[3.5] Any good prestige classes for a Conjurer?

[Baalzebub]

So, i'll start Expedition to Castle Greyhawk. We'll start at lvl 9, and I'm creating a Conjurer.

Anyway, I'm looking for prestige classes. So far, I'm stuck with the Alienist or the Master Specialist. Any suggestions?

PS. Also, if you can recommend me some good spells for a "summoner" type, besides those found in the Complete Mage book, please let me know...

[Gorbash]

Malconvoker is pretty awesome. Of those two, better choice is Master Specialist, IMHO.

[Gaiwecoor]

Oh, how little love there is for a Summoner. I don't have many books (just the first four Completes beyond core), and the only thing I've found is Alienist. It almost seems like the best way to play a summoner is to be a Cleric. At least then you have Thaumaturgist as another option. I'd love to see what the playgrounders come up with.

[Random NPC]

Alienists sucks. Go Master Specialist or Malconvoker

EDIT: Also, check here and you might get some ideas

[Swiftest]

I'm going to quote a friend (Roger by name) who gave me some truly excellent advice by email when I asked a similar question:

BEST PICKS
Conjuration Immediate Magic (replaces familiar at lvl 1 for abrupt jaunt ability) [PHB2 p68]
Focused Conjurer (lose additional school, -1 general spell/lvl, gain 3 specialist spells/lvl) [CMage p34]

NICE OPTIONS
Combat Wizard (replace Scribe Scroll feat at 1st level for bonus fighter feat) [UA p59]
Spontaneous Divination Magic (lose lvl 5 bonus feat, can spontaneously cast div spells) [CChampion p53]
OR
Domain Granted Power (lose a bonus feat to gain a domain granted power [CChampion p53]

Conjuration Immediate Magic allowed me to teleport (termed 'abrupt jaunt') 10 feet or less as an immediate action up to INT bonus (minimum 1) times per day, provided I was aware of the attack, etc. beforehand (e.g. can't be used while flatfooted). I had a 20+ INT with magic item so I was able to use it 5 times/day. Nice for avoiding just about anything (jaunting out of fireball burst if near edge of effect, avoid falling in a pit, an arrow, sword swing, targeted spell, etc.).

Focused Specialist gives the wizard a net two extra spells per day at the cost of three (not two) schools of magic. Three spells/lvl must also be selected from the specialist magic school. This lets you cast even more high level spells (not unlike a sorcerer, with your highest level spell coming at one level earlier).

For Focused Conjurer, I recommend dropping Evocation school (Conjuration school also has good damaging spells of the no Save/no SR genre if you have access to Spell Compendium (ex. Acid Breath, Acid Storm, Arc of Lightning, Blast of Flame, Lesser/Orbs or Energy X to name a few)); dropping Enchantment school (limited targeting, not very effective against mindless undead, constructs, etc.); and dropping the Necromancy or Illusion schools (your pick; illusion gives you invisibility/ shadow evocation spells, but Necromancy is good for debuffs). The other schools I find worth keeping.

If you run an XE character you can't use UA, but otherwise if your DM allows I would take Combat Wizard to get Improved Initiative fighter feat instead of Scribe Scroll at first level.

If you stay Conjurer up until fifth level, you can also select one of the Complete Champion alternative class features in lieu of the bonus feat if you want. I'd consider taking the Domain Granted Power (Magic domain) feature if you wanted to be able to use arcane scrolls, wands, and such from your banned schools, thereby increasing your versatility. The other alternative - Spontaneous Divination Magic - allows you to burn any memorized spell for a divination spell that you know of equal or lower level; excellent options if you have access to Spell Compendium.

FEATS
As for feats, my favorites for a battlefield control conjurer are Cloudy Conjuration (CMage p40), Sculpt Spell (CArcane p83, great for Glitterdust (best Lvl 2 spell in game IMO!), Grease, Cloud of Bewilderment (lvl2 Spell Compendium Stinking Cloud-like spell), etc.), Metamagic School Focus(Conjuration) (CMage p45 - lowers metamagic spell level cost by one level, 3 times/day), Sudden Widen (CArcane p83 - 'free' Widen Spell once/day, great for widened Glitterdust or Cloud of Bewilderment at chr lvl 3(!)), possibly Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, and of course (Improved/)Spell Focus(Conjuration). The latter are especially important to tweak out the highest Save DC's possible. My chr had a DC 19 Glitterdust with both feats (and 20 INT). You can also augment spells with Lesser Metamagic Rod of Sculpting(MIC) or Extend for 3000 gp apiece.

If you wanted to be more of a direct damage/ray (conjurer specialist, you might consider Energy Substitution (Fire or Cold, CArcane p79) and Searing Spell (Sandstorm) or Piercing Cold (Frostburn) to overcome Energy Resistance/Immunities of certain opponents, but that's a different focus from Battlefield Control.

