3.5 Help with building an Antimage

[Octopus Jack]

ok so my DM is starting a campaign where most of the population are arcane casters, the PCs start at a pretty low level (3) but should level quite quickly. I need to plan a build that will help me against other casters.
Advice needed with race/class/everything

[Optimystik]

Here is the last thread we had on this subject for ideas.

Generally, your best bet to stop a caster is another caster - my vote goes for Psion/Erudite.

[Octopus Jack]

thanks, my DM really dosn't like psionics for some reason though

[Optimystik]

How about divine casters? A properly played Archivist should be able to locate and take down a Wizard.

[Octopus Jack]

I play Archivists quite frequently, I love them. what race/feats would be best to take?

[Optimystik]

Uurkrau Illumians actually work well with Archivists, letting you swap bonus spells from Wis to Dex (boosting your initiative). And of course you get the standard Uur and Krau sigil benefits.

For other race suggestions (and feats), try the Archivist Handbook, then come back with questions.

[Tinydwarfman]

Shut them down with counterspelling
check dictum mortum's handbook

[Optimystik]

Shut them down with counterspelling
check dictum mortum's handbook

This is actually the better dispeller/counterspeller's handbook.

But both links run into the same problem - mainly, that the best way to be a dedicated dispeller is to have a familiar (more actions), which in turn requires being an arcanist, which I thought the OP was trying to avoid.

[Everyman]

There is a race in ToM that can absorb magic to heal. I want to say...Karsite?

It's an LA +1 race (so not terribly optimized), but if you give them something to boost their SR (think there's a vest that does that in either the MIC or DMG II) and the Mage Slayer feats, they'd be rather vicious. Oh, and I'm going to suggest a trip build using the spiked chain and Combat Reflexes. Because once you threaten them with it, you can trip, AoO (no casting defensively with Mage Slayer in play) and otherwise harm them to your heart's desire.

EDIT: And I believe Rangers can take Arcanists as their favored enemy, if you look in Comp. Mage.

[Optimystik]

There is a race in ToM that can absorb magic to heal. I want to say...Karsite?

It's an LA +1 class (so not terribly optimized), but if you give them something to boost their SR (think there's a vest that does that in either the MIC or DMG II) and the Mage Slayer feats, they'd be rather vicious. Oh, and I'm going to suggest a trip build using the spiked chain and Combat Reflexes. Because once you threaten them with it, you can trip, AoO (no casting defensively with Mage Slayer in play) and otherwise harm them to your heart's desire.

Karsites can also use psionics just fine - though the OP's DM apparently frowns on that.

How about Incarnum?

[Everyman]

Karsites can also use psionics just fine - though the OP's DM apparently frowns on that.

How about Incarnum?

Incarnum should work, though I know that many DMs are a little uneasy using it. Shame. Such a wonderful system, once you get used to it.

[Pluto]

But both links run into the same problem - mainly, that the best way to be a dedicated dispeller is to have a familiar (more actions), which in turn requires being an arcanist, which I thought the OP was trying to avoid.

Clerics with Divine Defiance and Battlemagic Perception get around most of the problems of dispelling. They can also get Initiate of Mystra, for higher levels.


And if you go Incarnum, be careful not to take the Incarnum class that's designed to kill wizards. It's probably the worst class in the book for that (or for anything else, really).

[Godskook]

Would Spell Thief work?

[taltamir]

best antimage: Wizard/Full casting PRCs

[Lysander]

Why not play a specialist abjurer then branch out to iot7fv/archmage? Dispel magic, counterspelling, defensive veils hurrah.

[ericgrau]

Good spells to stop mages include: silence (cleric / bard only), sculpt sound (bard only), nightmare (sorc / wiz / bard only), dispel, readied action to fire a damaging spell to disrupt casting (see concentration rules), feeblemind (sorc/wiz only), [empowered / maximized] touch of idiocy (sor / wiz only), telekinesis (sorc / wiz only) to disarm a spell component pouch or to grapple and pin, energy drain to get rid of their highest level spells. Those are just the ones off the top of my head. Basically find any way you can to stop their spellcasting, yet while getting more out of your actions than your target. That's a major reason why it's hard to be an effective counter-speller.

[Lysander]

Here's a big question. Do you need to fight individual powerful mages, in which case boosting your casting level is super important, or just fight many low/medium wizards a day, in which case having plenty of spells per day is important. If the latter, why not try out a Mystic Theurge? Take the magic domain so 1/2 your cleric levels stack with your wizard levels when using magic devices and carry a staff of Dispel Magic. You won't be as powerful from one point of view, but you'll have a lot more spells to throw around and you'll have access to both all the spells your opponents have, and you'll be able to surprise them with cleric spells they aren't familiar with.

[Octopus Jack]

I'm not sure, but as it's an arcane heavy world I'm guessing lots of Low/medium casters so I'll look into it

[Rezby]

Spell Resistance is awesome. There's this one half-something template, that grants you pretty wicked SR and some other cool bonus abilities you can use against mages and just in general.

If you're going to become a caster against casters, Initiate of the Sevenfold Veils is one of my favorite magic prestige classes. It gets pretty beastly. Complete Arcane. Also Archmage is fun (I think thats the class. The one that has the wizard dude with the rainbow cape).

Now, the important question is, can you gestalt or not? Because that opens up a whole new can of worms.

EDIT: Spell-warped, from MM3 has decent SR and other bonuses for 3 LA.

EDIT EDIT: Since you said you start at level 3, I'd recommend you start out as a Tainted One (Savage Species). You sacrifice 1 level of spell-casting for the +1 LA. You get SR 12 + 1/3 your effective character level. So it'd start at 13. Which means that from the get go, casters have a fair chance of their spells not even affecting you. Then take levels of an arcane spell-casting class of your choice, then prestige class into Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil (Complete Arcane). You'll do great.

[Lysander]

Protection Domain is also a good choice. Cast its 1/day defensive ward on yourself before a big magical duel to add your cleric caster level to your next saving throw. Even if your opponent wins initiative you're almost guaranteed to resist the first offensive spell they throw at you. In duels that consist of lobbing SoD spells at another until one person rolls too low it pretty much gives you a free round.