Mystic Theurge build, plz help

[Ipissimus]

Brace: Big difference. Really, guys, that bonus gets added anyway, not an issue.

NilesB: Maybe you should read my previous posts. I don't care about TN's necromantic abilities at all, all I want TN for is the duel spellcasting. That's it, the rest is garnish.

If you're going to drop Cleric completely after 13th level, you might as well not take it at all. Much more efficient and far less headaches just being a single class wizard. Aside from that, i want to play an effective Cleric/Wizard, not a Wizard with a bit of cleric on the side or vise versa.

Also, I would rather have twice as many lower level spells than a few higher level spells. At Caster Level 16/16, Character Level 20, my build lets you cast a total of 5 8th level spells a day rather than a measily 2-3, not counting bonus spells for high Wis/Int. For that, I'll wait 5 levels (17-21) for the dubious advantage of 9th level spells. Heck, at 20th level i'll be able to buy a load of scrolls or pick 'em up in the loot, so I'll be casting them anyway!

Votan: But you don't get twice the casting ability and I don't want to play an armoured caster. And I don't care about Necromancy at all, as I've said, I just want TN for the duel caster level progression, like I have said.


I won't be answering any more questions about the build. That's the build, not changing it. If you have feat suggestions, I'll field those. Should be playing soon anyway.

 

[Paradigm]

Paradigm: Coolness! Voice of experience warmly welcome.

I know that turn/rebuke will go down the pit, I'm honestly fine with that. Divine Metamagic is an excellent idea, but not so useful when I don't have any metamagic feats to use it with. Good point on Globe of Invulnerability, I'll have to think about that one. Heighten Spell isn't generally on my list of desireable feat choices for spellcasters, considering that there are often better choices you and make for higher level spell slots, but you have a good point.

In the new Fiendish Codex there is an outstanding feat that permits you to use a turning attempt to counterspell as an immediate action. As a thuerge you will have more spells per day than your opponent.

Spectral Hand to deliver all those Inflict spells? -chuckle- good idea. Though I wonder if it is the most efficient method of dealing damage once you have access to wizard spells.

Also healing and buffing at range. Any 4th level or lower touch spell works through it.

Triad spell I'll have to look up.

Spell Compendium.

True Necromancer will work fine, you won't see a caster level decline until epic, and as a MT you are already faced with the exchange of power for versatility (which has a power all its own)

 

[Ipissimus]

Paradigm: Interesting on the new Fiendish Codex, and strange. I thought there was already a feat that allowed you to do that, maybe from Forgotten Realms...

Good point on SH.

I had a look at Triadspell, nice.

And I agree. Leveraging that advantage is going to be a challenge.

 

[Ipissimus]

Mystic Theurge Battle Report

Had the first game today with this build at level 6 (3/3 caster) in a solo adventure using the recommendations from Dragon (ie, we played a 3rd level dungeon with a 6th level character). I have to say I'm quite happy with the way it plays.

It was a heavy combat senario, quite short, involving a beehive ('Buzz on the Bridge' from Dungeon Magazine to be exact). The ability to both blast and buff was both novel and quite exciting, I always had something to do and never wasted a turn. Buffing myself with Bless, Aid, Shield of Faith, Shield and Bull's Strength really gave me that boost I needed once I was down to my +1 dagger, so I was a rather deft hand even when I'd run out of spells.

'Boss monsters', if I ever go up against any, will still be trouble. My main draw is really scortching ray and Magic Missile, if I don't have time to prepare the buff spells beforehand, melee's very tense, I'm feeling the pinch of the Dagger's rather pathetic damage... but, hey, I wasn't setting out for this to be a solo character (it just happened that way).

I still didn't get enough exp to get to seventh level, which is going to make the next adventure interesting.

 

[Darklone]

Had the first game today with this build at level 6 (3/3 caster) in a solo adventure using the recommendations from Dragon (ie, we played a 3rd level dungeon with a 6th level character). I have to say I'm quite happy with the way it plays.
...

I still didn't get enough exp to get to seventh level, which is going to make the next adventure interesting.

Well, 7th level won't help you a lot... just a few more spells.

Do you have Reserve feats?

 

[Ipissimus]

No, for two reasons. I couldn't find any that fit the character concept and I was getting strapped for feat choices. I took Spontaneous Healing at 6th, which I wouldn't have survived the adventure without.

I take the point about 7th level, but at least it would have been a step toward 8th and 3rd level spells.

 

[Ipissimus]

Well, having played two more dungeons with this build and reached 8th level, both as a solo player and as part of a group, I have had alot of fun.

As a part of a group of four players (one Rogue/Ranger, one Warblade, one Monk) and the only spellcaster, we've all been surprised at how well the mix works.

If you've ever been a fighter and felt cheated out of half the fun by fireball-hurling mages and god-like clerics, having just one Mystic Theurge in the party solves the problem. Not having 3rd level spells, I didn't overwhelm every monster encounter that we faced but I was still able to contribute with a well-placed scortching ray or two. When I ran out of spells, or if something was proving tougher than expected, a Bless spell or such wasn't a chore as it can be if the Cleric is in melee combat.

I also always had something to do, particularly healing after the fights or buffing before the fights, not to mention making knowledge skill rolls. Division of magical items is also much clearer since I get all the wands and scrolls. Healing potions, we've found, are best divided among the fighter types to leave me free to blast the bad guys, which the fighters are enjoying since they're much more self-sufficient.

About the only thing we've missed so far is Dispel Magic. One encounter we had with some charmed guards was complicated by the fact that we had to keep Webbing and subduing them with a Wand until the effect wore off which got a little tedious. There has also been some concern about Raise Dead, or rather the lack of it, tho no-one has yet to die. To that end, party treasure has bought a few scrolls, so not a real problem.

Our first recourse in combat against multiple creatures has been the fighters, which I have to say is a great improvement. Not once have we simply opened a door and unleashed firey death and fights are lasting longer. They also involve more tactical thought. For example, several times the Monk has used her predigious movement rate and tumble skill to flank either the Warblade's or the Thief's opponents, or retreated to cover my butt. For the Rogue/Ranger, scouting has become a necessity, since we need the information in order to plan our method of attack. Though the Warblade's main job is hacking things to pieces and otherwise absorbing damage, it's a much more important job in this particular group.

Cure potions and wands are actually getting used rather than accumulating until they fill one of our bags of holding (I have one character who has 150 CLW potions... I had to dedicate a bag of holding to them).

Actually fighting undead rather than turning them all has also been a novelty.

All in all, we've agreed it's been the best game any of us have played in years.