Sample Character request: Warrior/Mage

[cdrcjsn]

A tactical Warlord with Wizard MC comes close I think.

A Paladin with Warlock MC also has nice synergy.

In any case, I would probably go human for the extra feat since MCing tends to eat up a lot and melee types need more feats than casters it seems.

 

[Incenjucar]

- Proficient with a number of weapons, including traditional warrior weapons such as swords, bows, or polearms
- Proficient in at least light-to-medium armor, and able to use a shield. Ideally, able to cast spells in armor
- Sufficient toughness to be able to enter melee, if not tough enough to be the party's sole melee combatant
- Access to a mix of physical

So. What are they giving up that a fighter gets to compensate for not being at all a wizard?

knowledge/arcane skill information
- Able to cast spells in combat that can aid in defense, attack a single target, or have area offensive effects

So. What are they giving up that a wizard gets for not being at all a fighter?

- Able to cast utility spells outside of combat that can assist the party

Everyone can do this if they take the feat.


Seriously, what I'm seeing here is not that you want to be a fighter/wizard, but that you want to be a fighter and also a wizard.

 

[Nifft]

- Proficient with a number of weapons, including traditional warrior weapons such as swords, bows, or polearms

I have to ask why a number of weapons are necessary. Most Fighters will only have two -- one ranged and one melee -- and they'll likely be specialized in only one.

- Proficient in at least light-to-medium armor, and able to use a shield. Ideally, able to cast spells in armor

There is no Medium armor; Heavy armor is one feat away for a Warlock, two for a Wizard.

- Sufficient toughness to be able to enter melee, if not tough enough to be the party's sole melee combatant

The Toughness feat and being a Dwarf will both help here. Dwarves also get some hammer proficiencies, so they may be your best bet.

- Access to a mix of physical and knowledge/arcane skill information
- Able to cast spells in combat that can aid in defense, attack a single target, or have area offensive effects

Not even every Wizard can do all that, so you may be asking too much here.

- Able to cast utility spells outside of combat that can assist the party

Do rituals count?

- Be able to demonstrate the flavor of the above from very early -- ideally first level. None of this "I'm an arcane warrior, but I'm still working on the arcane part" to suddenly "Hey look, spells!". This can't be a "build" that only works at 20th level ... the concept needs to be coherent for the majority of the character's career.

Gotcha. But what's more important? Cool melee tricks, or having lots of arcane tricks? It's trivial to make a Warlord who can throw a Magic Missile once per encounter (at first level even!) but that seems like cheating.

Cheers, -- N

 

[outsider]

A level 1 4e fighter with Arcane Initiate is both a better mage and a better fighter than a level 1 2e fighter/mage. A level 1 mage in 2e had 1 spell per day. Our 4e character has one per encounter.

A level 1 4e fighter with Arcane Initiate is better than a level 1 3e fighter/wizard, because there is no such thing as a level 1 fighter/wizard in 3e.

As far as the requirements of the original poster go, here's how a lvl 1 4e fighter with Arcane initiate stacks up against them:

- Proficient with a number of weapons, including traditional warrior weapons such as swords, bows, or polearms
Fighter has these.

- Proficient in at least light-to-medium armor, and able to use a shield. Ideally, able to cast spells in armor
Fighter has these as well.

- Sufficient toughness to be able to enter melee, if not tough enough to be the party's sole melee combatant
Fighter probably is capable of being the party's sole melee combatant, if any class is capable of it, fighter is it.

- Access to a mix of physical and knowledge/arcane skill information
Fighter gives your physical skills. The Arcane Initiate feat gives you the arcana skill.

- Able to cast spells in combat that can aid in defense, attack a single target, or have area offensive effects
The fighter with arcane initiate can do one of these, your choice. Note that if you require all 3, not even a level 1 wizard seems to be able to meet this requirement, as there doesn't seem to be any defensive spells at this level, unless you include knockback or other enemy debuff type stuff.

- Able to cast utility spells outside of combat that can assist the party
This will require the ritual caster feat.

- Be able to demonstrate the flavor of the above from very early -- ideally first level. None of this "I'm an arcane warrior, but I'm still working on the arcane part" to suddenly "Hey look, spells!". This can't be a "build" that only works at 20th level ... the concept needs to be coherent for the majority of the character's career.
Flavor is in the eye of the beholder. A level 1 fighter with arcane initiate is indeed casting spells right off the bat. All you have to do really is play human for the bonus feat, and put it into ritual casting and your requirements are met.

 

[Praeden]

Also, anyone claiming 2e multiclassing was 'teh BROKEN111!!!111' has obviously not played the game and has no idea what he/she is talking about.

Breaking news - apparently, you need to have played an edition before you can criticize it! Who'd have guessed?

