D&D 3E/3.5 How viable is a Elven Fighter Mage in 3.5

[FrankTrollman]

So I suppose you hate Bards, too?

Not quite. While they are definately in the lower end of character classes, they have enough skills that they fill their niche better than Monks, Fighters, or Sorcerers, and coming 8th out of 11 isn't even all that bad.

After all, a 12th-level Bard has a BAB of +9, 44.5 hit points (plus 12 times Con Bonus), and his casting ability isn't as good as a 10th-level Wizard. No bonus Feats, no Familiar, and less weapon proficiencies, but he gets a nice assortment of skills and can cast in light armor, plus a few miscellaneous class abilities.

Right. Which is why he fills his niche better than an Eldritch Knight. You get something (a stack of skills and class abilities) that you actually couldn't get just by playing an Aristocrat with Leadership (and a ring of spell storing).

Oh, and Still Spell is NOT a good solution to the whole "cast in armor" issue. It works as a stopgap, sure, but Sorcerers can't really use it well thanks to the increased casting time, and the +1 spell level hurts Wizards and Sorcerers alike.

No. It isn't. But it's a much better solution than losing five caster levels to take Spell Sword all the way through.

If you are losing more than 2 spellcaster levels in order to be able to cast in armor, you're paying too much. After all, Still Spell is NOT a good solution to the problem and only costs 2 spellcaster levels worth of slots (you still pocket the increased ability to penetrate SR and the bonus damage and such).

Still Spell isn't good, so any PrC which compares unfavorably to that tactic is really bad.

-Frank

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

My ideal build for a spellcasting fighter/wizard would be either:

Ftr 1/Wizard 6/Eldritch Knight 9/Sacred Exorcist 4

or

Ftr 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 2/Eldritch Knight 7/Sacred Exorcist 4

The latter build is able to wear armor (other than a mithral buckler) without arcane spell failure which might be worth the caster level and point of base attack bonus to a melee focussed character (although not to an archer).

However, I think that Ftr 4/Wizard 2/Bladesinger 10/Weapon Master 4 has potential for a more melee focussed fighter/wizard as well.

 

[Camarath]

If you are looking to avoid Arcane Spell Failure why not use a Blended Quartz Heavy Steel Shield, Blended Quartz Chain Shirt, Mithral Chahar-aina, and Mithral Dastana for a total AC bonus of +8 with no Arcane Spell Failure.

 

[two]

repeat

I guess I'm being boring and repetative, but there is a way to become a fighter/mage with NO loss of caster level.

That means at 10th level you dispel magic as a 10th level caster; you penetrate SR as a 10th level caster; your spells last as long as they would as cast by a 10th level caster.

Yup. Bard. Great skills, great party/self buffs, OK spell list. By 10th level your Use Magic Device skill is 13 (ranks) + 5 (20 charisma) + 2 (minimum roll) = 20. So you can use any other classes stuff and only fail on a "1" which is accepteable even to risk-adverse me.

So... for the big fights read a scroll of Divine Power (made by a cleric buddy, 350GP per scroll and BOOM you have a BAB = level) and inspire courage and cast spells or melee or ranged or whatever. If you need to dispel the bad guy, great -- no loss of caster level. Your saves are excellent, skills great, no arcane spell failure, etc.

Personally, when you get to higher levels, even 1-2 caster level loss hurts a lot for the above mentioned reasons (dispel, SR penetration, caster checks of all sorts). Plus, above 10th level, you have more GP's around for more scrolls of whatever, wands of whatever, etc.

The Bard spell list can be powerful if used wisely; there are great defensive spells there as well.

If you want, don't call yourself a "bard". Call yourself an Evlish Fighter/Mage. Instead of "singing" to inspire courage, chant something in Elvish (oh great X watch my flail of azz-whuppin' whup mightely, etc.) or just skip the insipre bit entirely. Stick with the spells and the whuppin'. With some care, nobody will EVER know you are a bard. Tell 'em you made up a special PRC or something. Might be fun.

 

[Darklone]

My ideal build for a spellcasting fighter/wizard would be either:

Ftr 1/Wizard 6/Eldritch Knight 9/Sacred Exorcist 4

or

Ftr 1/Wizard 6/Spellsword 2/Eldritch Knight 7/Sacred Exorcist 4

I don't see the reason why you don't take one wiz level less each time and one EK level more?

 

[FrankTrollman]

I don't see the reason why you don't take one wiz level less each time and one EK level more?

He's noticing that Wizard gives +1 to each save and BAB at level 6.

So you could take 5 levels of Wizard and 8 levels of EK - but then you'd be trading a reflex save for a single hit point. I don't think that's worth it. Do you?

It's part of the reason I want the multiclass rules overhauled. There shouldn't be breakpoints like that.

-Frank

 

[Darklone]

Weow. Well, most of the classes balance these breakpoints with class abilities... poorly designed PrClasses don't