18 Wizard/2 Rogue and skill starved

[Horkenstein]

Need some advice, if people don't mind helping out.

I am working up a Wizard/Rogue as part of a three man group that's largely unfamiliar with the dungeons. I'm pretty new, so I won't have access to large quantities of cash and a stack of inherited gear. With the roles I'm taking on, I know the Wizard would need level capped concentration, and the rogue would need open lock, disable device, search, and spot for the dungeoneering (I'm forgoing the rogue's other two functions).

Using the <insert rogue skill> guides in the compendium, the impression I get is that I'll just be barely scraping by on hitting the "everything else" DCs for the dungeoneering skills only by putting all my skill points into those skills and ignoring Concentration altogether.

I'll start with 18 intelligence. Dex and Wisdom will be around 10. Constitution will be 14.

Any suggestions on how I can get a decent standing concentration without having to rely on the loot RNG and not destroy my rogue skills? The only work around I can think of is possibly taking Quicken as a metamagic bonus feat early and learning to suck up the extra cost, along with losing 12 enhancement points in an effort to mitigate it.

I love turning monsters into drooling idiots and burning them too much to go back to hacking away with a sword, but I equally love defeating traps and getting into locked chests, and my friends like me doing that, too.

[Runehammer]

I might suggest only putting .5 points into OL per lvl since you can try over till you get it without adverse effects like blowing the trap and spot is only useful if you don't know where the traps are, once you learn the location spots not needed anymore exept for spoting hidden mob's. You might want to look into UMD also it can be quite handy especialy in a dedicated group, you never know when you might have to raise the cleric

[Arianrhod]

Well, as a wizard, you'll probably have Quicken spell eventually (if you don't already), as it's one of the more useful choices available as a Wizard bonus feat. Since Quicken makes your spells uninterruptible, it becomes much easier to live without Concentration (though, of course, it does cost extra spellpoints, so might not want to keep it on all the time).

[Phidius]

It's up to you if you want to spend AP to make Quicken a bit cheaper, but don't abandon Concentration because you have Quicken.

Quicken does nothing for scrolls.

[Phidius]

Without using any tomes, you can keep Concentration at max ranks, and still get enough points to do all traps and locks.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.10
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 Lawful Good Warforged Male
(2 Rogue \ 18 Wizard)

...

Level 1 (Rogue) 
Skill: Balance (+4) 
Skill: Concentration (+2) 
Skill: Disable Device (+4) 
Skill: Haggle (+3) 
Skill: Hide (+4) 
Skill: Jump (+4) 
Skill: Listen (+4) 
Skill: Move Silently (+4) 
Skill: Open Lock (+4) 
Skill: Search (+4) 
Skill: Spot (+4) 
Skill: Tumble (+1) 
Skill: Use Magic Device (+4) 
 
Level 2 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+2) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
 
Level 3 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+2) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
 
Level 4 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+0.5) 
 
Level 5 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+0.5) 
 
Level 6 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+0.5) 
 
Level 7 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+0.5) 
 
Level 8 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 9 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 10 (Rogue) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Open Lock (+6) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+5) 
 
Level 11 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+2) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+0.5) 
 
Level 12 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 13 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 14 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 15 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 16 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1.5) 
 
Level 17 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 18 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 19 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1) 
 
Level 20 (Wizard) 
Skill: Concentration (+1) 
Skill: Disable Device (+1) 
Skill: Open Lock (+0.5) 
Skill: Search (+1) 
Skill: Spot (+1)

You could skimp even more on Open Lock, and use the Barbarian for your Spot skill if you wanted to keep up another skill (like UMD). Using +1, +2, and +3 tomes at their minimum level would certainly help things along.

[Horkenstein]

Another skill, noooo! This is what horrid wilting must feel like. :P

Honestly, though, I'd love to have UMD, but I need Spot. None of us know the dungeons well enough to get by without it, and the other two aren't playing classes that'll pull it off very well.

Quicken was already planned in for those situations where I absolutely have to drop an AoE mind affecting spell immediately, but the lack of concentration was forcing me to consider it as more of an always on thing. The cost in spell and enhancement points kind of sours that approach.

Phidius, you rock. Thank you very much for the skill layout. I'll put it on my sheet and reroll tomorrow with the new patch. I can guarantee the +1 tome by level 3, of course. Not so sure about +2s and +3s, yet...