Help increase Save DC's

[Scharlata]

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

Hi!

Some suggestions:

• Cold Focus, Prereq.:-, Benefit: +1 bonus to save DCs against cold spells, Frostburn p.47

• Greater Cold Focus, Prereq.: Cold Focus, Benefit: +1 bonus to save DCs against cold spells, stacks with Cold Focus, Frostburn p. 48

• Spell Focus (Chaos, Evil, Good, Lawful), Prereq.: Relevant alignment, Benefit: +1 bonus on save DCs for spells with alignment descriptor, Complete Divine p. 84

• Cooperative Spell, Prereq.: Any metamagic feat, Benefit: Bonus to save DC and on caster level checks of spells cast in conjunction with other spellcasters, Complete Arcane p. 76

• Vow of Nonviolence, Prereq.: Sacred Vow, Benefit: +4 bonus an save DCs of nondamaging spells, Book of Exalted Deeds p. 47

• Enchanting Song, Prereq.: Bardic music, Perforn (any) 5 ranks, Spell Focus (Enchantment), Benefit: Spend bardic music to increase enchantment spell caster level and DC by 1, Races of Stone p. 139

• Misleading Song, Prereq.: Bardic music, Perforn (any) 5 ranks, Spell Focus (Illusion), Benefit: Spend bardic music to increase illusion spell caster level and DC by 1, Racesy of Stone p. 142

• Draconic Power, Prereq.: Draonic Heritage, Benefit: +1 caster level and DC for spells of the energy type matching your Draconic Heritage, Complete Arcane p. 78

Enjoy!

 

[Li Shenron]

3.0

 

[frankthedm]

Try the natural way to wizardly power. AGE

VITAL STATISTICS
AGE

You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age......

With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way......

At middle age, –1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At old age, –2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
At venerable age, –3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

 

[Mistwell]

I am currently considering taking the Shadow Weave Magic feat (Players Guide to Faerun), for my gnome illusionist. It gives a +1 to illusion, enchantment, and necromancy spells at a cost to your transmutation and evocation and light spells. A level of the Shadow Adept PRC also gets your SRP up by +5.

 

[andargor]

The Elemental Savant (CA) gets Energy Focus over time. Yes, limited, but a +2 is still a Good Thing (tm).

Andargor

 

[Synthetik Fish]

The Forgotten Reals Sourcebook has probably one of the most awesomest feats ever for a spellcaster. It's called Spellcasting Prodigy... basicly, you count your INT as 2 points higher for determining bonus spells and save DC's (you can only take the feat at 1st level.) However, in the Player's Guide to Faerun, they dropped the DC part fo the feat (which, in my opinon, makes it a suckie feat and takes out msot of its attractiveness.) A good DM should see the balance and let you take the older version of the feat.

I've also been thinking of magic item's that raise your DC's. It only makes sense! That should be the ONE thing that spellcasters desire. Fighters want better weapons, rogues [tend to] want dex, wizards want higher DC's. I was thinking of a pair of gauntlets/gloves called "Mage gloves" that all +1/+2/+3/+4 to save DC's (appropiate increase in price for each version.) Prerequisites form aking them would be creater having spell focus and greater spell focus. This bonus should stack with any other bonus. To bring the power of them down, a DM could think of restricting the bonus to a certain domain (Evocation, for example) or energy (fire spells, etc.) This power could be applied to rods (probably most likely), wonderous items, and even weapons (hey, makes sense to me. Gandolf has a sword, right?)

With that said, I'm pretty sure theres some bard abilities/spells and some cleric spells that MIGHT raise your DC's amongst other things? Not sure.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

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.

What are you casting spells at that can make their saves so well? Is your DM cheating? Are you mistaken? Or are you just targeting strong saves?

 

[Nail]

Or are you just targeting strong saves?

This one, I'd guess.

In 3.5e, it is crucial that you understand what are the Poor saves of your opponents......and once you know, you should only cast spells with that as the save. Otherwise, you are wasting your action.

For example, I don't know how many times I've seen our magic-user target a big combat bruiser with a Fort save spell......and then be surprised when the bruiser makes it.

Moreover, at high levels practically all of an opponent's saves are high enough to make it over 75% of the time. It's just pointless to cast spells with saves at that level ( >15).

 

[Synthetik Fish]

This one, I'd guess.

In 3.5e, it is crucial that you understand what are the Poor saves of your opponents......and once you know, you should only cast spells with that as the save. Otherwise, you are wasting your action.

For example, I don't know how many times I've seen our magic-user target a big combat bruiser with a Fort save spell......and then be surprised with the bruiser makes it.

Moreover, at high levels practically all of an opponent's saves are high enough to make it over 75% of the time. It's just pointless to cast spells with saves at that level ( >15).

This is why I am personally a fan of spells that don't offer saves at all. Rays are great! All you need is a ranged-touch attack, and they're done. Look at Ray of enfeeblement-- it's something like a Strength penalty of 1d6 + 1/(every two levels?) Something like that. But with NO SAVE, and it's a FIRST LEVEL spell. Granted, you might have to over come spell resistance...

Like Nail said, know your enemy! Paticularly for a wizard, flexibility is key. You don't target a Red Wyrm with a fireball, so don't target a brute with a Fort-save spell. Knowing what to use, and how to use the spells that you DO have is far more valuable than having higher DC's... IMHO.

 

[darthkilmor]

Well, What is your save dc now(whats your int/feats?)?

Any int-boosting items would be the best way I would think.
Did they change 3.5 that the spell focus feats give +1 instead of +2 ?