Warmage...too weak? (Survivability)

[JRR_Talking]

ta, im happy....unlike the poor troll who took ~40 acid damage

 

[Caliban]

True - I guess my best bet is just to play one and see how it goes. I'm guessing Combat Expertise would be a good feat to help with AC? What other feats should I keep in mind?

Combat expertise sucks for most casters, as you can't use it while casting a spell (you have to use an attack action to use combat expertise).

Point Blank and Precise shot are excellent feats for a low-level warmage - you can fire your orb spells into melee without too much trouble.

To increase your versatility, give your warmage a 12 or 14 wisdom if possible, and take the Arcane Disciple feat - lets you cast 1 domain spell of each level every day. Worship a god with the travel domain and you pick up Fly, Dimension Door, etc. Heck, take it multiple times if you pick a god with good domains. Worship Boccob and take the Force domain, and use that to transition into Argent Savant (more AC from force spells, better attack bonus with force spells, more damage with force spells - on top of warmage edge).

Opponents with evasion and/or mettle aren't a big deal - orb spells don't allow SR, don't allow saves, and if you have Point Blank and Precise you can lob them into combat all day long.

Another option I've seen is going into Wildmage and taking the Practiced Spellcaster feat so that your caster level is always at or above your character level. Combined with your Sudden Empower or Sudden Maximize and things tend not to live long enough to make your weak defenses and issue.

 

[Legildur]

...and take the Arcane Disciple feat...

Source?? This one sounds interesting.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Source?? This one sounds interesting.

Complete Divine.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

Complete Divine.

LOL! I have that one, but haven't had much cause to read it. Thanks Hyp.

 

[Ravensblood]

I have an 11th level elf Warmage in an IK game who has the Arcane Disciple feat. Yup, Travel domain is great. With the high Charisma you can take the Leadership feat and get a spellcasting sidekick like a lower level mage or cleric to do buff and utility for you. Then they step back and watch you rain destruction down on the enemy. Or find a big meat shield to be your personal bodyguard

 

[Thurbane]

does the edge damage get doubled on a crit?

Absolutely - all damage expressed as a number, rather than extra dice, is multiplied on a crit. Same with Paladin smite, ranger Favored Enemy etc.

The Sandshaper PrC from Sandstorm would be pretty brutal for a Warmage, considering the number of extra spells it adds to his spells known list.

 

[Andras]

Opponents with evasion and/or mettle aren't a big deal - orb spells don't allow SR, don't allow saves...

Don't forget that most of the 4th level Orbs do allow a Fort, Partial save and Mettle would completely negate the damage if that Fort save is made.

 

[JRR_Talking]

arcane disciple looks very good, pity it takes forever for a warmage to get 4 ranks in knowledge religion...any feat to make it a class skill? otherwise its level 6?

 

[Hypersmurf]

arcane disciple looks very good, pity it takes forever for a warmage to get 4 ranks in knowledge religion...any feat to make it a class skill? otherwise its level 6?

If you have access to Eberron Campaign Setting, the Education feat makes all Knowledge skills class skills.

-Hyp.