Hi all!
So my GM has decided to run Night of the Gray death for my group in a few weeks. Its very exciting to play at high level, something that I've never gotten the chance to do throughout all my TTRPG experience (across 5e and 2e lol). Of course I threw myself into the most complicated high level build I could think of. I would love the communities feedback to see if there's any really good option I missed (particularly in items and spells as those are really hard to parse single handedly). Huge shoutouts to Grotle and Tarondor's spell and wizard guides respectfully. Really helped me get a starting place in the 16 levels of content to sift through. The adventure runs from levels 16-18 and there is no Free Archetype.
Build: Halcyon Universalist Wizard
Ancestry: Human, Half-Orc
1- Natural Ambition (Reach Spell)
5- Orc Superstition
9- Pervasive superstition
13- Spell Devourer
Class: Universalist Wizard
Thesis: Spell Substitution
Bonus Feat- Familiar
2- Magaambyan Attendant
4- Enhanced familiar
6- Halcyon Speaker Dedication
8- Bond Conservation
10- Halcyon Spellcasting Initiate
12- Flexible Halcyon Spellcasting
14- Cascade Bearer Spellcasting
16- Halcyon Spellcasting Adept
Stats and Saves:
AC: 37
10 str 20 dex 18 con 20 int 18 wis 12 cha
+26 Fort +27 Reflex +26 Will (+1 to all saves against magic)
Notable Items:
+2 Greater Resilient Deathless Leather Armor
Staff of Divination Major
Hat of the Magi (Greater)
Endless Grimoire (Major)
Wands (2nd Longstrider, 4th false life, Menace of Mind, Ocular Overload)
Bag of Holding Type 1
Cantrips
Divine Lance (NG)
Ray of Frost
Scatter Scree
Guidance (attendant dedication)
1st
Heal
Lose the Path
Protector Tree
2nd
Restoration
Calm Emotions
Faerie Fire
3rd
Circle of Protection
Heroism
Whirling Scarves
4th
Bloodspray curse
Elemental Gift
Remove Curse
5th
Synesthesia
Breath of Life
Illusory Object
Invisibility
Haste
Slow
Dimension Door
Wall of Stone
Shadow Siphon
Disintegrate
Chain Lightning
True Target
Tempest of Shades
Maze
Dispel Magic (8th)
As for my actual wizards spells I'm fairly certain there's over 50 or so since I spent a chunk of my extra gold padding out my spell list. I would love to hear any spells you guys think are MUST haves on the arcane spell list or maybe just ones you think are unassuming but you had a good time with!
Thanks everyone in advance!
Two small things.
1. Where is the bonus feat for the familiar coming from? I'm just curious, and making sure it's not coming from the 1st-level feat that wizards used to have, because that was an error and has since been removed via errata.
2. You may want to consider swapping from leather armor to robes. Your 20 in Dex means that you are better-protected in robes, which are at Expert proficiency, than with your armor, which as far as I can tell you aren't trained in at all, though I'm assuming you'd pick up Armor Proficiency with your general feat pick. Even then, you are better-protected in robes because they are a tier higher.
1. Universalist Wizards get a first level wizard feat :-)!
2. You’re right about the wizard robes! Il do a quick change around to get my character in better armor/clothing.
Universalist + Spell Substitution just don't work together. Spell Substitution works better if you have a high number of spell slots and Universalists have reduced spell slots.
Also, Spell Substitution is the hardest Thesis to play well. Most people nearly never use it, and only to save a bit on utility scrolls. A spell substituer substitutes easily half of its spell list every day, which is a playstyle that is hard to master.
Also, Wands are too weak. You should buy Scrolls instead of Wands and just forget about them as they are way too expensive for what they give you.
Lastly, the most usable guide in my opinion is Blue Frog's guide to the Spell Blending Wizard. It's the most practical one (I haven't read Gortle's one so I can't comment on this one).
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Universalist + Spell Substitution just don't work together. Spell Substitution works better if you have a high number of spell slots and Universalists have reduced spell slots.
While, you are not wrong about the obvious spell slot issue with Universalist + Spell Substitution, that coupling can actually work pretty well. When you find out that X will work pretty well if you have 10 min to spare, you can prepare that and have a DBI for extra use.
Also, Universalist, per RAW on DBI, can DBI once per spell level. So, if you have different casting pools (like the OPs Halcyon), you can DBI with those slots instead, should that be more useful (like another casting of Synesthesia).
Spell Substitution per RAW works with any prepared spell slots that you have (like the OPs Halcyon slots).
StarlingSweeter, excellent choices for wands. You might put Energy Aegis on your list, if it is not already there.
Flammable Fumes is a solid spell you might consider. Note, it does not give a save opportunity.
Bond Conservation is a bit of a wild card on how useful it can be (very - not at all). I might point you in the direction of Tempest-Sun Redirection. It is a minor debuff to your damage while being a solid personal defense buff that would stack with any resistance or DR you might be able to scrounge up.
All-in-all StarlingSweeter, that is a very solid build, nicely done.
Universalist + Spell Substitution just don't work together. Spell Substitution works better if you have a high number of spell slots and Universalists have reduced spell slots.While, you are not wrong about the obvious spell slot issue with Universalist + Spell Substitution, that coupling can actually work pretty well. When you find out that X will work pretty well if you have 10 min to spare, you can prepare that and have a DBI for extra use.
It's just that I see much more than that in Spell Substitution. If you have 10mn to spare you are not in a stressful situation and your party gonna find a way to handle the obstacle.
