CO Challenge : The Tier 1 of Tier 1 Wizards..."The Ultimate Magus"

[KellKheraptis]

So here's the scuttlebutt : Wizards, at least IMHO are the top of the Tier 1 classes, given that they are a single spell away from the spells of any other class (not explaining this, but we all know that "S" word), and even so are gifted with the most fucking righteous list themselves (we can fuck with time without "Cheatering", so there Clericzilla!).  The base of our power will be *big shock* a Dragonwrough White Dragonspawn Loredrake Venerable Kobold, as it allows classless entry into UM.  All alternate rules are considered available, so we will be retraining ourselves down to one level of Wizard, the rest PrC's, and at current moment, the pre-epic final build I'm thinking of is Wizard 1/Incantatrix 4/War Weaver 5/Ultimate Magus 10, giving Wizard 17/Sorc 14 at 20th level, and a CL of at least 20 in each.  The next 5 I'm seeing as Archmage 1 (for Arcane Reach to reduce feats needed for the Incantaluran trick DWBL posted on the other CO board)/Spellguard 4 (for increasing the efficiency of War Weaver, though this may not be necessary), but again, is also open to debate.  This character is for a high powered level 25 game, and also a level 10 game, and the idea is to make it playable at all levels, while keeping the base idea intact.

The main premises of War Weaver and UM are economy of actions, and when combined with Incantatrix, allows for Sorc novas without losing the raw versatility of a Wizard.  Also, we haven't wasted a single actual level on Sorc, so where we finish the sorc spell selection is debatable.  I can maneuver the above around to get 18th/18th casting, for dual arcane 9's, and given what's available in epic (read : mythal that can replicate the power of certain rings...), losing a couple CL's that are made up for by UM and Practiced Spellcaster feats can result in a ton more possible spells/actions available.

Also, since everything is available, we've got a TON of feats available to work with.  By my count :

Court of Thieves : 1 Feat for 6,000gp
Heward's Hall : 1 Feat, However many Bardic Music feats there are, all item creation feats, and however many Perform skills there are in feats, each for 5,000gp
Highest Spire : 2 Feats for 3,000gp each.  Nice and cheap!
Iron Wyrm's Vault : 8 Feats for 3,000gp each.  W00t!  More cheap retrainable feats!
Otyugh's Hole : 4 Feats, one of which we keep, for 3,000gp each.

So all we need is gold, of which we have 2,100,000.  Go nuts.

Lastly, here are some references for all of this material :
Dragonborn Kobold Racial Stats[/u]
[spoiler]-4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +3 Int, +3 Wis, +3 Cha, +8 Natural Armor, Mind aspect Dragonborn, Ex Flight (twice land speed, average maneuverability), Breath Weapon 1d6 Cold, Low Light Vision and Darkvision[/spoiler]
Wizard rules used[/u]
[spoiler]Domain Wizard, Abrupt Jaunt, maybe Martial Wizard[/spoiler]
Incantatrix Benefits[/u]
[spoiler]2 Metamagic Feats (1st and 4th), Metamagic Effect (Spellcraft check to add a metamagic feat to an existing spell), Cooperative Metamagic[/spoiler]
War Weaver Benefits[/u]
[spoiler]Eldritch Tapestry, Quiescent Weave 4 (store 4 spells in the Tapestry), Enlarge Tapestry[/spoiler]
Ultimate Magus Benefits[/u]
[spoiler]Spell Power +4, Add 5 spells from Wiz list to Sorc list known, burn slots from one list to power metamagic on the other (up to 5th level slots), 2 metamagic feats[/spoiler]
Archmage[/u]
Is only used for Arcane Reach.  Next!
Spellguard[/u]
[spoiler]2 Metamagic Feats, Spellguard (designates spells as defensive under a certain criteria), Selective spell (blah blah), oh and the RP Fluff of being part of the guard until level 25 when you resign[/spoiler]

Will edit in the manditories (feats, spells, contingencies, etc) later.  Have at!

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Remember that kobolds get racial martial weapons prof feats.

Also, consider the Sharn + LA buyoff as an alternate caster.  Sure, it only casts as a sorcerer/favored soul gestalt.  But it gets an extra standard action/round, and casts everything as spell-likes.  That's right, no components required

[Negative Zero]

Is that comparable to the Phaerimm, who gets sorcerer casting equal to its HD that stack with sorcerer casting?

[Emy]

What, no Spelldancer for REDONKULOUS metamagic use?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

The sharn is 4HD, plus 5 LA.  The LA is a real pain, but it casts as a sorcerer/favored soul of sixth level (which explicitly stacks with class levels, including, mystic theurge), except all the spells are cast as if they were spell-like abilities.  And no, you can't just shapechange into it.  You've got archetypical shape (ex).  You can also create up to three "hex portals", and direct your casting from anywhere within 100 feet.  Stick yourself inside a prismatic sphere, and strike with impunity.

If I remember how LA buyoff works, you'll be able to reduce your LA by two points by level 20, giving you dual ninth level spells.  You can't cast two spells from the same list/round, but casting a sorcerer and favored soul spell is A-OK.


It's in the appendix of Anauroch - the empire of shade.

[Emy]

The sharn is 4HD, plus 5 LA.

