Reducing enemies' saves vs charm person

[Badmash]

Hi

I have a multiclass wizard (currently ftr 2/rog 2/wiz 2, for reasons of D&D nostalgia), and find charm person an excellent form of CC, particularly as I play solo.

The problem is when they make their save. I know that the DC of their save is affected by my Int (16 base, about to get Wiz Int I, and have a +1 item, so will shortly be 18) and the Spell Focus: Enchantment feat (which I don't have). I tend to target fighter-types, assuming (possibly wrongly!) that casters have better Will saves. Plus, I get a laugh out of watching the enemy wizard being clobbered by his own guard.

Two questions, really:

1) Is the Spell Focus feat worthwhile? As a multiclass, every feat has to really contribute. My development plan (as far as lvl 10) doesn't have any spare feat slots. I do have Empower Spell (as a class feat), which I don't actually make much of use of, but can Spell Focus be taken as a class feat?

2) Are there other ways I can make their saves harder (either reduce their Will save or increase the DC)?

I don't have much experience with DDO wizards, so there may be frighteningly obvious stuff that I'm not aware of. I await enlightenment.

Thanks

[Sinni]

what is your intended class split in the end? This has a big influence on which feats are worth it or not. It's also important to know what feats you already have and what feats you intend to take further down the road.

To lower their will saves you need to lower their wisdom, i can't think of a spell that directely does that. What helps though is enervate, which gives negative levels and thus also lowers the saves. But you'll need a bunch more wizard levels before you can cast it.

You can increase your DC by the metamagic feat Heighten Spell, but that also makes the spell more expensive and you need a higher caster level, right now it wouldn't do anything.
Then there are certain weapons that increase your DC a bit. Don't ask me how the one for enchantments is called.
And of course more int. Yours is pretty low for level 6. My Wiz6/Rog1 has an intelligence of 24 (+4 DC compared to you) at the moment iirc and i sometimes have trouble landing level 1 spells with a save.

[Carlll]

1) Is the Spell Focus feat worthwhile? As a multiclass, every feat has to really contribute. My development plan (as far as lvl 10) doesn't have any spare feat slots. I do have Empower Spell (as a class feat), which I don't actually make much of use of, but can Spell Focus be taken as a class feat?
No to class feat.
Spell Focus can be useful, Enchantment is a strong field. It depends on if your DC will remain halfway viable with your build (are you putting level ups into Int? with how much did you start? are you taking Heighten? how much will you splash?).
Eventually, saves become very very high in Shavarath, less so in Epic though.


2) Are there other ways I can make their saves harder (either reduce their Will save or increase the DC)?
Mind Fog gives -10 to will saves but they need to fail a will saves for that to happen ;-).
Enervate, Energy Drain.

[Badmash]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Regarding the build, I'm basically trying to recreate the old D&D elf. I know this is sub-optimal, but it is fun to play. The character is meant to be a superb archer, with stealth and some magic.

Currently, I've planned out as far as 10th level, being ftr 6/rog 2/wiz 2 in order to have both Elven AA and Longbow Kensai by 10th level (selected feats being Toughness, TWF, Weapon Focus Ranged, Empower Spell, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Precise Shot).

By that point, I should (I hope) be a pretty dangerous archer, so will then focus on magic up to (wiz) level 7, to get access to 4th level spells. This will only get me to Wiz Int II, so a base Int of 18.

I'll be 15th level by then, and I haven't planned any further. I won't necessarily have time to go all the way to 20th, so am trying to make a character that's versatile and fun to play, but doesn't require several weeks of my life (which I can't spare!) to make.

[Carlll]

With onyl 7 levels of Wizard, Extend is the only metamagic really makes sense. For haste and displacement.
Alright, Maximize increases your Firewall damage but a level 7 Firewall at level 16 or whatever isnt really great...

Casting with such a build? Only buffs. No DC spells will land, and spell damage will be really low.

[Badmash]

I had thought my casting at higher levels would start to hit limits. A bit of a pity, as the CC capabilities are great (at the moment). C'est la vie: it's the well-known curse of jack-of-all-trades to be master of none. It'll never compare to a pure wizard, but (so far, anyway) has pretty good durability. Perhaps at the upper levels I'll have to adapt to being a buffing archer, but I intend to get all the use out of my magic along the way.

Since I have those final 5 levels unassigned in my plan, there's scope to go further down the wizard line. As I said though, this character may not get that far.

Mind you, if I do become a buffing archer, I should hopefully have buckets more SP than the typical AA. Ironically, this "soloist" might end up best placed as a sort of supporting-fire character better suited to group play. But, not having played at the upper levels, I'm just guessing.

Thanks for the advice. I'll certainly consider Heighten Spell when I'm eligible.

Time will tell if this character becomes the magical master bowman I envision, or leaf-mulch in the Forest of Disappointment:)

[knightgf]

Then there are certain weapons that increase your DC a bit. Don't ask me how the one for enchantments is called.


That would be called "Enchantment Focus". They're found on items as well.

[Hendrik]

Spell School Focus and Greater will help as well as Heighten. Raising your INT will raise your DC, if that fit's into your build.

There is loot that has School Foci from 'lower' levels up to Raid level.

Look into debuffing. Some spells to look at that may be of use in your playstyle;

Curse
Mind Fog
Contaigon
Necrotic Ray