The real strength of Spell Substitution is that you can prepare your spell list for the next break and not for your next daily preparations. So instead of preparing your spells for 2 to 5 encounters, you prepare your spells for a single encounter as you will review your spell list afterward. It's a tough way of playing, but it allows you to have a far wider spell list than other Theses. But for that, you need spell slots, so no Universalist. With Universalist, you lose roughly half of your versatility for nothing (as you can switch a spell if you need it so Universalist doesn't give you anything).And Wands are too expensive for their use. A Wand of Longstrider, for example, will be useful once per level at most. As it doesn't allow you to cast Longstrider (if you didn't had the Wand you'd have prepared it in your spell slot) it allows you to cast the spell you prepare instead of Longstrider. This spell, you won't cast it more than once per level. Considering the price of the Wand, buying Scrolls is way better.
Anyway, I find the Wizard to be super interesting, as you can really squeeze a lot of power from it if you play it well. So I encourage people to play it to its best, but it's tough. That's why I consider Spell Blending to be the go to Thesis: It's strong and easy to use. I vastly agree with Blue Frog's guide on that.
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It's just that I see much more than that in Spell Substitution. If you have 10mn to spare you are not in a stressful situation and your party gonna find a way to handle the obstacle.
The real strength of Spell Substitution is that you can prepare your spell list for the next break and not for your next daily preparations. So instead of preparing your spells for 2 to 5 encounters, you prepare your spells for a single encounter as you will review your spell list afterward. It's a tough way of playing, but it allows you to have a far wider spell list than other Theses. But for that, you need spell slots, so no Universalist. With Universalist, you lose roughly half of your versatility for nothing (as you can switch a spell if you need it so Universalist doesn't give you anything).
I would counter with, there exists parts of the game that are not combat.
This character is a spell substitution universalist. A large number of times I have reprepared a different spell for the next encounter (due to it being obvious that it would be very effective) and then using DBI to cast it again. Essentially, I used 10 min to reprepare 2 spell slots. While it is true that universalists get less spell slots, when you include DBI, it is less by 1.
Also, again, based on the OPs build, the DBIs gained from universalist can be used on the halcyon slots as well. That adds A LOT of versatility.
And Wands are too expensive for their use. A Wand of Longstrider, for example, will be useful once per level at most. As it doesn't allow you to cast Longstrider (if you didn't had the Wand you'd have prepared it in your spell slot) it allows you to cast the spell you prepare instead of Longstrider. This spell, you won't cast it more than once per level. Considering the price of the Wand, buying Scrolls is way better.
This confuses me. Are you gaining 1 level per day?
Anyway, I find the Wizard to be super interesting, as you can really squeeze a lot of power from it if you play it well. So I encourage people to play it to its best, but it's tough. That's why I consider Spell Blending to be the go to Thesis: It's strong and easy to use. I vastly agree with Blue Frog's guide on that.
I agree that Spell Blending is great for power. It is very much not great for versatility.
Thanks everyone whos responded so far! I really appreciate the different opinions and perspectives. I think overall universalist is pretty important to the flavor I am gunning for so despite Blue's sound advice I think Il be pressing forward with Universalist + Bond Conservation.
That being said I really appreciate the insight to wands vs scrolls. I think Il save some gold by buying some scrolls of each spell I would have in a wand and use the saved gold to get spell catalysts and tattoos i have had my eye on. The math works out that to get my return on investment I would need to use the wand 10-13 times.
As for Spell blending vs Substitution I really like both. Initially I really liked Substitution since I get anxiety worrying about preparing the wrong spell list. Substitution allows me to prepare things like veil/invisibility if we wanted to do some subterfuge or even suggestion/charm in high slots if we wanted to influence. Also while being able to swap out to to after-combat assessment. Since I am able to prepare my halcyon spells in wizard slots it gives me a lot of versatility especially with things like restoration and heal. Gives me 10 minutes and I can cure any debuff in the game.
Though I hadn't taken a hard look at spell blending before this though. Could I use it with halcyon slots to get more halcyon 4th and 5th levels? Would it still be worth taking if I went Universalist Spellblender or would the extra slots from schools be too valuable to pass up? (Assuming my GM lets me blend them that it).
A scroll of energy aegis is DEFINITLY going on my list.
And Wands are too expensive for their use. A Wand of Longstrider, for example, will be useful once per level at most. As it doesn't allow you to cast Longstrider (if you didn't had the Wand you'd have prepared it in your spell slot) it allows you to cast the spell you prepare instead of Longstrider. This spell, you won't cast it more than once per level. Considering the price of the Wand, buying Scrolls is way better.This confuses me. Are you gaining 1 level per day?
Let me make it clearer.
Let say your second level spells are: Longstrider, Web and Resist Energy. If you have a Wand of Longstrider, your second level spells are: Longstrider (from the Wand), Web, Resist Energy and Acid Arrow. So, your Wand of Longstrider allows you to cast... Acid Arrow, and not Longstrider that you would have prepared anyway. And this last spell, you will nearly never cast it. So this Wand cost you 10 times the price of a Scroll for a spell that you'll cast twice in your whole carreer. It's pointless. Wands are plain bad, never buy any. The only useful wand is Wand of Manifold Missiles, because of its special effects that you can't get without the wand.
it's a reasonable way to 'permanently buy' an extra 2nd level slot.
That's it. And how many times will you need an extra second level spell slot at level 16-18? Certainly not 10 times. More like twice. Hence the fact that Wands are bad.
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Well, less "wands are bad" and more "don't buy wands if you aren't using those spell slots in the first place" which is pretty self-evident, but still something important to keep in mind.
Well, less "wands are bad" and more "don't buy wands if you aren't using those spell slots in the first place" which is pretty self-evident, but still something important to keep in mind.
What I mean is that from level 16 to 18 you won't use the entirety of your level 2 spells more than a couple of times. So instead of buying a Wand to get an extra spell slot, you can buy a couple of Scrolls and get the same number of extra spell cast for 20% of the price.
Hence the "Wands are bad".