Rage Mage?

[Seatbelt]

I'm curious about the Rage Mage. It looses 5 caster levels so I know that makes the class FAIL at MAGE. But I've always liked the idea of a mage so caught up in his anger that the spells go a-flyin'. I'm going to be playing a new campaign in a week or two (starting level 2 or 3? DM is not sure yet) and I'd like to use it somehow, or do something thematically similar.

My first instinct is to Duskblade 4/Barbarian 1/Rage Mage x for a fairly simple gish. This looses caster levels but I'd like to stick with the rage concept. I've already built a pure gish(fighter 1, wizard something, Abjurant Chapion 5/Spellsword 1/Eldritch Knght X). That character used spells to buff himself into insane levels (something like 20 buffs at ECL 14 for the final boss battle). So I'd like to avoid builds that rely on a ton of buffs and focus more on spontaneous bursts of angry arcane power.

But I also have this concept of a mage who flies into an uncontrollable rage and just starts lauching bombs. As many as possible in a round (via quicken and such). Launching orbs, throwing fireballs. Just in general nukes the living daylights out of everything.

Build advice would be greatly appreciated. Especially if there are ways of using spell rage or getting similar abilities without killing my caster level.

Level of optimization is medium. No cheese. The DM is ok at it, the other party members not as much. So I don't need the king of smack or anything. More like the king of smack's embarrassing cousin nobody talks about.

[Reluctance]

If you're willing to fudge a bit on the mage part, a Wilder sounds about up your alley. Tightly themed spell list, focused on being more intense when in the throes of powerful emotion. Plus, you'll be able to do it more than a couple of times per day, and your blasties won't be multiple levels behind.

[PId6]

If you can get the psionic variant of that, that would indeed be much better, since psionics does blasting a lot better and, with augmentation, you're much less reliant on higher level powers than spellcasters on higher level spells.

My only other suggestion involves Dragonwrought kobold loredrake. It definitely counts as cheese, but with something like Rage Mage, you're still not going to be overpowered with +3 sorcerer levels.

[Vaynor]

Well, you know, you don't actually have to have a Rage ability to say that your character gets "so caught up in his anger that the spells go a-flyin'". You can just say he does, and most likely be a more effective character.

[ErrantX]

If your DM allows homebrew, a class in the PrC Contest XIV had a great wilder/barbarian combo PrC in it, called the Psychic Tempest by Violet Octopus. Check that out maybe? Sounds like exactly what you want, thematically if not mechanically.

-X

[Keld Denar]

Suel Arcanamach actually does quite well with Rage Mage. You can have a few levels of Barbarian in the 6 levels prior to starting Suel Arcanamach, and then either ride SA to 4 (the normal cutoff point) and then progress Rage Mage, or head straight into Rage Mage, as it only requires 1st level spells. Another option would be to just dip a couple Rage Mage, pick up Spell Rage, and then take Extra Rage (which gives extra uses of ALL forms of Rage, including Spell Rage) before heading into something a bit more practical, like AbjChamp or or Spellsword.

Not the MOST optimial use of Suel, but not a bad option.

[DragoonWraith]

And Suel Arcanamach and Abjurant Champion are a match made in heaven, and you're talking about three 5 level PrCs... fits nicely in a 20 level character. Just saying.

(provided you can take Suel at 6th; I think you can but I'm not checking right now)
I was thinking of Wild Mage, not Rage Mage. Rage Mage is 10 levels, no?

[Keld Denar]

Yea, its a 10 level half casting (5/10, on even levels) PrC.

2 levels actually isn't a bad dip for a Suel. Gives -10% ACP, +1 BAB, +1 CL, and 1/day Spell Rage. Looking at Spell Rage, a Suel Arcanamach would lose the ability to cast Illusions (Greater Mirror Image), which sucks, but still maintains Abjurations and Transmutations, the main staples of Suel-gish casting. You can always pre-cast GMI before you fly into a Spell Rage, though.

Barb3/Fighter1/Duskblade2/Suel4/RageMage4/AbjChamp5/Spellsword1

This gives you -35% ACF, 18/20 BAB, full 10/10 SA casting, Spell Rage 3/day (assuming Extra Rage), and normal Rage 4/day.

