Author Topic: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard  (Read 4067 times)

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Hallack

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Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« on: September 02, 2009, 05:56:46 PM »
Okay, so I'm in a game (and previous games) with a player that likes the idea of playing a blaster.  Problem is he sucks at it in regards to picking both the right spells and feats.  I do what I can to educate him in how to make a more efficient blaster but that gets back to the ole proverb about leading horses to water.

So what I'm looking for here is some ideas that I can share with him that I may not have considered before.  Keep in mind that this fella has told me 'why take a prc instead of progressing pure wizard for the bonus feat?'  Yeah, it's that bad and I may well be beating a dead horse in even trying to help him but I actually want him to be able to realize the character concept he seems to want to play.

Anyways, Here are some relatively simple Builds and Ideas that I have sent his way.  Any of you have any more good ideas that won't burn too much brain power on his part hehe?  

We have 19 levels to work with and this will be going into epic levels.

Various Magus Options

Option 2 The Simple Arch MageOption 3 The Blasting Ultimate Magus

[spoiler]Wizard 5/Warmage 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Archmage 3
Get that same High Arcana from Archmage as above.

Taking Practiced Spell Caster for the Warmage allows us to have 8th level Warmage spells (up to 4th level) and 17th level Wizard spells.

At 19th level the Caster levels would be 16 for the  Warmage and 21 for the  Wizard

Downside is only fewer high-end spells ie only 1 9th at 19th level but this would add lots of metamagic utility in being able to sacrifice spell slots to add Metamagic on the fly 8 times a day.[/spoiler]

Option 4 The Beguiling Ultimate Magus

[spoiler]Wizard 5/Beguiler 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Archmage 3
Get that same High Arcana from Archmage as above.

This would work mostly the same as the Warmage version but have a few more skills and trapfinding.  Of course the Beguiler spell list is not blasty at all.[/spoiler]

Option 5 The Simple Warweaver of Awesomeness

[spoiler]Wizard 14/War Weaver 5

You know the awesomeness here!!! Only looses 1 Casterlevel but well worth it.  Not really so much directly blasty as it allows for action economy which can lead to more time for blasting plus quicker buffs for blasting[/spoiler]

Options 6 The Arch Mage War Weaver of Awesomeness

[spoiler]Wizard 11/War Weaver 5/ Archmage 3
Just Better flexibility for buffing and blasting fun.
[/spoiler]

Feats, though certainly not an exhaustive list.  What are some other big boys that would really add to a blaster?

[spoiler]Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus:  Beating Saves equals effective spells.
                          Downside is that it is only for one school per feat.

Arcane Thesis: Consider this if you are going to use one  spell a great deal.  Cheapens
                          Metamagic and Archmage Elemental Mastery will still give awesome
                          flexibility.

Heighten Spell: An unfortunate necessity since Globes of Invulnerability can be of great
                            distress for this build

Improved Initiative:
Going before the enemy is never bad J

Maximize Spell: Although considered inferior to Empower - when you're piling on the
                             metamagic - it is a good secondary choice after empower particularly
                             with Ultimate Magus.

Extend Spell: Double duration is great for a lot of spells, probably overall the most
                          efficient metamagic feat available.

Minor Shapeshift: Basically you add your HD in temporary HP every round as a swift
                                action. Later on you will be using Swift Actions for other things quite
                                 often - but this is still pretty sweet. You can choose some other
                                 options - but nothing as good as the HP

Spell Penetration/Greater Spell Penetration:
Lots of creatures have SR - and as you go
                             up in levels - they become the norm. You just can't have enough Assay
                             Spell Resistance spells for all of them. Spell Penetration is pretty much
                             a must. GSP is a nice to have.

Craft Contingency:Quicken Spell:Residual Magic:  If your already using metamagics might as well get more of out of it more awesomeness!!

AEG FEATS (third party book that is available)

Aid Spell:
Braid Spell:
 You can memorize to spells of the same school as one spell.  This is a great
                    way to effectively get extra actions at the cost of +2 levels on the highest of
                     the two spells.  Say hello to my double fireball.. or my lightning
                      bolt/fireball.  

Dual Spells:
Elemental Focus: Simeple +2 DC for spells of particular elemental type.  Not bad for a
                      blaster.

