Wizards that feel and play quite differently - Some sample builds

[EnjoyTheJourney]

I've been experimenting with pure wizard builds that provide a different in-game look and feel. I'll post 5 such builds here for others to think about for their own characters and to poke holes in, for my own learning. All are "first life" builds.

All builds involve moving INT to max, CON to 12 or 14, and then fiddling with WIS, STR, or CHA with remaining points.

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Naldaer Zaurett, Drow illusionist / enchanter


- begin as an evoker AM, then switch to illusionist sometime after phantasmal killer becomes a SLA


feats
1: maximize
1: empower
3: heighten
5: spell focus: enchantment
6: greater spell focus: enchantment
9: insightful reflexes
10: spell focus: illusion
12: greater spell focus: illusion
15: spell penetration
15: enlarge
18: greater spell penetration
20: quicken
21: epic spell penetration
24: epic spell focus: enchantment
26: toughness (?)
27: epic spell focus: illusion
28: ??


enhancements


Archmage - 67 points
all core abilities (illusion) – 6
2 subtle spellcasting – 2
full spell penetration – 6
full spell critical (force / untyped) –8
full spell DCs – 6 (2 illusion, 1enchantment)
full wand & scroll mastery – 9
both INT – 4
arcane supremacy - 2
some efficient metamagic – 14 (full maximize, full heighten, 1 empower)

PM – none

Drow - 13
full enchantment saves – 3 (also gives +1 to enchantment DCs)
four core abilities (bonuses to INT) -7
full improved dodge - 3

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Rosewill – elven enchantress /conjurer

Feats:

1: spell focus: enchantment
1: greater spell focus: enchantment
3: heighten
5: enlarge
6: maximize
9: insightful reflexes
10: quicken
12: spell penetration
15: greater spell penetration
15: spell focus: conjuration
18: greater spell focus: conjuration
20: empower
21: epic spell penetration
24: epic spell focus: enchantment
26: toughness (?)
27: ??
28: ??


Enhancements …

Archmage(54 points in total)
all core abilities (enchantment) – 6
full subtle spellcasting – 3
full spell penetration – 6
full spell critical – 8
full spell DCs – 6 (enchantment x2,illusion x1)
full wand & scroll mastery – 9
arcane supremacy - 2
many efficient metamagics – 14 (fullmaximize, 2 empower, full heighten)


PM: none


Elven (26)
1st core
1 arcane fluidity - 1
Auto-search, tier 3 (9 total)
arcanum - 6
enchantment lore - 6
Fey tap – 1
Fey sight - 2


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Nightlance– drow necro AM, PM enhancements without shrouds

feats:

1: maximize
1: empower
3: heighten
5: enlarge
6: focus: necro
9: greater focus: necro
10: quicken
12: spell pen
15: greater spell pen
15: insightful reflexes
18: spell focus: evocation
20: extend
21: epic spell penetration
24: epic spell focus: necromancy
26: toughness (?)
27: epic ability: INT
28: ???

Enhancements

Palemaster - 24
1st core ability - 1
full negative criticals - 8
2 deathless vigor - 4
1 cloak of night – 1
full efficient metamagics – 6(empower)
both INT - 4

Archmage – 50
+2 Necro DC, +1 evocation DC - 6
full core abilities – 6 (necromancy)
full spell penetration - 6
both INT - 4
full wand & scroll mastery – 9
full criticals - 8
1 subtle spellcasting – 1
arcane supremacy - 2
efficient metamagics – 6 points formaximize, 2points into heighten, 8 total

Drow - 6
full INT enhancements in core


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Izzvyr Glannath, Drow Conjurer / PM (leveling) and Transmuter / PM(Epic)

Rely on Web SLA while leveling, and rely on Flesh to Stone and Disintegrate (plus use those Transmutation buffs!) after hitting level 18.


Feats

1 extend
1 maximize
3 enlarge
5 heighten
6 spell focus: necromancy
9 greater spell focus: necromancy
10 spell focus: transmutation
12 greater spell focus: transmutation
15 spell penetration
15 quicken
18 greater spell penetration
20 empower
21 epic spell penetration
24 epic spell focus: necromancy
26 toughness (?)
27 epic spell focus: transmutation
28 ??


Enhancements:

Archmage - 41
full core = 6
both INT = 4
full school mastery = 6
full spell pen = 6
arcane supremacy = 2
meta (3 maximize) = 6
meta (2 heighten) = 4
meta (2 enlarge) = 4
full subtle spellcasting = 3


Palemaster - 33
all core except capstone = 5
criticals = 8
improved shrouding = 2
full bone armor = 3
full negative energy conduit = 3
full meta cost reducer = 6 (3 empower)
one deathless vigor = 2
both INT = 4

Drow elf - 6
- all core except last +2 to spell resistance


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Gulmyr Claddana

Drow abjurer AM, PM summons


tactics:
Use enchantment / summons / stealth when mobs have no spell resistance (ie: disco balls, mass enchant spells, symbols, ...)
Use evocation / summons when mobs have spell resistance
meta enhancers to keep costs under control
shrouds are for defense / healing / DCs / stealth

feats

1 maximize
1 spell focus: evocation
3 greater spell focus: evocation
5 augment summons
6 extend
9 insightful reflexes
10 empower
12 spell focus: enchantment
15 greater spell focus: enchantment
15 heighten
18 enlarge
20 quicken
21 epic spell focus: evocation
24 epic ability: INT
26 toughness (?)
27 epic spell focus: enchantment
28 ??


