All-arcane party

[Klaus]

You don't get rider effects when you miss (except maybe counting Cloud of Daggers).

It's nice to have a high secondary ability score (like a Deva). But unless you can hit when you need it (like an Elf can do once per encounter), it's not worth the lower attack bonus.

Eladrin get the same thing, but have a better benefit, and with a better weapon, and without the -1 to all attack rolls forever.

If you want to do damage, be a Genasi with a high Strength, and take the Arcane Power feat that lets you add your Strength to all Arcane spell attacks.

Cheers, -- N

Isn't a starting Int of 17 enough? The problem with Genasi is that I already placed one as the swordmage. And the dwarf *feels* better than the eladrin as the gruff sergeant-type.

 

[Caliban]

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

I have 3 wizards that I play (unfortunately before the staff fighting feat was printed, so only one has a 13+ wiz, and he's an orb wizard).

The other two are staff wizards (one human, one eladrin), with nearly identical stats except the eladrin as a 14 dex while the human only has a 12.

The eladrin is more "strikerish" in many ways (slightly lower but still good AC):

Eladrin wizard lvl 9

Str 8
Con 12 (14 at lvl 8)
Dex 14
Int 20 (22 at lvl 8)
Wis 10
Cha 12 (so he can get Spell Focus at lvl 11)

AC: 26 (30 with shield), Fort: 19, Reflex: 23 (27 with shield), Will: 21
HP: 64 (this is in the Forgotten Realms, he's from the region of Thay which allows you to use Int instead of Con when calculating hit points.)
Surges: 8

Feats: Initiate of the Blade (+1 AC once a day), Melee Weapon Training, Eladrin Soldier Training, Leather Armor Proficiency, and Eladrin Swordmage Advance (basic melee attack as a free action when you Fey Step adjacent to an enemy).

Items: +2 Leather Deathcut armor, +2 Cloak of Survival, +2 Defensive Staff, +2 Adamantine Longsword, Bracers of Mighty Striking (+2 damage with melee basic attacks), Strikeback gloves (enc: make melee basic as a free action when adjacent enemy hits you).

Backup Items: +2 Staff of Fire and Acid, Shadowfell gloves

He wields a +2 Defensive Staff in his off-hand and a +2 Adamantine longsword in his main hand

Longsword: +13 attack, 1d8+12 damage, +2d10 on crit

Powers:
At-Wills: Illusory Ambush, Scorching Burst
Encounter: Staffstrike Corrosion, Color Spray, Fireburst
Daily: Flaming Sphere/Acid Arrow, Stinking Cloud/Fireball, Haunting Phantoms/Wall of Fire
Utility: Shield/Feather Fall, Dimension Door/Spectral Hound,

Plus Fey Step once an encounter.

He will often Fey Step into the flank, make a free attack, and then Color Spray. Or cast, then Fey step into flank and attack. Dimension Door is in case he gets in over his head. He also casts Spectral Hound to give himself his own flanker and +1 to all defenses (or give the rogue a flank if there is one in the party).

 

[Nifft]

Isn't a starting Int of 17 enough? The problem with Genasi is that I already placed one as the swordmage.

You could either pick a different race for the Swordmage, or you could pick two different Elemental subtypes to show that they are mechanically distinct people.

Or you could pick Deva. Or Human. Or Tiefling.

*feels* better (...) gruff sergeant-type

We have stepped beyond the scope of optimization advice.

Also, why is the Wizard a "gruff sergeant-type"? Shouldn't that be a Warlord, or at least a Leader of some kind?

Cheers, -- N

 

[On Puget Sound]

Githyanki arcane clone family

Staff Wizard: Githyanki, 8-18-11-18-10-13
Shielding Swordmage: Githyanki, 8-18-11-18-10-13
Artificer: Githyanki, 8-18-11-18-10-13
Infernal Warlock: Githyanki, 8-18-11-18-10-13

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

If I ever make a such a melee-ready staff wizard, I'm going to name him Munstrum Ridcully...

...not after the ENWorld poster, but after the Discworld wizard

His magic skill, his collection of weapons and his addiction to Wow-wow sauce gives Ridcully an outgoing personality, unusual for a wizard where the only outgoing for them is their stomach.