Fire-Blasting Warforged help

[TylerFerretLord]

Helping a friend optimize his warforged wizard that specializes in using fire spells. I've come up with a few things, but we could use some more advice. He's using a warforged without the Composite Plating, so no spell failure.

Here's his planned feat progression (He's only level 3 right now):

1: Bloodline of Fire [General] (Player's Guide to Faerun)
3: Searing Spell [Metamagic] (Sandstorm)
5: Energy Substitution (Fire) [Metamagic] (Complete Arcane)
6: Fiery Burst [Reserve] (Complete Mage)

The main idea behind this build is to boost his caster level for fire spells up as high as he can, to do more damage with spells that scale up based on CL. He can also make any spell with an energy descriptor a fire spell for no increase in level, and thus boost them as well.

The first feat is normally a human-only regional feat, but his DM let him take it because it makes sense given his backstory. It gives +2CL on fire spells, as well as some save bonuses vs. fire. The second lets him ignore fire resistance, or half of fire immunity for +1 spell level. His first wizard bonus feat is the one that lets him make any spell with an energy descriptor into a fire spell, and the last feat gives him a reserve spell and +1CL on fire spells.

Looked into Elemental Affinity wizard variant, but he doesn't want to specialize, and the Elemental Savant. He already has most of the immunities as a warforged, so all the class would do is force him to cast things as fire instead of it being optional.

All in all, +3CL on fire spells, which can ignore fire resistance. Not that bad, but I'm sure there are other options out there that can improve it some more! Anyone have any suggestions?

EDIT:

Oh, and no one say how not being a batman wizard is underpowered. He wants to burn things, not play god.

[Khatoblepas]

Well, I just so happen to have a cheap trick for fire blasters.
Here was the original thread. Basically, it combines a Bloodfire Ooze with an Acorn of Far Travel and an awakened oak tree, and gives you free metamagic on all your fire spells.

Take Snowcasting + Energy Sub (Fire) to apply it to all your spells. Now blasting becomes a lot more efficient now that all your spells have three metamagic feats on them.

[TylerFerretLord]

To be frank, that is a very silly trick. Also, he's in a low level game so interplanar travel isn't going to be available for a while yet. And considering that creating a Bloodfire Ooze requires one to sacrifice at least 100 innocents...

Thank's anyway. :p

[Prime32]

There's a PrC in Complete Champion that lets your fire spells deal divine damage that ignores resistance and immunity to fire.

[TylerFerretLord]

He can already ignore fire resistance/ half of immunity with Searing Spell.

[Prime32]

He can already ignore spell resistance with Searing Spell.

That won't help him against a red dragon.

[NEO|Phyte]

That won't help him against a red dragon.

Actually, yes it will, as it also lets him deal half damage to immunes.

[The Glyphstone]

I'm pretty sure he meant Fire resistance(immunity), not Spell Resistance. Note that Searing Spell still works on creatures with the [Fire] subtype, unlike Piercing Cold and creatures with the [Cold] subtype. So SS is all he needs vs. red dragons.

[arguskos]

He can already ignore spell resistance with Searing Spell.

That's... not what Searing Spell does. Searing Spell lets him punch through Fire Immunity.

Also, I would suggest you change your feat order around. Take Searing at 5th or 6th, and move the other feat down to third, to get that earlier CL boost. Searing Spell isn't super vital until higher levels.

Also, you kinda have all of the important CL buffs really. If you want further aid, it's gonna be pretty cheesy. I enjoy the Energy Sub (fire)+Snowcasting trick, myself.

[Prime32]

*checks*

Huh. You're right, but he has to use a spell slot one level higher. The CC thing doesn't have such restrictions, though he'd have to wait a few levels to gain access to it.

[arguskos]

*checks*

Huh. You're right, but he has to use a spell slot one level higher. The CC thing doesn't have such restrictions, though he'd have to wait a few levels to gain access to it.

Note that the PrC you're talking about is, I believe, the Silver Pyromancer, and isn't from CChampion, but is from Five Nations. CChampion has no such PrC, last I looked. Silver Pyromancer is pretty good though.

[Greenish]

Note that the PrC you're talking about is, I believe, the Silver Pyromancer, and isn't from CChampion, but is from Five Nations. CChampion has no such PrC, last I looked. Silver Pyromancer is pretty good though.

I think he refers to the Sanctified Something from CChamp.

[Edit]: Sanctified One of Kord can pick Holy Fire at the first level of the PrC to convert all of a spell's fire damage to good-aligned holy damage. Loses a caster level on that first level though (and on 3rd and 5th, but you don't want to go that deep anyhow).

[arguskos]

I think he refers to the Sanctified Something from CChamp.

