We're starting at level three and I don't see us going past six so we're talking more about fun-cool factor here than strictly optimization though I fing optimized fun.
I'm the only optimizer in the group so no fear of falling behind either.
I'm playing a half-orc wizard who's going to pick up one level of fighter so I can use arcane armor proficiency.
My current thought was starting with fighter 1/wizard 2 (earth elemental school)
Feats; power attack, furious focus and arcane strike.
But then I figured I'd have to wait for level 5 to get arcane armor training.
My other thought was start with wizard 3 then pick up fighter 1 next level to get arcane armor training at 4
I wouldn't know what Feat to pick instead of power attack then however. It doesn't seem worth it for me to loose one to hit when my BAB will be going wizard other than that one level of fighter.
So what do you guys think?
1) which do you think is better?
2) what would you take instead of power attack, or would you just take power attack without furious focus?
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I'm not sure why you are taking fighter at all. I would just go pure wizard, use your half-orc falchion or greataxe proficency, and rely on mage armor for protection. Low-level it should be fine, and use your feat for toughness. With a decent STR you will hit enough and do enough damage to fill in as a fighter without needing to lower your caster level.
I second Imbicatus' advice, and would also add that Arcane Armor Training + Mithril still only works up to a Chain Shirt, which only provides as much armor as Mage Armor unless you spend more gold to enhance it (and at low levels you probably can't afford more than a +1 without sacrificing from weapon and wondrous items). Incidentally, a Mithril chain shirt has no armor check penalty, which means no non-proficiency penalty anyways.
Furious Focus is not a very good feat, and at low levels when you're only taking a -1 penalty anyways, Weapon Focus is better. Hell, Craft Wondrous Item is better. If you use your Falchion as your bonded item, you can practically double your WBL, or at least get an effectively 1:1 return on investment from selling magic items nobody wants.
Also, if your first level is Wizard you can't take Power Attack or Weapon Focus at level 1 due to the +1 BAB requirement. Toughness is probably your best bet there.
So if you go full Wizard:
1: Toughness
3: Power Attack or Arcane Strike
5: Weapon Focus or Arcane Strike, Craft Wondrous Item
If you weren't using those Swift Actions anyways, Arcane Strike may work out to having better damage than Power Attack; with 1/2 BAB it may be best to go Arcane Strike + Weapon Focus and forget Power Attack altogether.
Go magus or the Acanist archetype that gets spell combat?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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What a lot of people don't realize is that the fighter/wizard has the same BAB progression as a pure wizard. He gets his increases at odd-numbered levels instead of even, but he's still a half-BAB character.
So, at 2nd level, your fighter1/wiz1 has the same BAB as a wiz2. And at 6th when your campaign ends, guess what? Fighter1/wiz5 has +3 BAB, same as the wiz6.
It's not until 12th level that the classic Fighter/Wizard/EK finally has the same BAB as even a 3/4 BAB class (and even then you're behind, since every 3/4 BAB class in the game—except the rogue—has some built-in way of boosting accuracy).
So, the fighter dip is really only relevant if you desperately need the bonus feat/proficiencies, or if you're qualifying for EK (which is only worthwhile in the late game, if at all).
Ultimately, you're better off playing either a 3/4 BAB caster (cleric, bard, magus, etc) or just playing a wizard with fighter-like stats.
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You also may want to look at Transmutation instead of the Earth Elemental School. The physical stat enhancement may give you more than +1 to hit&damage, and it is always available, unlike earth's bonus which requires both you and your target to be on the ground. Especially if you GM rules that wooden floors are not "ground".
We randomly rolled for classes so I'm half orc with at least two levels of wizard (of my starting 3) either way.
I had forgoten the part about mithril chain having no penalty so thank you for that.
The armor is kind of important to a concept that I'm building on.
In the days to come I want to play an EK, an arcane duelist and a magus to feel out these classes. I've pretty much been playing god wizard's and other buff, debuff controlled classes for my whole career and now I really want some oomph out of my magic.
As a side note I fail to see how you think furious focus is not a good Feat? Have you read it? I'm not going to be getting a second attack until level nine. Weapon focus is a +1 its whole career. Furious focus raises increadibly. It essentially makes power attack viable for characters without full BAB who use two handed weapons
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Furious Focus is a +1 to one attack until level 8 on a Wizard. When it raises to +2. This is ignoring the fact that as a half orc you can have two attacks from level one with the tusked trait. By using Arcane Strike instead, you have a scaling damage boost without an accuracy penalty, that will scale faster than power attack growth, and isn't reduced on your bite attack.
I hadn't considered that he might rule that way on wood. I'll ask.
That our campaign doesn't just end at 6 it just aways tends to fizzle away at 6 but we usually start at 1. Hmm yeah all your arguments are pretty solid. Call me convinced on dropping fighter.
As for transmutation its an enhancement bonus so its easily achieved from other areas, even at low levels, right?
enhancement is from bulls str for minute per level and from a belt, which is 4000 for a +2 and 16000 for a +4 and 16000 for 2 +2s. So at lv 5 it's the same as 4000 gold. But if you put it into another stat and buy a belt it's worth 12000gp.
Furious focus is the same as weapon focus till lv8 and applies to AoO too.
enhancement is from bulls str for minute per level and from a belt, which is 4000 for a +2 and 16000 for a +4 and 16000 for 2 +2s. So at lv 5 it's the same as 4000 gold. But if you put it into another stat and buy a belt it's worth 12000gp.
Furious focus is the same as weapon focus till lv8 and applies to AoO too.
Also as a full Wizard, he will have access to Haste at level 5 for another extra attack.
Are you allowed to use the bloodrager, alchemist, arcane duelist bard, or magus?
Do you need to restrict yourself to arcane casters for your concept of magically buffed warrior?
Cleric, Paladin, Druid, Inquisitor, Warpriest, Oracle all do that, too.
Okay so here's some more background on this character, for transmuter, it works thematically and was my original plan. His mentor was an alchemist that wanted to be a wizard but for a few reasons could never get past using potions.
His stats are 16/15/13/18/11/11
Rolled for stats. So I figure transmuter would be great at 5th when I get +2
Then I thought about playing an elemental school because I never have.
Rereading now I guess I'm fuzzy on wood. Does the attack and damage insight bonus increase when the CMD does? I had thought so before but rereading it now Im having second thoughts.
As for the other classes I know they're magical warriors and I enjoy playing them but im going for this specific flavour because I haven't done arcane melee before and for some reasons my witch kept falling into melee in another campaign I'm in currently and I really enjoy it
Go magus or the Acanist archetype that gets spell combat?
Sadly the Blade Adept Arcanist doesn't get Spell Combat. They do gain access to Spellstrike at 5th level.