D&D 3E/3.5 Thoughts on 3.5 Gish Build

[Greenfield]

Stand Still [General]

You can prevent foes from fleeing or closing.
Prerequisite

Str 13.
Benefit

When a foe’s movement out of a square you threaten grants you an attack of opportunity, you can give up that attack and instead attempt to stop your foe in his tracks. Make your attack of opportunity normally. If you hit your foe, he must succeed on a Reflex save against a DC of 10 + your damage roll (the opponent does not actually take damage), or immediately halt as if he had used up his move actions for the round.
Since you use the Stand Still feat in place of your attack of opportunity, you can do so only a number of times per round equal to the number of times per round you could make an attack of opportunity (normally just one).

Hmm. Your version of the SRD and mine seem to disagree:

Stand Still [Psionic]
Prerequisite: Str 13+, reserve power points 1+.
Benefit: When a foe’s movement would otherwise grant the character an attack of opportunity, the character may give up that attack and instead attack the foe prior to the foe’s actual movement. This is akin to a readied action, but Stand Still doesn’t affect the character’s initiative count or actual readied actions, if any. The foe must succeed at a Fortitude save against a DC equal to 10 + the damage dealt, or be unable to move into or out of the area the character threatens—essentially, this ends the movement of a foe who is closing, and prevents any movement of a foe who is fleeing (if the character is normally allowed an attack of opportunity against the fleeing foe). Since the character uses the Stand Still feat in place of his or her attack of opportunity, the character mayonly do so a number of times per round equal to the number of times per round he or shecould make an attack of opportunity.
Normal: Attacks of opportunity occur after a foe has already moved within the area a character threatens; thus, a character is unable to affect their movement with an attack.

In any case, he'd still need a Reach weapon to get that initial Attack of Opportunity needed to use the Feat, and I don't think Wizard's get proficiency in any two handed or reach weapons.

 

[Dandu]

My XPH lists no power point prerequisite.

 

[kha7id7ea]

When I originally theorized the build I was a human, I guess I left in that extra feat. We are playing with flaws so at first level I can have 3 feats plus one bonus fighter feat (trade in Scribe Scroll).

 

[Greenfield]

I think the only Reach weapon the Wizard might have by default would be the whip, which has a 10 foot reach, but doesn't threaten at that distance. (i.e. no Attack of Opportunity.)

Add in the fact that it does no damage to anyone with a +1 to their armor, or any Natural Armor at all, and the Save listed in your version becomes trivial.

Then there's the little problem that the Wizard has to actually hit on the Attack of Opportunity (they have a BAB of +0 at 1st level, and never get any good at it.)

(Odd note: A horse whip is useless against a horse, since horses have Natural Armor. There's no reason for them to ever react to it.)

 

[Greenfield]

I'm not familiar with the "Flaws" rule. What book is that from?

 

[kha7id7ea]

Flaws are from Unearthed Arcana (91). Can't you use a weapon your not proficient with at a -4 penalty? If you can then I plan on using a spiked chain. The -4 to hit will be countered at early levels by a 18 Strength (enlarge person). When not enlarged I will use a longsword.

 

[Greenfield]

Okay, that works I guess. Longsword doesn't give Reach, so you still won't get Attacks of Opportunity, but that's nitpicking.

You still need to hit with that attack. +4 from Strength and -4 from non-proficiency will leave the starting character with a +0 to hit. And you're betting your character's life on this?

That's one hell of a plan, Ray, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Wizards don't have the hit points to engage in melee. As an Elf you get Longsword proficiency for free, but I'd look at the other alternative first: Longbow. Avoid melee. 5 foot step and shoot when they're close and you're out of spells, or just shoot-move when you have the range. They can't Charge around other people or obstacles, but you can shoot over/through a melee at -4 when you have to. You maxed your Dex too, didn't you?

Q: Gray Elves get a penalty to Strength and a boost to Intelligence, IIRC. How do you have an 18 Strength at 1st level?

Gray Elf
Taller and grander in physical appearance than others of their race, gray elves have a reputation for being aloof and arrogant
(even by elven standards). They have either silver hair and amber eyes or pale golden hair and violet eyes. They prefer
clothing of white, silver, yellow, or gold, with cloaks of deep blue or purple.
Gray Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits.
— +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength.

 

[kha7id7ea]

Another mis post, rolled an 18 gets shafted down to 16. If I forgo the stand still/ reach method then I would just use a longsword in combat while enlarged.

 

[Greenfield]

It's actually my mis-post. You talked about having an 18 while enlarged. And you would. You'd also have a -1 from size, leaving your total attack bonus at -1 while first level.

Enlarge Person isn't that great a spell. It's neat if you can combine it with some of the specialized attacks, like Improved Trip or Improved Grab, but otherwise, not so much.

I mean, you get a melee damage increase both from strength and from the larger weapon size, and you get reach. No attack bonus though, when you take the size mod into account, an Initiative penalty from the lowered Dex, and a 2 point loss to your AC. And, as an aside, enemy missilers can now target you over the heads of their allies, instead of having to shoot through them.

A fighter type can command a huge chunk of the battlefield with it, but he has the AC and hit points to survive that huge target it paints on his chest. Wizards generally don't.

You'll have 6 hit points at 1st level (max your D4, plus 2 for Con.) If you throw Mage Armor or Shield your AC will be 18 with your Dex, which is pretty good for the level.

Enlarge, and you'll draw more fire, and your AC drops to 16. Still good, but no longer at the top of the scale. One blow from an Orc and you're toast (he needs to roll a 12 or better to hit, and anything but a rolled "1" on damage drops you.) And you're burning half your spell arsenal for the privilege of being targeted that way. (You burned the other half on your Mage Armor, so you're cup is empty, spell wise.)

One day this PC will be the Fighter/Mage you're building towards. But not at 1st, and you have to survive 1st level for any of those others to happen.