Yet another gestalt: duskblade//wizard

[khalathas]

Ok, I've got my class build pretty much set through 20 (the campaign is intended to go to around 30-40ish, but epic planning doesn't concern me at the moment).

There are a few house rules on how MUCH prestige and multiclassing we're allowed to do (2 base classes only, no dips, if you take a class, you go all the way, but you can prestige, as long as you complete the prestige class as well).  Hence:

Dusk20//Wiz8/Abj Champ5/Iot7

Things I CAN do:  Channel wizard "side" spells via duskblade channelling, channel RANGED touch attacks (DM ruled that they are still touch, ranged or not).

What I'm looking for is a bit of 2 things.  Feat suggestions (keeping in mind my silly amount of prereq feats needed), and some specific spell selection.  Obviously the duskblade side is pretty limited and for the most part easy to work with, so I'm looking for underused wizard spells that would compliment a duskblade heavily.  Things I can channel to great effect, wizard buffs that wizards wouldn't normally take due to melee nature, etc.  Chances are I will end up being the party "tank" + out of combat arcanist/utility.  Abjuration's obviously not as powerful of a school as I could have chosen to focus on (not specialized, nothing's restricted), but it fits the nature of the character.  I do tend to build thematically sound characters, not just heaping piles of numbers.

One thing I can't wait for is full round channelling a chain imprisonment (epic feats or other methods to get around the 9th lvl cap).

Thanks guys!  Oh..this is my first request here.

EDIT: Oh sorry, forgot to include a few restrictions.  #1: Campaign setting is FR.  #2: Party alignment is generally good.  This means shadow weave and all the restrictions that go with it.  I'll be avoiding anything of that nature due to character alignment.

[Rebel7284]

What's the starting level?

The feat you want is Arcane Strike.  With this many spell slots, it will be put to good use.

Why wizard 8?  To me, Wizard 5/Abjurant Champion 5/IotSV 7/Incantatrix 3 seems better.

Edit: if this is because of the "must finish PrC" house rule, well then.. finish Incantratrix in Epic... it makes a pretty powerful epic PrC

[khalathas]

Starting at 3rd...Incantatrix was wholly banned due to last campaign dirty tricks.  Arcane strike MIGHT fit into my build..I've already seen it.  Though damage is generally suboptimal...I'm generally looking at more full-channelling to force multiple saves on save-or-screwed type stuff, etc.  Full channel single-target buffs to spread them party-wide...And remember, campaign rules don't allow dips or partial PrCs.

Oh and I re-read the chain imprisonment...pesky "range greater than touch" restriction on chain spell destroyed that aspiration, unless he lets me get away with reach spell + chain spell...

In epic I plan on submitting a homebrew PrC "Master of the Sevenfold Veil" to followup Iot7, but that's for another thread, not here.  If there's a decent 3-level prc (complete...no partial) I can squeeze in, sure..but otherwise wiz8 suits my purposes as well as wiz5/something3.

[Ithamar]

3 level PrC?  Sounds like one of the Paragon classes might fit just perfect, depending on your race.

[Rebel7284]

Ruathar so you live longer and have better skills/saves

edit:

3 level PrC?  Sounds like one of the Paragon classes might fit just perfect, depending on your race.

Those do lose a caster level. :-/

[Hitoshura]

Can't you be an Archivist? With Acadamic Priest feat from Dragonlance: Legend of the Twins you would cast everything Int-Based, by RAW you can still channel divine spells, you would get 2 extra skill points, Secrets and a whole better spell selection, not to say every spell that exists.

A few good spells from Melee Touch:

- Shivering Touch [Frostburn, 3rd level] (dex damage)
- Night's Caress [Libris Mortis, 5th Level] (up to 15d6 damage, con damage)
- Temporal Stasis [8th Level]
- Imprisonment [9th Level]

Don't forget the classics: Wraithstrike, Ferocity of Sanguine Rage (Dragon Magic)

If you can get your hands at a Runestaff, try getting spells like Heal (adept spell list) and Harm (Blighter spell list)

[Ithamar]

Those do lose a caster level. :-/

Depends on how your structure the build really.  If you don't mind losing 1 level of Duskblade, you can keep your Wizard CL perfect.

[Rebel7284]

Those do lose a caster level. :-/

Depends on how your structure the build really.  If you don't mind losing 1 level of Duskblade, you can keep your Wizard CL perfect.

True, also, you can take both.  Not sure if Ruathar is worth the 5th level substitution abilities though (either spontaneous divination or domain granted power are great!)

Also, Smiting Spell is weak, but on theme. +1 adjustment metamagic that lets you store a spell in a weapon and discharge it any time within hour(s).  This can lead to some amusing novas at early-mid levels.  For example, With a +1 Bloodstone, Spell Storing weapon you get 1 Channeled Spell, 1 Empowered Vamp Touch, 1 Smiting Spell, 1 Spell Stored spell.  4 spells in one round + arcane strike for MOAR damage.  Doable as soon as you can afford +3 weapon.

