Building a Force Mage

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Another brainstorming experiment, I though of how badass force effects are and how useful force damage is, and decided if a good mage couldn't be had with force spells as their bread and butter. After a little research, I'd compiled all the spells from the Complete Arcane, Complete Mage, and SRD. This isn't a huge amount, but it's enough to give me a basic start.

First off, the spells.
[spoiler]Level 1:
-Mage Armor (Conjuration)
-Shield (Abjuration)
-Floating Disk (Evocation)
-Magic Missile (Evocation)
Level 2:
-Luminous Swarm (Evocation) (CM)
Level 3:
-Tiny Hut (Evocation)
-Explosive Runes (Abjuration)
-Mage Armor, Greater (Conjuration) (CArc)
-Repelling Shield (Abjuration) (CM)
-Blast of Force (Evocation) (DragCompen)
-Laeral's Silverlance (City of Splendors: Waterdeep)
Level 4:
-Orb of Force (Evocation) (CArc)
-Force Missiles (Spell Compendium)
Level 5:
-Interposing Hand (Evocation)
-Wall of Force (Evocation)
-Coat of Arms (Evocation) (CM)
Level 6:
-Forceful Hand (Evocation)
Level 7:Level 8:
-Clenched Fist (Evocation)
-Telekinetic Sphere (Evocation)
-Halastar's Blacksphere (City of Splendors: Waterdeep)
Level 9:
-Crushing Hand (Evocation)
-Lash of Force (Evocation) (CM)[/spoiler]

Yes, we can has 9th level force spells, and actually, quite a number of spells are quite nice to have. That being said, a bunch of them suck. The first level spells are all solid. The third level upgrades are okay, and fit the theme, but aren't a whole bunch better, and orb of force at 4th level means you can't really chug away at blasting with it until later in your career (still, later is a nice 10d6 force damage when you do; no incorporeal miss chance, and resisted less often).

Now, just the first level spells made methink of Abjurant Champion, despite how much I dislike abjuration spells; just not enough goldies to make it a really worthwhile school. Noting that Mage Armor doesn't get the bonus (though really it should...), Argent Savant came to mind as a potential candidate. Barring the first level caster loss, the first three levels wouldn't be a bad booster for a force based mage, so in those babies go.

Now, is a force mage, somewhat limited to Evocation and a sprinkling of other spells, really a viable kind of mage, or is it more just a fun build (note: one could just choose the gems to repeat-cast and leave the rest, making it blander but a bit better, and opening up for some other options... like transmutation spells...)?

If we  proceed in thinking building this is worthwhile, what kind of starter would you envision? With a probable low number of spells to cast, but a goodly number of times/day (and without most being on the duskblades class list, sigh), a sorcerer/paladin/AbjChamp/Argent Savant build, with something to fill in the last few levels sounds alright, but what are your thoughts?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Force Missile Mage?

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Force Missile Mage?

Ah yes, that too.  

Adding blast of force now.

So, a possible (mostly) pure caster build could be Wiz(or Sorc) 5 / Force Missile Adept 4 / Argent Savant 3 / Abjurant Champion 5 / X 3. I'd think most would prefer a few levels of Abjurant Champ come first, huh?.... Also, taking force domain (I forget which feat off the top of my head) from Complete divine could save you a bunch of spells known by netting you a bunch of the best ones via one spell. Kinda like a nice bloodline feat!

[telehax]

Why is magic missile not on the list? Or explosive runes?

Anyway, as with most evocation specialists, metamagic is one of the best strategies. Thus, Incantatrix is probably a good idea.
Level 5+ has concentration tricks+manyjaws which is pretty useful for conserving spells.

[CantripN]

There are some more good Force spells in City of Splendors: Waterdeep. Ones I like are Halastar's Blacksphere (Sor/Wiz 8, 1d6/CL damage, Traps in a Globe of Force, Ref. Partial) and Laeral's Silverlance (Sor/Wiz 3, Attack CL+INT+5, 4d6+3/20x3 Damage, Fort of Prone, Long Range).

[RobbyPants]

What exactly are you going for?  An interesting character concept to play?  A powerful wizard within the parameters of using force?  Are you allowing yourself other spells like some of the Conjuration crowd control spells?  Are you able to research new spells to make yourself more versatile (like Force Web, or something)?

If you're going the first route, I'd say take Argent Savant and call it a day.  Abjurant Champion actually isn't that bad either, as you can boost Shield and cast it as a swift action.  The HP and BAB increase are nothing to scoff at.

If you're looking for raw power, I'd say Incantrix, and take other things like Easy Metamagic and Arcane Thesis to make it so you can pump out thousands of damage with Orbs of Force at high level.  I don't have a link handy, but I remember reading about something very similar to that here two months ago or so.  If I find it, I'll link it.

