Help with a dual caster progression

[Amazing Triangle]

I am currently trying to make a Human Archivist 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Heirophant 2 with the feats:Skill Focus (Concentration), Improved Initiative, Touch of Healing [Reserve], Eschew Materials, Heighten Spell, Acidic Splatter [Reserve], Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Wand.

Granted I know that Mystic Theurge is kind of/severely underpowered but I don't know of another class that would give dual casting that would make the Archivist/Wizard gain as much full casting as possible. I went with it because of the singular casting stat.

Is there anything I could do to make this build better? (AC and HP is really low). Early entry options are out of the question the DM will shut them down. So I am stuck with Divine 3/Arcane 3

Books allowed in the campaign:
Races of...
Complete ....
Cityscape/Dungeonscape
PHB/PHB2

Books not allowed
No Psionics or Tome of Battle

These were some other ideas that I have worked with if any of these are good, please help me with feats.
Secondary Ideas
Elf Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 1/Wild Runner 1/Arcane Heirophant 10
Elf Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Wild Runner 1/Arcane Heirophant 1
Homebrew elf stats:+2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution, -2 Strength

Dwarf Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Runecaster 1/Archmage 1 or Hierophant 1 (Armor Casting)

Human Monk 1/Cleric 3/ Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 10/Archmage 1 or Hierophant 1 (unarmored AC boost)

Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[stonegod]

You (should) have several spell based options to help your AC:
- mage armor/magic vestments (armor bonus, the latter better)
- barkskin (via a druid scroll) (natural amor bonus)
- cat's grace (Dex)
- shield (shield bonus)
- shield of faith (deflection bonus)
Which are all of the major bonuses, and you can cast them all as a Wiz/Archivist. Scrolls/wands of the same you can all use. Of course, they all take time to set-up.

W/ a level in monk, you get Wisdom bonus to AC, which means owl's wisdom gives an AC boost.

false life is your friend if you desperately need hit points. It lasts a while too.

Those are all possible (except magic vestments) with a pre-theurge.

 

[Caliban]

It would be a good idea to work in Practiced Spell (Complete Arcane) caster (+4 to your caster level for one of your classes, up to your total HD), and probaby Improved Toughness (Complete Warrior) if you are concerned about hit points.

False Life is a great wizard spell for helping with low hit points, and Aid or Mass Aid is a good clerical spell.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

You (should) have several spell based options to help your AC:
- mage armor/magic vestments (armor bonus, the latter better)
- barkskin (via a druid scroll) (natural amor bonus)
- cat's grace (Dex)
- shield (shield bonus)
- shield of faith (deflection bonus)
Which are all of the major bonuses, and you can cast them all as a Wiz/Archivist. Scrolls/wands of the same you can all use. Of course, they all take time to set-up.

Good to see you Stonegod, I could actually prepare Barkskin. Archivist's are allowed to learn any divine spell, just the majority of them come from the cleric's list. So I could learn Barkskin.

 

[stonegod]

Good to see you Stonegod, I could actually prepare Barkskin. Archivist's are allowed to learn any divine spell, just the majority of them come from the cleric's list. So I could learn Barkskin.

Yup. But you have to learn it from a scroll (archivists can only learn spells from the cleric list on level up).

 

[Amazing Triangle]

Elf Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 1/Wild Runner 1/Arcane Heirophant 10

Would this be a better build idea? I am not looking to be overpowering I just don't want to die every encounter.
Is there a way to get an Animal Companion?

If any one knows a way to get survival to their class skills please tell me.

 

[rgard]

Elf Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 1/Wild Runner 1/Arcane Heirophant 10

Is there a way to get an Animal Companion?

If any one knows a way to get survival to their class skills please tell me.

In Unearthed Arcana, page 58, there is a variant where the wizard loses the familiar, but gets an Animal Companion (as druid, treat sorcer or wizard as a druid of half his class level).

There is a feat someplace (maybe one of the FR books - cosmopolitan feat?) that lets you take 1 cross class skill and make it a class skill for life. Maybe somebody has a better recollection of this feat or one like it.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[dirkformica]

Skill Knowledge from Unearthed Arcana allows you to select a skill to permanently be on your class list. Or it can turn two current class skills permanent.

 

[Cameron]

If you want the best of both worlds, try the following:

XYZ 6/Rainbow Servant 10

where XYZ is one of the following: Beguiler, Warmage, Dread Necromancer

At level 16, you get everything from both lists, and you have full casting to boot. Sacred Exorcist would even net you Turn Undead (if you are good aligned) or Dread Necromancer would give you Rebuke Undead, which can be used to power DM: Persistent. Either of the above is Cha based, so it synergises with Turn/Rebuke Undead.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

In Unearthed Arcana, page 58, there is a variant where the wizard loses the familiar, but gets an Animal Companion (as druid, treat sorcer or wizard as a druid of half his class level).

There is a feat someplace (maybe one of the FR books - cosmopolitan feat?) that lets you take 1 cross class skill and make it a class skill for life. Maybe somebody has a better recollection of this feat or one like it.

Thanks,
Rich

With this I take the variant wizard then take the familiar feat and gain all the benefits of having them both through the Arcane Heirophant, all with out a druid, but with his spells!