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Thread: Ultimate Magus
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2007-11-19, 10:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
Ultimate Magus
Hey all,
I'm running a game for three players, a Barbarian, a Cleric and Rogue, and since I like a nice round 4-person party to work with, I added a wizard NPC. Originially, I was going to keep her straight wizard, but then I spotted the Ultimate Magus PrC in Complete Mage and I was struck by an overwhelming desire to aim this NPC at that class and let her rip. I'm not terribly concerned with high-level spell casting because first, I don't want to overshadow the PCs, and second, because I don't think it will end up being a high-level game, so it doesn't bother me that I'm not going to be casting all those ninth-level spells.
What I like is the ability to cast a plethora of low-level arcane spells. I can use the sorcerer spell slots for the sort of stuff that I will need to cast multiple times a day, or in a fight, and save the wizard spells for the special circumstances spells that the wizard's larger spell selection allows. The ability to port a handful of wizard spells over to her sorcerer list, and drop prepared spells and spells slots to add metamagic effects to a spell being cast are also appealing. The low BaB is mitigated in part by the fact that I'm using the fractional BaB rule from UA, which will mean that her ranged and melee touch attacks won't be as bad as the would be otherwise.
Is this a horribly underpowered idea, or will I be able to use this NPC as a helpful (but not spotlight-stealing) member of the party? Any other ideas on the Ultimate Magus would also be welcome.
-Blue"For so long I have had no fear of death, but now I am vulnerable, mortal and free." --Saerith Soultouched
"The ends never justify the means --unless they do, of course. The problem is deciding when the means are justified and when they are not, and of course the other problem is that one can never really know the truth of the matter until it is too late." --Soranyi of the Hidden Kingdom.
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2007-11-19, 11:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2007
Re: Ultimate Magus
Because of the way its worded:
Originally Posted by CMageLast edited by Thinker; 2007-11-19 at 11:01 PM.
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2007-11-19, 11:10 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
Re: Ultimate Magus
It seems fine. Since you will be delaying the NPC's casting, it ensures that they will not be stealing as much focus from the party. A character like that would be a great toolkit for your party, being able to continually keep the party buffed with their Sorcerer spells while compensating for your party's deficiencies with their versatile Wizard spellcasting. Just don't try to get too tricky with the free metamagic that Ultimate Magus gets, or it might end up being too flashy.
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2007-11-20, 01:27 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
Re: Ultimate Magus
If using Wizard as one class, then use Beguiler as the other. Seriously. Int based casting for the win.
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2007-11-20, 02:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Utah
- Gender
Re: Ultimate Magus
Yeah, Wizard/Beguiler/Ultimate Magus is a pretty killer build, especially if your Wizard is a specialist with Enchantment and Illusion banned.
I guess Enchantment and Evocation could work too, because there are a few nice Illusion spells that aren't on the Beguiler list. But then again, there are a few nice Evocation spells too, and you can learn extra Illusion spells with Advanced Learning.You can call me Draz.
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2007-11-20, 04:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
Re: Ultimate Magus
No, she's not a specialist, and I was sort of hoping to avoid non-core core classes as much as possible. There's some serious power creep and my party is whomping the module's villians as it is. Her play-style thus far has been defensive/offensive buffs and ranged attacks, since the only other ranged attacker is the rogue (sometimes) and she uses a thrown weapon, limiting her to close-range ranged combat. Ranged touch spells and no to-hit roll spells, like Magic Missile, are probably going to constitute her damage dealing capabilities.
-Blue"For so long I have had no fear of death, but now I am vulnerable, mortal and free." --Saerith Soultouched
"The ends never justify the means --unless they do, of course. The problem is deciding when the means are justified and when they are not, and of course the other problem is that one can never really know the truth of the matter until it is too late." --Soranyi of the Hidden Kingdom.
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2007-11-20, 05:20 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
Re: Ultimate Magus
Thanks to Veera for the avatar.
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5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist
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2007-11-20, 10:28 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Location
- Imagination Land
- Gender
Re: Ultimate Magus
Or non-core standard classes, if you want the official term.
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2007-11-20, 11:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
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2007-11-20, 03:52 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- London, England
- Gender
Re: Ultimate Magus
Beguiler isn't too powerful; less so than the wizard, that's for sure. What he is, though, is extraordinarily useful, which might fill the function you're after nicely.
de·fen·es·tra·tion (dē-fĕn'ĭ-strā'shən)
n.
An act of throwing someone or something out of a window.
[From DE– + Latin fenestra, window.]
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2007-11-20, 04:53 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
Re: Ultimate Magus
Thanks, four in the morning isn't my best time of the day for appropriate word-choice.
Okay, you guys have me interested enough that I'll run a few sessions with this NPC as Beguiler. Her charisma's not that hot anyway, so it may be the best thing to do. I do hate to cart that extra book around though...
-Blue"For so long I have had no fear of death, but now I am vulnerable, mortal and free." --Saerith Soultouched
"The ends never justify the means --unless they do, of course. The problem is deciding when the means are justified and when they are not, and of course the other problem is that one can never really know the truth of the matter until it is too late." --Soranyi of the Hidden Kingdom.
+ Christian itP +