[Seatbelt]

Well, you know, you don't actually have to have a Rage ability to say that your character gets "so caught up in his anger that the spells go a-flyin'". You can just say he does, and most likely be a more effective character.

I knew someone was going to say this and while it is *true* its not what I'm looking for with the crunch of this character. The other advice is interesting. I've always wanted to use Seul in something. This might fit well.

Yea, its a 10 level half casting (5/10, on even levels) PrC.

2 levels actually isn't a bad dip for a Suel. Gives -10% ACP, +1 BAB, +1 CL, and 1/day Spell Rage. Looking at Spell Rage, a Suel Arcanamach would lose the ability to cast Illusions (Greater Mirror Image), which sucks, but still maintains Abjurations and Transmutations, the main staples of Suel-gish casting. You can always pre-cast GMI before you fly into a Spell Rage, though.

Barb3/Fighter1/Duskblade2/Suel4/RageMage4/AbjChamp5/Spellsword1

This gives you -35% ACF, 18/20 BAB, full 10/10 SA casting, Spell Rage 3/day (assuming Extra Rage), and normal Rage 4/day.

Why Duskblade? Is it so he casts as SA 10/10 and Duskblade 4..?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Duskblade gets Concentration and Spellcraft as class skills plus Combat Casting for free, without sacrificing any BAB.

If you can buy off a level adjustment, consider using Goliath for your race. I'd go something like Wolf Totem Barbarian 2/ Dungeoncrasher Fighter 2/ Duskblade 2/ Suel Arcanamach X/ etc., and be sure to get Knock-Down and Knockback.

[Prime32]

The cerebral rager PrC from Hyperconscious is a far better psionic alternative.

[Seatbelt]

Would it be legit to ask the DM to increase Rage Mage's casting from 5/10 to 10/10 or 8/10 or something like that?

[Optimystik]

The cerebral rager PrC from Hyperconscious is a far better psionic alternative.

I was coming here to recommend this. Imagine a rage that:

- boosts your mental stats
- boosts your fort save
- gives free (temp) PP
- allows you to concentrate

CR is also 8/10 casting (8/9 if you skip the capstone.)

[PId6]

Would it be legit to ask the DM to increase Rage Mage's casting from 5/10 to 10/10 or 8/10 or something like that?

10/10 is perfectly fine. You already lose a CL from prereq, and the class features aren't even very good. There are much better full casting PrCs available.

[BobVosh]

If your DM isn't opposed to home brew this is much better. Still not a full caster, but some decent features.

[Seatbelt]

I have a random question then about Seul. If you advance the progression to 10/10 and get your 5th level spells via the class, and then take something like Abjurant champion which advances spellcasting, it doesn't progress Seul casting anymore untill/unless you hit Epic. Right?

[DragoonWraith]

There's no progression beyond 10th, so if you take levels that progress spellcasting you either need another class to advance or you get no benefit.

Something like:
Barbarian 5/Suel 1/Rage Mage 9/Abj Champ 5

Seems best. You really want Abj Champ 5 for the "Caster Level = BAB" thing. You miss out on the Rage Mage capstone (whatever it is), which sucks, and one level of your potential spellcasting progression is wasted since you're out of Suel levels (which sucks), but nonetheless it seems likely to me to be your best bet.

Also, don't do it in that order. You probably want to do something more like:
Barb 5/Suel 1/Rage Mage 1/Abj Champ 5/Rage Mage +8

Because seriously, that Abj Champ feature is going to be really nice here.

[PId6]

Suel can only be taken at 7th at the earliest due to the bab requirement.

Abj Champion 5 isn't really that necessary since Rage Mage sets your CL equal to character level anyway. However, it does make buffing easier without having to spend a Spell Rage to do it, so there's that.

[DragoonWraith]

Suel can only be taken at 7th at the earliest due to the bab requirement.

Abj Champion 5 isn't really that necessary since Rage Mage sets your CL equal to character level anyway. However, it does make buffing easier without having to spend a Spell Rage to do it, so there's that.

Ew, ew, and ew. OK, well then.