Wizard, is there ever a reason to Dip or Prestige?

[Segnato]

So basic story, high level campaign, plowing right along and having a lot of fun. Everyone else has found something to dip or a prestige to work towards they like, I just don't ever see an advantage to doing anything other than taking another level of wizard...

Am I missing something? Guide me to the light perhaps?

[tonyz]

Nothing says you are required to dip into a prestige class if you don't want to.

[submit2me]

If a straight wizard fulfills what you want your character to do, then there is absolutely no reason to dip or go prestige. I have a wizard, and the the only reason I'm going with the Storm Kindler prestige class is because my character doesn't benefit much from the air school after 10th level anyway, and it fits my weather theme quite wonderfully to make up for it.

[Umbranus]

It very much depends on what you want.
Bust most of the cases in PF prestige classes are not to become better but to become different. And a lot of them require to multiclass.

For pure spellcasting I can't remember something really worth it.
If you want to be able to do something besides cast spells it could be worth to do some dip and/or take a prestige class.

For example you could dip into witch to get a hex or you could dip into oracle for divine spells and a curse (which can be a boon at higher levels) or you could dip sorcerer (for added bonus crossblooded) for the two arcana and one bloodline power.
Or you can dip kensai magus for 1 point of int to AC per level and other stuff the magus gets.

Lots of options. But few will make you stronger. Except perhaps the sorcerer dip if you're after pure damage blasting potential.

[Tar-Tar]

Loremaster can give bonus feats and some interesting knowledge abilities, which can be useful if you want more metamagic or item creation feats.

[LazarX]

I PrCed my wizard to Loremaster because that was the flavor I wanted him to be. I'm willing to accept that he may only have 98 percent of the theoretical epeen of a single classed wizard.

[Midnight_Angel]

In a nutshell:
Mechanics-wise? No. You are probably going to lose more than you gain.
Flavor-wise? Entirely depends on your character, and whether or not he'd think somethin to be cool.

[daemonprince]

If you qualify, Loremaster is about as good for most all its levels as straight Wizard, especially if you don't have a familiar...

[Corlindale]

Dips are harder to justify for full casters, but not impossible. For base classes, a crossblooded sorceror might be worth it. Especially something like Primal( or Orc)/Draconic for a blaster wizard.

There are also some good prestige classes in Paths of Prestige. As I recall the Arclord of Nex is pretty decent - doesn't lose caster levels and gains some neat powers. The Veiled Illusionist might also be fun.

[johnlocke90]

As a wizard you definitely should prestige into Bloatmage. With bloatmage, you will never have to prepare multiple copies of a spell again. You can just prepare one of everything then use blood points to cast. Vastly increases your power.

[Segnato]

So the reason I am asking is within this campaign there is a lot of opportunity to evolve and the but the villains are equally distressingly powerful. I have acquired the half fiend template by making a deal with Mephistopheles... My wizards goal is to conquer time and space, so within that realm there doesn't seem much flavor aimed at time or force.

[Morgen]

If you want to be a good wizard, then you keep taking levels of wizard. If you want to branch out into other things then you can look into multi-classing or prestige classes.

There isn't a better wizard or Wizard++ prestige class.

[Run, Just Run]

Their is one prestige class that makes a wizard++ as Morgan says, hellknight signifier doesn't lose any spell casting and eventually can wear full plate. Another one is the diabolist although mostly focused towards sorcerers it is still a good prestige class for wizards.

[tonyz]

I had great fun playing a bloatmage -- but, really, as long as you have full casting nothing you do can make you weak. Proper spell selection and intelligent tactics and strategy are a lot more important than anything else.

[Ashiel]

Segnato wrote:

So basic story, high level campaign, plowing right along and having a lot of fun. Everyone else has found something to dip or a prestige to work towards they like, I just don't ever see an advantage to doing anything other than taking another level of wizard...

Am I missing something? Guide me to the light perhaps?

If you really want to prestige class, Loremaster is the powergamer prestige class of choice. It is pretty effortless to qualify for as a wizard, advances your spellcasting all the way to CL 20th, grants more skill points than a normal wizard (an extra 2 points per loremaster level), adds Handle Animal and the coveted Use Magic Device to your class skill list, and just floods you with new class features. While you have to burn a feat for Skill Focus, you get repaid in the fact you now gain secrets which can grant the following benefits with 9 levels (yes 9) of the class:

+2 Fortitude (stacks with everything)
+2 Reflex (stacks with everything)
+2 Will (stacks with everything)

And the last 2 secrets are usually selected from the following:
+1 dodge to AC (stacks with everything)
+1 bonus feat (any feat)

The diabolist is a good bet as well, and you can also do a wizard 5 / diabolist 10 / loremaster 5 pretty easily if you want to.

[Ashiel]

LazarX wrote:

I PrCed my wizard to Loremaster because that was the flavor I wanted him to be. I'm willing to accept that he may only have 98 percent of the theoretical epeen of a single classed wizard.

Haha, you're funny LazarX. I see you, you sneaky minx. Trying to suggest that Loremaster is somehow lesser than strait wizard. Maybe if that strait wizard is a Diviner, but Loremaster is definitely nothing but power gain. It is the extenz for your epeen. :P

[Segnato]

Considering flavor and the campaign daioblist seems interesting. Anything to be worried about?

[EWHM]

The downside of the loremaster is you lose those levels of favored class bonus, the bonus wizard feats for those levels, and the specialist school progression bonuses for those levels. You've also got to smoke a feat for skill focus, which isn't something most players normally want to do. But given what all you get, it's about a wash. It is, in my experience, by FAR the most favored prestige class for wizards, but I'd say maybe 1/3 to 1/4 go for it.

[Morgen]

Don't forget about giving up your free spells every level for being a Wizard. That can really cause trouble if you don't have regular access to new materials.

[Rudy2]

johnlocke90 wrote:

As a wizard you definitely should prestige into Bloatmage.

Assuming you don't mind RPing someone... bloaty.

Magaambyan Arcanist can be a quite fun choice. It's actually quite good in a campaign involving primarily evil opponents.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/i-m/magaambyan -arcanist

[Aunt Tony]

What's wrong with the Cyphermage?