All-arcane party

[Klaus]

Same thing almost is happening to our forming party. Maybe arcane is just the more popular power source?

Or the first to completely fill the grid?

I could see a religious team made up of Avenger, Invoker, Paladin and Cleric, or a tree-hugging team of Barbarian, Druid, Warden and Shaman. But the former is limited in the types of missions it'd take, while the latter look almost the same (visually).

 

[keterys]

I've done all Martial parties before, but we didn't / don't have a controller option to fill in that final 'grid' spot

 

[jasin]

However, a properly built Staff Wizard could also hold his own on the front ranks, as mine tends to do (my Wizard has used the Charge action in 3 of his last 3 encounters). It all comes down to specifics.

I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

[Klaus]

I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Yeah, what Statues-Making-Out said! How would you build a front-rank Staff Wizard?

 

[Mistwell]

I used to run a Magical University campaign (similar to Hogwarts, but deadlier), and was considering an all-arcane party. This was before Bard, when Artificer was the leader-archetype.

Yes, I think it would work fine.

 

[dbm]

Yeah, what Statues-Making-Out said! How would you build a front-rank Staff Wizard?

Here's how I would do it personally:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast DDI Character Builder ======
TURTLE WIZARD, level 1
Human, Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Staff of Defense

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 12.

Starting Ability Scores
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 12.


AC: 18 Fort: 13 Reflex: 15 Will: 14
HP: 24 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature, Arcana, Religion, Diplomacy, History.

FEATS
1: Ritual Caster
1: Armor Proficiency (Leather)
1: Staff Fighting

POWERS
1, At-Will: Thunderwave
1, At-Will: Magic Missile
1, Encounter: Icy Terrain
1, Daily: Flaming Sphere
Spellbook: Sleep
1, At-Will: Scorching Burst

ITEMS
Spellbook, Adventurer's Kit, Quarterstaff, Simbul's Conversion, Comprehend Languages, Tenser's Floating Disk, Leather Armor
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast DDI Character Builder ======

This character can take it, but can't dish it in a fight. At Level 2 take Melee Training to even that up. If you're playing Forgotten Realms, come from Thay for another 4hp too.

This is one of my favourite wizard builds. It could probably be min-maxed further if you wanted too, but I think this build is playable without guilt.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Nifft]

Yeah, what Statues-Making-Out said! How would you build a front-rank Staff Wizard?

First off, be Human. The +1 to FRW and extra Feat are both vital, and you'll like having Thunderwave plus two other options. You'll want to qualify for Hide armor around 4th level.


Specifically in my case, through Heroic:

Str: 13
Con: 13 (+1 at 4th level)
Dex: 13
Int: 18 (16 +2 racial) (+1 at 4th level, +1 at 8th level)
Wis: 13 (+1 at 8th level)
Cha: 9

1/ Feats: Toughness, Leather Armor
- At-Will: Magic Missile, Thunderwave, Illusory Ambush (ArcP)
- Encounter: Staffstrike Corrosion (ArcP)
- Daily: Flaming Sphere
2/ Feat: Action Surge or Hide Armor
- Utility: Shield
3/ Encounter: Color Spray
4/ Feat: (whichever you didn't take at 2)
5/ Daily: Bigby's Icy Claw (meh)
6/ Feat: Melee Training (PHB2)
- Utility: Wizard's Escape (ArcP)
7/ Encounter: Concussive Echo (ArcP)
8/ Feat: Barbarian Rage (train Perception) (PHB2)
9/ Daily: Mord's Sword
10/ Feat: Longsword Proficiency
- Utility: Mass Resist (ArcP)

By 6th level, you've got THREE ways per encounter to say "no" to an attack: Defensive Staff (at +2 Con, it's useful to me almost every combat), Shield (+4, but only Reflex and AC -- but you're on the front lines, so lots of stuff will be attacking AC), and finally Wizard's Escape, which is the first Wizard spell to allow you to cancel an attacker's crit.

With your Int bonus, Hide armor, and the +1 from your staff, you may have the highest AC in the party. You will certainly be hard for enemies to hit, particularly if there's a Defender around to discourage them from focusing fire on you.

The Barbarian multi-classing is partly for teh funny, but mostly because +2 damage for the whole encounter is great when you are making lots of attacks.

The Defensive Staff (AdV) is very worthwhile for this character.

- - -

I'd recommend a mix of up-close and ranged attacks, so you can punish foes for clumping up around you, or for hanging back and staying spread out.

When he hits Paragon, he's going to retrain Magic Missile -> Scorching Burst, and take Arcane Admixture (Thunder) so his Scorching Burst is a Fire and Thunder attack. Then he's going to take Rolling Thunder and Enlarge Spell. Burst 3 at-will? Yes please.

- - -

What's up with his lame "13 everywhere" stat distribution? Well, originally he'd utterly neglected Dexterity and only mildly neglected Charisma, but then Arcane Power came out and apparently you need a 13 Dex for Improved Staff of Defense (which he wants), AND you need 15 Dex for Wizard Implement Mastery (which he really wants). So yeah. I went back and re-munched him specifically for his Epic tier feat selection.

On the upside, it means he might take Shield Specialization instead of Hide Specialization, which buys him another +1 Reflex instead of a +1 bonus to a bunch of skills he holds in low regard. Also, he'll qualify for Arcane Reach at Epic, which his allies may appreciate... he's not been shy about including them in his area effects, because hey, Fighters are tough.

My dude frequently makes it through a combat without ever seeing Bloodied, and he's been the last man standing in a very tough fight or two.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Klaus]

Very neat!

 

[Conjurer]

Yeah, what Statues-Making-Out said! How would you build a front-rank Staff Wizard?

My own Character, also a 'Front-line Wizard'.

I might have made a mistake retraining Thoughness into Implement Expertise: Staff. I'm definitely retraining Wall of Fog into Wizard's Escape ASAP

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Bellario Falcrist, level 9
Doppelganger, Wizard
Build: War Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Staff of Defense
Background: Occupation - Scholar

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 16, Dex 13, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 12.

Starting Ability Scores
Str 8, Con 15, Dex 13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 10.


AC: 25 Fort: 19 Reflex: 21 Will: 21
HP: 58 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 14

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Religion, Insight, History.

FEATS
1: Ritual Caster
1: Armor Proficiency (Leather)
2: Skill Focus (Arcana)
4: Improved Initiative
6: Toughness (retrained to Implement Expertise (staff) at Level 9)
8: Staff Fighting

POWERS
1, At-Will: Illusory Ambush
1, At-Will: Thunderwave
1, Encounter: Grasping Shadows
1, Daily: Sleep
Spellbook: Flaming Sphere
2, Utility: Shield
Spellbook: Expeditious Retreat
3, Encounter: Color Spray
5, Daily: Stinking Cloud
Spellbook: Bigby's Icy Grasp
6, Utility: Dimension Door
Spellbook: Wall of Fog
7, Encounter: Lightning Bolt
9, Daily: Wall of Fire
Spellbook: Summon Arrowhawk

ITEMS
Spellbook, Magic Leather Armor +2, Staff of the War Mage +2, Cloak of Survival +2, Helm of Battle (heroic tier)

RITUALS
Tenser's Floating Disk, Comprehend Language, Secret Page, Linked Portal, Phantom Steed, Leomund's Secret Chest, Magic Circle, Knock, Arcane Lock
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Oh thank goodness, I thought no one was going to mention staff fighting.

That +1 to defense is awful nice.