Arcane Supremacy hidden +2 int and AM vs PM

[peng]

As the title states, arcane supremacy has a hidden, always on, +2 int. A guildmate and I have independently checked it. you can also check the last post here.

This means that a pure wizard in lich form with +2 necro dc from archmage and +2 int from supremacy has the same necro dc as the same wizard with +1 necro dc from AM, +1 necro dc from pale master, and +2 int from improved lich form. In addition, the AM will have +1 dc in a secondary school over a PM and the same dc in other schools. Alternatively, the AM can have a different primary school with different slas and +2 dc, and only lose out on 1 necro dc.

A PM going for max necro dc has to spend 41 ap in the PM tree (for capstone) and 25 in the AM tree (t4 +1 necro dc, +1 int, and the enervation sla core), leaving 14 ap to spend in EK, racial tree, or dump more into PM or AM. An AM has to spend 41 ap in AM (for capstone), and 31 in PM (for lich form), leaving only 8 spare ap.

PM has slightly better self healing (10 neg spellpower from archlich, 5% negative amp from capstone, more neg sppwer from points spent in tree), while AM has cheaper metamagics, more general sppwer, and more dps when arcane supremacy triggers.

My guildmates and I have been discussing this for a while. His wizard is primary illusion, secondary necro AM, while mine is a t5 PM with necro specialty in AM. He can cast 2x phantasmal killer (sla and spell) and finger in the time it takes my PM to cast a single finger. And since he has the AM capstone and improved heighten, his finger costs 6 less than mine and his pk costs 15 less. With enlarge, he can cast a 10 sp pk sla before I even get in range. And with draconic presence from draconic incarnation, he gets an additional +3 to pk dc.

I'm not saying that AM is always the way to go, but it's certainly better for a dc based wizard than most players seem to be giving it credit for.

[SirValentine]

He can cast 2x phantasmal killer (sla and spell) and finger in the time it takes my PM to cast a single finger.

How does that work? What's the reason you can't cast 2 spells and an SLA in the same time he casts 2 spells and an SLA?

[peng]

How does that work? What's the reason you can't cast 2 spells and an SLA in the same time he casts 2 spells and an SLA?

I have necro as my AM specialization, so my lvl 4 sla is enervation. If I switched my AM specialty to illusion while keeping t5 PM, I'd lose 1 dc in necro, same as my AM guildy. However, he has t5 AM so he gets +2 to illusion, while I'd only get +1. Also, I don't have illusion spell focus feats. If I were to lr or etr, I'd probably take illusion sf feats and take AM illusion specialty.

[SirValentine]

I have necro as my AM specialization, so my lvl 4 sla is enervation. If I switched my AM specialty to illusion while keeping t5 PM, I'd lose 1 dc in necro, same as my AM guildy. However, he has t5 AM so he gets +2 to illusion, while I'd only get +1. Also, I don't have illusion spell focus feats. If I were to lr or etr, I'd probably take illusion sf feats and take AM illusion specialty.

That's all fine. But I still don't understand your prior claim that somehow your guildy can cast 3 things in the time you can only cast one, and that didn't explain it.

[caellwin]

his guildy is using quicken, he isnt obviously

[peng]

My guildy has phantasmal killer sla, pk spell, and finger of death. I have finger of death, and an abysmal dc on pk so I don't use it. Even if my dc wasn't horrible, I'd still only be able to cast 2 single target instakills in the time he could cast 3. This is due to the 8 second cooldown on pk and fod, not the casting time with/without quicken. I always quicken fod.

[ChemE]

I doubt very seriously this is working as intended and may or may not be fixed any time soon but I may give it a try just for curiosity sake.