(3.5) Build Suggestions

[Duke of URL]

Okay, background... I'm looking to make a character for a PbP game based around the Arcane Order. My character concept is a warforged wizard//artificer who is not a member of the Order (and is a little bitter about it), but is often hired by members of the Order for item crafting and/or adventuring support.

It's epic level (24th) and gestalt. What I am set on is I'm going with Warforged (probably Warforged Scout) and that one side is pure Artificer 24 and the other side is going to be some kind of Wizard build.

Allowed/banned:

• Allowed: Pretty much any source, including homebrew (accepted on a case-by-case basis)
• Allowed: Dual-progression PrCs
• Allowed/Restricted: A total of 5 classes - meaning up to 4 classes on the Wizard side
• Allowed: Leadership (though I don't plan on taking it)
• Banned: Incantatrix
• Banned: Epic Spellcasting

I'm not looking for a theoretical optimization character, just really some suggestions for an effective character. Given the power level, the DM plans to show little mercy. However, consider the character's role is primarily item crafting and support.

So basically, I'd like suggestions of Wizard prestige classes (and possibly base class dips) that will a) lose no more than 4 caster levels (to be made up for by Practiced Spellcaster, if necessary) and b) allow me to take an epic PrC progression, preferably at level 21.

If applicable, I can choose between two (three, actually, but one of them was lousy) sets of rolls: 18, 16, 14, 13, 13, 11 or 17, 17, 17, 16, 14, 14 -- I'm leaning toward the latter, even without an 18, just because... well, it's a 71 61 point-buy equivalent. It'd be a shame to waste it.

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Current ideas and associated build concepts:

Artificer 24 // Wizard 5 (storm? domain wizard variant) / Divine Oracle 1 / Mindbender 4 / Loremaster 14 - A sagacious sort of person with little caring for the individuality of "flesh forms", being more interested in past and future than the present. Despite being non-evil as a whole, it has no problems controlling people for its own purposes (generally peaceful) and doesn't see why everyone gets so fussed when it turns an otherwise unused corpse into a useful servant and/or meat shield; after all, it's just another magical item to be used as a tool, right?

[Eloel]

If applicable, I can choose between two (three, actually, but one of them was lousy) sets of rolls: 18, 16, 14, 13, 13, 11 or 17, 17, 17, 16, 14, 14 -- I'm leaning toward the latter, even without an 18, just because... well, it's a 71 point-buy equivalent. It'd be a shame to waste it.

[nitpick]
2nd roll is
13 + 13 + 13 + 10 + 6 + 6 = 61 pointbuy
[/nitpick]

On topic:
Going Old should be a good idea. Start with 17/17/17/16/14/14, end with:
14/14/14/18/16/16. Same total modifier, but a 18 is in there. You could also go 8/8/10/20/20/20 with venerable, but meh.

[Duke of URL]

[nitpick]
2nd roll is
13 + 13 + 13 + 10 + 6 + 6 = 61 pointbuy
[/nitpick]

Gah! For some reason I counted he 16 twice. Still, a 61 point buy is nothing to sneeze at.

On topic:
Going Old should be a good idea. Start with 17/17/17/16/14/14, end with:
14/14/14/18/16/16. Same total modifier, but a 18 is in there. You could also go 8/8/10/20/20/20 with venerable, but meh.

Do warforged age?

[dsmiles]

I don't know if they age or not.

What about Wizard/Archmage. I've always liked the Archmage.
Or Wizard/Elemental Savant. That one has some pretty interesting implications.

Then again, I like my peanut butter and fluff sandwiches extra fluffy. So, they're not uber-powerful builds, they are pretty interesting.

[JeminiZero]

Do warforged age?

I believe they don't age past middle. In the sense that once they hit middle age, they stop gaining any further age penalties or bonuses.

[Duke of URL]

Base on what I've seen, warforged age to middle-aged and that's it.

I'm going for "interesting" over "uber-powerful"... something offbeat and unusual is certainly a possibility. The biggest problem with Archmage, in addition to being pretty "vanilla", is that it has no epic progression.

My current candidate build is Wizard (possibly Diviner, but I'm not sure I want to specialze) 5 / Divine Oracle 1 / Mindbender 4 / Loremaster 14 (with Practiced Spellcaster to make up for the lost caster levels). Loremaster doesn't have much in epic, but it does advance caster level and provides a bonus feat every 3 levels. If I can get it ruled that the bonus feat secret can be an epic feat if taken at CL 21 or higher, I might consider more Mindbender levels.

I'm still looking for other options though.

