The Best Mystic Theurge Build

[The Chort]

Well, perhaps a little too presumptuous, but eh, here’s my attempt.

The Build:

Class: Wizard 2/Cleric 1/Mystic Theurge 10/Magaambyan Arcanist 7
Race: Peri-Blooded Aasimar

The Concept:

Basically, this character is going to be built exactly like a wizard, except one level behind in casting, but with a lot more toys, ending up with the spellcasting of an 11th level cleric with 6th level spells. (Hello Heal and other goodies!) I decided to top it off with the Magaambyan Arcanist, since you've already foregone the perks of being a full wizard by multi-classing. Not to mention it's a flavorful continuation of the concept; being a wizard, but also with access to divine magic. Halcyon Magic will let you pick up some fun druid spells, like Control Winds, Antilife Shell, Spellstaff, Changestaff, and so on. Maybe even some lower level spells like Greater Magic Fang and Soften Earth and Stone.

Sample Level 1 stats:

20 point buy:
Str 7, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 19 (17+2), Wis 16, Cha 9 (7+2)

25 point buy:
Str 7, Dex 12, Con 12 Int 20 (18+2), Wis 16 Cha 10 (8+2)

Homebrew “point buy?!” that I’d likely be using:
Str 6, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 21, Wis 16, Cha 10

Stats Explained:

Int > Wis > Dex > Con > Str = Cha

Basically, you're playing a wizard, so Int always comes first. You may actually want to consider dropping wisdom by a bit to ensure 18 Int if you have a lower point buy, but that leads into my next point.

Why Wis 16? Well, my thinking is that you’ll cap at 6th level cleric spells, so getting a +6 in wisdom is nice to get that bonus 6th level spell. 16 + 6 (headband) gives you that +6 modifier.

Meeting the Requirements via SLA:

This is tricky, but I think this works; as a Peri-Blooded Aasimar, you gain access to a 2nd level arcane SLA, pyrotechnics. As a cleric, you can take an inquisition to pick up the 2nd level divine SLA, Augury. (Unfortunate, you have to sacrifice a domain, but for the sake of the multiclass, you do what you have to.)

Feats:

Traits
Reactionary
Magical Knack (Cleric Side)

1 - Improved Initiative
Wizard - Scribe Scroll (Nice! Goes well with your cleric side as well)
3 - Spell Focus (Conjuration)
5 - Augment Summoning
7 - Superior Summoning
9 - Toughness
11 - Scholar (Prestige Prereq)
13 - Spell Mastery (Prestige Prereq)
15 - Sacred Summons
17 - Moonlight Summons
19 - Starlight Summons

This is by no means the only way you could do this; you could go for a less summoning-centered build.

...or here's a version with a distinctly different approach. (And no prestige class)

Traits
Reactionary
Magical Lineage (Fireball)

Evoker Admixture Wizard / Fire Domain Cleric

1 - Heighten Spell
Wizard - Scribe Scroll
3 - Theurgy
5 - Rime Spell
7 - Preferred Spell (Fireball)
9 - Dazing Spell
11 - Selective Spell
13 - Quicken Spell
15 - Spell Perfection (Fireball)
16 (Wizard Feat) - Intesified Spell
17 - Spell Penetration
19 - Greater Spell Penetration

I'd have to double-check the ruling on this, but this should work. Basically, you can cast Fireball with both sides of your casting, spontaneously, thanks to Preferred Spell. You should get tremendous value once Spell Perfection rolls around.

Although I'm trying to proclaim this the best build, there's certainly plenty of room to customize the build with school specializations, domains, and feats as you choose.

Think I've got the right idea? Or do you have the build to beat this one? I'd love to hear everyone else's take on this newly beefed up prestige class.

[Drachasor]

It is a pretty good build. Class features are nice, but it is hard to argue the Wizard's class features (outside of casting) are better than casting as an 11th level Cleric. Granted you do lose one level of casting progression.

All this makes me think we really need better multi-classing rules. If we made some sort of 2E multi-classing like this:
Pick X classes. Order them on a List 1 through X. Every even level, you level up as a Gestalt in all of these classes. Each odd level you increase your level in one class, starting with the first class on the list, moving down the list each time. When you reach the end of the list, then next odd level will start back at the top.

Note: The above is not perfect, just a rough idea.

