Help increase Save DC's

[Kaledor]

I'm looking for a host of ways to increase the save DCs on my wizard's spells:


Obviously there's Spell Focus and Greater SF. But those only grant +2 and it's got to be to a certain school of magic. So, you could be spending quite a few feats to really beef up the DC's of your wizard. Is this really a good idea?

You could increase your Int score (never a bad idea if you can do this).

Are there any magic items that directly affect spell DC's (not headband of intellect)?
Are there any rules for creating a magic item like that?

 

[Jdvn1]

The Fatespinner has an ability that does that. Various other PrCs have class abilities that boost it for specific types/schools of spells.

 

[the Jester]

The difficulty in buffing save DCs is an intentional part of the 3.5 revision.

I can't think of anything else (other than SF and GSF) in the core rules that increases your DCs.

 

[Kaledor]

The Fatespinner has an ability that does that. Various other PrCs have class abilities that boost it for specific types/schools of spells.

I'm definitely NOT opposed to using PrC to gain the boost. I hadn't looked at Fatespinner -- have to check that one out thanks.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

The psionics book contains an item (psionatrix) that increased saves to one discipline (school) for 8,000 gp. Something similar could probably be adopted for magic.

 

[TheNovaLord]

gnomes casting illusion spells (+1 DC) with SF and GSF have very hard to resist phantasmal killers and various shadow evoke etc spells. Plus having a con bonus makes it more likely you can slip an extra point into Int at creation and potentially have a higher Int stat quicker.


JohnD

 

[Infiniti2000]

Heighten Spell will also increase the save DCs of your lower spells, at the obvious cost of taking higher level spell slots. Still, it's a great use for something like charm person.

 

[Kaledor]

I like the idea of altering a magic item like the psionic one.
I also like the Heighten Metamagic, b/c we're using the Unearthed Arcana alternate rule on metamagics, so I won't have to spend higher slots for the spell... though, I'll only get to use it a few times per day.

Has anyone had any experience with the Spell Focus feats?
Is it a good purchase?
I ask, because wizard feats are so valuable, I wouldn't want to "waste" one on Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus.

So, does anyone have any pro's and con's of buying this feat?

 

[Infiniti2000]

I also like the Heighten Metamagic, b/c we're using the Unearthed Arcana alternate rule on metamagics, so I won't have to spend higher slots for the spell... though, I'll only get to use it a few times per day.

You have to use higher slots for Heighten Spell. That's the purpose of the feat. What the Unearthed Arcana might do, however, is give you Heighten Spell as a free feat (or say that any spell prepared or cast in a higher slot is automatically heightened).

Has anyone had any experience with the Spell Focus feats?
Is it a good purchase?
I ask, because wizard feats are so valuable, I wouldn't want to "waste" one on Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus.

So, does anyone have any pro's and con's of buying this feat?

I think they are quite useful, even in 3.5. Upping the DC on a spell is very powerful. You're essentially adding 5%/10% to the chance that the victim will fail. That's a big deal especially on save-or-die/incapacitate spells.

 

[Rkhet]

Often, though, even with the feats you've got only 10 - 15% success rate, meaning that the spell isn't worth the action you're spending.

Now, for my standard polymorphing-solves-all-your-problems post:

check the Ethergaunt from Fiend Folio. Remember that Polymorph Any Object grants you the target creature's Int score, and that a scroll of it is a rather cheap investment.