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<blockquote data-quote="Bront" data-source="post: 2883335" data-attributes="member: 19696">Mage Armor is fairly adiquite, particularly at higher levels, or if you take the Extend Spell feat if you're willing to give up a second level slot.&nbsp; Or you can always suck up the spell failure chance and get leather, or even mithril chain.I enjoyed my archer EK build a lot, he was one of the more effective 3.5 characters I've played, but that was a focused elf.&nbsp; The ranged feats are also very synergystic for the caster, and dex helps you not get hit.Race?&nbsp; Human, Elf, Dwarf are all good.&nbsp; If you're going melee, Human or Dwarf are probably better, while Human or Elf for ranged would probably be good.&nbsp; Halfling works fairly well for ranged also, and Gnome would be an interesting melee choice (Less damage, but harder to hit and more likely to hit, plus the con bump).Stats?&nbsp; well, you're a little stat hungry.&nbsp; You want a good INT (Duh), hopefully a 14 Strength for a 2 handed weapon, idealy a servicable con and dex (Which is more important depends on you, if you can figure out how to get armor, probably con, otherwise probably dex, since your reflex save will be bad too), probably not too big on Charisma and Wisdom (No skills, and ok Will save).Skills?&nbsp; Well, on the fighter end, not much, so this is more flavor, but you want to max out Spellcraft and KN: Arcana ASAP (Spellcraft first), so you can learn new spells.&nbsp; Concentration is very high on the list if you're going into melee (Might be worth crossclassing your fighter skills for).Feats? Well, for ranged, it's easy, go with the Point Blank and Precise, and then Rapid.&nbsp; You may want Extend Spell to extend your buffs as well.&nbsp; For Melee?&nbsp; Dodge and Mobility can help you get out of tight situations.&nbsp; Power Attack is fun with 2 handed weapons, but your BAB will be lower, so that could hurt in the long run.&nbsp; It may get you Cleave, but you won't be in the best situation to use it.&nbsp; Arcane Strike(CA) is fun if you don't mind sacking spells for damage.&nbsp; Combat Expertise will let raise your AC without a huge BAB sacrifice.&nbsp; If you insist on Combat Casting, get Skill Focus: Concentration instead unless you need Combat Casting for a PrC.&nbsp; Alternately, you can get Still Spell and use every spell stilled, which puts you behind a second caster level, but you can wear full plate and use a tower shield if you wanted to.Spells?&nbsp; If you want to go armored caster, I'll put a list below of spells that have no somatic component, meaning you can cast in armor with no penalty.&nbsp; Otherwise, Abjuration and Conjuration spells are good for defensive buffs, Evocation is direct blasting, but could be interesting to ignore so you can do damage in melee.&nbsp; Illusion often require concentration, probably a good sack school if you go specialist (not a bad idea to get an extra spell), Enchantment is a little more passive, but has some buffs, Transmutation has some very nice spells (Tensor's Transformation isn't bad for a combat mage) but could be sacked if you don't want to go that route.&nbsp; Necromancy has the ever useful ray of enfeblement and some nice touch spells for a melee caster, but isn't as usefull for a ranged caster.&nbsp; And divination, well, knowing stuff never hurts, and you can't sack it.[code][B]No Somatic Component spell list[/b]0-&nbsp; &nbsp; Flare&nbsp; &nbsp; Light1-&nbsp; &nbsp; Benign Transposition&nbsp; &nbsp; Slide&nbsp; &nbsp; Feather Fall&nbsp; &nbsp; Hold Portal&nbsp; &nbsp; True Strike&nbsp; &nbsp; Ventriloquism&nbsp; &nbsp; Magecraft&nbsp; &nbsp; Critical Strike&nbsp; &nbsp; Expeditious Retreat, Swift&nbsp; &nbsp; Golem Strike&nbsp; &nbsp; Guided Shot&nbsp; &nbsp; Insightful Feint&nbsp; &nbsp; Master’s Touch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Low-light vision2-&nbsp; &nbsp; Baleful Transposition&nbsp; &nbsp; Blades of Fire&nbsp; &nbsp; Greater Slide&nbsp; &nbsp; Blindness/Deafness&nbsp; &nbsp; Blur&nbsp; &nbsp; Darkness&nbsp; &nbsp; Knock&nbsp; &nbsp; Blade Weave&nbsp; &nbsp; Daggerspell Stance&nbsp; &nbsp; Fly, swift&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sonic Weapon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Insidious Insight3-&nbsp; &nbsp; Displacement&nbsp; &nbsp; Suggestion&nbsp; &nbsp; Tongues4-&nbsp; &nbsp; Dimension Door&nbsp; &nbsp; Lesser Geas&nbsp; &nbsp; Shout&nbsp; &nbsp; Entangling Staff5-&nbsp; &nbsp; Contact Other Plane&nbsp; &nbsp; Teleport&nbsp; &nbsp; Unfettered Heroism6-&nbsp; &nbsp; Geas/Quest&nbsp; &nbsp; Brilliant Blade7-&nbsp; &nbsp; Phase Door&nbsp; &nbsp; Power Word Blind&nbsp; &nbsp; Teleport Object&nbsp; &nbsp; Teleport, Greater8-&nbsp; &nbsp; Charm Monster, Mass&nbsp; &nbsp; Otto’s Irresistible Dance&nbsp; &nbsp; Power Word Stun&nbsp; &nbsp; Maddening