So a Wizard/Cleric, would go Wizard 1 -> Wizard 1/WizCleric 1 -> Wizard 1/WizCleric 1/Cleric 1 -> Wizard 1/WizCleric 2/Cleric 1

At 8th level that's the features of a Wizard 6 / Cleric 6. At 12th level that's a Wizard 9 / Cleric 9. At 20th level that's a Wizard 15 / Cleric 15. Certainly not unreasonable at 20th, though it might be a bit potent at low levels (also might not).

Just seems like a lot of the multi-class PrCs are such an ugly kludge.
: (

Sorry, I can't help but look at this stuff and think of what should be rather than what is.

I suppose that alternatively, you could aim for making a simply rule for 16-level Multiclass PrCs designed to be entered when you become 5th level. They'd just advance the class features of two base classes, have a rule for what HD to use, etc.

[Quandary]

A Demon- or Div-Spawn Tiefling with +2 CHA AND Fiendish Sorcery (+2 CHA) on top is tempting to for a Sorceror/Cleric MT build...
I believe that could start out with 19 CHA (21 effective for Sorceror purposes) and 17 WIS in 20 point buy...
(and you can pick up 1 level of Cleric Favored Class, granting +1 vs Outsider SR)

But the standard Tiefling is probably equal or better off with a similar Wizard2/Cleric1/MT... build.

[Drachasor]

If you are going Sorcerer/Cleric, then it is almost undoubtedly better to go with a Wis/Wis.

Archon-Blooded or Garuda-Blooded Aasimar and a Empyreal-blooded Sorcerer would have something going for it. You also get a +2 Con or +2 Dex thrown in. Very stat-friendly. You're not getting bloodline spells anyhow, so it isn't like your bloodline matters much.

This makes all of your clerical spells more useful.

Now, you COULD have a Tiefling like this...if you can persuade your DM to accept you as a Tiefling with a celestial bloodline. To do this, I think you should go with it being on your demon side, because it's more amusing (or horrifying?)

[Icyshadow]

Tiefling with Celestial Bloodline is an easy one; Your Fiendish heritage comes from a Fallen Angel, simple as that.

[Quandary]

True, and there's plenty of variant Tieflings with +2 WIS bonuses...

You kind of think, maybe other Tieflings would look down on you as much as Humans look down on Tieflings... ;-)

EDIT: An advantage I thought of for going with CHA Sorc/Cleric build is that you can easily take Eldritch Heritage for other bloodlines, nice way to get back some class abilities. Going with that crazy high CHA score and Sorceror offsets the lower spell levels' DC, and seems good for going to town with spontaneous metamagic. Not to mention you get some solid use out of Channel at low levels, which the other builds neglect.

[Icyshadow]

Fallen Angel is also viable for an Aasimar with either the Infernal or Abyssal bloodline. Not so sure about Daemon bloodline...

...but I am getting off-topic here. I sadly am not an expert on the Mystic Theurge, and I do recall making a similar thread in the past.

[SunsetPsychosis]

I personally enjoy mixing prepared with spontaneous for Theurge. Given the racial stat bonuses, a Peri-blooded Aasimar Wizard/Oracle could be interesting. You could even go Evoker/Flame and load up on blasty goodness, while still able to pick and choose part of your daily spell selection and have plenty of juice to sling around fireballs all day.

[Bigdaddyjug]

I think an empyreal-blooded sorcerer 2/fate inquisition + fire domain cleric of sarenrae 1/mystic theurge 9 (for a PFS build) works better. Not needing to pump 2 casting stats allows you to get Dex and Con up a bit more to help with HP and ranged touch attacks. If you're taking this build to level 20, you can get to an effective level of 15 in both classes, which gets you 7th level arcane and divine spells.

You're definitely going to want Spell Specialization as a feat with this build, and probably Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (evocation). I would also take Magical Lineage (fireball) and Wayang Spellhunter (fireball). Then take whatever metamagics you want to apply to your fireballs and you an blast out of arcane and divine slots. With one of those traits, you can add one of the following metamagics to fireball and still cast it out of a 3rd level slot: silent, still, intensified, selective, toppling or pircing. With both of those traits, you can add 2 of the previous metamagics, or one of the following: empowered and persistent.

You can use your 1st and 2nd level slots for buffs, and blast with everything 3rd level and higher. And chances are, you'll never run out of spells.