Remote Casting: Some great possibilities for Casting in areas without line of sight for
                        +2 spell level.[/spoiler]


In regards to spells I have talked to him about diversifying  in regards to saves, SR, and damage types like getting some Orb spells to bypass SR.

What are some of the better Blasting spells out there?

Available materials...

I need to clarify the materials available.....

Dragon Magazine feats and campaign specific materials (ie forgotten realms, Eberon).

Most non-world specific books are available, Races of, completes, ect. probably including things like Frostburn, Sandstorm, et al.

Probably could get online Wizards stuff allowed though (I love the swiftblade :) )

Thanks for any feedback as I want to help this buddy make the best of his character concept.

Cheers


Edited to clarify available materials.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2009, 06:13:44 PM by Hallack »
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Rebel7284

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2009, 06:06:05 PM »
Wizard 5/Incantatrix 10/Archmage 4
Negative level on a chicken would make it a wight the next day.  Chicken the other wight meat. -borg286

Hallack

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2009, 06:08:19 PM »
Ah, good one but I should have mentioned that generally campaign specific classes and prcs are not available.

Neither are Dragon Magazine feats and materials.

Most non-world specific books are available.

Probably could get online Wizards stuff allowed though (I love the swiftblade :) )
« Last Edit: September 02, 2009, 06:09:59 PM by Hallack »
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Prime32

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2009, 06:18:25 PM »
The warmage class has a lot of the work done for you, but it's not as good as a well-played wizard. Of course, a blaster wizard isn't really a well-played wizard anyway. :P Maybe you could take a look at this fix I did?
My work
The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

Rebel7284

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2009, 06:24:20 PM »
Spellthief 1/Wizard 3/Sorcerer 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Spellwarp Sniper 4

Spellwarp Wings of Flurry for the win.
Negative level on a chicken would make it a wight the next day.  Chicken the other wight meat. -borg286

woodenbandman

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2009, 07:55:41 PM »
Hm. How about an arcane thesis build? I'm also quite sure that there was a feat that removed the level-based caps. Look it up, it's from maybe Dragonlance.

Try Nuclear Dan. He had Arcane Thesis on Greater Fireburst. Maximized, Explosive greater fireburst. Stack enough on there and you'll win eventually.

dark_samuari

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2009, 07:59:30 PM »
Another angle you could potential take is dipping into Arcane Archer for two levels and going down that combat path.

kurashu

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2009, 09:24:08 PM »
Hm. How about an arcane thesis build? I'm also quite sure that there was a feat that removed the level-based caps. Look it up, it's from maybe Dragonlance.

Try Nuclear Dan. He had Arcane Thesis on Greater Fireburst. Maximized, Explosive greater fireburst. Stack enough on there and you'll win eventually.

where does unseen seer fit in?

Rebel7284

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2009, 11:30:17 PM »
where does unseen seer fit in?

What's Unseen Seer?  There are NO Unseen Seers.  They're just a legend from times long past.
[Empowered Orb of Acid with 25d6 Sneak attack damage from the shadows]
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axleleft

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2009, 12:01:00 AM »
From how you describe the player, I'd say option 2 or 3. The others start getting... complicated. Even option three may be a bit much.

kelemvelor

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2009, 03:43:11 AM »
I would say option 3 though I'd personally go for Beguiler to reduce MAD and their spell list is actually superior imo (though not suited for blasting).

If the character is going blasting and your stocking of metamagic for that, you might want to see metamagic school focus. Read the description carefully, it basically allows you 3 times a day to reduce all metamagic levels by one (to a minimum of zero) on the spell of that school. So you can prepare a empowered, maximized fireball at the cost of a maximized fireball. Not too shabby...