*checks*

Ok, so, one of the abilities of the Sanctified One if you worship Kord can do it. I maintain that the Silver Pyromancer is better in this respect. Also, it has more casting progression and class features.

[Greenish]

*checks*

Ok, so, one of the abilities of the Sanctified One if you worship Kord can do it. I maintain that the Silver Pyromancer is better in this respect. Also, it has more casting progression and class features.

Silver Pyromancer requires Turn Undead to enter, and only gets full conversion at 5th level. One level dip in SO is enough for the same effect (though that in turn requires 5 BAB).

Yeah so, matter of which one fits the rest of the build better.

[TylerFerretLord]

That's... not what Searing Spell does. Searing Spell lets him punch through Fire Immunity.

Yeah, I meant fire resistance/immunity. My bad.

Also, I would suggest you change your feat order around. Take Searing at 5th or 6th, and move the other feat down to third, to get that earlier CL boost. Searing Spell isn't super vital until higher levels.

So, like this?
1: Bloodline of Fire [General] (Player's Guide to Faerun)
3: Fiery Burst [Reserve] (Complete Mage)
5: Searing Spell [Metamagic] (Sandstorm)
6: Energy Substitution (Fire) [Metamagic] (Complete Arcane)

SS has to be before the Energy Sub, as it has 'Any metamagic' as a prerequisite.

Regarding the Silver Pyromancer, the 5 level (6 if you count the level in cleric needed) investment for the sacred flame makes it a bit not worth it, not to mention he can already go right through resistance for just one spell level higher. The Pyromancer ability it gives is nice though.

The Sanctified One is neat, but he doesn't worship Kord and couldn't take it until level 11. And again, he can already push through fire resistance.

I guess there aren't many fire-based PrC's, huh? Elemental Savant and Silver Pyromancer are all that come to mind for arcane casters.

[CyMage]

Actually taking a level in Sacred Excorcist would be better for gaining Turn Undead.

[Prime32]

The Sanctified One is neat, but he doesn't worship Kord and couldn't take it until level 11. And again, he can already push through fire resistance.

Reflavour as necessary - the Ordained Champion class is associated with Heironeous, but is available in settings where Heironeous does not exist. It's not like Kord has particularly strong associations with fire anyway

Trade out Searing Spell once he gains levels in that class.

[Dralnu]

Definitely get Paragnostic Apostle PrC from Complete Champion. Very easy mechanical pre-reqs, especially for a wizard, and it can give you +1 CL to fire spells in the first level if you'd like. Another level lets you deal half divine damage to fire immune creatures of an opposing alignment (evil is pretty consistent). That PrC is packed with goodies in a handful of levels. Full casting progression too.

Paragnostic Apostle + Fiery Burst + Bloodline of Fire = +4 CL on fire spells.

Of course, it could be +5 with the Energy Affinity variant, but +4 is already pretty nuts. Searing Ray is going to be your best friend for a while.

[TylerFerretLord]

Definitely get Paragnostic Apostle PrC from Complete Champion. Very easy mechanical pre-reqs, especially for a wizard, and it can give you +1 CL to fire spells in the first level if you'd like. Another level lets you deal half divine damage to fire immune creatures of an opposing alignment (evil is pretty consistent). That PrC is packed with goodies in a handful of levels. Full casting progression too.

Paragnostic Apostle + Fiery Burst + Bloodline of Fire = +4 CL on fire spells.

Of course, it could be +5 with the Energy Affinity variant, but +4 is already pretty nuts. Searing Ray is going to be your best friend for a while.

Oooh, that's a good one. A dip for +1CL and Lore is not bad at all.

[TylerFerretLord]

I just read about Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron. Stripping the fluff from it, it lets you apply a free metamagic (Heighten, Empower, Widen and Quicken) to any spell so long as you make a caster level check. If you fail you take damage and may lose the spell if you have a poor concentration modifier, but the spell is still escalated.

Considering he'd have a big bonus to caster level with fire spells, I think this is a good idea.

[Bakkan]

Consider the Fire Domain wizard variant. Gets an extra spell per spell level like a specialist, learns an extra spell per level for free, and gains +1 CL for one spell per level (the 2nd-level spell is scorching ray). I used this variant to get a wizard with a caster level of 7 for scorching ray at 1st level. If you use this variant, he will have two rays already at 3rd.

[Roga]

If you can take a flaw for a 2nd feat at 1st you could grab Jinnblooded. It's a regional feat from Dragon. It's similar to bloodline of fire, but instead of +2 caster level with fire, it's +2 DC on your fire spells. And it stacks with Bloodline so you'd have +2 CL, +2 DC, and +8 saves vs Fire.