Mad! They called me mad! Well I'll show them!!!

[Rhavin]

The title indirectly says it all:

I'm looking for advise on how to build a mad scientist wizard whose constructs and creations don't absorb the majority of his exp while remaining formidable in his own right. Artificer is out of the question, I won't touch the class.

[Timespike]

Rhavin wrote:

The title indirectly says it all:

I'm looking for advise on how to build a mad scientist wizard whose constructs and creations don't absorb the majority of his exp while remaining formidable in his own right. Artificer is out of the question, I won't touch the class.

PC or villain?

Without knowing, here's some first thoughts:

Summoning and animated objects.
Leadership feat.
Fleshwarper PrC from Lords of Madness.

And why not artificer, if you don't mind my asking?

[Rhavin]

PC; no leadership, my DM doesn't like it and I don't blame him.

I dislike artificers for two reasons; the first is because I simply dislike the class and, as a result, don't have the eberron campaign setting. The other is that I have a powergamer and rules-lawer lurking in the depths of my soul that arises sporadically to break games; so I shy away from classes that are notorious for overpowered builds.

[Fizzban]

I'll second the fleshwarper PrC. It's mostly grafts, but it does give you a pool of points to use.

Fizz

edit: I'll also throw the effigy master out there. You do still have to use exp. tho.

[Set]

Effigy Master, combined with one of the cheesy ways of avoiding XP costs, like sacrifice from the BoVD or Thought bottles or whatever.

[Evil Genius]

Well, if you're evil, you can always use souls in place of XP (see Book of Vile Darkness).