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I'm currently GMing a game of Way of the Wicked. Most any wizard could work well. Why not try something that you haven't played before?
A necromancer might fit the theme, but there aren't hordes of undead to control. But I imagine your party won't mind killing some people to make corpses. The cleric will probably still be much better at this though.
Talk with your GM and see if he might allow you to eventually become a lich. (There are special rules for this in one of the WotW books; perhaps book 5 has the rules, but I forget.)
If you really want to annoy your GM, take up the divination school. Your additional spell slots will be used mostly for underpowered spells... until you find a really clever way to ruin your GMs day. This won't work as well if your GM doesn't read or prepare ahead in the adventure path.
Divination has the best school powers in the game. Unfortunately, until the high levels many of the spells are redundant or highly situational. It still makes for a highly effective Wizard.
Conjuration specialist is always a top choice as well, combining very good school powers with the best school of spells. Specialize in summoning and planar binding, and take Improved Familiar to have an Imp. Use the Teleportation school powers to great effect, in combat and infiltration. Ask your GM if the Shift ability works with Dimensional Agility - If he's generous, he may even allow you to qualify for it at level 1.
I'm a player in WotW and I'm an Alchemist. Great fun all around and very versatile!
We also have a sorceress, I think she's mostly a blaster with favorite spells like magic missile and scorching ray. And she has the infernal bloodline, which fits very well thematically in the campaign.
Furthermore: Ranger/rogue (gestalt) and Anti-Paladin.
But the wizard with his toolbox of spells for every need would be highly useful. There's so much to do in that campaign, it's awesome: sneaking in, sneaking out, outsmarting the good guys, defending a keep (sort of), ...
I wouldn't specialize if I were you though!
I'd take Diabolist PRC, even if its only one level. The imp animal companion is REALLY strong and theres no loss of caster level. And practically speaking it's a perfect class for worshiping Asmodeus.
As far as school, Divination (Scrying and foresight), Conjuration (Teleportation) and Evocation(Admixture) are all very strong choices. I'm overall against blasting, but Paizo has done a lot to make it much much better than it was when its core only, so I think its a very strong choice now.
If I was doing necromancer I'd go undead lord, its a very very strong build, especially if you can get most the rest of your party to figure out ways to get negative energy affinity. Its one of the few ways healing in combat is VERY effective!
Based off what Phillip said you may want to consider arcane trickster as well. That will fill in the gaps nicely, and spells compliment skills very very nicely.
P.S. By raw dimenisonal agility works with the shift ability.
As a side note, if you could somehow talk your gm into letting you take a dark race (Stalker, Slayer, Creeper) you can get in really early. The most reasonable one is creeper, who has +1d6 SA and darkness as a SLA, so one level of rogue (or ninja or whatever) and one wizard level and you could go straight into arcane trickster. I know its a stretch, but since I know WOTW encourages races outside the box it may be a good pick up!
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But the wizard with his toolbox of spells for every need would be highly useful. There's so much to do in that campaign, it's awesome: sneaking in, sneaking out, outsmarting the good guys, defending a keep (sort of), ...
This is very true. Every PC in WotW gains 2 additional skill points per level. The entire Kingdom is out to get the PCs, so you will need every skill, ability, and spell you can get.
I would still specialize, though. The benefits from specialization are pretty strong, especially if you go with some of the suggestions from the above posters.
If I was doing necromancer I'd go undead lord, its a very very strong build, especially if you can get most the rest of your party to figure out ways to get negative energy affinity.
We have an undead lord in our campaign. He is, arguably, the most powerful PC in the group. Plus, it is just pure fun when he turns the good guys into zombies then sends them back into town to sow confusion and create havoc.
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I will be Honest If your going Wizard a Transmuter is a strong option. Not only do you get 1 extra spell Transmutation. Its 1 free spell from the largest Magic School.
Now if you need help getting an Idea of an evil Transmutation Wizard just think of Karzoug The Runelord of Greed. He was a Sin Magic user but It didn't seem to bother him Loosing both Enchantment and Illusion. If sin magic doesn't appeal to you just go Regular Transmutation and Drop schools like Divination and Enchantment. You can use your spells to turn people into stuff against their will. Or you can use them on your familiar and let him have fun too. Nothing like turning your familiar into Form of the Dragon and Letting him wreck havoc.
A few other Ideas for Evil spell caster:
Witch: Slumber Hex OP yo...Make her a enchantment specialist or you could do the Cook People hex....delightfully evil.
Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple: Nice stat boosts...slower spells but great Bloodline Powers/Feats to help that. Playing a Dragon is extreme fun. Half-elf Paragon Surge Abuse is what we are going for. No need to cross Blood when you Eldritch Heritage+ Paragon surge you answers...hey and you still get a familiar to use Form of the Dragon on. =) 2 dragons in 1 character....sweet!
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I just looked into the Agent of the Grave prestige class. I wasn't aware of it before. Do you want to eventually become undead? If so, I recommend talking to your GM. There are (optional) ways to become undead in WotW without having to take 5 levels of a prestige class first. There are also lists of (optional) feats and items for undead characters. Ask your GM about it. In my opinion, the options presented in the campaign are better than the Agent of the Grave class. (I just checked, and most of the info is in the back of Book 5.)
