Ultimate Magus Build Help

[RMS Oceanic]

For a Level Twelve campaign starting soon, I was thinking of going Wizard 3/Beguiler 2/Ultimate Magus 7, to minimize MAD. This gives me Spells known as an 8th level in each, with a caster level of 11 for both. I know I run into problems with reduced raw power, like the Mystic Theruge does, but I think the versatility of the Beguiler caster makes up for it. I just have some questions for the build:

1. What metamagic feat should I take as a prerequisite?

2. Assuming I don't play an Elf and don't do the generalize trick from Races of the Wild, what specialization would be most effective?

3. Can you recommend Wizard spells to learn to compliment the Beguiler's tricks?

4. Can you recommend an alternate class feature to replace the familiar?

5. What spells should I add to the Beguiler's spell list with the UM's expanded knowledge? I was thinking of Magic Missle for starters, since always-hits damage will be useful.

Thanks in advance.

[bugsysservant]

1. Up to you. Quicken is always good.
2. Overall: Diviner if you have completes and SpC. Transmuter if you dislike that or are limited to core spells. Conjurer if you don't want a familiar.
3. Too tired to compile a list right now. If you specialize, drop illusion.
4. Try the PHBII. If you are a conjurer you get the ability to immediate (or was it swift?) teleport 10 ft. int bonus times per day. Its broken because unless something has pounce and can charge, you'll never be full attacked again.
5. See #3.

[CASTLEMIKE]

I favor taking Beguiler at level 1 for the hit points and base skill points multiplied by four, but a Conjurer Specialist -1 with the Precocious Apprentice Feat using the UA/SRD Conjurer Rapid Summoning variant with Flaws (for taking Practiced Spellcaster twice for the Beguiler side) and losing the schools of Enchantment and Illusion loses some skill points but can take Master Specialist at level 3.

I favor 4 levels of Master Specialist which is nice on top of Augment Summoing.

Conjurer Specialist -1, Beguiler -1, Master Specialist -4, Ultimate Magus - 6
(Effectively a Conjurer Specialist -11, Beguiler - 5 for spell casting before PRC adjustments) who can fuel the Beguiler side spells up to +4 Quickened Meta Magic so Magic Missile could be nice thing to have while fueling the Conjurer side spells with up to +2 Empower meta. The +1 Scupt spell meta feat is another good feat to have especially when it can be paid down with a level 1 spell slot.

IMO generally there is little benefit in extending summonings in most situations unless the PC is getting it for free from a PRC like Thaumaturgist since the summoned monster(s) normally dies or triumphs before the standard summoing period ends so feats like Augment Summoning that improve the monster hit points and attacks are generally better.

I like the Reserve feat Summon Elemental for general utility and flavor especially if your PC does not have a familiar because they are using a variant. I like the Arcane Discipline Summoning or Spell domain (Anyspell and Anyspell Greater lets you cast divine and prohibited school spells (Lesser Planar Ally, Shadow Conjuration, Heal (Adept NPC version)) which opens up Thaumaturgist in the future as a PRC option with Lesser Planar Ally on top of the extra summoning spells for a good Thaumaturgist. Still useful with a Neutral or Evil future Malconvoker.

It depends on your game because even the best Batman occassionally ends up in a situation where doing damage is a good option or just fun:

For a cantrip or first level spell: Mage Hand or Prestidigitation, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement or Shield can be nice for extra utility. Alter Self is nice for a level 2 spell and some early flying, Rope Trick for a quickie Hide Out. Taking Fireball, Fly or Lightning Bolt can be nice for a level 3 spell depending on your game. Polymorph is nice and Shadow Conjuration is great if Illusion isn't a prohibited school on your Conjurer side.

[CactusAir]

You don't need precicious apprentice cheese just to take master specialst one level earlier, silly!

Use retraining cheese instead, and save yourself a feat.

[CASTLEMIKE]

You don't need precicious apprentice cheese just to take master specialst one level earlier, silly!

Master Specialist requires the PC to be able to cast a level 2 spell which is why you need Precocious Apprentice to start taking it at your third level with a single level in Beguiler -1 and Conjurer Specialist -1 to reap the benefits of the Master Specialist -4 Minor Esoterica before entering the Ultimate Magus PRC at level 7.

[CactusAir]

Master Specialist requires the PC to be able to cast a level 2 spell which is why you need Precocious Apprentice to start taking it at your third level with a single level in Beguiler -1 and Conjurer Specialist -1 to reap the benefits of the Master Specialist -4 Minor Esoterica before entering the Ultimate Magus PRC at level 7.

Way to miss the point. Retraining lets you use the retrained level to qualify for the prestige class you take that level.

You can legally retrain a Illusionist3 into an Illusionist2/MS1 by RAW.

