Complete Mage - Is it out yet?

[JPL]

I like that Ultimate Mage prestige class...I had a similar notion a few months back.

The are filling some interesting niches with the new prestige classes...I am a big fan of prestige classes that take an otherwise mechanically non-viable class combo (say, wizard / warlock) and make the concept work.

 

[BryonD]

I´d gladly keep a lightning bolt on reserve in exchange for the ability to deal 3d6 damage on a 20´ line at friggin´ will!

Imagine, you could even keep a lowly shocking grasp (touch, maxes out at 5d6) on reserve and in exchange do 1d6 damage on a 20' line at will. 5 uses and you've already achieved the maximum damage you'd be able to deal with a shocking grasp.

True.

But doing 5d6 in one round is much better than 1d6 in each of 5 rounds.
And for a 6th level Wizard or Sorcerer to spend turns doing a 20 ft 1d6 eletricty lines is a heavy loss in opportunity to do better things.
I'm still not saying that this a a poor feat by any means.
But I think that a caster that went to this as a primary attack option would be seriously underachieving. But it makes a decent secondary power and flavor idea that seems ok for a feat cost.

 

[Felon]

I´d gladly keep a lightning bolt on reserve in exchange for the ability to deal 3d6 damage on a 20´ line at friggin´ will! Imagine, you could even keep a lowly shocking grasp (touch, maxes out at 5d6) on reserve and in exchange do 1d6 damage on a 20' line at will. 5 uses and you've already achieved the maximum damage you'd be able to deal with a shocking grasp.

From the description, I get the impression that the spell reserved must be at least 3rd-level.

Even if it's not--geez, get a 1st-level wand of magic missiles, for pete's sake.

 

[Klaus]

You're right, you need a 3rd-level spell. Still, the ability to deal 3d6 damage along a 20´ line at will is nothing to sneeze at. And this is only Storm Bolt. Dimensional Jump allows for (at minimum) 20'-range teleportation at will, which is a great utility feature to use throughout the day. There are other very nice feats in there too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Even if it's not--geez, get a 1st-level wand of magic missiles, for pete's sake.

So ... instead of this feat, burn another feat, some cash and some XP?

Or hope your DM has Magic-Marts?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You're right, you need a 3rd-level spell. Still, the ability to deal 3d6 damage along a 20´ line at will is nothing to sneeze at. And this is only Storm Bolt. Dimensional Jump allows for (at minimum) 20'-range teleportation at will, which is a great utility feature to use throughout the day. There are other very nice feats in there too.

The one that allows apparently at-will face changes is nice if you're of a race that predominates an area. (Less useful for, say, a gnome illusionist, although it does give that +1 to glamers which presumably stacks with the racial ability, the paragon class ability, spell focus and greater spell focus ...)

 

[Sir Brennen]

You're right, you need a 3rd-level spell. Still, the ability to deal 3d6 damage along a 20´ line at will is nothing to sneeze at. And this is only Storm Bolt. Dimensional Jump allows for (at minimum) 20'-range teleportation at will, which is a great utility feature to use throughout the day. There are other very nice feats in there too.

??? My reading is that being able to cast 3rd level spells is a prerq for the feat, but its effects aren't based off of 3rd level spells only. So if I still have Shocking Hands memorized as my only Electrical spell, I can still use the Storm Bolt feat ability for 1d6 damage.

On another point: From a summary on the WotC boards, it looks like the effects of the resever feats allow saves in some cases. So that takes the power down another notch.

Also, reserve feats allow a sorcerer to be even more flexible - if a wizard casts the lightning bolt spell he has memorized, and has no other "electricty" spells uncast, he loses the primary benefit of the feat.

If a sorcerer simply knows lightning bolt, he can use the 20' electrical line as long as he has any 3rd level slots left. And he could use all those slots to cast Summon Monster 3 if he wanted, not lighting bolt.

If a sorcerer knows an Electricy spell for each of his slot levels, he can use the "at will" ability as long as he has even one unspent spell slot left. The wizard might loose the benefit after casting just one or two spells, even if he's 20th level (of course, the wizard would probably have more than one spell of the proper descriptor memorized, but you get the point.)

For those complaining this book doesn't give the sorcerer enough love, I don't think you're looking hard enough...

 

[BryonD]

So ... instead of this feat, burn another feat, some cash and some XP?

Or hope your DM has Magic-Marts?

You post seems to suggest that obtaining a CL1 wand of magic missles should be a big deal.
If that is the case then I'd suggest that you're not playing with the same assumptions the bulk of the D&D gamers are. I'm not saying there is the slightest thing wrong with that. But if a CL1 Wand is a big deal to you, then you are going to have an issue with stuff in supplements and that is just the way it is.

If the wand is not a big deal to you, as it is not with a large portion of gamers, then Felon's point stands.

Further: the cash and XP for a CL1 wand are SO small that I'd say trading a spell slot for that isn't really all that bad anyway.... (you left the important spell slot out in your post)

 

[Voadam]

These reserve feats look great. I shouldn't have looked at this thread. Now I want this book badly and I'm unlikely to get it.

 

[Particle_Man]

If the creature has Lightning resistance 10, I would rather shoot a 5d6 bolt than a series of 3d6 bolts.