Level adjusted mage help

[pawsplay]

I don't see +4 LA as a killer. You're talking about a 20% higher failure rate to overcome SR. And as vampires, your casting stat got a slight boost, yet?

Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration should go onto the shopping list. In the meantime, focus on conjurations and buffs, or on taking out non-SR opponents. Not everything has SR, after all.

If you happen to play to the appropriate level, Archmage with the spell power ability would be pretty cool. However, you'd already need a start on that; do you have Spell Focus in anything?

 

[James McMurray]

Is the campaign setup so that Resurrection is an option? Since you're destroyed at 0 hit points that would be a very easy cure. You'd lose a level, but it's better than losing 4.

 

[IcyCool]

Any specific spells you think might be useful? So far I've got acid arrow and stinking cloud, working on black tentacles. Maybe some from the Complete series? PHB2?

Just so you know, I'm a nice guy. And as a nice guy, I would never recommend that you take those vile, stupid Orb spells from Complete Arcane. You know, the one's that allow no SR and no Save (because they are ranged touch attacks)? Yeah, I hate those spells, so I would totally never recommend them to anyone else.

 

[TYPO5478]

Ack.

You know, I liked to use that kind of stuff for NPCs baddies and PC friends. The big famous wizard apprentice that everyone expected to surpass his master soon... who suddenly got lazy, bored and ... furry.

Afflicted lycanthrope with no chance to level up in the next decade.

Same for vampires and lichies... They'd be bored to death if it wouldn't be too late for that.

So get a hobby... to rule the world or something similar. Get cohorts, henchmen and other lackeys to do the dirt jobs for you... become an evil overlord... NPC.

You know, that's another thing. My neutral good alignment seems to be intact. I'd like to keep it that way (again, for RP reasons).

 

[James McMurray]

I don't see +4 LA as a killer. You're talking about a 20% higher failure rate to overcome SR. And as vampires, your casting stat got a slight boost, yet?

It's not only SR that's a problem, it's the loss of two spell levels. CR is partially based on what spell level the cleric and wizard has available. When the CR they fight is expecting Disintigrate and Chain Lightning, he's casting Ice Storm and Phantasmal Killer.

 

[TYPO5478]

Just so you know, I'm a nice guy. And as a nice guy, I would never recommend that you take those vile, stupid Orb spells from Complete Arcane. You know, the one's that allow no SR and no Save (because they are ranged touch attacks)? Yeah, I hate those spells, so I would totally never recommend them to anyone else.

Awesome. Thanks for not recommending that!

 

[pawsplay]

It's not only SR that's a problem, it's the loss of two spell levels. CR is partially based on what spell level the cleric and wizard has available. When the CR they fight is expecting Disintigrate and Chain Lightning, he's casting Ice Storm and Phantasmal Killer.

So? In most cases, the difference amounts to -2 DC. It's a rough game, true. But there is a lot to be said for playing to vampiric strengths.

 

[TYPO5478]

Is the campaign setup so that Resurrection is an option? Since you're destroyed at 0 hit points that would be a very easy cure. You'd lose a level, but it's better than losing 4.

I hadn't thought of that. There's a fairly powerful NPC cleric who we used to be able to ask to do that sort of thing. We actually only used it once (to res another NPC bystander who got seriously caught in the crossfire of an assassination attempt on me). When one of our human friends went to see him about our condition, he offered to destroy us for him.

He might bring us back if we were annihilated, but that sort of thing is expensive. Plus, I'm kind of looking for solutions that don't involve us dying.

So? In most cases, the difference amounts to -2 DC. It's a rough game, true. But there is a lot to be said for playing to vampiric strengths.

Casting isn't really a "vampiric strength." Hand-to-hand combat is, and I'm not really cut out for that.

 

[frankthedm]

The mêlée fighters are having an easier time of it. They've got DR and Str bonuses. The biggest thing I got was +2 Int. How would you make the most of it?

Ask the DM to research arcane rituals to trade off my vampiric defences for less LA. What was kept is really nice, but a caster really cannot afford the LA.

You'll need to keep the d12 HD, drinking problem and turn resist, but sacrifice the rest to lower that LA as far as possible until you can get cured.

 

[James McMurray]

So? In most cases, the difference amounts to -2 DC. It's a rough game, true. But there is a lot to be said for playing to vampiric strengths.

Have you looked at 4th level spells vs. 6th level spells? 1st vs. 3rd? 7th vs. 9th? A two level difference is a heck of a lot more than just -2 DC.