I'd allow it. 1 extra level of prestige class isn't that huge a deal.

[Bag_of_Holding]

Way to miss the point. Retraining lets you use the retrained level to qualify for the prestige class you take that level.

You can legally retrain a Illusionist3 into an Illusionist2/MS1 by RAW.

I'd allow it. 1 extra level of prestige class isn't that huge a deal.

Umm, I haven't got the rulebook handy, but isn't changing a class called Rebuilding, not retraining? IIRC it takes more time and effort (usually requiring a challenging quest) to do than simple retraining.

[CASTLEMIKE]

Way to miss the point. Retraining lets you use the retrained level to qualify for the prestige class you take that level.

You can legally retrain a Illusionist3 into an Illusionist2/MS1 by RAW.

I'd allow it. 1 extra level of prestige class isn't that huge a deal.

I believe you missed the point "Minor Esoterica Conjuration" is huge in this build and picked up at level 4 in the Master Specialist PRC my build is based on qualifying for 2 PRCs not just Ultimate Magus.

We are limited to using 12 levels in this thread and I don't have any dead levels, 2 base class levels (Conjurer Specialist -1 and Beguiler -1) and 10 PRC levels (Master Specialist -4 and Ultimate Magus -6).

Minor Esoterica augments the hit points of "All" summoned creatures by +12 hit points at level 12 for each summoned creature on top of the bonus they are already receiving due to the Augment Summoning feat and has been doing this since level 6 by +6 or more hit points for each summoned creature. On average at level 12 the summoned creatures will each receive +12 hitpoints +1D8 hit points if the MoF Augment Summoning feat was taken plus an additional +2 Hit points per hit die for the standard Augment Summoning in comparison to a standard summoned monster.

My suggestion for the Ultimate Magus build in this thread recommends using a Conjurer Specialist and taking 4 levels in the Master Specialist PRC to pick up the Minor Esoterica capstone before entering the Ultimate Magus PRC for 6 levels at level 7. There are plenty of other good builds but all builds are campaign and player style dependent to some degree.

IMO a good build would be to take the D20/SRD Enhanced Summoning variant for Augmented Summoning instead of the Scribe Scroll feat since you would be really trading a single feat for two feats (Augmented Summoning has a prerequisite feat of Spell Focus Conjuration and RAW doesn't say the PC wouldn't get it) and lose Summon Familar for the Rapid Summoning variant (or the PHBII Immediate Magic) with a human you still have 2 bonus feats.

[CactusAir]

ah, I misread. I thought you had 2 levels of conjurer.

Can't yuo just take augment summoning?

[CASTLEMIKE]

Well you could but that costs 2 feats normally (Augment Summoning and Spell Focus Conjuration).

The Master Specialist PRC requires Spell Focus (School in this case Conjuration) and being able to cast level 2 spells.

Augment Summoning (+4 to St and Con for All summoned creatures allowing them to hit more often for more damage with more staying power due to the extra +2 hit points per hit die) normally requires Spell Focus Conjuration IMO losing Scribe Scoll to pick up the UA/SRD "Enhanced Summoning" variant is a pretty good deal since you are basically trading a single feat (Scribe Scroll) for two feats (Augment Summoning and Spell Focus Conjuration) and your PC can always pick up Scribe Scroll with another feat at first level or another level.

Minor Esoterica "Conjuration" stacks with Augment Summoning so I recommend taking both of them (the FRCS MoF Augment Summoning +1D8 hit points to each summoned creature and the standard Core Augment Summoning via the UA/SRD variant "Enhanced Summoning") in a leveling up game from first or low levels where they have more of an impact.

The trick to playing a good conjurer is to know your summoned monsters and have a familiarity with the standard monsters in your campaign and to make some 3 by 5 note cards or other reference sheets with the statistics for your summoned monsters to facilitate encounters.

With the Flaws variant and a Human consider picking up the Arcane Disciple feat for the Summoning Domain and the the extra spells and bennies because generally summoned creatures are killed due to lack of hit points before they are dismissed.

[marjan]

1. Extend Spell, Quicken Spell and if you have enough feats, Sculpt Spell.
2. School to specialize in should be conjuration or transmutation. I would go with conjuration since Imediate Magic is much better for conjurers. Drop Illusion and Enchantment since you get those on beguilers side. If you want you can go focused specialist (which in this case isn't the best choice since you have good number of spells per day) and drop necromancy or abjuration.
3. Any spell that is not on beguilers list is good.
4. Imediate Magic is the only one I know of that is worth it.
5. I wouldn't go for magic missile unless you are a big fan of the spell. Go for something that you will be using frequently like grease, stinking cloud, black tentacles, greater mirror image depending on spell level limit of advanced learning. (Sorry if some of these spells apear on Beguilers list since I don't have access to it right now)