[dsmiles]

Base on what I've seen, warforged age to middle-aged and that's it.

I'm going for "interesting" over "uber-powerful"... something offbeat and unusual is certainly a possibility. The biggest problem with Archmage, in addition to being pretty "vanilla", is that it has no epic progression.

My current candidate build is Wizard 5 / Divine Oracle 1 / Mindbender 4 / Loremaster 14. Loremaster doesn't have much in epic, but it does advance caster level and provides a bonus feat every 3 levels. If I can get it ruled that the bonus feat secret can be an epic feat if taken at CL 21 or higher, I might consider more Mindbender levels.

I'm still looking for other options though.

Mindbender's got some interesting stuff in it. I'm currently AFB, but did they do a 3.5 update on the Blood Mage or the Fatespinner? I used to have some fun with those.

[Duke of URL]

did they do a 3.5 update on the Blood Mage or the Fatespinner?

Both are in Complete Arcane, which is a 3.5 book.

[Kansaschaser]

Artificer 24

Then for the gestalt...

Warmage 6 / Rainbow Servant 10 / Abjurant Champion 4 / Archmage 4

This build is good for a high Intelligence and Charisma. You will have access to all the Artificer Infusions, the Warmage Spells, and all Cleric Spells. Plus, you have have some nice abilities from the Archmage, like shaping and elemental mastery.

[Person_Man]

ECL 24 Gestalt??? That's ridiculous. My advice is to optimize your Initiative and make sure you have some Epic level magic to throw around. Everything beyond that is basically meaningless, as combat will always be decided by whoever acts first.

[Duke of URL]

ECL 24 Gestalt??? That's ridiculous. My advice is to optimize your Initiative and make sure you have some Epic level magic to throw around. Everything beyond that is basically meaningless, as combat will always be decided by whoever acts first.

Epic Spellcasting is, thankfully, banned.

[Thrawn183]

I remember hearing that mystic theurge has a really good epic progression, but I really know very little about that.

Honestly, right now it seems like you're focusing on having 4 classes one side, and only one on the other. Would you be willing to open that up to two on the other side? If you add in psionics (maybe cerebremancer) you could craft pretty much any item in the game.

[Duke of URL]

I'm going to have a UMD check of about +30 without any items. I think I can manage the DC for just about anything I want to create.

Mystic Theurge has a pretty lousy epic progression, actually. It only advances caster level on each side by 1/2, staggering by odd/even level, and bonus feats every 6th level. I don't think it could actually be worse if it tried.

I don't need 4 classes on the other side, but I do have that many to play with if I want, as long as it's not nonsensical. And, frankly, Wizard is a 5-level class. At best.

Now, I don't really get much from epic Artificer levels (except a bonus feat every 3rd level), but as far as I know, we're still bound by the "1 PrC at a time" guideline, too, so one side needs to be "pure". And extra craft reserve is never a bad thing.

[dsmiles]

I'm going to have a UMD check of about +30 without any items. I think I can manage the DC for just about anything I want to create.

I don't need 4 classes on the other side, but I do have that many to play with if I want, as long as it's not nonsensical. And, frankly, Wizard is a 5-level class. At best.

Now, I don't really get much from epic Artificer levels (except a bonus feat every 3rd level), but as far as I know, we're still bound by the "1 PrC at a time" guideline, too, so one side needs to be "pure". And extra craft reserve is never a bad thing.

Did you consider a specialist wizard with some of the ACFs from UA?

[Duke of URL]

Did you consider a specialist wizard with some of the ACFs from UA?

Yeah, they're open for discussion. I'm thinking Domain Wizard might be nice, though, rather than specializing. I probably want to trade away both the familiar and Scribe Scroll (since I get Scribe Scroll as an artificer anyway).

[dsmiles]

Yeah, they're open for discussion. I'm thinking Domain Wizard might be nice, though, rather than specializing. I probably want to trade away both the familiar and Scribe Scroll (since I get Scribe Scroll as an artificer anyway).

Which domain? Domain wiz can be pretty potent.

[Duke of URL]

Which domain? Domain wiz can be pretty potent.

Depends on the build, really. Battle Domain has some juicy stuff (and should be easy to fit into a warforged wizard's concept). Storm Domain adds spells from other lists, which is always a good thing.

[dsmiles]

Depends on the build, really. Battle Domain has some juicy stuff (and should be easy to fit into a warforged wizard's concept). Storm Domain adds spells from other lists, which is always a good thing.

When I first perused the domains, Storm domain was my favorite.
And, what's great about Warforged wizards is that with the Repair X Damage line of spells, they can self-heal.