Needs more dakka

[sonofzeal]

So, a friend of mine who is pretty inexperienced at D&D wants to play a Wizard. He's highly amused by Conjuration and Illusion, but also wants "doom nukes".

Now I'm aware of LCB and similar tricks, but those aren't really up our alley. What I'm looking for is a few feats to boost his blast spells, without getting too heavily into metamagic abuse complexities. The guy's a newb, and we want him to be able to run his own character.

That said, we're starting at level 10, all books are allowed, and homebrew accepted. Four feats available. The goal is effective combat blasting with minimal added bookkeeping. Bonus points if you keep higher level spell slots open for the fun and useful Illusion and Conjuration stuff.

[Caphi]

Energy Admixture chain? Maybe twin/chain spell. I think a topic a while ago was talking about Energy Gestalt, too.

[Occasional Sage]

All efforts will fail. You will always need more dakka.

WAAAUUUUUGGHHHHH!!!!

[tyckspoon]

hmm.. well, it'd be a little bit easier if he was a Sorcerer. Maximize Spell + Easy Metamagic (Dragon Magazine, somewhere) + Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon) would lower Maximize to a +1 adjustment, with no limit on uses/day. Hard to get much easier bookkeeping than that- when he wants to nuke, he just marks off a spell slot one level higher and does max damage. You can get similar feats as a Wizard (Metamagic School Focus, for example) but they're not as good as Practical Metamagic- all the ones I know of apply to a limited set of spells, are usable a limited number of times/day, or both.

[sonofzeal]

Energy Admixture chain? Maybe twin/chain spell. I think a topic a while ago was talking about Energy Gestalt, too.

Twin and Admixture are both +4 metamagics, and we can only cast 5th level spells right now. Even with Arcane Thesis, we can't get Fireball off the ground. Energy Gestalt is pretty cool but hard to keep track of (tactical feats usually are) and we're not going Evocation.

Any other ideas?

[sonofzeal]

hmm.. well, it'd be a little bit easier if he was a Sorcerer. Maximize Spell + Easy Metamagic (Dragon Magazine, somewhere) + Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon) would lower Maximize to a +1 adjustment, with no limit on uses/day. Hard to get much easier bookkeeping than that- when he wants to nuke, he just marks off a spell slot one level higher and does max damage. You can get similar feats as a Wizard (Metamagic School Focus, for example) but they're not as good as Practical Metamagic- all the ones I know of apply to a limited set of spells, are usable a limited number of times/day, or both.

Oooo.... some good ideas there!

Sorcerer might cut down on bookkeeping, too. Think that's a good idea?

[Abd al-Azrad]

hmm.. well, it'd be a little bit easier if he was a Sorcerer. Maximize Spell + Easy Metamagic (Dragon Magazine, somewhere) + Practical Metamagic (Races of the Dragon) would lower Maximize to a +1 adjustment, with no limit on uses/day. Hard to get much easier bookkeeping than that- when he wants to nuke, he just marks off a spell slot one level higher and does max damage. You can get similar feats as a Wizard (Metamagic School Focus, for example) but they're not as good as Practical Metamagic- all the ones I know of apply to a limited set of spells, are usable a limited number of times/day, or both.

Maximum damage is good, but honestly, I'd recommend Empower as your basis here, both for the fact that it saves you a feat for the same essential effect, and that you get to roll a ****-ton of dice. This guy's a newer player who wants to blow stuff up. The sheer experience of all those damage dice in one's hand, the thrill of the blast, that's what you want to roll with.

Grab Empower Spell and Easy Metamagic (the one which doesn't require you to be a sorcerer dragonblood) or Arcane Thesis (if you're not allowing crazy-go-nuts magazine-sourced feats) then burn a few 3rd-level slots with 12d6 Empowered Scorching Rays or 4th-level slots with 15d6 Empowered Fireballs. Easy, cheesy, saves your best spell slots and allows plenty of dakka.

[Admiral Squish]

Just gonna say: Psion, with empower power/maximize power, overchannel and talented. Psion is always always always my first choice for DAKKA!

