Best Warrior/Mage Combos

[Elder-Basilisk]

Really? That is certainly a strange statement....

I take it you think that the fighter/wizard is inherently underpowered then?

So I see - this is not a straight up "fighter/wizard" at all; not even close. Far more fighter here than wizard with the fighter, spellsword and eldritch knight in there - you get the nice HD with that...

I'm not sure what you mean by far more fighter than wizard. At 17th level, he's casting 8th level spells--in terms of spells/day, he's only two levels behind a full-level wizard and in terms of caster level, he's even. (Of course, that's a bit misleading because he doesn't have Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Empower Spell, etc like a spellcasting focused wizard would have). He fights in melee a lot, but that's the role of a fighter/wizard. It's rather difficult to get more spellcasting capability on a fighter/mage without abandoning the fighter part of the role.

And holding hsi own against a 17th level fighter...seen it, done it, it ain't gonna happen unless you have 10 rounds before hadn to prepe with spells,

Yeah, but he can spend those ten rounds ahead of time. In combat, he can be putting out the offense at nearly full strength in round 1.
With wraithstrike: activate contingent greater blink, quickdraw a lesser rod of extend spell, cast wraithstrike (extend with the rod), drop the rod, quickdraw his primary weapon, arcane strike a 6th, 7th, or 8th level spell, Power Attack for full, click on his boots of speed, and make a full attack. At 16th level, that combo dropped a fully buffed Cornugon from full hit points to -40 in one round with no warning or rounds of prep. (I suspect most 16th level fighters would take at least two rounds to kill a Cornugon in that situation).

Without wraithstrike, the zero to hero routine would be activate contingent blink, click on boots of speed, arcane strike his least useful high level spell, power attack for as much as he can afford, and make a full attack. Since he doesn't have any spells that fill the same role as wraithstrike, the quickened spell/swift action can be used for a quickened ray of enfeeblement, quickened scorching ray, or a quickened whirling blade (to get at least one extra attack in at full BAB and Arcane Strike).

Of course, he's better with prep. Prep time is as follows:

24 hours a day: mind blank, mage armor (just in case there are incorporeal undead floating around), false life, greater magic weapon (on everything), low-light vision, contingency, energy immunity, anticipate teleportation, overland flight (potentially--I don't usually do this though), and unseen servant (to pick up everything he drops.

In a non-living campaign, we'd add: Limited Wish for Stalwart Pact (permanent until discharged).

12 hours a day: see invisibility

With +/- 3 hours warning: alter self, dragonskin, heroism, etc. (low-level 10 min/level buffs extended with a lesser rod).

With +/- 1.5 hours warning: spell turning (high level 10 min/level buffs).

With +/- 10 min warning: shield, fly, mirror image, brilliant blade, polymorph

With rounds to prep (because we control the encounter), empowered fires of purity (rod), greater blink (non-contingent), iron body (if appropriate), displacement, greater invisibility.

Mostly, prep time improves the fighter/wizard's defenses and mobility. (My character will get 11 points of AC and +2 to all saves at the +/- 3 hours mark; he only gets a net +1 to hit because he usually already benefits from hero's feast). Round/level prep can also reduce the opportunity cost of ramping up immediately (you don't want to blow your contingency if you don't need to--having a Cornugon within reach of the entire party qualified as a "you need it" moment) and give offense a boost with fires of purity. That, however, is mostly overkill.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Targeted dispel magic isn't so bad at high levels--it'll usually leave most of the consequential spells active. Targeted greater dispelling usually resides in a ring of counterspells. Its primary competition in that role is reciprocal gyre (fortunately, my PC had spell turning active last time he was hit with that one).

 

[Thanee]

If you caster is high enough in level to get a 30 AC - the EL he faces will be (or should be at least) of a high enough level to make it work - just as the PC could do to the NPC.

An opponent of our level usually dispels with +15 against a 28, that can work, but is far from guaranteed. We have a little practice with this as well.

And to note - Fully buffed takes time...

It does, but with 10 min./level for most spells (that's almost 3 hours) and 2 quickened spells per day (thanks to Instant Metamagic; and yes, she actually learned Quicken Spell without being able to use the feat normally ), it doesn't really need much time effectively.

The kicker is Polymorph, of course, which turns the whimpy strength 10 sorceress into a hulking combat brute. And Arcane Strike, which basically counters the bad BAB. Those two alone make it worthwhile to jump into melee.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Sorcerers who go into melee tend to have multiple spells on them ahead of time (as you indicated as well).

Yep, of course. Otherwise they are whimps.

The more spells you have up, the higher the chances the opponent will take down at least some of your spells.

Of course. Unless the Polymorph goes down, it only drops the stats some, though. Polymorph needs to be recast, naturally. And dispelling means no offense for that round.

And even if the important buffs go down... she can still resort to spellcasting, which she is actually quite good at.

This too assumes your DM challenges you with same level opponents.

Of course, but we do not always meet high level spellcasters (many opponents are a few levels below us, but come in numbers then, or high CR creatures, which cannot dispel), and even then, they do not tend to have multiple Greater Dispels prepared... and even if they do, they first need to find out, that the stone giant is actually a spellcaster (there are natural stone giants living in the area, where we are). Of course, the last one only applies until she casts a spell, then it becomes kinda obvious.

PS. How did you get your caster level two higher than normal?

ring of arcane might and Greater Shadow Conjuration mimicking Create Magic Tattoo.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention, that the scrolls actually have caster level 17th, if she casts them, thanks to her nifty ring of theurgy.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Quikill]

Thanks for the info Thanee. Just curious, but what do you polymorph into that wields the heavy mace?

 

[Thanee]

Stone giant, as mentioned above somewhere hidden in the text. We met a whole tribe of them earlier in the campaign.

Oh, and we do have weapons resize, just because it makes sense (even though it makes the already powerful Polymorph slightly better).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

@Elder-Basilisk: And then you can also add Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability on top, who could cast Haste for the whole party, or Fleshshiver the opponent, or Dimension Door you away, after the full attack.

And the Greater Blink seems rather wasted, if you drop the foe in one round.

Bye
Thanee

 

[green slime]

He (Elder Basilisk) also forgot to state that he could recite the Gettysburg address at the same time. Speech being a free action, and all.

Personally, I don't think I'd allow that many free actions. But it was entertaining reading!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Against 'buffed like a christmas tree' types I prefer reciporical gyre (CAr) over Greater Dispel. Nasty little spell, with no SR... Sudden Maximise makes it all the more amusing.

Just a pity it offers a will save.


For a fighter/mage, IMO it could almost be worth the +1 LA to play an Aasimar or Tiefling. Simply because it gives you the outsider type. Which makes Polymorph a good deal more nasty than it already is.

Of course any +0 LA outsider would be even better!

 

[Rystil Arden]

Reciprocal Gyre + Reaving Dispel has caused me to be very amused