile Grumman.

It's armour that grants a +10 armour bonus and +3 nonmagical enhancement bonus. If you want something to mechanically represent the pinnacle of dwarven armoursmithing, this would be it.

[deuxhero]

Why would you trade your familiar for a feat? a familiar > a feat. Flaws like that don't even exist (in any wotc published book anyway)

get a raven and max UMD if you don't feel like going for the Improved Familiar/Draconic Familiar route

Feat that you can spend on a familar that is based on caster level if you wanted one>>>>>>> EXP bomb.

And it's in a dragon issue.

And if you aren't up to baning evocation, either go diviner and ban enchantment, or go generalist.

[AirGuitarGod32]

Take a pair of feats out. i'd suggest, shaky and Murky-eyed flaws and take Improved Familiar and Dragon Familiar. Then, use a Faerunian dragon as your familiar. For Dwarfeyness, I say Shadow, Deep, or a Pyroclastic. This way, you have a little dragon artillery to match ur spells.

As for Dwarf combos, I'd say scrap the current build. Be a Fireblood Dwarf, then do the following

Wu Jen (Water) X/ Elemental savant (Cold) Y/Frost mage Z

then have a Pyroclastic Dragon familiar, the Domain thingy from Complete Divine or Champion and take the Piercing Cold Metamagic

Flesh to Ice + Dwarf Barbarian's Hammer = Instant Kill

[Phoenix86]

It's armour that grants a +10 armour bonus and +3 nonmagical enhancement bonus. If you want something to mechanically represent the pinnacle of dwarven armoursmithing, this would be it.

Don't get me wrong. This sounds like a great armor, but...
*Glassteel (RoF p158): Made by the sun elves & transparent (doesn't seem like the first choice for a Dwarf).
*Mechanus gear (PlaH p70): It's in the planar handbook & it's composed of multiple gears, cogs, plates and other metal mechanical contraptions. (I'm thinking Gnome or something else here).

I was thinking maybe...

*Stone Armour, Dwarven (AEG P17) or Mountain Plate (RoS p157).
-But mountain plate reduces the Dwarf speed as if he were not a Dwarf.

Material:
*Ysgardian Heartwire (AEG p20) ? (To be honest i haven't found the right material yet).

[Grumman]

Don't get me wrong. This sounds like a great armor, but...
*Glassteel (RoF p158): Made by the sun elves & transparent (doesn't seem like the first choice for a Dwarf).
*Mechanus gear (PlaH p70): It's in the planar handbook & it's composed of multiple gears, cogs, plates and other metal mechanical contraptions. (I'm thinking Gnome or something else here).

It's easier to fix the fluff than it is to fix the crunch. Instead of being made of transparent glass and made by sun elves, arrange with your DM that you can use the same stats for equipment made of a steel and elemental obsidian composite from the heart of a dwarf-controlled volcano-forge.

The other two varieties of armour you suggested are simply not better than regular full plate. Stone armor simply replaces +1 of Dex bonus to AC with +1 armour bonus to AC, while the Mountain plate also forces you to take Dwarven Armor Proficiency instead of Heavy Armor Optimization which would give you the last point of AC anyway. More importantly, you've got a maximum carrying capacity of 175 pounds, while the mountain plate alone weighs 225. You would only be able to move 5 feet as a full-round action, and would be vulnerable to sneak attacks.

[Phoenix86]

It's easier to fix the fluff than it is to fix the crunch. Instead of being made of transparent glass and made by sun elves, arrange with your DM that you can use the same stats for equipment made of a steel and elemental obsidian composite from the heart of a dwarf-controlled volcano-forge.

The other two varieties of armour you suggested are simply not better than regular full plate. Stone armor simply replaces +1 of Dex bonus to AC with +1 armour bonus to AC, while the Mountain plate also forces you to take Dwarven Armor Proficiency instead of Heavy Armor Optimization which would give you the last point of AC anyway. More importantly, you've got a maximum carrying capacity of 175 pounds, while the mountain plate alone weighs 225. You would only be able to move 5 feet as a full-round action, and would be vulnerable to sneak attacks.

I agree with you that this is by far, the best armor. Now that i know that it exist, i'll give it some good uses in the future.

But to be honest, for this character i'm sticking with the Stone Armor.
Since you know so much about armours... do you have a good enchantment bonus for it in mind? (I plan to forge it myself. ).

[Grumman]

To be honest I'm probably not the best one to ask. Back when I was limited to the DMG I'd always found it hard to find armour abilities that really strike me as must-haves.

One thing you will want is either a Restful Crystal (MiC) or some means of equipping the armour quickly like the Called (MiC) ability, so you don't have to spend the first 40 rounds of an ambush putting on your clothes.

[deuxhero]

While normally restricted to dwarf clerics, see if you can get to summon dwarf ancestors (in an exert if someone wants to link).

[AirGuitarGod32]

I also liked that "Twin Drawf" Feat. Though broken to say the least, ask ur DM if you can run both u and ur twin. Make ur twin a divine class, and your dwarf the wizard