[sonofzeal]

Just gonna say: Psion, with empower power/maximize power, overchannel and talented. Psion is always always always my first choice for DAKKA!

Psion is indeed first choice of DAKKA. However, they aren't so hot at the Illusions, or the more colourful Conjurations. Specifically, he's looking forward to being able to summon a big nasty beast and then make it look like Abraham Lincoln while it bites people's heads off. I think we're sticking with arcane. =P

[Admiral Squish]

...Astral construct + sculpting check?

[Soonerdj]

For all you Conjuration "MOAR DAKKA" needs you could use Orb spells from Spell Compendium.

Not only are they Conjuration spells but they hit on ranged touch with no saves or SR. That and if you get Orb of Force it is Medium range and only a 4th level spell. While only dealing 1d6 per level (maximum 10d6) it is a way to make sure you miss rarely, in other words Moar is fine but always Moar is the best.

That and look into Lesser Orbs as well, 1st level spells that are Range:Close with a Ranged Touch Attack and No Save or Sr. They max at damage at 9th level but 8d8 for a 1st level spell slot is still good at 10. Also a nice Arcane Fusion (CM) means you can cast that Orb of Force with a True Strike attached.

Auto 25 on Touch AC is very nice.

[sonofzeal]

...Astral construct + sculpting check?

Possible! I've gotten halfway through explaining the magic system already though, and I don't want to confuse him by tossing out something entirely different instead. I'll show him Psions eventually though, don't you worry.



As far as Sorcs go, I really have no idea how to PrC. Master Specialist is a huge boon for Wizards I find, but not really Sorc-appropriate. I know Wild Mage amused him. Anything else you guys would recommend?

[Soonerdj]

For Variability:

Mage of the Arcane Order: Requires a bad feat to get in (Arcane Preparation) but you can trade 2 spells slots to cast any spell you want. Which given that you can't generally learn useful yet situational ones like Rope Trick or Hold Monster etc. It can be just what the Arcanist ordered.

For Power:

Incantatrix is the crown of Sorc Damage dealing for reason best discussed in another thread (one I have to credit for basically teaching me all I know about being a blaster. Mailman: A Direct Damage Sorcerer

[DragoonWraith]

In terms of Dakka, I'd think Force Missile Mage. Don't they get some absurdly silly number of Magic Missiles eventually?

[sonofzeal]

In terms of Dakka, I'd think Force Missile Mage. Don't they get some absurdly silly number of Magic Missiles eventually?

At this level, without shenanigans, we're looking at... oh....

Twinned Magic Missile: 14 missiles.

Not absurdly silly, but if you chained/repeated/whatevered, you could get right up there. I'm strongly considering this though!

[sonofzeal]

For Variability:

Mage of the Arcane Order: Requires a bad feat to get in (Arcane Preparation) but you can trade 2 spells slots to cast any spell you want. Which given that you can't generally learn useful yet situational ones like Rope Trick or Hold Monster etc. It can be just what the Arcanist ordered.

For Power:

Incantatrix is the crown of Sorc Damage dealing for reason best discussed in another thread (one I have to credit for basically teaching me all I know about being a blaster. Mailman: A Direct Damage Sorcerer

MotAO is a bit too complicated, and really making use of it requires knowing a vast number of spells yourself. I'll avoid this for my newb friend.

Incantatrix is always possible, though a bit cheesy for my tastes, and the fluff is a little awkward. I'll keep it in mind though.

[DragoonWraith]

You could always combine things, do a Sorcerer/Force Missile Mage/Incantatrix, and take advantage of ... that one spell where you cast a 4th and 1st level spell at once from a 5th level slot?

[Pluto]

Energy Gestalt (CMage) isn't the most powerful feat. But it is useful. (Nauseate and Slow while you blast, occasionally getting some bonus damage in.) And, more than that, it's fun.

Born of Three Thunders (CArc) too. Adding stunning and knock-downs to spells at the cost of the next round's actions adds interesting decisions while gambling on the action economy. And Sonic damage never hurt.

I also like Acidic Splatter (CMage), but less for combat and more for burning through stuff at will.

