Wizard for Carrion Crown

[Dexion1619]

Hello all! Well, looks like I'm going to get to play in an AP instead of running one (yea for me). This is the build I have come up with for the AP, and I was wondering if the board could look it over and give me some pointers. Please, no spoilers for the game, just general advice on if you think it will be a sucessful build.

The group is the basicly the classic party: Human Fighter (TWF), Half Elf Rogue (Scout Archtype), Changeling Cleric (Desna), and a 5th player who is as yet undesided (likely an Oracle or multiclass).

My (possibly overly optimistic) goal for the character is to be effective at both blasting and control/utility.

I went with Evoker (Necromancy and Enchantment opposition schools). Im thinking that the character has moral reservations against both of these schools (He's from Lastwall).

I also went with Arcane Bond (Ring). I have played druids for years, I have no interest in a familier with this character.

For Traits, I went with: Magical Heritage (Magic Missile), and Inspired By Greatness (AP Trait, Magic Missile). I'm going to pair this with Toppling Spell.

Abilities: 8 Str, 12 Dex, 14 Con, 19 Int, 10 Wis, 12 Chr

I know that is not the optimum choice, but it feels right for the character.

For skills Im looking at the standard Knowledges (Arcana and Planes, as well as Local and Nobility), Linguistics, Spell Craft and Diplomancy. Yes, thats right, I took Diplomancy (Fits the character). I likely wont put a point in Linguistics every level (Currently know Common, Celestial, Draconic, Aklo, Infernal, and Anciant Thassilonian)

For feats, Im looking at:
Human: Spell Focus (Evocation)
1st: Toppling Spell
-3rd: Varisian Tatoo
-5th: Spell Specialization (likely fireball, but not set in stone)
-Wiz 5: Ectoplasmic Spell

I havent planned the build out much past this point. This would give me 2 toppling magic missiles at 2nd level, and 3 at 3rd. I also plan to use Grease, and Hydrolic Push (this lets me cover trips and bull rush as well as a reflex save based disarm).

I plan to make use of Scribe Scroll at every chance I get, as early as possible. My eventual goal is to have a copy of every spell I know in scroll form.

So... Thoughts?

[Axebeard]

From the looks of things, your character is a bit front-loaded. Your traits and feats chosen at early levels will lose their punch later on.

Take toppling spell/beefed-up magic missile: Yes, it will be cool for a while, but there's a point at which your foes' CMDs will outstrip your caster level. Past that point, you're not going to get much out of magic missile - especially when something like a Slow spell would probably be a better use of the action. That's the same reason why, while Black Tentacles is fantastic for the first few levels you have it, it becomes less powerful as your foes have increasing size and strength scores, causing their CMD to skyrocket. Even the Grease spell accomplishes a similar goal as toppling magic missile (although against fewer opponents), and has the advantage of helping your party get out of grapples or automatically disrupts charge/is a disarming spell. A spell that disarms an opponent over and over again, and ignores spell resistance. I'm not sure if dumping two feats and two traits is worth getting a trip attempt with magic missile a few times a day.

And then there's spell specialization (fireball): You take the feat at level 5, and then it's useful for levels 5, 6, and 7 (varisian tattoo cuts this down by one level) before it has to be changed to another spell.

My advice would be, to do control/blasting well, get the focus/greater focus in evocation and conjuration, and take feats like empower spell for your evocations and persistent spell for your conjurations. A persisted glitterdust is pretty nuts.

Maybe something like

Human: Improved Initiative
Wizard: Scribe Scroll
1: Spell Focus (Conjuration)
3: Spell Focus (Evocation)
5: Greater Spell Focus (Evocation) - now that you have fireball
Wizard 5: Persistent spell/Empower spell
7: Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration)
9: Spell Penetration
Wizard 10: Empower/Persistent/Quicken spell

While Ectoplasmic spell isn't a bad feat, a rod of ectoplasmic spell, lesser, is only 3,000 gp and as such would be a cheap way to effectively buy a feat. Also, while you can generally know in advance that you'll encounter undead, it can be hard to know when you'll encounter incorporeal undead. Also, Ectoplasmic spell doesn't work with magic missile, and having so much of your build dependent upon a spell that doesn't work with a metamagic feat you want to take seems a little off.

