To my aid, wizard build gurus and combat log...

[nohmask]

watchers! Time for the a new wizard build, and until I get Cath's take on the Abagail Timestop being built, I was hoping for some comments on something I see as a bit of a dilemia in the mage catagory, but then I certainly can be obtuse; the go for 60+ Int issue. So, if you are focusing on evocation spells, what are the saves for the various areas that baddies are having that we mages are so pressed to try to over come, to cut our time in half and double our per spell bang, long time players/combat log watchers? I'll be compiling a list of some of these, but I'm wondering how much this really matters in the really hard areas....so why not take some other things, like ALL the amazing Legendary spells? Mind you, why a mass Mords is something anyony would want is beyond me, although I would love to hear if someone knows why, when a teleportation or double duration time stop would be truely amazing....although your whole party would die from kickback if you weren't carefull...but you get my point. If most of the monsters are only going to be taking half damage from spells most of the time, even if your Int is 60 (or 62, or even 64 for that matter), why focus so much on this...just keep it at 50 and have some fun with higher con or something, more super spells, that funny high speed mummy always good for a laugh? I would really appreciate the stats people have come up with as they have analyzed this, and I will happily share mine as well....thanks again!

[cathedralmaster]

nohmask said:

Time for the a new wizard build, and until I get Cath's take on the Abagail Timestop being built

I might be posting this in a seperate thread when I hit lvl 60 on it but since people keep asking I might as well set it out:

"Illithid" (secret subrace) - no race requirement (changes Appearance)
STR -1, CON -1, INT +5, free feat: Iron Will, free feat: Slippery Mind

Race: Gnome
Book: Divination

Abilities:
Str 6(5)
Dex 8(8)
Con 19(18)
Wis 8(8)
Int 17(22) - (52)
Chr 12(12)

Skills: Concentration, Spellcraft, Discipline, Tumble, Lore, Spot, Appraise, Taunt, Search, Listen, Disable Trap, Pickpocket (up to 29), then whatever

1. Wizard - Luck of Heroes (or Lightning Reflexes)
2. Wizard -
3. Palladin - Tougness
4. Wizard - int + 1 (23)
5. Wizard -
6. Wizard - Combat Casting, Spell Focus (Evocation)
7. Wizard -
8. Wizard - int + 1 (24)
9. Wizard - Greater Spell Focus (Evocation)
10. Wizard -
11. Wizard - Spell Focus (Necromancy)
12. Wizard - Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), int + 1 (25)
13. Wizard -
14. Wizard -
15. Wizard - Silent Spell
16. Wizard - Empower Spell, int + 1 (26)
17. Wizard -
18. Wizard - Maximize Spell
19. Wizard -
20. Wizard - int + 1 (27)
21. Wizard - Epic Spell Focus (Evocation), Epic Spell Focus (Necromancy)
22. Wizard -
23. Wizard -
24. Wizard - Improved Combast Casting, Armor Skin, int + 1 (28)
25. Wizard -
26. Wizard -
27. Wizard - Epic Reflexes, Spell Penetration
28. Wizard - int + 1 (29)
29. Wizard -
30. Wizard - Greater Spell Penetration, Epic Spell Penetration
31. Wizard -
32. Wizard - int + 1 (30)
33. Wizard - Great Intelligence I (31), Great Intelligence II (32)
34. Wizard -
35. Wizard -
36. Wizard - Great Intelligence III (33), Great Intelligence IV(34), int + 1 (35)
37. Wizard -
38. Wizard -
39. Wizard - Great Intelligence V (36), Great Intelligence VI (37)
40. Monk - int + 1 (38)
------
41. Wizard -
42. Wizard - LL Spell Penetration, int + 1 (39)
43. Wizard -
44. Wizard - int + 1 (40)
45. Wizard - LL Spell Focus (Evocation)
46. Wizard - int + 1 (41)
47. Wizard -
48. Wizard - LL Spell Focus (Necromancy), int + 1 (42)
49. Wizard -
50. Wizard - int + 1 (43)
51. Wizard - Great Intelligence VII (44)
52. Wizard - int + 1 (45)
53. Wizard -
54. Wizard - Great Intelligence VIII (46), int + 1 (47)
55. Wizard -
56. Wizard - int + 1 (48)
57. Wizard - Great Intelligence IX (49)
58. Wizard - int + 1 (50)
59. Wizard -
60. Wizard - Great Intelligence X (51), int + 1 (52)

Final intelligence of 66 with the eye, evasion, saves of around 61, 58, 61, around 790 hp at 60, one insta buff if it dies - my aim was to build the toughest wizard I could and I think I've done a fair job of it.

[FunkySwerve]

Read the forum guidelines for posting. Moved.
Funky

[nohmask]

Ah...got it...thanks for moving thread, and thank you for the build information response Cath.

[chainlink]

Have a look at my Mage-U-Like for some other ideas, I went for five epics and without access to balor and wall I suspect you may have a harder time soloing as these two spells make this a whole lot easier.

Archers? May I introduce you to my large toasty hot pet.
Trying to drown me in sand? Oh dear I appear to be separated from you by a large wall, here have some meteors.

[thedomicron]

i took 4 epics, a compromise b/w chainlinks 5 and cath's 3, i sacrificed one dc for the 4th epic and don't regret it at all. as a wizard, you have the choice of whether you want to sacrifice saves, or dc or versatility (meta feats)

[borges]

I'm brand new to HG and had some wiz build questions that probably don't warrant a new thread. So here goes.

Most non-SM/non-lich wiz builds seem to be very heavily weighted towards wiz levels (38/1/1, etc.). I've been toying with the idea of putting together a wiz/pm/monk to boost defensive capabilities without sacrificing too many caster levels.

For example, comparing a 26 wiz/13pm/1 monk with a 39 wiz/1 monk (based on Mage-U-Like, let's say), PM hybrid works out as follows:

PROS: pm immunities, +8 AC from bone skin, extra HP, +1 caster level for necro spells (40 instead of 39)

CONS: loses 3 feats (!), 9 caster levels for non-necro spells (30 instead of 39)

The trade-offs are pretty clear. Having never played the mod through, I have no idea if the PM build is even viable. Are those immunities readily available on items? Will I be stuck using only necro spells throughout the LL (except for buffs)?

Any thoughts, suggestions much appreciated. Help a n00b out!

[MurphysLawAgain]

Borges,
All the PM immunities are available on items and a few hp & ac don't make up in my opinion for the loss of spell DC. You would do better to either make a pure PM (30 levels of PM before 40) or a nearly pure mage (with 1 splash lvl - two at most).
This build puts you at a major disadvantage with neither the PM's enhanced necro DC's and handy special abilities nor enough mage DC to beat the legendary lvl critters. I recommend a lot more reading in the build threads - there is a lot of handy wiz building guidance around.

Good luck with your W-I-Z and see ya in game