Unorthodox Mages

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've seen and used Goodman Game's Power Gamers Wizard Strategy Guide. I've seen Thanee's list of spells.

I've seen a lot of things about highly optimized arcane spellcasters.

Personally, though, I'm kind of a "Salmon of Spellcasting"- I prefer unusual builds and spell selections. In 30 years of gaming, I've only occasionally used the "power spells" that populate the lists the optimized PCs favor.

Case in point: a standard PHB Sorcerer who wears Scale Mail & Shield and carries a Maul. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=239192&page=2

I'm also designing a Specialist Evoker or Conjurer who specializes in Force spells- not toooo original, but I'm centering the idea around the 2 Force-related Reserve Feats, as well as making Magic Missile an innate spell, all boosted by the feats that boost spell like abilities. (And yes, I'm looking at the Argent Savant and the Force Missile Adept PrCls as well.)

What I want to know about in this thread are other unorthodox arcanist builds for 3.5Ed. I'm primarily interested in WotC builds with a minimum of 3PP stuff. I'm counting stuff published in Dragon as if it were from WotC- that banner "100% Official" means something to me.

If you're using something that isn't in the Core + Completes, let us know what the source is, if you please!

 

[The Green Adam]

Not exactly By-The-Book

The Wizards, Sorcerors and other spell casting magic users of my primary D&D world tend to be very unique largely thanks to concepts build into the milieu. As I've mentioned before in other threads, in order to graduate from apprentice level to becoming an actual first level Wizard, a character must invent their own spell. Sorcerors gain a spell they have been able to draw from an otherworldly source on their own (without the help of the arcane, demonic or related entities that are the source of their powers in my universe).

The key components of these invented/original spells is that they can only be as powerful as other first level spells but they increase in effectiveness as the PC rises in levels. These spells therefore become the PC's 'Signature Spells' and often the player builds a theme around them.

For example...The Grey Elf Wizard Alucai Halobright starts with a spell called Bright Fire which causes campfires or torches to generate twice as much light as normal with no change in their size or heat. Later in levels this spell can make a dying torch light up a large, auditorium sized cave. Alucai's player starts taking more and more spells that have light, blinding effects and anti-undead spells to make up for the party's lack of a cleric and to match his namesake.

Those that learned magic through a wizard's college do not gain an original spell at the start but are trained to obtain some sort of job upon graduating and are therefore equipped somewhat differently. Most possess 1 Offensive Spell, 1 Defensive Spell and 1 Misc Spell (which can not have integral attack or defense elements - creative use later is up to the Player and DM).

Most players in my campaigns are members of an elite order of protectors resembling a sort of Legion of Medieval Super Heroes type group. As such they (and the enemies they face) are considered exceptional and usually start with both 1 original and the 3 taught spells. Adjustments and variations are made based on the PCs place of origin, species (I despise saying race) and other story factors.

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[Dannyalcatraz]

That's kind of cool!

Let me ask you- do you have any structured rules on spell design or do you just eyeball things? I ask because I'm designing a campaign in which I'm hoping most or all of the PC's spells will be made up by the players, and I've looked at a variety of rulesets. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not 100% sold on any of them.

 

[Starbuck_II]

I've seen and used Goodman Game's Power Gamers Wizard Strategy Guide. I've seen Thanee's list of spells.

I've seen a lot of things about highly optimized arcane spellcasters.

Personally, though, I'm kind of a "Salmon of Spellcasting"- I prefer unusual builds and spell selections. In 30 years of gaming, I've only occasionally used the "power spells" that populate the lists the optimized PCs favor.

Case in point: a standard PHB Sorcerer who wears Scale Mail & Shield and carries a Maul. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=239192&page=2

I'm also designing a Specialist Evoker or Conjurer who specializes in Force spells- not toooo original, but I'm centering the idea around the 2 Force-related Reserve Feats, as well as making Magic Missile an innate spell, all boosted by the feats that boost spell like abilities. (And yes, I'm looking at the Argent Savant and the Force Missile Adept PrCls as well.)

What I want to know about in this thread are other unorthodox arcanist builds for 3.5Ed. I'm primarily interested in WotC builds with a minimum of 3PP stuff. I'm counting stuff published in Dragon as if it were from WotC- that banner "100% Official" means something to me.

If you're using something that isn't in the Core + Completes, let us know what the source is, if you please!

You mean like:
my Bard/Sublime Chord (Gaara, had a desert theme)
Most people don't think of bard when they think Gaara so I thought it was unusual.

Rock Lee (Monk 9/5 Wizard/Rogue 1/Swift Blade 5)
Here isn't that unusual. Except forethe Rogue level (Exp penalty)

Son Goku: (Monk 9/3 Warlock/Green Star Adept 6/Enlightened Fist 2)
Here is because most people know that Green Star kinda sucks.
But I wanted more than 1 type of Damage Reduction so no one could bypass my DR (since you can't have a Adamantine Cold Iron weapon).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Most people don't think of bard when they think Gaara so I thought it was unusual.

Gaara?

Son Goku: (Monk 9/3 Warlock/Green Star Adept 6/Enlightened Fist 2)
Here is because most people know that Green Star kinda sucks.
But I wanted more than 1 type of Damage Reduction so no one could bypass my DR (since you can't have a Adamantine Cold Iron weapon).

Hmmm...that's kind of crafty!

 

[The Grackle]

Splatbooks always come out with tons and tons of dark and spooky spells (blood wind, blade of pain and fear, howling chain, etc.). Like so much, I kinda get sick of all that evilish/warlocky flavor. BUT there are also some random, glittery and colorful spells out there. Spells like Glitterdust and Prismatic Spray, which are part of D&D's Vancian roots.

So I decided to make my next (3.5)PC a master of "Rainbow Magic" who specializes in the flashiest of spells. He'll be an Abjurer/Master Specialist/Initiate of the Sevenfold veil, and maybe Spell Thesis w/Rainbow Blast. Get him a Robe of Scintillating Colors and a Unicorn cohort; oh yeah.

He'll be like the Liberace of archmages.

 

[The Green Adam]

That's kind of cool!

Let me ask you- do you have any structured rules on spell design or do you just eyeball things? I ask because I'm designing a campaign in which I'm hoping most or all of the PC's spells will be made up by the players, and I've looked at a variety of rulesets. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not 100% sold on any of them.

Thanks Danny - Seems you and I are fairly like-minded from the comments on each others posts I've seen.

Generally I just eyeball it, however I do own a great deal of books and we often create spells or ideas for spells, write them up and then do a good deal of research for similar spells by WotC or Third Party companies to get the stats just right. My ex-wife was especially good at that and played a number of magic users (Mage, Sorceror, Druid, etc.).

Story wise it is eventually discovered that spells are safe and fairly predictable ways of channeling mana which in its raw form can be extremely difficult to control and manipulate. Gods, Devils, Some Demons and Angels/Saints, High ArchMagi, etc. can, to varying degrees, focus mana at will and cast nearly any effect they want. This is often and inaccurately called SpellShaping or ManaCasting because the magic user manipulates the magic energy but still thinks of it as 'casting a spell'.

Only two player characters in the 25 years of using this gameworld have achieved this level of power. The system for it is sort of based on Ars Magica.

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[Dannyalcatraz]

Liberarchmage? I like that! And unless I miss my guess, there is a Prismatic spell for every level now.

(Other flashy artists you might tap for inspiration: Elton John, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Salvador Dali.)