Updating my Warforged Wizard

[RightToRemainStupid]

I'm looking at updating my 32-point, level 25 Warforged pure Wizard for update 19. I want to stay pure for the purposes of flexibility, so I won't be adding any splashes that I might be stuck with later, as I have no plans for TR'ing. I'll get the expansion pack eventually.

My current feats are:

Toughness
Insightful Reflexes
Heighten
Quicken
Empower
Maximize
Mental Toughness
SF: Conjuration
SF: Evocation
GSF: Evocation
Spell Pen
Greater Spell Pen
Epic Spell Pen
Great Intelligence

Because I like to dabble in DC casting, I am hesitant to dump the feats that make it possible to switch to Magister and be effective. I'm not too concerned about the Spell Focus feats, you only need one to unlock the Magister DC lines, they are no longer necessary for AM and most DC increases come through Int, ED's and enhancements. I can barely make the Spell Pen checks as it is with the full compliment of bonuses, I don't want to find myself in a situation where stuff is only landing on mobs with less than Drow SR only half the time, otherwise I'd consider dumping that line for more Mental Toughness.

If I can find room for a single SF feat, I think that will be enough to unlock most of the possible DC bonuses. I'm thinking Conjuration for that, spammable Web is still the best CC for those who aren't hitting the DC ceiling, which I won't be. So I'm thinking drop SF/GSF Evocation for Improved Mental Toughness and Enlarge, keep the Spell Pen line to keep spells like Otto's Irresistible Dance relevant and take Epic Mental Toughness when I get the expansion. I won't know whether Great Intelligence is worth keeping until I figure out what gear is possible, but I could possibly take a 2nd Spell Focus or perhaps Epic Toughness if I start with 18 Con. I haven't looked into the post-U19 stuff in any real depth, so any thoughts?

[Clatterfist]

As long as you're willing to work within the boundaries of conjuration and evocation, you could drop the three spell penetration feats altogether. Conjuration and Evocation spells typically don't allow spell resistance in the first place. You'd have to rely on things like Trap the Soul and Prismatic Spray for insta-killing, and Web, etc. for crowd control, but it is an obvious option for a character that focuses on those schools.

[tharveysinjin]

I'm looking at updating my 32-point, level 25 Warforged pure Wizard for update 19. I want to stay pure for the purposes of flexibility, so I won't be adding any splashes that I might be stuck with later, as I have no plans for TR'ing. I'll get the expansion pack eventually.

My current feats are:

Toughness
Insightful Reflexes
Heighten
Quicken
Empower
Maximize
Mental Toughness
SF: Conjuration
SF: Evocation
GSF: Evocation
Spell Pen
Greater Spell Pen
Epic Spell Pen
Great Intelligence

Because I like to dabble in DC casting, I am hesitant to dump the feats that make it possible to switch to Magister and be effective. I'm not too concerned about the Spell Focus feats, you only need one to unlock the Magister DC lines, they are no longer necessary for AM and most DC increases come through Int, ED's and enhancements. I can barely make the Spell Pen checks as it is with the full compliment of bonuses, I don't want to find myself in a situation where stuff is only landing on mobs with less than Drow SR only half the time, otherwise I'd consider dumping that line for more Mental Toughness.

If I can find room for a single SF feat, I think that will be enough to unlock most of the possible DC bonuses. I'm thinking Conjuration for that, spammable Web is still the best CC for those who aren't hitting the DC ceiling, which I won't be. So I'm thinking drop SF/GSF Evocation for Improved Mental Toughness and Enlarge, keep the Spell Pen line to keep spells like Otto's Irresistible Dance relevant and take Epic Mental Toughness when I get the expansion. I won't know whether Great Intelligence is worth keeping until I figure out what gear is possible, but I could possibly take a 2nd Spell Focus or perhaps Epic Toughness if I start with 18 Con. I haven't looked into the post-U19 stuff in any real depth, so any thoughts?

Have you considered enchantment? I know that DC casting was extremely frustrating before update 19, but, that has all changed now.

