D&D 5E Please help me optimize the next few levels

[Herzog]

For those who have followed earlier discussions, I've finally settled on a build, but I would like to have some insight on how to smooth it out.

(for reference of my current character see this thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/300205-looking-evil-arcane-tiamat-prc.html)

My current build is:
1. Wiz1 DragonWrought
2. Wiz2
3. Wiz3 DragonWings
4. Wiz4
5. Wiz5 DraconicReservoir,ExtendSpell
6. Sor1 (Greater Draconic Right of Passage: Sor2)
7. Ultimate Magus 1 (Wiz5 CL6/Sor3 CL4)
8. UM2 (Wiz6 CL7/Sor4 CL5)
9. UM3 (Wiz7 CL8/Sor5 CL6) Improved Dragon Wings
10. UM4 (Wiz7 CL9/Sor6 CL8)
11. UM5 (Wiz8 CL10/Sor7 CL9) CorruptSpell
12. UM6 (Wiz9 CL11/Sor8 CL10)

I have settled on taking levels in the Escalation Mage (from Faiths of Eberron) and Nightmare Spinner (from Complete Mage)
Depending on the leniency of my dm to re-assign some skillpoints from the previous levels, I will take them in one of the following orders:

lenient: (meaning I can re-assign skillpoints making it possible to get required ranks for NS using escalation mage)
13. Escalation Mage 1
14. Nightmare Spinner1

not-so-lenient:
13. EM1
14. EM2
15. NS1

After that, I'm at a loss.
I would like to get the Shadow Empower from the Escalation Mage 3(higher abilities less interesting, except for the capstone free extra uses and the 1 use per day extra per level)
I would also like to get the Spirit Chill from the Nightmare Spinner 3 (empty 4th lvl less interesting, but the capstone Deadly Nightmare might be nice)

Last but not least, I could also move back to Ultimate Magus, gaining several additional casting levels and another boost in caster level.

Also, I'm not sure what feats to take at 12, 15 and 18.

What would be an optimal progression?
(Please note I'm not interested in other prestige class options right now. I'm too relieved I managed to settle on these two....)

 

[arcseed]

I would strongly suggest finishing out the Ultimate Magus progression first, except that your metamagic selection is kinda weak. I would take Quicken Spell ASAP, followed by some combination of Empower, Maximize, Heighten, Chain, and Persistent, depending on what sort of spells you generally use.

 

[Herzog]

I would strongly suggest finishing out the Ultimate Magus progression first, except that your metamagic selection is kinda weak.

Are you suggesting NOT taking UM if I don't plan to invest in additional MM feats? or would you suggest finishing out UM anyway?
Or are you suggesting not taking any other PrC at all?

I would take Quicken Spell ASAP

I have yet to find a situation in which I find I would prefered to have Quicken Spell. Of course, it would allow me to cast two spells in one round, but I find I don't really need that.

, followed by some combination of Empower, Maximize, Heighten, Chain, and Persistent, depending on what sort of spells you generally use.

I use a combination of long-duration buff spells (which I Extend) and AoE spells, and sometimes Orbs.
I've been thinking about taking Empower and/or Maximize, with Empower having my interest right now (because I am fond of random results. Maximize is nice, but I find additional fun in reaching that (almost) maximum number by throwing dice)

 

[arcseed]

Are you suggesting NOT taking UM if I don't plan to invest in additional MM feats? or would you suggest finishing out UM anyway?
Or are you suggesting not taking any other PrC at all?

Well, the primary benefit of UM is the Augmented Casting ability. Otherwise, you're just trading high-level spells for lower-level spells, which is not a good deal. Finishing the UM progression gets you more uses of the ability, and lets you use it with higher level spells. Of course, to make good use of the ability, you need the metamagic feats. Without the metamagic feats, it's probably better to take a class with full progression on your wizard casting.

I don't know the escalation mage; the nightmare spinner seems like it doesn't get you very much, at the cost of a level of spell progression.

I have yet to find a situation in which I find I would prefered to have Quicken Spell. Of course, it would allow me to cast two spells in one round, but I find I don't really need that.

If you don't see the benefit of doubling your action economy, I'm not sure this board can do much to help you with optimization.

 

[Herzog]

Maybe you missed it, but Corrupt Spell is also a metamagic feat (which transforms half of the damage you do to unholy dmg, bypassing energy resistance), for a +1 in spell level (or, for an UM, a first lvl spell)

I do see the benefit of doubling my action economy. However, I have seen from up close what it does to our Psion: he's burning PP like there's no tomorrow, and ends up taking a back-bench halfway through the adventuring day.

After some carefull thinking, I found there were times I would have welcomed being able to cast a couple (or even one) short-duration buff spell (such as energy resistance/protection, shield, dracon scales) in the first round without having to choose between protection and attack (or flee). However, I still find the +4 spell lvl increase (or, for an UM, a fourth lvl spell) kind of expensive for that one action.

I am considering taking UM levels after those 1-lvl dips into Escalation Mage and Nightmare Spinner, and have also settled on taking a Metamagic Feat for my 12th lvl (I hadn't taken any feat yet because I was expecting to have to invest a feat in a prestige class I'd take.)

Since I am dismissing Quicken as too expensive, which MetaMagic feat would you recommend after that?
As I said, I'm leaning towards Empower (+2), but are there any other MetaMagic Feats out there you would recommend?

 

[arcseed]

Well, the thing is, as an UM, you have the spell slots to burn. You have, what, seven fourth level spell slots? In two UM levels, you'll have 10. If you wanted to, you could use all of your daily augments on quicken, and still have plenty of power left over afterward. You traded your high-level spells for those slots, and you should get some good use out of them. In my experience playing an UM, if I didn't quicken a lot, I had a lot of spells left over at the end of the adventuring day.

I don't like corrupt spell; it's too situational for my liking, and even if the enemy does have energy resistance that I can't get around by choosing the appropriate element, it's still going to apply to half of the damage from the spell, so it's probably going to stop just as much damage.

Empower is a perfectly fine choice. I like twin spell also, or energy admixture if you had an extra feat to burn. Again, +4, but at least you're only casting one spell a turn. Chain spell or Split ray are good, but don't work with the spells you say you use.

 

[Herzog]

My preference for +1 Metamagic Feats stems from the fact I aquired a Ring of Wizardry I. Resulting in a surplus of lvl 1 spell slots.

Corrupt Spell was also a requirement for a prestige class I was thinking of taking (Diabolist) so I am reconsidering that choice.

I won't be able to retrain it for some time though, since I need my 'retraining allowance' to get into the other PrC's.

I don't know the escalation mage

Missed that earier:
The escalation mage allows you the 'free' use of metamagic effects once per class level, with the following progression:
Heighten(for a +1) at lvl 2
Empower at lvl 3
Widen at lvl 4
Quicken at lvl 5
with each an extra use at lvl 6.
With each use, you must make a Caster Level Check or loose hp equal to twice the spell level. The extra uses at lvl 6 don't have this penalty.

Although that doesn't give me access to the MM feats outside of the special uses, getting that Empower at lvl 3 would be nice.
Also, from the MM progression I could read that Quicken is more powerfull than Empower