[Dexion1619]

I see where you're comming from on that. I hadn't thought of going with a Rod for Ectoplasmic. That would make more sense. One thing I dont know is if I'll be able to buy one (I know nothing about this AP other then whats in the players guide).

One of the reasons I liked the idea of upping the caster level with feats and such is that it has the added effect of helping overcome SR when it pops up. It also increases the usefulness of things like toppling spell by increasing your effective "CMB" for the check (Not by much, granted, but it would still extend its usefulness somewhat, at level 4 my bonus will be +11 against 3 targets, not bad for a level 1 spell).

One of the reasons I would be reluctant to go with that exact feat lineup, is that its vary close to my last character (a druid). I wanted to try something differant. I don't mind if the character isn't 100% optimized, just effective enough.

I do like the idea of Persistant spell! Swapping that out for ectoplasmic at 5th is a distinct possibility. Something like this.

Human: Spell Focus (Evocation)
1st: Toppling Spell
-3rd: Varisian Tatoo
-5th: Spell Specialization (likely fireball, but not set in stone)
-Wiz 5: Persistant Spell
-7th: Empower Spell

[Axebeard]

Not worrying about optimization is great, because it's hard to go wrong with a wizard. Persistent Spell works really well with spells that have an effect that isn't damage.

I was giving the advice for how I'd optimize a blaster/controller. Toppling spell is a fun feat, and I could tell that you were looking to maximize the spell's CMB to make it more effective. It'll be a neat trick.

I'm actually playing a wizard (Conjurer with Teleportation subschool) in carrion crown right now, believe it or not. The party is currently level 8, and the spells that have been super-effective for him (keep in mind, conjurer with greater spell focus) have been Grease, Web, Haste, and Persistent Glitterdust. Now that the oracle is casting Blessing of Fervor every fight, he's been getting to use more Aqueous Orb, which has been a lot of fun to tote around. The pit line of spells has also been great. They control terrain and block off doors magnificently. Acid Pit, with its 30 DC climb check, is basically a 10x10 save-or-die. Persistent Spell is especially effective if you have spell focus/greater focus, because it multiplies the effects of those feats. Without those feats, it's a little less impressive, but still a good metamagic.

Aqueous Orb is actually a fantastic control spell against incorporeals. Spells that deal damage only have their damage halved by incorporeals, they don't have the 50% miss chance that nondamaging spells have. So, because aqueous orb does some nonlethal damage, the incorporeals don't get the 50% miss chance from getting caught up in the orb, they just take half damage from the nonlethal (which undead are immune to, anyways). Also, most undead are generally melee monsters, so keeping them out of reach defeats them. Nothing makes good entertainment like a fighter with a magic reach weapon attacking a bunch of ghosts caught in a washing machine.

Admittedly, aqueous orb and the pit spells lose their punch against fliers and huge monsters or packs of larges, but whatever. That's what your glitterdusts, fireballs, and scorching rays are for, probably.

[Cheapy]

Disrupt Undead. Always have it prepared.

[Aelryinth]

At level 1, you're going to be using Disrupt undead.

At CL3, you can shoot off two magic missiles against incorps. VERY handy.

You'll want Empower at level 3, to make your Magic Missiles +50% dmg. Are you allowed 3.5 feats? Consecrate Spell is a Meta that acts as +50% dmg against undead only, +1 CL...with the trait to reduce Meta costs by 1 to a spell, you can do +50% magic missiles in a level 1 slot, and double dmg in a level 3.

IF you're going to specialize, you probably want to do it in Scorching Ray, with the higher damage cap. Although Energized the Fireball will do better, but it allows a save.

Are you allowed 3.5 feats? Arcane Thesis can make a magic missile build SING. If you're allowed that feat, take it if at all possible and start making a blaster Magic Missile mage who can still do all that other stuff if need be.

Twin spell is the best MM feat out there. Only Quicken comes close.

If you're allowed to take the FOrce Missile Mage build, do so. Again, enhances your magic missiles, adds another 2 to them, and allows them to do elemental damage if you wish.

Note another great use of Ectoplasmic spell is WEB...incorps don't have a Str score, so they are pinned and useless inside an ectoplasmic web.

==Aelryinth