Ultimate Magus: Which spontaneous class to use? [3.5]

[SilverLeaf167]

Assuming I go Wizard on the prepared side, should I take Sorcerer on the spontaneous side for versatility, or Duskblade etc. for insane amounts of low-level spell slots, and thus lots of Augmented Casting? Duskblade's buffs would also free quite a few Wizard slots that would otherwise be spent on blasts or buffs.

[Ilmryn]

Assuming I go Wizard on the prepared side, should I take Sorcerer on the spontaneous side for versatility, or Duskblade etc. for insane amounts of low-level spell slots, and thus lots of Augmented Casting? Duskblade's buffs would also free quite a few Wizard slots that would otherwise be spent on blasts or buffs.

The usual recommendation is Beguiler on the spontaneous side for SAD, and utility spells. If you have access to the Dragon Compendium, I would recommend going Shi'ar on the prepared side, and then take any cha-based spontaneous caster on the spontaneous side.

[FMArthur]

You lose a lot of what makes Duskblade spells good by trying to fit them onto a frail caster chassis. Beguiler is probably the best choice and the most popular around here, being Int-based and covering a specific array of schools that makes the Focused Specialist Wizard's choices of what to ban very easy and totally painless. Particularly Enchantment is banned a lot for being so easy to render useless, but its effects are often very, very strong and hard to replace so you can find yourself missing it. Having a pile of 4th-level and lower Illusion and Enchantment spells is just enough to retain most of the reasons the schools are good while only losing one level of Wizard casting for it.

[SilverLeaf167]

So, depending on sources and concept, either Wizard/Beguiler or Sha'ir/Sorcerer? However, Duskblade is also Int-based, but I'm not really sure whether I want lots of blasting or lots of utility... Isn't that pretty much the only difference between Duskblade and Beguiler? Also, Duskblades gain more spells per day, which helps with Augmented Casting (I heard it quickly uses up your spontaneous slots)?

[FMArthur]

So, depending on sources and concept, either Wizard/Beguiler or Sha'ir/Sorcerer? However, Duskblade is also Int-based, but I'm not really sure whether I want lots of blasting or lots of utility... Isn't that pretty much the only difference between Duskblade and Beguiler? Also, Duskblades gain more spells per day, which helps with Augmented Casting (I heard it quickly uses up your spontaneous slots)?

If you're only going in for Augmented Casting, it's probably not even worth it at all until much later since you can only apply it to low-level spells. Anyway, I'm pretty damned sure that Wizard spells are just better at blasting flat-out than Duskblade ones, but even if that isn't true you just aren't going to have the Caster Level on Duskblade for it to actually be very strong in practice. You'd be better off taking Reserve Feats if you want inexhaustible low-damage blasting.

edit: Oh wow, I just opened up PHII to be sure and looked at the Duskblade table. I'd forgotten that they were slow-progression. They don't get higher level slots as fast as Beguilers, and over a UM progression they would cap out at 2nd level spells unless you sacrificed Wizard progression for 3rd. Beguiler, in those levels will have more spell slots (okay, one less 1st level slot) and up to 4th level spells which may actually be used for things other than Augmented Casting.

edit2: I also forgot that Augmented Casting uses are limited by your Ultimate Magus level, a cap you'd hit well before the number of otherwise useless low-level spell slots would actually matter.

[Triskavanski]

I suggest going Wiz/Sorc

And then via the dragon compendium take the Force Missile Mage.

You would have the ability to cast at least 10 first level magic missiles per day, and Metamagic increase your numbers further. Follow it up with Latent Magic for even more metamagic goodness.

you would be able to cast 7d4+7 (14 to 35) points of damage every round, practically for the entire day. And be able to change out elements, even be able to penetrate shields.

[SilverLeaf167]

Yup, the result I got from thinking is pretty much the same as yours. Toilet logic ftw!
So, I could take Wizard/Beguiler, focusing on Conjuration on the Wizard side while banning Enchantment and Illusion, which I get plenty of from Beguiler. Sounds solid, thanks!