Also, you can't become an Agent of the Grave until level 9. You need to reach 8th level as a wizard to gain access to Animate Dead.
Many of the class features of Agent of the Grave will be redundant if you become undead. If you can't become undead, then the final class feature is pointless. Here are a few thougths:
Spells per Day/Spells Known -- You lose one caster level at 1st level, but that's it. I don't really think the abilities you gain are worth what you lose.
Inspired Necromancy -- This is pretty good if you can find a handful of powerful creatures to raise. Otherwise, 20 extra skeletons won't do a lot for you (except slow you down). At Wizard 8/AotG 5 you could control 72 HD of undead. You could have 2 ancient red dragon zombies, in theory. Good luck with that.
Lich’s Touch -- You don't want to be close enough to touch your enemies. The ability to heal yourself at 4th level is okay.
Unholy Fortitude -- This is only useful if your charisma is higher than your constitution. If you become undead you get this anyway.
Undead Manipulator -- You are fighting the good guys, so you won't be up against undead all that often. But this ability is somewhat useful if you have to fight undead.
Negative Energy Conduit -- This is a good buff to your undead minions. It also moves along with you, unlike the desecrate spell. It doesn't last as long, and you can only use it once a day.
Negative Energy Affinity -- This is useless if you become undead. Otherwise, it will help a little with healing in an evil campaign.
Secrets of Death -- Adding a few Divine spells to your spell list is a good thing.
Undeath Initiate -- Pointless unless your GM allows you to become undead.
Do you mean the cleric Archetype undead? I wanted to the Agent of the Grave prestige class (its only 5 levels and I keep my spells) Do you think its worth it as a wizard necromancer?
We have an undead lord in our campaign. He is, arguably, the most powerful PC in the group. Plus, it is just pure fun when he turns the good guys into zombies then sends them back into town to sow confusion and create havoc.
Ya, I meant the cleric archetype. Clerics make much better necromancers, with earlier access to spells, and having sole access to some important ones. Undead Lords are even better (IMO, regardless of what the undead guide says, many people agree with me). I played one until about level 14 and he was very very powerful!
And if you did take undead lord, I recommend undeath variant bloodline. It takes nothing away when channeling to harm, but increases by 50% to heal. At level 8 it would go up to 100% of healing, then at 16 its maximised.
Agent of the grave is ok, but I hate loosing caster levels, and its better for oracles/sorcerers. They get a huge bonus to HP's. I personally wouldn't use it for a necromancer, but I know people who would.
Its trading out a domain for a corpse companion, 2 bonus feats(both of which you were going to get anyway), and getting both empowered and maximized on your channel energy and negative energy healing spells. I really don't see how thats crap....the 2 feats alone are probably worth a domain, everything else is gravy.
All of a sudden mass harm spells are more useful(good damage, better healing), and channeling to heal in combat is valid. At level 16 a channel is healing 144(192 if you pick undeath variant channeling), and at 17 you can use mass harm to deal 170 damage, but heal 340 at the same time! If you can get most your party onboard to get negative energy affinity its that much better.
Do you mean the cleric Archetype undead? I wanted to the Agent of the Grave prestige class (its only 5 levels and I keep my spells) Do you think its worth it as a wizard necromancer?
We have an undead lord in our campaign. He is, arguably, the most powerful PC in the group. Plus, it is just pure fun when he turns the good guys into zombies then sends them back into town to sow confusion and create havoc.
Ya, I meant the cleric archetype. Clerics make much better necromancers, with earlier access to spells, and having sole access to some important ones. Undead Lords are even better (IMO, regardless of what the undead guide says, many people agree with me). I played one until about level 14 and he was very very powerful!
And if you did take undead lord, I recommend undeath variant bloodline. It takes nothing away when channeling to harm, but increases by 50% to heal. At level 8 it would go up to 100% of healing, then at 16 its maximised.
Agent of the grave is ok, but I hate loosing caster levels, and its better for oracles/sorcerers. They get a huge bonus to HP's. I personally wouldn't use it for a necromancer, but I know people who would.
It's less that undead lord is complete garbage (which it is), and more that every other option for a cleric is better.
There's no mechanical argument for switching out a domain for a low level corpse companion. It just isn't good.
OP, clerics make great necros (I myself think Juju oracles are best, but I digress), but undead lords are bad, bad, bad, and, oh yeah- bad.
This might be enough bads.
My suggestion: Play a Tiefling Fiendish Vessel. Channel to heal and harm. Create bloody skeletons to guard you.
WIzard is good but in an Asmodean flavored campaign, you will reap more benefits by being a cleric.
Since it is an evil game, what kind of evil wizard would you make for this? Assuming an alignment of Lawful Evil.
I like Wizards but lately been getting a little frustrated by them. So I am looking for advice on how to build a fun LE wizard to play.
Thanks.
Honestly, if you've been getting frustrated with Wizards, try something a little different. Try a Human Sorcerer with the Arcane Bloodline - or better yet, one with the Fey or Sylvan Bloodline and then access the Arcane Bloodline via Eldritch heritage feats. You'll have a massive array of spells known, be able to cast them and add in metamagic feats on the fly as and when you need them. Might even have a not-so-nice Animal Companion and/or Familiar to run interference for you when the good guys show up.
Its my absolute favorite full caster to play - if you want any help putting together such a character, just drop me a line.
