Mage, staff combat training

[BVB]

I'm looking for some options and combinations to best portray a mage who has trained to become more combat-proficient with a quarterstaff. The only problem(?) that I have with multiclassing with the fighter class (for the additional feats) is that it necessarily comes with knowledge of armor, swords and other martial equipment -- as far as I see it, unnecessary to this particular concept.

Can you suggest a path that would pare down on the extra stuff and leave me with a focus on magic and staff mastery?

 

[Magic Slim]

How much do you want to develop your wizard's mastery with the quarterstaff? What do you want to develop? damage output? accuracy? # of attacks? The basic feats to take with the quarterstaff, IMO, would be (in no particular order):

x Combat expertise
x Improved disarm
x Two-weapon fighting (assuming the dex prerequisite is met)
x Improved two-weapon fighting (assuming the dex prerequisite is met)
x Power attack (assuming the str prerequisite is met)
x Two-weapon defense
x Weapon focus (BAB +1)

Possible Progression (assuming human)
1: two-weapon fighting
1: two-weapon defense
3: weapon focus
6: Combat expertise
9: Improved disarm
12: Improved two-weapon fighting
15: Power attack

Hope this helps

Slim

 

[Krieg]

Just take a level of Ranger...oh wait....darn you 3.5! Darn you to hades!!!

 

[Terwox]

Well, don't rule out fighter just because it gives you those feats.

It's not like you have to use them!

Just ask the rangers that use shields.

 

[Piratecat]

This falls under our definition of Rules (which includes cool character development questions), so I'll slide this over.

 

[BSF]

Hey Slim,
Nice concept. I might have to build up a character like that at some point. It would be an interesting mix.

Thanks!

 

[LGodamus]

you could use the magister class from AU...they only use staves and and eventually swordstaves...

 

[Creamsteak]

I'd rather have expertise over power-attack as a wizard (fighting on the defensive as a wizard makes sense, whereas trying to use brute force doesn't).

I would recommend either the normally crap-tastic monk, or possibly a modified fighter (drops armor/shield proficiencies for better class skills list so you don't miss out on important skills, drops martial weapon proficiencies and hit dice to d8 for 2 extra skill points/level.)

Just eyeballing this, however, and I'd like to know a little more about what 'else' your character can/will want to do.

 

[Darklone]

Take a monk level and use flurry of misses with the staff.
Another nice way: Toughness and TWF as level 1 feats.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I guess you don't want to drop any wizard levels and lose spell progression. I hope you've got a great CON, because if you get into combat you'll need all you hp!

My suggestions:

Combat Expertise and improved disarm first. As a 2H large weapon quarterstaffs are great for disarms, and improved disarm gives you a bonus and nixes the penalty. Removing your enemies weapons has got to be a great move, right?

For style it is definitely worth spending cross-class skill points (you've got lots, your a wizard!) on tumbling.

I wouldn't bother with weapon focus, I guess you could pick up improved critical (staff) at about 18th level if you really wanted to

(If you were up with sacrificing a level of spellcasting I'd go with Darklones suggestion for Monk though - the quarterstaff flurry is excellent, especially if you are a strong wizard.

I could imagine a wizard being built this way:

Best: Int
Next: Con
Next: Str
Worst: everthing else.

Forget about Dex and rely upon your magic protections for your AC and saves. Str with a monkish quarterstaff flurry will apply equally to both ends of the staff, tumbling will be a class skill for one of your classes so you will have level+3 as your max; the wizard can do lots of twisty somersaults and poses with his quarterstaff held at the ready.

Cheers