Making a different kind of wizard

[jcfiala]

No more than 1 level of a non-spellcaster progressing class, or two if the concept is cool enough to justify it. So, primarily a spellcaster with some kind of odd twist.

I had some fun playing an Illusionist/Monk, although the fun got stronger once Complete Arcane came out and my GM allowed me to take the Arcane Monk prestige class from it. (I'm completely spacing on the name.) It's an odd fit, but it can work pretty well - expect to make Cha a big dump stat, though.

 

[Sejs]

Goblin.

Conjuration specialist.

Barred evocation and .. something. Illusion or Enchantment, maybe.

On a worg.

Take the Improved Familiar feat, and have your worg be your familiar.

Use wacky spells that arn't the normal magic missle/invisibility/fireball type stuff.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There is a feat in one of the Comp books (Arc, Div or Adv) that lets you convert spell energy into bonus damage to your melee strikes.

I could almost see a Half-Orc Specialist Mage who went into spellcasting SPECIFICALLY to do just that. So, instead of just casting spells, he's almost as likely to be burning spellpower to pump his Battleaxe damage! Of course, you'd need to pick an appropriate specialty for him- an Evoker is probably best, but a Transmuter or Necromancer might also work just as well.

OTOH, with a Diviner specialization for this build, you'll get True Strike, and you'll be able to burn those other "useless" divination spells for attacks...and you'd only have to drop one opposed school, so you could still be a blaster!

Hmmmm...note to self- this may be ideal for my Samuel L. Jackson based PC...

 

[pallandrome]

My next one is going to be a toxic mage, poisons and acid all the way, the hell with actual in game effectiveness.

Actually, Acid Arrow is one of my favorite mid-high level caster killers. Pelt a baddie with three twinned acid arrows and three quickened acid arrows in the first three rounds of combat, and watch that 18d4 (average of 45) of damage every round do it's work. Not many casters can make that Concentration check.

EDIT NOTE: extend spell is especially nice for this.

 

[pawsplay]

Tiefling. After 6th level, start taking levels in Eldritch Knight immediately. Outsiders get proficiency in martial weapons for free. Plus, tieflings are smart. Snag your Archmage levels when you qualify.

Halfling necromancer. He started off as a pretty regular wizard's apprentice and did a little adventuring, but one night he got stuck in a crypt with a deathlock. He escaped with his life and ever since then has been obsessed with the power of the undead, both idolizing them and learning to defeat them.

Half-ogre wizard. Just because. Sure, it's LA +2, but the Int penalty is only -2, so it's totally doable.

 

[pallandrome]

Half-Ogre Sorcerers with Alter Self (you'll have to research a non-humanoid version) are HILARIOUS.

 

[Sejs]

Half-ogre wizard. Just because. Sure, it's LA +2, but the Int penalty is only -2, so it's totally doable.

I'm trying to remember where, but I recall reading a discussion, the crux of which was the idea that if your racial advantages arn't actually advantages, then your LA is not worth as much.

To wit: a half-ogre's racial advantages (+str, +con, nat armor, reach, large size) are lovely for a fighter. But for a rogue (-hide from size, harder to find hiding places due to your size, -dex, -int, -cha, most of your dmg comes from sneak attack anyway) there are noteworthy disadvantages, and the advantages you do get arn't as valuable as they would be to the fighter. The argument is then that to a straight wizard or rogue, the half-ogre might only be worth +1 LA instead of +2.

But from there it gets into points such as what if the character then shifts focus later to being a fighter/rogue or the like? Do they then gain the other point of LA? Etc, etc.

I wish I could find that again, it was an interesting read.

 

[Sejs]

Half-Ogre Sorcerers with Alter Self (you'll have to research a non-humanoid version) are HILARIOUS.

"You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. You can change into a member of your own kind or even into yourself."

No research necessary. Heh, you just need to find some 5hd or lower giants... they're kinda rare.

Planetouched are where Alter Self starts getting really interesting. Lantern Archon, Arrowhawk, Azer, Dretch, Lemure, Formian Worker or Warrior, Hell Hound, any kind of Mephit, Rast, Ravid, Xill, Yeth Hound... and that's all just core.

 

[pallandrome]

Indeed, that was what I was thinking for Alter Self, my bad. I played a Half-Ogre Illusionist for a short period. He was an interesting fellow.

 

[James McMurray]

Check out the rules for alternate spellbooks in Complete Arcane. I'm particularly fond of tattoing your book to your body. At higher levels you can hire an underling to follow you around and hold the mirror for you so you can memorize the spells you don't use very often and so put in harder to read locations.