Swiftblade Halfling

[cupkeyk]

So my scout/ranger gnome got skewered by a portcullis and is now being eaten by fish, literally. I am making a wizard6 swiftblade10 abjurant champion 4. Yeah yeah not optimized but i would appreciate help anyway.

I plan on having 13-14 STR for Power Attack and high dex and from there abusing WraithStrike, so other than Elven Court Blade and Spiked Chain, are there any other weapons that I can apply double my PA penalty to damage? I am not partial to spike chain and I really don't want to be elf. I was planning on being a Jungle halfling (UA) for the hand ax, throwing ax and short bow proficiencies. Is the Kusarigama from DMG viable?

So far my build look like this
1 Scribe Scroll (free)
1 Dodge
3 Mobility
5 Craft Wand
6 Power Attack
7 Spring Attack (free)
9 Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Elven Court Blade or Kusari-Kama)
12 Smiting Spell
13 Bounding Assault
15 Combat Casting
18 Practiced Spellcaster

[The Mormegil]

Well, a few advices: first, since you use UA, you might just take a bonus fighter feat instead of Scribe Scroll. That also changes your bonus wizard feat into bonus fighter feat, but you could always leave by Craft Wands and take Improved Initiative (yeah, Int + Dex + 4 + equip...). Now, why the hell didn't you take Quicken Spell??? And why should you take Practiced Spellcaster? Take a look to "The Gish" thread to improve it. Also, consider Arcane Discipl of some kind to get some nifty spells... I would choose either competition (divine power, righteous might) or time (7/9 good spells, also flavor-wise good) or spell (good for flavor, broken for spells).

[Tyger]

And Combat Casting at level 15?? Why? Is it maybe a pre-req for a class or another feat?

[The Mormegil]

For Abjurant Champion, actually. Which is actually a better way to improve your caster level than a feat.

[Tyger]

Gotcha! Really ought to look that class over, as it gets a lot of press here. :)

[Chronicled]

Not sure what Wraithstrike does, so I can't help there. The elven courtblade lets non-elves use it if they have the feat.

Look into the feat Arcane Strike from Complete Warrior, it's highly recommended for gishes.

Since you'll be casting haste a LOT, getting a Ring of Wizardry III for the extra level 3 slots. It'll also help fuel Arcane Strike if you take it.

[cupkeyk]

Wraithstrike is a second level swift action sorc/wiz spell from spell compendium that lets me make all my attacks touch attacks for one round. Awesome synergy with power attack but not with quicken spell. A quickened True Strike provides a similar synergy at low to mid levels before the AC's of this skyrockets (but their touch AC's stay middling). If I take the simple wizard variant from UA I can end up with:

So far my build look like this
1 Dodge (Simple Wizard Bonus)
1 Quicken Spell
3 Power Attack
5 Mobility (Simple Wizard Bonus)
6 Smiting Spell
7 Spring Attack (free)
9 Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Elven Court Blade or Kusari-Kama)
12 Arcane Strike
13 Bounding Assault
15 Combat Casting
18 Practiced Spellcaster

And really, I think a lesser quicken rod is better than spending a feat on Quicken Spell. But the freed up feat slots from Simple Wizard is cool.

[Darrin]

I plan on having 13-14 STR for Power Attack and high dex and from there abusing WraithStrike, so other than Elven Court Blade and Spiked Chain, are there any other weapons that I can apply double my PA penalty to damage?

I assume you're looking for a larger crit range? If so, then you may want to consider a Great Falchion, Sandstorm p. 96. For small size, damage would be 1d10 I think, 2H, 18-20/x2 crit.

A CO post with some thoughts on which weapons might be worth EWP:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=796494

[cupkeyk]

I assume you're looking for a larger crit range? If so, then you may want to consider a Great Falchion, Sandstorm p. 96. For small size, damage would be 1d10 I think, 2H, 18-20/x2 crit.

A CO post with some thoughts on which weapons might be worth EWP:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=796494

Oh Snap! I totally forgot Weapon Finesse!

1 Dodge (Simple Wizard Bonus)
1 Mobility
3 Weapon Finesse
5 Power Attack (Simple Wizard Bonus)
6 Smiting Spell
7 Spring Attack (free)
9 Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Elven Court Blade or Kusari-Kama)
12 Quicken Spell
13 Bounding Assault
15 Combat Casting
18 Arcane Strike

[tyckspoon]

Quicken Spell might be redundant with all 10 levels of Swiftblade; you get a class feature to let you cast Haste as quickened, and then at Swiftblade 9 your Haste gets you an extra standard action which has much the same effect as casting a Swift and a Standard spell. I can't deny that taking Quicken anyway and getting three spells a round would be even more awesome.

If you wind up with metamagic rods, you might need an extra hand. The metamagic rod needs to be wielded to be used, so it's got to be in your hand. If you want to have your weapon at the ready, it'll have to be in the other hand; otherwise you have to sacrifice a move action to draw it (or find space for Quickdraw.) That leaves no open hand for somatic components or getting stuff out of a materials pouch, which would make using a Rod of Quicken in battle somewhat impractical (and you have the innate class feature allowing you to quicken the one spell you'll be casting almost every fight anyway.) A Rod of Extend could still be useful for times when you get a few rounds to pre-buff.

[AslanCross]

Pardon the digression, but what book is Swiftblade from?

[cupkeyk]

Pardon the digression, but what book is Swiftblade from?

From the Wotc website.

[Stam]

Um, possibly pertinent question? How are you entering the PrC with Wizard as your only base class, if one of its requirements is proficiency in at least one martial weapon?

[tyckspoon]

Racial weapon proficiency from the Jungle Halfling variant.

[cupkeyk]

Um, possibly pertinent question? How are you entering the PrC with Wizard as your only base class, if one of its requirements is proficiency in at least one martial weapon?

Jungle Halflings (from Unearthed Arcana), as I mentioned in the OP, have Martial Weapon Proficiency: Hand Ax, Throwing Ax and Short Bow. Elves can also get into the PRC without multiclassing or wasting a feat due to their racial proficiency with the Long bow, Short bow, Rapier and Longsword.

Flavorwise, I think I am leaning towards the Lynxpaw from Races of the Wild.

[Stam]

Ahh, good point. *nods* Never really seen the variant before, so wasn't aware of that. (And, apparently, didn't read clearly either.)

[Neftren]

Jungle Halflings (from Unearthed Arcana), as I mentioned in the OP, have Martial Weapon Proficiency: Hand Ax, Throwing Ax and Short Bow. Elves can also get into the PRC without multiclassing or wasting a feat due to their racial proficiency with the Long bow, Short bow, Rapier and Longsword.

Flavorwise, I think I am leaning towards the Lynxpaw from Races of the Wild.

The Courtblade definitely surpasses the Lynxpaw... by far. Let me see... lighter, stronger and well... better. Plus it's Finessable...

[namo]

I'm not sure how much you'll focus on Dex vs Int, but the Thunderlance spell (SC) provides a two-handed weapon with good damage (3d6), huge reach (20') ; and you use your Int instead of your Str.

[cupkeyk]

The Courtblade definitely surpasses the Lynxpaw... by far. Let me see... lighter, stronger and well... better. Plus it's Finessable...

The lynxpaw is also finessable AND has reach.