If your friend likes playing a blaster but have difficulty picking spells/feats/class. You might just want to introduce the Warlock (CA) or Dragonfire Adept (DrM). Mind you, a wizard probably brings more to the table in terms of flexibility and damage but these two classes are friendly for players to play (ignoring initial tedious description on invocation/eldritch blast). Warlock is probably the stronger if going multi-class/PRC but Dragonfire Adept is stronger (and more flexible) if taking a class straight up.

p.s: to tweak the build abit, take a school to specialize (evocation since you want a blaster) and go 1 warmage/3 wiz/1 Master Specialist/ UM... Master Specialist gives you Skill Focus(Spellcraft) which is needed for Archmage without giving up much of anything (well maybe the bonus feat but i usually only go five levels of wizard for my Shadowcraft Mage).
« Last Edit: September 03, 2009, 04:12:08 AM by kelemvelor »

DavidWL

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2009, 04:50:25 AM »
Hm. How about an arcane thesis build? I'm also quite sure that there was a feat that removed the level-based caps. Look it up, it's from maybe Dragonlance.

Try Nuclear Dan. He had Arcane Thesis on Greater Fireburst. Maximized, Explosive greater fireburst. Stack enough on there and you'll win eventually.

+1

Example:

Wizard 5/Incantatrix 10/Halruaan Elder 5 w/ arcane thesis and/or other feats to lower metamagic cost ->
Twin, Repeated, Maximized, Empowered etc. blasting for no extra cost.

Really quite powerful.  Do some googling on "arcane thesis".

For example:
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:gGWX27b8FnUJ:forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-707606.html+%22arcane+thesis%22&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Best,
David
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Non-PC activities like out of combat healing should be left to wands and NPCs. It's not fun to play a walking wand of CLW. Likewise, being a combat wall is not a viable PC role. A Wall of Force could do that.

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Lycanthromancer

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #12 on: September 03, 2009, 12:27:14 PM »
Psions are good blasters.

If he's familiar with Final Fantasy, he should be well-versed with power points.
[spoiler]Masculine men like masculine things. Masculine men are masculine. Therefore, liking masculine men is masculine.

I dare anyone to find a hole in that logic.
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Lyca ... is in the book. Yes he is.
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[/spoiler]

SorO_Lost

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2009, 12:58:25 PM »
Necropoliton Changling Wizard 5 / Stormcaster 5 / Recaster 2 / Anything 5 / Recaster +3
Feats: Snowcasting, Frozen Magic, Cold Spell Specialization, Energy Substitution(electricity), Reserves of Strength, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell.
Extended Knowledge: Cold Snap, Greater Arcane Fusion.
Items: Icemail Armor (why not?)
A. RoS Snowcast Subbed Orb of [any]: (cl+3)d6+(cl+3x3) [electricity/sonic] +(cl+3)d6 sonic damage, fort save vs stun & another save based on which Orb is used.
B. As above, but though GAF pwning stuff.
C. As A, but with Maw of Chaos and use one of your free 5/day maximize usages.
D. Srsly, any damage spell you cast has +4 per die, save vs stun attached, and bypasses the spell's built in caps on CL gains.
For example, @ CL 23 Fireball will deal 23d6+69 electricity/sonic +23 sonic damage with a reflex save for half and fort save vs stunning or even six rays via Scorching Ray each one dealing 4d6+24 damage for grand total 222 damage on average, for a 2nd level spell slot and taking 5d6 damage.
Tiers explained in 8 sentences. With examples!
[spoiler]Tiers break down into who has spellcasting more than anything else due to spells being better than anything else in the game.
6: Skill based. Commoner, Expert, Samurai.
5: Mundane warrior. Barbarian, Fighter, Monk.
4: Partial casters. Adapt, Hexblade, Paladin, Ranger, Spelltheif.
3: Focused casters. Bard, Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Martial Adapts, Warmage.
2: Full casters. Favored Soul, Psion, Sorcerer, Wu Jen.
1: Elitists. Artificer, Cleric, Druid, Wizard.
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Lycanthromancer

