Warmage's 3rd-level Advanced Learning = Craptastic?

[pawsplay]

Do they? Sorry, I must have looked at their new spell list, rather than their class list.

 

[Question]

A warmage as the party's only arcane caster is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Hello...im playing a warmage and i'm the parties only arcane caster.

*Waiting for disaster*

I picked PERSISTENT BLADE as my 3rd level learned spell. Since I have dabbed in couple levels of fighter I figured I could use it to enhance the times I go into H2H, or alternately use it to help out the party rogue get sneak attacks without having to go into H2H myself.

DS

PS I've alwayed wondered at the logic behind warmages getting Continual Light. Its not very....fitting....with their other abilities.

 

[Andras]

At +1 spell level.

Eclectic Learning opens up Arcane Trickster w/o having to rely on using Extra Spell to take Mage Hand.

I had a Warmage/ArcTr and really would have liked to have had that feat to use on something else.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

PS I've alwayed wondered at the logic behind warmages getting Continual Light. Its not very....fitting....with their other abilities.

Think war movie: flare-illuminated battlefield. With few exceptions, you need to be able to see to effectively engage in combat.

 

[RigaMortus2]

A warmage as the party's only arcane caster is a disaster waiting to happen.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that. It entirely depends on the DM, the setting, and the players. I've played in games where we had no arcane caster at all, and everything worked out fine. Likewise, I've played in games where we had no healer (Cleric, Druid, etc.) at all, and it worked out fine. Of course, these classes make things a lot easier.

 

[Bad Paper]

My party is a barbarian, a cleric, a monk/rogue, and a warmage. The warmage is the only arcane caster. Seems OK. It helps that the monk/rogue has absolutely insane ranks in Use Magic Device, so he winds up with most of the scrolls and miscellaneous wands.

 

[Felon]

Arcane mages aren't really that handy at lower levels. For the handful of spells they can cast a day, they don't really contribute much other than the capability to inflict energy damage (which helps deal with oozes and such).

 

[hackmastergeneral]

Hello...im playing a warmage and i'm the parties only arcane caster.

*Waiting for disaster*

I picked PERSISTENT BLADE as my 3rd level learned spell. Since I have dabbed in couple levels of fighter I figured I could use it to enhance the times I go into H2H, or alternately use it to help out the party rogue get sneak attacks without having to go into H2H myself.

DS

PS I've alwayed wondered at the logic behind warmages getting Continual Light. Its not very....fitting....with their other abilities.

As was I, for a LONG time. It worked out well.

Persistant Blade is a good option. I also took 2 levels in Fighter, to get Precise Shot, so I could target ranged touches into combat and not get dinged on the hit penalty. Combine this with Point Blank, WF(Ranged Touch) and Ranged Touch Specialization, and War Mage Edge and you have some potent bonuses to pile on top of those Orbs.

May I suggest looking at Firey Argent Savant as a PrC, coupled with Firey Spell Feat from Sandstorm?

FAS is an option suggested in the AS description. Many of the WM's spells are Fire based. FAS would, at 1st level, give you +1 to each die of damage for Fire spells. Firey Spell does the same thing, but they are seperate abilities, do not have the same descriptor, and the feat adds +1 to spell level. Thus, you rock +2 to each die of damage, plus your WMedge and any other feats you have. Its a potent combo. I get my first level of FAS the next time I level, and I'm drooling. FAS also gives some good Fire based bonuses as well. You lose a Caster Level, which when combined with my Fighter levels, means I lose 9th level spells, but they are kinda underwhelming, and I can pick up Sudden Maximize with my final Feat selection.

And when we did pick up a Wizard, he was a hippie peacenik Divination specialist - so he still wasn't rocking any damage spells most of the time. My pyromaniac Warmage still has his use, and is one of the cornerstone members of the party. Frees the other wizard up from mem'ing tons of damage spells, and allows him to be more generally useful outside of combat.

 

[Question]

What the.....ive heard of argent savant but not fiery argant savant.