If I remember how LA buyoff works, you'll be able to reduce your LA by two points by level 20, giving you dual ninth level spells.  You can't cast two spells from the same list/round, but casting a sorcerer and favored soul spell is A-OK.

If ECL 20 is the cap, and you're not going into epic, you won't be able to buy off a single point.

See this table from the SRD. You'll only be able to remove one point of LA after reaching 15 class levels... which is ECL 24.

[Suzerain]

Is that comparable to the Phaerimm, who gets sorcerer casting equal to its HD that stack with sorcerer casting?

No. I'd say that's TO, though.

What, no Spelldancer for REDONKULOUS metamagic use?

Well... spelldance needs rounds/level adjustment of the metamagic feat to prepare. So it's only useful for all-day buffs. But add on the gist of the Twice Betrayer build and you have a persistify-anything monster. I like it

[KellKheraptis]

Phaerimm if I recall are basically spellcasting worms?  Either those or the Sharn were...most likely not flying under the radar AT ALL.  Though a kobold might, so long as I play up on him NOT being Pun-pun.  I didn't feel the need to add Spelldancer, one for the sheer prerequisites, and two for the fact I was going to use Incantatrix.  Same basic principle, easier to aquire, more metamagic, less waste.  As for races with racial spellcasting, a Bozak would be the prefered choice, but then I'd have to deal with fewer Wizard levels.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

The sharn is 4HD, plus 5 LA.

If I remember how LA buyoff works, you'll be able to reduce your LA by two points by level 20, giving you dual ninth level spells.  You can't cast two spells from the same list/round, but casting a sorcerer and favored soul spell is A-OK.

If ECL 20 is the cap, and you're not going into epic, you won't be able to buy off a single point.

See this table from the SRD. You'll only be able to remove one point of LA after reaching 15 class levels... which is ECL 24.

Ah, my mistake.  I misremembered whether or not it included HD.

[BowenSilverclaw]

given that they are a single spell away from the spells of any other class (not explaining this, but we all know that "S" "P" word)

Sooner than you think

[JaronK]

Loredrake is, IIRC, a Sorc 6 substitution, so you can't take it without actual Sorc levels.

JaronK

[Negative Zero]

Nope. Any True Dragon can be a Loredrake, even if they can't cast spells yet. It's a Sovereign Archetype, so the only real requirement is that they 'Follow the Thir faith' and try to embody either Aureon or The Shadow.

[KellKheraptis]

Next CO question/idea : how would PAO/Rebuilding race fuck with inbuilt sorc spellcasting?  I.E. stay kobold only so long as it's useful and then change race into something nicer.  Also, bear in mind that the Kobold race isn't set in stone, as the idea is to build the absolute godliest metamagic-ed war weaver monster wizard ever, short of Pun-ification.

[Sinfire Titan]

Nope. Any True Dragon can be a Loredrake, even if they can't cast spells yet. It's a Sovereign Archetype, so the only real requirement is that they 'Follow the Thir faith' and try to embody either Aureon or The Shadow.

It does require the ability cast Arcane Spells at a certain level (caster or otherwise I don't remember).

[BowenSilverclaw]

Nope. Any True Dragon can be a Loredrake, even if they can't cast spells yet. It's a Sovereign Archetype, so the only real requirement is that they 'Follow the Thir faith' and try to embody either Aureon or The Shadow.

It does require the ability cast Arcane Spells at a certain level (caster or otherwise I don't remember).

[spoiler]SOVEREIGN ARCHETYPES
(snip) All true dragons have the potential to use arcane
magic. Most have the ability to select spells from the
cleric spell list and certain domains. This variant rule
instead provides a dragon with a special ability based on
the Sovereign archetype it chooses to follow. This special
ability replaces the optional spell selection abilities a
dragon normally possesses; as such, a silver dragon that
adopts the child of Eberron archetype can no longer
cast cleric spells or those from the Air, Good, Law, and
Sun domains. Those wholly unable to cast cleric spells
(black, green, and white) lose nothing when they adopt a
Sovereign archetype. (snip)


LOREDRAKESovereigns: Aureon, The Shadow.
Benefit:

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle?  On or off?

[KellKheraptis]

Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle?  On or off?

This I am only vaguely familiar with...is that the FC devotion to an elder evil thing that basically gives you NI bonus feats?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Nah, it's the FC pair of spells that let you change out any feats you have for any feats you qualify for.

For example, you could trade your familiar's "alertness" feat you get when you're within 5' for something useful.  Like improved initiative.

[KellKheraptis]

   You mean it's a legal 3.5 mirror move??!  SCORE!  Batman just became Fused SSJ4 Batjeta

EDIT : Now to snag an IL, a ML, and a "fighter level", and we can instantly emulate any class in the game...only better...with two spell lists.  P.W.N.T.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Sort of.  It doesn't give you more feats than you already have, but, for example, all racial weapon/armor proficiencies are considered to be feats. 

There are several other ways to pick up awful feats for free (for example, there's a really cheap amulet that lets you use other people as sources for XP.  Craft five of them, and you get a feat that lets you transfer XP from people without magical item assistance.  That's pretty useless, given you have five of those amulets already, so just trade it for, say, quicken spell.


Of course, action point abuse with heroics and unfettered heroism does get you a lot of tradeable feats...