RACE/PRC's
If you are playing FR, Strongheart halfling is good (albiet) cheesy for the extra feat. Whisper Gnome (from Races of Stone) is very good for a stealthy race with +2 DEX/CON (but -2 STR/CHA iirc). Human is a staple anywhere. Eberron has other good options (Warforged poison immunity synergizes well with Cloudy Conjuration feat, and Changeling allows you to get in to the excellent Recaster [metamagic specialist] PrC from Races of Eberron). Other good PrC's include Master Specialist (from Complete Mage; you can enter it at level 4(!) and it grants you Improved Spell Focus(Conjuration) as a free feat), Paragnostic Apostle (from CChampion), Malkonvoker (summoner PrC from CScoundrel), Recaster (from Races of Eberron, for changeling race only), Archmage (DMG), and Mage of the Arcane Order (CArcane, good for getting access to spells from barred schools).

FINAL MENTION
Here's a fun one-round combo that I found on the Wizard's boards, for some more food for thought.

Dimensional Anchor + Celerity (PH2 p105) + Electricity substituted (feat), Sudden Widened (feat)Freezing Fog +Born of the Three Thunders (feat) (CArcane p76).

You put them at the center of a 80x80x40' area of solid fog. Every turn they make a reflex save or fall prone, a DC 10 balance check to stand up, a fortitude save or be stunned, a reflex save or fall prone if they're stunned, and they can't teleport out of it.

Both Born of the Three Thunders and Celerity daze you on your next turn, so you'll only get dazed once for the whole deal. You wont have line of sight but there are still plenty of things you can do to them that don't require it in the 16 move actions it's going to take them to get out of your horrible deathfog. Cloudkill, perhaps?

This pretty much sums up everything I was going to type on my own, and then some. Conjurers are the single best mage variant out there imo. I myself have had particular success with Immediate Magic, Focused Specialist, and Cloudy Conjuration/Augment Summoning. Summoned monsters come out pretty mean when they attack from concealment and the enemy is already sickened from the nasty green fog that's suddenly appeared around them. works wonders, really.

I also recommend checking out the three best wizard guides ever (with a nod to our own LogicNinja for what I view as the best one):


The Logic Ninja's Guide to Wizards: Being Batman: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18500

Conjurer's Guide: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=918686

Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards: Being a God: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=956548

[Keld Denar]

Its actually not too hard to get into any of the other straight casting PrCs either. Divine Oracle2/Loremaster3-5 is a pretty good investment of 5-7 levels, netting you "evasion", and your choice of bonus to hit, bonus to fort saves, or a couple of other things after you nab the free feat to make up for the loss of Skill Focus:Knowledge Religion needed to get into both PrCs.

Initiate of the 7fold Veils is also reachable if you don't ban Abjuration. Not super easy, but doable.

Fatespinner is likewise a decent 4 level investment, costing you 0 feats, only a couple skill points. The reroll can save lives, and the fate points are handy when you REALLY want to Finger of Death someone to death.

1 level dip in Mindbender is also not bad. Getting SU telepathy has numerous uses, the least of which is the qualification to take the feat Mindsight from Lords of Madness that allows you to see inteligent beings as light sources.

Archmage 2-3 can be a decent investment, although this comes late in progression.

[streakster]

I'm going to forty-second Malconvoker. Too awesome not to play.

[TerrickTerran]

Malconvoker is definitely awesome fun.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd go Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 3/ Mindbender 1/ Thaumaturgist 5/ Malconvoker, using Arcane Disciple (CD) to get Lesser Planar Ally. Make Evocation and Enchantment prohibited, maybe even go Focused Specialist (CM) and also ban Necromancy. For Arcane Disciple pick the Lust domain to still be able to get Charm Person for Mindbender. You'll be able to telepathically order your summoned minions around, so no need to worry about language barriers. Get the feat Mindsight (LoM) if possible, it gives you something similar Blindsense with regards to anything that has an Int score out to the range of your Telepathy, which also automatically reveals their creature type and Int score.

Use either the PHB2 Wizard variant to trade your Familiar for an unbeatable you-can't-hit-me ability a few times/day, or the Rapid Summoning variant from UA. Since both of those require you to give up your familiar, see if you can get the feat Obtain Familiar, giving up two familiars to get both of those. I'd also go for the Fighter feat Wizard variant from UA, to get something like Improved Initiative in place of Scribe Scroll.

When you get your Planar Cohort pick a Ghaele Eladrin, it will be more powerful than anyone else in the party for quite a few levels. Use Orb spells, Acid Breath, Web, Glitterdust, Black Tentacles, and Cloud effects for offense along with Summon Monsters. The Summon Undead spells (LM, HoH, SC) are also quite nice for some extra meat shield zombies or nasty full-attacker skeletons, usually best when you summon multiple creatures from a lower-level list such as Owlbear Skeletons or Ogre Zombies.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I'm surprised no one has suggested Incantatrix...

[Mushroom Ninja]

Archmage isn't a bad choice for most wizards.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Malconvoker. Always Malconvoker.

[Baalzebub]

Thank you all! and specially thanks to Swiftest that guide will be very, very useful on today's D&D session.

[goram.browncoat]

The build mentioned above that uses arcane disciple to get into both thaumaturgist and malconvoker is probably the one i would go for. Dunno if i personally would go master specialist, I usually dont like ditching schools.

I'm surprised no one has suggested Incantatrix...

"Ocular spell shoots persisted summons from your eyes!!!!"
sorry, i had to :) dont know if its rules legal (can summons be occularized?) but it sure would be funny :)