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2009, 01:08:10 PM »
Necropoliton Changling Wizard 5 / Stormcaster 5 / Recaster 2 / Anything 5 / Recaster +3
Feats: Snowcasting, Frozen Magic, Cold Spell Specialization, Energy Substitution(electricity), Reserves of Strength, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell.
Extended Knowledge: Cold Snap, Greater Arcane Fusion.
Items: Icemail Armor (why not?)
A. RoS Snowcast Subbed Orb of [any]: (cl+3)d6+(cl+3x3) [electricity/sonic] +(cl+3)d6 sonic damage, fort save vs stun & another save based on which Orb is used.
B. As above, but though GAF pwning stuff.
C. As A, but with Maw of Chaos and use one of your free 5/day maximize usages.
D. Srsly, any damage spell you cast has +4 per die, save vs stun attached, and bypasses the spell's built in caps on CL gains.
For example, @ CL 23 Fireball will deal 23d6+69 electricity/sonic +23 sonic damage with a reflex save for half and fort save vs stunning or even six rays via Scorching Ray each one dealing 4d6+24 damage for grand total 222 damage on average, for a 2nd level spell slot and taking 5d6 damage.
I'm fairly sure this is a bit too complex for the player in question, if he can't tell the difference between "gain a wizard feat" and "gain a bunch of insanely powerful class features."

Let's go K.I.S.S., shall we?
[spoiler]Masculine men like masculine things. Masculine men are masculine. Therefore, liking masculine men is masculine.

I dare anyone to find a hole in that logic.
______________________________________
[/spoiler]I'm a writer. These are my stories. Some are even SFW! (Warning: Mostly Gay.)
My awesome poster collection. (Warning, some are NSFW.)
Agita's awesome poster collection.
[spoiler]
+1 Lycanthromancer
Which book is Lycanthromancer in?
Lyca ... is in the book. Yes he is.
 :D
shit.. concerning psionics optimization, lycan IS the book
[/spoiler]

Hallack

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2009, 06:58:55 PM »
I just sent the player a built around Warmage/Wizard Ultimate Magus.

Slows high end spell aquisition but should give him Lots of blasting potential.

Wizard 5/Warmage 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Archmage 3 (19th Level Character)
Wizard 20 CL with spells as 16th level Wizard (ie 8th level)
Warmage 17 CL with spells as 9th level Warmage (ie 4th level)

Number of Spells not counting Stat bonus
[spoiler]Spells   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9
Wiz      4  4  4  4  4  2  2  1  0
WM      6  6  6  4  0  0  0  0  0[/spoiler]

Archmange abilities cost a 6,7, and 8th level slot but by 23rd level will be up to at least 3 spells of those levels again plus 4  9th level Wizard spells and even 4 Warmage 5th level spells (as 11th level Warmage) if advance Ultimate Magus from 21-23.  

By level 30 will have 9th level spells in both classes and Wizard CL 34 and Warmage CL 30 with tons of Ultimate Magus utility.

Archmage for Arcane Reach, Elemental Mastery, and Mastery of Shaping.

FEATS
« Last Edit: September 03, 2009, 07:00:41 PM by Hallack »
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Anklebite

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #16 on: September 03, 2009, 07:05:31 PM »
blast with my http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5394.0 build?  :D

granted, it's nuking potential doesn't take off until level 6, but then it gets absurd pretty quickly. 9th level spells by the end of it, too. my personal opinion is that a pure caster build should always get ninth level spells by level 20.
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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2009, 03:13:30 AM »
Necropoliton Changling Wizard 5 / Stormcaster 5 / Recaster 2 / Anything 5 / Recaster +3
Feats: Snowcasting, Frozen Magic, Cold Spell Specialization, Energy Substitution(electricity), Reserves of Strength, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell.
Extended Knowledge: Cold Snap, Greater Arcane Fusion.
Items: Icemail Armor (why not?)
A. RoS Snowcast Subbed Orb of [any]: (cl+3)d6+(cl+3x3) [electricity/sonic] +(cl+3)d6 sonic damage, fort save vs stun & another save based on which Orb is used.
B. As above, but though GAF pwning stuff.
C. As A, but with Maw of Chaos and use one of your free 5/day maximize usages.
D. Srsly, any damage spell you cast has +4 per die, save vs stun attached, and bypasses the spell's built in caps on CL gains.
For example, @ CL 23 Fireball will deal 23d6+69 electricity/sonic +23 sonic damage with a reflex save for half and fort save vs stunning or even six rays via Scorching Ray each one dealing 4d6+24 damage for grand total 222 damage on average, for a 2nd level spell slot and taking 5d6 damage.

What in here is removing the damage cap?

cru

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Re: Brainstorming a Blaster Wizard
« Reply #18 on: September 09, 2009, 05:03:53 AM »
What in here is removing the damage cap?
Reserves of Strength