[khalathas]

Rebel, can't mix-n-match which classes I dump levels in for prestiging, per house rules sadly, so if I start dumping wizard for a prc, ALL the levels have to come from wizard.

Oh, race is going to be one of the +int elf types...grey, gold..doesn't matter really as long as it gives +2 int.

Ithamar, that combo sounds fun, I'll look into it.  We can retrain in-game, as long as we justify it in actual play and not just as a way to cheese stuff, so smiting spell might be viable, and can always get rid of it later.

Went wizard over archivist because another player's already laid claim to archivist for his build, and we're trying to restrict classes to 1 each per person (encouraging variety in builds), so that once one's taken, no one else can take it also.

I sorta got shivering touch banned last campaign when I used it to utterly smack down in a single hit, a monster the DM intended us to actually run away from... :\  Critting on 3d6 dex dmg against something that has less than 14 dex (and a TON of con,str,etc) gets a little nasty..

I did see Bite of the Were* lines...up to werebear for +16str and other bonuses looked good to toss a little extra +hit or +dmg into those melee attacks.  Wraithstrike's a given..and along the lines of Iot7 I intend to take some of the lesser-used prismatics, like aura (and stack it along with karmic/retributive/etc auras as well).  I intend to tank along the "punish anyone who attacks me" line, while still remaining as unhittable as possible.  I know abj champion buffs shield, and TECHNICALLY does NOT buff mage armor (despite the obvious thematic want to)...Any other abjuration spells that give an armor bonus?  I think I saw one somewhere, luminous armor.  I want to re-use and stack that abjurant armor bonus as effectively as possible.

I've played pure wizards enough that I can handle the BFC/buff/debuff route easily enough without aid and suggestions...so this is more just a need to look at new ways to use undervalued spells that a duskblade doesn't have access to, and a wizard would never use normally, but a hybrid would love.

I can use any WotC book other than published adventures, limited mostly to FR, but could make some exceptions depending on the specific spell or material. (so any core, any splat, and any FR setting stuff).

[Rebel7284]

Rebel, can't mix-n-match which classes I dump levels in for prestiging, per house rules sadly, so if I start dumping wizard for a prc, ALL the levels have to come from wizard.

That's a strange house rule as technically gestalt has no sides.. you are just taking two classes at once.

For example, if you take Wizard + Elf Paragon at first level.. well you are not progressing any class yet... you aren't even a duskblade.  Then at second level you take Elf Paragon2 + Duskblade and start progressing Wizard with Elf Paragon.

Oh, race is going to be one of the +int elf types...grey, gold..doesn't matter really as long as it gives +2 int.

Fire Elves from Unearthed Arcana are another option.

Ithamar, that combo sounds fun, I'll look into it.  We can retrain in-game, as long as we justify it in actual play and not just as a way to cheese stuff, so smiting spell might be viable, and can always get rid of it later.

Went wizard over archivist because another player's already laid claim to archivist for his build, and we're trying to restrict classes to 1 each per person (encouraging variety in builds), so that once one's taken, no one else can take it also.

I sorta got shivering touch banned last campaign when I used it to utterly smack down in a single hit, a monster the DM intended us to actually run away from... :\  Critting on 3d6 dex dmg against something that has less than 14 dex (and a TON of con,str,etc) gets a little nasty..

I did see Bite of the Were* lines...up to werebear for +16str and other bonuses looked good to toss a little extra +hit or +dmg into those melee attacks.  Wraithstrike's a given..and along the lines of Iot7 I intend to take some of the lesser-used prismatics, like aura (and stack it along with karmic/retributive/etc auras as well).  I intend to tank along the "punish anyone who attacks me" line, while still remaining as unhittable as possible.  I know abj champion buffs shield, and TECHNICALLY does NOT buff mage armor (despite the obvious thematic want to)...Any other abjuration spells that give an armor bonus?  I think I saw one somewhere, luminous armor.  I want to re-use and stack that abjurant armor bonus as effectively as possible.

I've played pure wizards enough that I can handle the BFC/buff/debuff route easily enough without aid and suggestions...so this is more just a need to look at new ways to use undervalued spells that a duskblade doesn't have access to, and a wizard would never use normally, but a hybrid would love.

I can use any WotC book other than published adventures, limited mostly to FR, but could make some exceptions depending on the specific spell or material. (so any core, any splat, and any FR setting stuff).

[Greater] Luminous Armor is in the book of exalted deeds and is a great spell for a good aligned caster.

[X-Codes]

Master Specialist and Geometer are a couple of PrCs worth looking into.  Consider shaving one or two levels of Abjurant Champion for them, beyond Swift Abjuration I don't see you getting much milage about of the abilities.