Dragon Magazine #365's Character Concepts: Masterful optimization advice by WotC

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...The first build, the teleportation-based eladrin Fey Pact warlock/wizard/Feyborn/Archmage, is actually somewhat decent and accomplishes its job of being a mobile battlefield rearranger, though it illegally enters the Archmage epic destiny as a warlock through the Arcane Initiate feat. The second build...

how is archmage illegal... Arcane Initate makes you count as a Wizard.. thus you qualify for the prestige class...

I am really interested.. becouse I already have a character very similar.. but taking Blood Mage & Archmage (via the Arcane Initiative Feat).

PHB p208
"A character who has taken a class-specific multiclass
feat counts as a member of that class for the purpose of
meeting prerequisites for taking other feats and qualifying
for paragon paths"

 

[Gloombunny]

how is archmage illegal... Arcane Initate makes you count as a Wizard.. thus you qualify for the prestige class...

I am really interested.. becouse I already have a character very similar.. but taking Blood Mage & Archmage (via the Arcane Initiative Feat).

By the letter of the rules, multiclass feats make you count as a member of that class only for the purpose of meeting feat or paragon path prerequisites, not for epic destiny prerequisites.

I'd totally allow it for a warlock[wizard], though.

 

[doctorhook]

By the letter of the rules, multiclass feats make you count as a member of that class only for the purpose of meeting feat or paragon path prerequisites, not for epic destiny prerequisites.

I'd totally allow it for a warlock[wizard], though.

Yeah, I'd let it slide too. As far as I'm concerned, if it qualifies you for a paragon path, it ought to qualify you for an epic destiny too. I don't see the problem with allowing this, nor do I see any reason to believe this was not the intention.

I might be wrong about that, but you'll have to convince me why multiclass feats shouldn't qualify one for a class-specific epic destiny.

 

[Runestar]

I might be wrong about that, but you'll have to convince me why multiclass feats shouldn't qualify one for a class-specific epic destiny.

You mean like how a fighter21 with the arcane initiate feat who has swapped in sleep could possibly qualify as an archmage, which is supposed to reflect you reaching the epitome of magical might?

I don't see anything gamebreaking about that though - demigod appears to be a strictly better choice, however I look at it.

 

[Dalzig]

The reason I'll let MC-wizards take Archmage: They get nothing for it.

Spell Recall: "Choose one daily SPELL..."
Arcane Spirit: "...spell...spell....spell..."
Archspell: "Choose one daily spell...."
Shape Magic: "...regain one arcane power...."

So only Wizards, Warlocks, and Swordmages can get full benefit. Some other Arcane class can benefit from Shape Magic. And anyone can benefit from Arcane Spirit if you do a 100% strict reading of it, which I don't do.

Sure, go ahead and take it.

Edit: Well, okay. If you take a couple power-swap feats, it makes it much better, but it is still hardly worth it for non-wizards/warlocks/swordmages.

 

[Pickles JG]

The first build, the teleportation-based eladrin Fey Pact warlock/wizard/Feyborn/Archmage, is actually somewhat decent and accomplishes its job of being a mobile battlefield rearranger, though it illegally enters the Archmage epic destiny as a warlock through the Arcane Initiate feat.

He does go overboard on teleports & chooses the rather redundant Magic Missile but yeah

• Fighter/wizard. No, just no, you are shooting yourself in the foot here. You don't even get to use Corellon's Implement, and you're in a fiasco due to your lack of a shield. Even without the Intelligence-based swordmage released, there are better ways to be a warrior-mage: an Infernal Pact warlock/fighter/Iron Vanguard (Hexhammer), for example, or a Tactical Presence warlord/wizard/Battle Captain. Even an actual wizard benefits more from going Wizard of the Spiral Tower than a fighter/wizard.

He is not optimising just showing it can be done reasonably. It could do with addressing the shield issue.

• Point-buy array of 16 Strength, 10 Dexterity (12 for eladrin), 12 Constitution, 14 Intelligence (16 for eladrin), 13 Wisdom, 11 Charisma. This is a terribad array that doesn't even get you Heavy Blade Opportunity or Heavy Blade Mastery. An array of 16 Strength, 13 Dexterity (15 for eladrin), 11 Constitution, 16 Intelligence (18 for eladrin), 10 Wisdom, 8 Charisma would be better. Or if you want a little more Strength in exchange for no HBO or HBM, then go genasi with 16 Strength (18 for genasi), 10 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 16 Intelligence (18 for genasi), 12 Wisdom, 8 Charisma.

This is the default array - again not optimising but working under some constraint (like not using semi published races )

• Magic Missile selected for the Arcane Initiate power. Come on, you're a friggin' fighter, you want Thunderwave because it lets you mark several enemies at once, and it's a blast so you don't provoke AoOs for using it in melee.

Agreed

• How do you replace Cleave with Thunderwave at level 11 when you're going Wizard of the Spiral Tower? This is a glaring error. Oh wait, from the rest of the level 11-20 guide, it seems like he's actually going paragon multiclassing instead of Wizard of the Spiral Tower. Multiclass drifting, awesome!

He mentioned the Spiral Tower as an alternative option. Of course he probably forgot the implement mastery bit.

• Taking Armor Specialization (Scale) at level 18 with only 13 Dexterity is illegal.
• Devastating Critical is a very poor feat to take at level 20.
• Oh good lord, don't tell me you're actually going Eternal Seeker for your epic destiny. You're already paragon multiclassing into wizard, and now this?
• Taking Heavy Blade Mastery at level 26 with only 14 Dexterity is likewise illegal.
• Brute Strike as the level 29 fighter daily. Force the Battle is now in a corner crying.

Agreed

• You've got a longsword (later, a bastard sword) in one hand and... a large shield AND a wand in the other for both Tide of Iron and your implement. That's flagrantly illegal.

He is juggling. He could use a light shield to make it a little easier... Maybe 2 handers & Quick draw are the way for Gish. Quick draw the implement whenever you need it & minor it away. You can hold your sword (er Maul) one handed, just not use it. I would let people do the same with a light shield - in fact even without quick draw.

• Eladrin Soldier does not apply any more once you take Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), and it should be retrained into Weapon Focus (Heavy Blades).
• The Eternal Seeker lets you gain only encounter/daily attack powers from other classes, not utilities, so selecting Own the Battlefield at level 22 is illegal.

Yup. He can get it at 26 but I assume he gets something else (I deleted the article in a fit of meh)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If it's just a courtesy thing, just mark me down as tactless...

*marks RigaMortus2 down*

Well, let's hope that the WotC writers didn't miss the original post (or this one), and will fix the write-up before it goes in the final dragon PDF.

 

[Runestar]

I do hope that wotc also remembers to include a footnote that their builds are far from optimized. Last thing I want to see is someone being mislead into believing that it is a perfectly viable build to emulate and end up playing a sub-optimal character build which he mistakenly believes is more effective than it really is, while not knowing what went wrong if/when he falls flat on his face.

 

[Protagonist]

Last thing I want to see is someone being mislead into believing that it is a perfectly viable build to emulate and end up playing a sub-optimal character build which he mistakenly believes is more effective than it really is, while not knowing what went wrong if/when he falls flat on his face.

Oh yes, this will really ruin John Doe's experience at Bob's after work d&d campaign.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Well, it'd ruin their day if they brought said character to a con, and was laughed at by the 1337 players there.