Tricked Out Warmage Build?

[Rystil Arden]

The table I'm looking at says the Rainbow Servant loses four levels - which just so happen by purest coincidence to be those at which the three Domains and the full clerical spell access are obtained.
I'm not familiar at all with the Shadow Blade situation, but the Rainbow Servant case surely should be one where, even though text trumps table, maximum parsimony trumps text!

I don't own the book because it is a catastrophe of poor editing and balance and a black sheep of the first four Completes--I trusted whoever said it was three above, but I'm sure you're right if you just checked it

 

[Felon]

I'm not stunned given WotC's sloppy overall record on issuing errata, but yeah, the class's power is high enough that the missing levels are obviously intended. However, until such time as it is errataed, there's nothing beyond Rule 0 to stop others from abusing it. And once we start taking table entries that look more reasonable than the full text write-up, we open a can of worms that includes Shadow Blade from Bo9S (far more reasonable in the table where it replaces Str with Dex to damage rather than in the text where it gives you both at once).

If there's a clash between text and table, there's already a can of worms open, no?

Moreover, I think it's no less wormy to suggest that there ought to be some all-trumping meta-rule that overrides common sense as it is to resolve each conflict on its own merits.

 

[Rystil Arden]

If there's a clash between text and table, there's already a can of worms open, no?

Moreover, I think it's no less wormy to suggest that there ought to be some all-trumping meta-rule that overrides common sense as it is to resolve each conflict on its own merits.

The all-trumping meta-rule at least gives you a common point of reference, and then you only need to errata half of the mistakes instead of all of them. Of course, when WotC fails to errata anyway, you do have a problem. It's unfortunate--I think there's also a new thread in General about the strange hiatus on errata.

But I agree, in my game, I go with my common sense every time. The Rainbow Servant loses 4 levels if the player even tries to use it at all because they know how I feel about CD. The Shadow Blade feat goes by the table too in my game, etc. The trouble is that common sense is not so common--powergamers will try to argue that the class is somehow 'too weak' without full casting. Not sure how that argument can be made, but I've seen it.

 

[rgard]

Can you take Battle Sorcerer from UA? I prefer the BS to the Warmage in that you have a greater variety of spells to choose from (the wizard/sorc list), better BAB and better hitpoints.

You blow as much stuff up, but it is a more versatile in my opinion.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[TheGogmagog]

I like the warmage, if you have good stats, The intelligence bonus to damage (and feat that advances it) are really nice and make it worth sticking with the warmage over prestige classes. The other reason I like it is there isn't any optimization required. I like taking the sudden metamagics (extend or enlarge, then empower or maximize). Again with the Int bonus to damage and the +1 per level spells empower adds up to be as effective or more powerful than maximize when it comes to spell like wall of fire.

Besides that, the OP might also have problems making the RP leap to worshiping couatl's, or his DM and the rest of the group might not make it super easy to find the hidden jungle temples of the couatls (especially by level 6).

I haven't looked at the battle sorcerer recently, but I would guess that would be a better choice if you only have a single good stat and all others are 14 or less.

 

[Thanee]

An evoker or conjurer Master Specialist is such a better option for somebody who has full access to Spell Compendium, PHB II, and Complete Mage that it's not even a close contest.

But isn't that kinda besides the point?

Sure, maybe a wizard is overall the 'better' class, esp. with PrC options figured in, but the wizard still cannot spontaneously cast his or her whole class list (as little as it might be for the warmage).

The benefit of a warmage is to have the right (combat) spell for the job ready at all times.

It's not a huge benefit, but still something a wizard cannot do.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Stormborn]

Can you take Battle Sorcerer from UA? I prefer the BS to the Warmage in that you have a greater variety of spells to choose from (the wizard/sorc list), better BAB and better hitpoints.

You blow as much stuff up, but it is a more versatile in my opinion.

Thanks,
Rich

I agree. But it may not be an option in Living Greyhawk.

 

[Caliban]

I agree. But it may not be an option in Living Greyhawk.

It's not.

 

[rgard]

It's not.

That's no fun!

 

[Moorcrys]

Yeah, no battle sorcerers, and the rainbow servant is open but it's a talk to the judges prestige class -- I'm pretty sure they use the chart's spell progression and not the text.

The only possibility I can see is taking Fatespinner (Complete Arcane) after 8th Level.

My group tends to dismiss the warmage after they get Sudden Empower. They also don't like the Extra Edge feat because of way diminishing returns after low levels... 3 extra hit points of damage at 12th level into the mix doesn't make the feat worth it when you're tossing around 5th level spells. Energy Substitution [Acid] is appealing as a feat. Sculpt Spell is pretty much a definite at 6th. I'm also looking at the boring but important Spell Focus [Evocation] and Greater Spell Focus. For flavor I was looking at the Invisible Needle [Reserve] Feat (Complete Mage). If anyone has any nifty feat idea's I'd love to hear those as well.

I'm definitely filling a niche... there are going to be a number of casters in the group (cleric and arcane rogue types mostly but they love to dip if it gets them somewhere more powerful in the long run) but it looks like I'm going to be the boomstick. I was just seeing if anyone had any ideas about how to broaden him a little.