Scream9-&nbsp; &nbsp; Mordenkainen’s Disjunction&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Power Word Kill&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Prismatic Sphere&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Teleportation Circle&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Time Stop&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wail of the Banshee&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wish[/code]If you can live with this spell list, and still spell the ones you want beyond that, tank up in armor and have fun <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Bront, post: 2883335, member: 19696"] Mage Armor is fairly adiquite, particularly at higher levels, or if you take the Extend Spell feat if you're willing to give up a second level slot. Or you can always suck up the spell failure chance and get leather, or even mithril chain. I enjoyed my archer EK build a lot, he was one of the more effective 3.5 characters I've played, but that was a focused elf. The ranged feats are also very synergystic for the caster, and dex helps you not get hit. Race? Human, Elf, Dwarf are all good. If you're going melee, Human or Dwarf are probably better, while Human or Elf for ranged would probably be good. Halfling works fairly well for ranged also, and Gnome would be an interesting melee choice (Less damage, but harder to hit and more likely to hit, plus the con bump). Stats? well, you're a little stat hungry. You want a good INT (Duh), hopefully a 14 Strength for a 2 handed weapon, idealy a servicable con and dex (Which is more important depends on you, if you can figure out how to get armor, probably con, otherwise probably dex, since your reflex save will be bad too), probably not too big on Charisma and Wisdom (No skills, and ok Will save). Skills? Well, on the fighter end, not much, so this is more flavor, but you want to max out Spellcraft and KN: Arcana ASAP (Spellcraft first), so you can learn new spells. Concentration is very high on the list if you're going into melee (Might be worth crossclassing your fighter skills for). Feats? Well, for ranged, it's easy, go with the Point Blank and Precise, and then Rapid. You may want Extend Spell to extend your buffs as well. For Melee? Dodge and Mobility can help you get out of tight situations. Power Attack is fun with 2 handed weapons, but your BAB will be lower, so that could hurt in the long run. It may get you Cleave, but you won't be in the best situation to use it. Arcane Strike(CA) is fun if you don't mind sacking spells for damage. Combat Expertise will let raise your AC without a huge BAB sacrifice. If you insist on Combat Casting, get Skill Focus: Concentration instead unless you need Combat Casting for a PrC. Alternately, you can get Still Spell and use every spell stilled, which puts you behind a second caster level, but you can wear full plate and use a tower shield if you wanted to. Spells? If you want to go armored caster, I'll put a list below of spells that have no somatic component, meaning you can cast in armor with no penalty. Otherwise, Abjuration and Conjuration spells are good for defensive buffs, Evocation is direct blasting, but could be interesting to ignore so you can do damage in melee. Illusion often require concentration, probably a good sack school if you go specialist (not a bad idea to get an extra spell), Enchantment is a little more passive, but has some buffs, Transmutation has some very nice spells (Tensor's Transformation isn't bad for a combat mage) but could be sacked if you don't want to go that route. Necromancy has the ever useful ray of enfeblement and some nice touch spells for a melee caster, but isn't as usefull for a ranged caster. And divination, well, knowing stuff never hurts, and you can't sack it. [code][B]No Somatic Component spell list[/b] 0- Flare Light 1- Benign Transposition Slide Feather Fall Hold Portal True Strike Ventriloquism Magecraft Critical Strike Expeditious Retreat, Swift Golem Strike Guided Shot Insightful Feint Master’s Touch Low-light vision 2- Baleful Transposition Blades of Fire Greater Slide Blindness/Deafness Blur Darkness Knock Blade Weave Daggerspell Stance Fly, swift Sonic Weapon Insidious Insight 3- Displacement Suggestion Tongues 4- Dimension Door Lesser Geas Shout Entangling Staff 5- Contact Other Plane Teleport Unfettered Heroism 6- Geas/Quest Brilliant Blade 7- Phase Door Power Word Blind Teleport Object Teleport, Greater 8- Charm Monster, Mass Otto’s Irresistible Dance Power Word Stun Maddening Scream 9- Mordenkainen’s Disjunction Power Word Kill Prismatic Sphere Teleportation Circle Time Stop Wail of the Banshee Wish[/code] If you can live with this spell list, and still spell the ones you want beyond that, tank up in armor and have fun :) [/QUOTE]

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