Help With a Wizard Build (3.5)

**Zaphrasz** · 2008-09-13, 06:06 PM (ISO 8601)

So I am hoping to join a long running campaign some time soon, and I am the only one who seems to want to play the wizard character. Not a problem with me, but I am not entirely sure I know what I am doing. The campaign should begin at ECL 3 or 5, and I have a basic 1-20 outline of the build I want to work with.

1 Abjurer (Banning Evocation and Enchantment)
2 Abjurer
3 Abjurer
4 Master Specialist
5 Master Specialist
6 Master Specialist
7 Master Specialist
8 Master Specialist
9 Master Specialist
10 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
11 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
12 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
13 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
14 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
15 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
16 Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil
17 Master Specialist
18 Master Specialist
19 Master Specialist
20 Master Specialist

Is this sound? Are my choices of banned schools fine, or will they come back to haunt me? What about flaws? (I was planning on taking two, or is that a bit pretentious?) Should I enter Initiate as soon as possible or finish off Master Specialist first? Any advice is appreciated.

**tyckspoon** · 2008-09-13, 06:14 PM (ISO 8601)

Works fine. You should encounter no problems with that build. You could make it more powerful, if you wanted or needed to, by finishing with a different PrC instead of going back to Master Specialist; Archmage is practically never a poor choice. Your banned schools are good (general list for banning: Evocation and one of Enchantment, Illusion, Necromancy. Do not ban unless you're deliberately un-optimizing the character: Conjuration.) Go into Initiate soonest, and go ahead and take the flaws if you're allowed.

**monty** · 2008-09-13, 06:28 PM (ISO 8601)

As long as you're not banning Conjuration or Transmutation (or Divination or Universal, obviously), you're doing fine with schools. Flaws almost never hurt significantly, if you choose the right ones, so go ahead and take them.

In general, it's a strong build. Plain wizard is already one of the most powerful classes in the game, and any full casting prestige class only makes it better.

**Zaphrasz** · 2008-09-13, 06:35 PM (ISO 8601)

Works for me, thanks for the input. I'll look into Archmage as a possible option, in which case I will definitely go for the flaws since I will need the feats.

**Keld Denar** · 2008-09-13, 08:33 PM (ISO 8601)

Techincally, with Master Specialist, you only need 1 feat to get into Archmage. MS requires one Focus to get in, and give you SF: Spellcraft for free. That means all you need to take is SF in something else. I'd suggest Transmutation, Conjouration, or Necromancy for the 2nd focus, as these are the most common save/lose schools. Illusion has some, but not as many, and not as good as say.....Baleful Polymorph, Glitterdust, or Finger o' Death. All of those make a foe lose hard.

Any thoughts on other feats? There are a lot of good ones!

Oh, and if you are actually gonna play at 20, finishing MS isn't a bad idea. The 10th level Esotera is amazing. Instead of Anti-Magic Field being personal and pretty much nerfing you unless you use real cheese like Extraordinary Spell Aim, Archmage's Master of Shaping, or Cheater of Mystra, MS10 will allow you to actually CAST AMF on someone else. That's useful!

Otherwise, a couple levels of AM never hurt anyone...

**Gorbash** · 2008-09-14, 02:02 AM (ISO 8601)

Transmutation isn't a good option for Spell Focus. Aside from Disintegrate and Baleful PM and Flesh to Stone, there aren't many other spells from that school that require a save. Sure, they are good spells, but there's only 3 of them. That's why Enchantment is better, for example.

**Sstoopidtallkid** · 2008-09-14, 04:22 AM (ISO 8601)

It's good. Either MS or Archmage is fine for finishing, depending on what spells you like, but neither costs you anything beyond the one feat for AM, so eh.

**Zaphrasz** · 2008-09-14, 08:01 AM (ISO 8601)

As much as I enjoy Enchantment, I was going to ban that school. Probably going for Spell Focus: Necromancy if I go Archmage.

**SoD** · 2008-09-14, 08:05 AM (ISO 8601)

Well, if allowed traits as well, and RoD, for a slightly cheesy +1 CL for Abjuration: take spellgifted (Abjuration). Play as an illumian, and take the sigil which gives +1 CL up to your total HD, which negates the -1 CL for all non-abjuration schools. If your DM'll let you.

**Zaphrasz** · 2008-09-14, 08:08 AM (ISO 8601)

That seems like a bit much; I'm going for Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil, and I don't think any DM can stomach that much cheese.

**SoD** · 2008-09-14, 08:15 AM (ISO 8601)

Still, if you can willingly sacrifice one CL for a non-spellcasting class, the illumian sigil could proove useful, you'd be loosing a few spells per day though...but if you want a level of whatever for backstory reasons.

**Paul H** · 2008-09-14, 07:46 PM (ISO 8601)

Hi

What spells are you looking to use? Just that if you're thinking of specialising then Beguiler is a good spont 'specialist' in Enchantment/Illusion. Arcane Disciple can help with adding Fly, etc. to your spell list.

Magic Items fromn the MIC allow you to convert spells into others. Thinking of Raiment of the Four (Pg 204) & Runestaffs (Pgs 176-182 inc).

Beguilers have better HP, Skill Points, can even wear Lt Armour. Good PrC's include Nghtmare Spinner. The Whelm series of spells work with Unsettling Enchantment. When you're faced with creatures immune to mind-affects it's time for those Runestaffs & 'Raiment' items.
(My Changeling Beguiler has goggles that convert spells into Fireballs).

Cheers
Paul H

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