[Kylarra]

I'd strongly suggest either storm bolt or fiery burst reserve feats. Not going to contribute much to your overall doom nuke, but they'll let you fire all day for keeping a single high level slot in reserve. Well they do give +1CL, but most things cap after a certain point anyway bar cheese.

[sonofzeal]

After much conversation, he's decided he's in love with Effigy Master. This will reduce DAKKA, but he's cool with that.

Fiery Burst reserve feat is also a go, and I'll probably toss him a couple feats for metamagicing efficiently. Thanks everybody!

[taltamir]

show him the warlock... warlock X/binder 1/hellfire warlock 3.
its not nuclear like wizard or sorc, but it will let him do consistent high damage all day long without running out of mana... err... spells.

If not, I Agree with the sorcerer + easy empower idea. Anything more then easy empowered is just way too metamagic cheese (and that is already rather metamagic cheesy if you compare it to the poor fighter and the like). He could still be mister nuclear.

I recommend actually completely banning meta reducer feats. just give him empower, maximize, quicken, and let him buy rods of lesser maximize/empower.
the rod can allow him to add more juice a limited amount of times per day. Just remember that a CL10 fireball is 10d6, an empowered fireball 10d6 x 1.5 (but I'd let him roll 15d6 for the cool factor), a maximized fireball is 60 damage, and a maximized empowered fireball is 60+10d6*0.5 damage (most people do it as +5d6 because its easier; I would let him do that). (aka, you still roll the base dice and multiply empowered dice)... if the dice is odd (aka, 9d6 + 50%). then roll and extra dice and half its value... aka 9d6 becomes 13d6 + 1d6*0.5

[sonofzeal]

show him the warlock... warlock X/binder 1/hellfire warlock 3.

His gf's playing a warlock. =P

[Gorilla2038]

Not really what your asking for, but if he wants more dakka, you cant go wrong with the uber shot.

Sudden Max, Sudden Empower and Sudden Admixture means x3 damage in a single shot. Its always nice to use that on a chain lighting. Best part to me? If your campaign is only middle level char op, that goes away after once be day and the party doesnt feel as over shadowed.

[GreyMantle]

Honestly, you could just double or 1.5 damage dealing spells across the board. Maybe give him items that can mess with energy resistance.

As sucky as Evocations currently are, I doubt that'd affect the balance much, especially if he's really such a new player.

Alternatively, give each element a "rider "effect" that happens on a failed save. So fire damage-on fire for a coupla rounds; cold-slowed maybe; electricity-stunned; force-knocked back/prone; acid-on fire, only with acid damage. That sorta thing.

That way, he would get to make interesting tactical decisions while still blowing [feces] up. If he starts messing around with metamagic feats, then it could get out of hand, but he won't necessarily do so if he's already having fun.

[Rainbownaga]

Born of three thunders + explosive spell fireball (works best as sorcerer). Sudden widen helps.
level 5 spell slot; if they fail the reflex save they are thrown out of the fireball taking damage with distance and fall prone.
If they fail the fort save they are stunned and have to make another reflex save, which is arguably another chance to get thrown out.

And when you can cast level 9 spells, use metamagic abuse to do it with apocalypse from the sky. Wheeee!

[ImperiousLeader]

One feat blasting sorcerers should consider is "Residual Metamagic" from Complete Mage. It allows a sorcerer that cast a Maximized spell the last round to cast the same spell maximized this round, but without having to use the higher level slot.

[sonofzeal]

Any suggestions for making the Effigies more effective? He's probably going to pick something wild and random and cool, and it'll be up to me to make it useful and survivable.

[ImperiousLeader]

My (admittedly limited and possibly out of date) Char Op knowledge is that the big thing about Effigies is that their cost is solely dependent on hit dice ... which means that using templates can seriously enhance the base creature you're making an effigy out of.

[Gorilla2038]

Hydras. They still retain the "11 headed AOO" ability, and thats just to good for a wizard to ask for in a bodyguard.

[KellKheraptis]

Four feats for blasting : Empower Spell, Arcane Thesis, Elven Spell Lore, Easy Metamagic. Yay, free Empowered Hellfire X from their original slot, and a bonus free + to dispels :D