Enhancements


Archmage - 41
full core – 6 (Abjuration)
full criticals - 8
both INT - 4
metas – 18 of 22
full subtle spellcasting – 3
arcane supremacy - 2


Palemaster - 32
full meta – 6
full summons – 15
both INT – 4
all core except capstone – 5
improved shrouding - 2


drow – 7
both INT – 4
full spell resist - 3

[Lanhelin]

Why is there no MT and IMT in the taken feats lists? For me it's hard to believe that a first lifer would be happy without the additional SP (judged by my own experiences). Is there a hidden SP source I haven't discovered yet?

I play two first life Wizards (32 pt), one is Human, Evocation focused, AM, currently Level 16 and the other one is Warforged, Enchantment focused, AM with 2 Rogue Levels, currently 16/2.

The Evoker is great when there are no traps and all is about damage from a secure distance. The Enchanter is more defensive, not that great in dealing damage (except for 12 seconds when Arcane Supremacy procs) but able to disable traps and very useful in mass fights and protection quests thanks to (quickened) disco ball and mass charm. He is also more durable because of the WF racial enhancements and of course because of Reconstruct. The Evoker feels more like a glass cannon. Both are fun to play, but atm I prefer the "Trapchanter" for his versatility. I didn't take feats like Empower or Maximize, instead I took Mental Toughness and Improved Mental Toughness (At Level 18 I have about 1600 SP, an archmagus hat included) which help me a lot more. The Evoker instead can afford to take Emp/Max because even when the enemy wins its saving roll it takes half the damage - on the other side casting and failing a charm does nothing but eating SP.

The Enchanter feels more secure, the other side of the medal is that it takes much more time to "clear" a map compaired to the Evoker. But when SP are gone and regenerating continuously to 12 or 15 the Enchanter is much more able to survive until reaching the next shrine than the Evoker, because of the SLA Charm Monster, which still can turn a hopeless fight to the opposite. The Enchanter adds Mob-damage and a charmed mob won't harm the Wizard, the Evoker instead - with no SP he's quite a poor fellow and remains much more vulnerable to damage of all types. Though I got the Evasion feat with the Enchanter, it's not a free pass for traps, especially when on Elite the box is past the trap :/

Yesterday a guild mate (Paladin 16 / Fighter 2) and I tried the ES Challenges together. While we never got more than three stars in the cave challenges, we finished both druid and the other two (protecting) challenges
with 4 to 5 stars. Due to the lack of dps we weren't fast enough to kill the enemies in the Arena, but protecting the tree and the mage was much easier, thanks to disco ball and CC. With the Evoker it'd be viceversa I guess.

Feats I took so far (Trapchanter, Warforged):

1 Insightful Reflexes
2W Augment Summoning
3 Mental Toughness
6 Spell Focus: Enchantment
6W Heighten
9 Enlarge
12 Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
12W Quicken
15 Spell Penetration
17W Greater Spell Penetration
18 Improved Mental Toughness

I put a few AP in the racial tree for the 5% ASF reduction and more HP, 7 AP went into Palemaster for Deathless Vigor, some points I spent in the Rogue Mechanics Tier 1 Mechanics and Awareness and the rest into Archmage.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

I don't know that foregoing MT / IMT is a really good or really bad idea, in general. I do find the ability to switch on maximize quite helpful for bosses, particularly when using more expensive spells (20+ spell points per pop) and with cost reduction enhancements in place for maximize. You might feel quite a bit less damage challenged with at least maximize in the mix, if you can squeeze it in somewhere.

I might just give the MT / IMT / EMT loadout a go with the elven enchantress, and forgo the focus / greater focus conjuration feats to make room for them. Together with arcanum, my elven enchantress then ends up with a pretty decent spell points pool. The drow abjurer with the PM summons might be better off with more SPs than the evocation spell focus feats. I'll ponder that as well.

I found your feedback interesting to think about, and thank you for posting it.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Working with the MT / IMT / EMT idea, I re-made the abjurer / PM summons wizard as a dwarf. His (provisional) build plan is below:
Bofgen Thzak, Dwarven abjurer / palemaster





STR 8
DEX 8
CON 20
INT 18
WIS 8
CHA 6



Skills:


max: concentration, spellpower, heal,spot, UMD, balance
eventually max search, put some pointsin jump, haggle



Feats


1 maximize
1 extend
3 augment summons
5 mental toughness
6 improved mental toughness
9 insightful reflexes
10 empower
12 spell focus: necromancy
15 greater spell focus: necromancy
15 heighten
18 enlarge
20 quicken
21 epic spell focus: necromancy
24 epic mental toughness
26 toughness
27 epic toughness
28 ??



Enhancements


Archmage - 33
5 core – 5 (Abjuration)
full criticals - 8
both INT - 4
metas – 14 of 22 (full maximize, fullheighten, 2 empower)
arcane supremacy - 2


Palemaster - 46
all core – 6
full summons – 15
full criticals – 8
both INT – 4
improved shrouding – 2
extra necromancy DC – 2
full bone armor – 3
full cloak of night – 3
full neg energy conduit - 3


Dwarf – 1
1st core (10 hit points)