I am running a drow wizard. Admittedly, my wizard is a completionist, so that does help a little with a higher intelligence and extra passive feats. By going Archmage with spell focus enchantment, greater spell focus enchantment, and secondary focus in necromancy, I am able to get my enchantment DCs to an unbuffed 66, while in the Magister Epic Destiny. I have taken pale master as well, with the vampire shroud and all of the intelligence points in the tree. My necromancy DCs are at 55. I run in the Magister destiny, when playing in Epic Elite content.

However, recently, I have been using the draconic epic destiny. I find that I have an incredible amount of flexibility. I can still use the enchantment CC spells to great effect, and, I have necromancy DCs that are high enough to use wail of the banshee with a high rate of success. If those are not an option or if I need to clear a room, I can use my energy burst to kill everything. I’m hitting 17-19k crits on my wizard’s bursts, but, averaging 8-10k. (Boss mobs usually take less damage)

All-in-all, my wizard is extremely fun to play.

[RightToRemainStupid]

As long as you're willing to work within the boundaries of conjuration and evocation, you could drop the three spell penetration feats altogether. Conjuration and Evocation spells typically don't allow spell resistance in the first place. You'd have to rely on things like Trap the Soul and Prismatic Spray for insta-killing, and Web, etc. for crowd control, but it is an obvious option for a character that focuses on those schools.

I'm dropping both Evocation feats no matter what, they are unnecessary. Trap the Soul does have an SR check but it also works on some low Will save EE mobs. But I'll probably only be taking a single Spell Focus feat now, not being able to have more than one SLA changes the way AM works too much for my liking.


Have you considered enchantment? I know that DC casting was extremely frustrating before update 19, but, that has all changed now.

I am running a drow wizard. Admittedly, my wizard is a completionist, so that does help a little with a higher intelligence and extra passive feats. By going Archmage with spell focus enchantment, greater spell focus enchantment, and secondary focus in necromancy, I am able to get my enchantment DCs to an unbuffed 66, while in the Magister Epic Destiny. I have taken pale master as well, with the vampire shroud and all of the intelligence points in the tree. My necromancy DCs are at 55. I run in the Magister destiny, when playing in Epic Elite content.

However, recently, I have been using the draconic epic destiny. I find that I have an incredible amount of flexibility. I can still use the enchantment CC spells to great effect, and, I have necromancy DCs that are high enough to use wail of the banshee with a high rate of success. If those are not an option or if I need to clear a room, I can use my energy burst to kill everything. I’m hitting 17-19k crits on my wizard’s bursts, but, averaging 8-10k. (Boss mobs usually take less damage)

All-in-all, my wizard is extremely fun to play.

Enchantment focus items are bugged and not stacking with focus mastery items. There were always issues with this since they brought out ship buffs and tried to make bonuses stack. So I'm getting -2 DC on Enchantment, which leaves me even further behind other schools.

Considering this is a 1st life Warforged Wizard, I am already slipping behind on DC's and mid-50's seems like all I can hit even with all the new gear. Even with full Fate Points and the Draconic +2 Conjuration twist, I am in the middle to high single digits behind max sustainable DC. So the only way a weak DC is ever going to work is if it's on spammable spell like Web, but I've been there before and that DC is just too low, even in Solid Fog.

So I think I'll go with Necromancy, I can get full bonuses for it and I want it as high as possible, because even at 44-45 DC in EE Tor, I could FoD a lot of stuff after 1 x Enervation scroll + 1 x Energy Drain, so it's something I want as much success on as possible for insta-killing low Fortitude EE mobs. Even with everything put into DC's, my Necromancy DC would be in the mid-50's at most in Magister and high 40's in Shiradi. After looking into it last night though, I doubt I'll ever DC cast again, Shiradi should still be way better.

[Lanhelin]

Enchantment focus items are bugged and not stacking with focus mastery items.

Actually at least the +2 bonus from the named club I got in the lordsmarch chain pre U19 and the +2 bonus from another club I found in a chest post U19 do stack and grant +4 DC, according to the spell description tooltips.