Of course I never played 2E. I just read a blog of a pre-release playtest report, then twisted it to meet my own anti-2E agenda.

 

[Jack99]

Not sure why this is so hard to understand but I will try to explain. What I want is someone who can fight with a big sword and cast spells also. Not sure what you mean by 'full powered'. If you are referring to game balance, With 4e, it is totally viable without any game balance issues.

For example;

Say a single class fighter and a single class mage each get 5 martial powers

A warrior mage would get 2 of the fighter powers, 2 of the wizard powers and maybe 1 unique power for his own class.

Not sure where the problem is. The WM cannot outdamage a fighter or out blast a (they will be roughly equal), but the fighter will have greater flexibility in martial powers, the wizard will have greater flexibility in spells while the WM will have greater flexibiliy in terms of power types. They will all do comparable damage.

I do not think thats an unfair request, and it will satisfy all WM fans out there without any 'game balance' issues.

I see no reason why this can not be done with a fighter/wizard multi-class. Yes you will "lose" some feats, but lets face it, they aren't exactly overpowered. You won't have a unique spell either, but is that the end of the world?

As some have pointed out, the synergy between heavy armor and high int is pretty crappy. Well the easiest solution would probably be to wear light armor, to benefit from the int.

Below is a fairly quickly made fighter, who hits with a big sword and uses uses magic to blast at a distance. Yes, he doesn't excel at either, but he does have more options in combat, than just standing around and hitting.

Eladrin Fighter level 10
Str 18 Con 13 Dex 13 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
HP 87
AC 24; Fort 23 Reflex 21 Will 18
feats: Arcane Initiate (1), Weapon focus (Greatsword) (2) Toughness (4) Novice Power (6), Acolyte Power (8), Adept Power (10)

Class features: combat challenge, combat superiority, fighter weapon talent (two-handed)

Powers:
1: Cleave (at will) +16 vs AC 1d10+8 (crit 18+3d6) damage, an adjacent enemy takes 4 damage
1: Reaping Strike (at will) +16 vs AC (crit 18+3d6) damage, 4 damage on a miss
1: Scorching Burst (encounter) 1d6+4 fire damage, range 10, burst 1
1: Steel Serpent Strike (encounter) +16 vs AC, 2d10+8 (crit 28+3d6) damage, target is slowed and can not shift
1: Brute Strike (daily) +16 vs AC 3d10+8 (crit 38+3d6) damage
2: Get over here (utility, encounter) slide two squares as a move action Shield (utility, imm. interrupt) +4 power bonus to AC until the end of your next turn
3: Dance of Steel (encounter) +13 vs AC, 2d10+4, target is slowed until the end of your next turn Shock Sphere +9 vs Reflex, 2d6+4 lightning damage, range 10, burst 2
5: Dizzying Blow (daily) +13 vs AC, 3d10+4 damage, target is immobilized Fireball +9 vs Reflex, 3d6+4 damage, half on miss, range 20, burst 3
6: Battle Awareness (utility, daily) +10 to initiative
7: Reckless Strike (encounter) +14 vs AC, 3d10+8 (crit 38+3d6) damage
9: Victorious Surge (daily) +16 vs AC, 3d10+8 (crit 38+3d6) damage, and regain hps as if you had spend a healing surge
10: Stalwart Guard (utility, daily) +1 Power ac to all allies, burst 1

Items: Bloodcut Hide +2, Greatsword +3, Amulet of false life +2, +4200 gp

Cheers

 

[UngeheuerLich]

just a thought: use a half elf!

con doesn´t hurt you, charisma neither, the extra encounter spell is also fine...

you should focus on weapons that use con as a secondary attribute and maybe try to find synergies...

 

[Victim]

A fighter wizard might be better with a 1 handed weapon so an implement in the off hand can provide a bonus to spell attacks.

 

[Nifft]

A fighter wizard might be better with a 1 handed weapon so an implement in the off hand can provide a bonus to spell attacks.

Or he could use a Staff, or take Longsword + Spiral Tower.

Or Quickdraw.

Cheers, -- N

 

[MindWanderer]

@Jack99: Tide of Iron requires a shield.

Question for those who have the books: Do implements have to be class-specific? E.g. if you're a wizard/warlock, do you have to use wands, or could you use an orb for your warlock spells?

I have two ideas for a warrior/wizard in mind. One is a tiefling paladin/wizard, possibly going into Spiral Tower (I have to read the PPs before I decide). The Str would be low, but it seems feasible to go with all Cha-based powers for the paladin. The second is an eladrin spear-using fighter/wizard, taking advantage of the high Dex for the spear powers.

Paladin/warlock is also an extremely viable option; you could focus on Fey and Cha-based Star powers, or a half-elf could go with Infernal powers with a little more MAD. I personally adore the idea of a paladin with an Infernal pact.