Best arcane casters besides Wiz and Src?

[Hammerhead]

Archivist and Artificer are both amazingly powerful classes.

Beguiler is always fun. And if you're using Prestige Classes, a Bard 10 Sublime Chord 2 Full Casting PrC 8 is awesome.

 

[Ravilah]

What book is Dread Necromancer in ?

 

[Victim]

Dread Nec is in Heroes of Horror. I don't reccomend it as the sole arcane caster - without assistances or UMD, it can't even use its Planar Binding spells.

 

[Evilhalfling]

dread necro is in Hero's of Horror, along with the archivist - really two of the best new classes.

Dread Neco's are fun but one death ward and yer done.
beguilers have a similar weakness - they can spend a lot of time doing nothin' in the wrong type of game.

the sublime cord is only good at high levels - but then its BooYa! - otto's dance at 13th level.

Warlocks are good at middle levels, but fall behind eventually - they lack the power outside the box that mages and sorcerers wield. I would play one up to 14thish levels

 

[pawsplay]

Death ward won't stop a horde of skeletons. Anyway, who can resist naming a character Gned the Dread Gnecromancer?

 

[TarionzCousin]

Anyway, who can resist naming a character Gned the Dread Gnecromancer?

Gnot me.

How about Dwayne the Dwarf Dwarmage? Or a Psuccubus Psion named Psally? Along similar lines, you could play "Jen Wu, the Wu Jen."

Archivist and Artificer are both amazingly powerful classes.

Yeah, what Hammerhead said. These classes both fill niches left open by an absence of the iconic classes forbidden in your game.

 

[BASHMAN]

Duskblade

 

[Maldor]

Well, if that's the case, you absolutely must play a gnome Dread Necromancer.

call him Lil'palpatian

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Warlocks are good at middle levels, but fall behind eventually - they lack the power outside the box that mages and sorcerers wield.

Totally disagree. I played one in an Epic Game and he totally rocked. The rest of the party began calling him "The Cannon". The fact that Eldritch Blast is a touch attack and that he could use greater invisibility made it so that he ignored his enemy's dex bonus AND armor bonus when blasting his target. There were some encounters where he was the only party member who seemed to be able to hit his target (The Winter Wight in one example). His Dimension Door ability and the ability to use divine magic items made him a great party "Medic".
Are these tactics unique to the Warlock? Nope... but what sets the Warlock apart is that there is no limit to the number of times that he can do it. Sure, Wizards & Sorcerers have more variety in their abilities but I'm a firm believer that it doesn't matter how many powers/spells you have as long as you can use them creatively and effectively.