Edit:
I found the link.  It looks like it's actually a sorcerer build.

Why is magic missile not on the list? Or explosive runes?

Also Lesser Orb of Force can be nice if you need to bypass SR.  You're still likely to hit with the ranged touch attack.  Is Vortex of Teeth just druid, or is it also sorcerer/wizard?  If you mix it with some crowd control, you can hold someone in place and let that rip them apart.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Be sure to pick up Master's touch, so you can wield etherblades with no penalty.

[NeverGetDrunkButStaySober]

Planar Handbook has a force-friendly substitution level for Sorcerers. At level 5, you can change half a spell's energy damage to force, so long as the spell's not at your highest level. (Sadly, it does not the force descriptor to the spell.)

Additionally, if you have some way of boosting CL, Force Missiles (Spell Compendium, SL 4) is very nice. It only deals 2d6 damage per four caster levels, but it's uncapped.

[KellKheraptis]

Master Spellthief builds work well for this, especially when using the above spell or Magic Missle with Reserves of Strength.  Add on Fell Drain to a 20 missle volley and watch the poor target drop like a fly in a RAID spray

[Majere]

Wings of Flurry from Races of the Dragons. Deals 1d6 Force damage per caster level, no cap. Bumping your cl a little will suffice to deal quite a nice amount of damage. Oh, it's a fourth level spell, sorc only.

[Operation Shoestring]

if you care about AC, dip a level of Paragnostic apostle and take the sanctified domain through Arcane Disciple.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Aaaah, I remember hearing about the Paragnostic Apostle for a quick boost to... mage armor, was it? Which book is that in? And magic missile isn't on there because I suppose I'm a moron. Fixing that now. The list, that is, not the moron.

I'd seen the orb of force, but in the same book it's published in I noticed there wasn't a lesser version, and that threw me a bit. Was it released elsewhere?

I need to get spell compendium one of these days...

I'm always someone who puts thematics just before power; just power builds feel boring, but a themed build that you give a nice dose of power is awesome and doesn't get books thrown at you. However, there aren't nearly enough force spells (despite the fact that you all have awesome suggestions and I still have a few books to read through) to fill even a sorcerer's spells-known, so there will inevitably be some BFC or Buffing in here (buffing is mainly included with Shield/Mage Armor and their enhanced forms). One challenge with this is I'd like it to be viable not just at high levels, where metamagic shines, but even at low levels.

Oh, and what source on Master's Touch and Etherblades?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Etherblades are nonmagical exotic weapons used by ethergaunts from Fiend Folio.  50 charges each, deal force damage as a ranged touch attack.

Master's Touch is from here

[Negative Zero]

This should help a lot for finding [Force] spells.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

This should help a lot for finding [Force] spells.

Wooot! And danke TML, I'll look into those!

[Operation Shoestring]

Aaaah, I remember hearing about the Paragnostic Apostle for a quick boost to... mage armor, was it?

+2 AC on Any spell that gives AC if memory serves.

Haste gives +1 untyped ac, no?

[CantripN]

Aaaah, I remember hearing about the Paragnostic Apostle for a quick boost to... mage armor, was it?

+2 AC on Any spell that gives AC if memory serves.

Haste gives +1 untyped ac, no?

That's +2 AC for spells that give an Armor Bonus to AC, so usually just (Greater) Mage Armor/(Greater) Luminous Armor. You can get the ability up to 3 times, so it may be +6. With Abjurant Champion, you add another +5 Armor, and +5 Shield, so it's GLA for 19 Armor and Shield for 9 = 28 AC.

And Haste gives a Dodge bonus to AC, so it's lost when you're Flat-Footed.

[Rooster]

If you're allowing third party in this, go look in Legends and Lairs' Path of Magic book. There's a ten level prestige class called Force Weaver. It is exactly what you're after. Fairly easy to qualify for (3rd level arcane spells, spell focus (evocation), some ranks in knowledge(arcana) and spellcraft, and know three force spells.

Several miscellaneous things, but +1~4 damage per die of damage on force spells, and force energy substitution. Oh, and immunity to force damage at L10.

[Shadowhunter]

On a Wizard base a la blaster, this could be done:

Wizard 5/Force Weaver 8/War Mage 5/Argent Savant 2

PHB, L&L - Path of Magic, DragonLance - Age of Mortals, Complete Arcane.

That's +8 damage to each die for Force Spells, amongst others.

With the Force Subsitution from Force Weaver, pick something that deals elemental damage and have lots of dice and sub it.

Like Chain Lightning or something.
Now that's 20d6+160 force damage to the primary target and 10d6+80 force damage to up to 19 other targets.
Average 230 and 150 resp.

Sure, it's not Incantatric metamagic shennanigans, but it's something at least.