Warforged Wizard Archmage

[Keplih]

Build Name: Warforged Wizard Archmage
Author: Keplih
Last Updated: 04/05/11

Key Words [Wizard, 32pts, Archmage, Warforged]

Objectives
A cheap build for farming. I want to spend the least gold and platinum possible to reach level 20 to farm items for other character/builds.

Summary Haves (Posted here only to indicate what I have access to, not what I want for the build)
- Drow
- Warforged
- 28 pt build
- 32 pt build
- Ability to change feats (limited)
- Ability to change enhancements

Summary Have-Nots
- Gear farmed from a higher level character <- That's what this guy is for!!!!

Design
The point of this character was to be self sufficient, including self-healing, with the least drain on current/future resources, allowing it to farm nearly anything/anywhere. (within reason... I did say "nearly") I don't want to be a drain on party resources either, as it's not my goal to take from others, but to earn from the game, and give to other characters.

I originally posted a WF Sorcerer for this and was pretty unanimously told that a WF Wizard AM would be a better choice. As I look at the base character, even considering that the Sorc has a +2 Cha tome at level 14 when the wizard has none, this wizard has more health and more spell points than the sorcerer. I'm glad I made a new build.

Edit note: For those that believe a splash of Rogue would do this build wonders, please refer yourself to my newly made Warforged Wiz-Rogue Archmage Build page. Thank you so much.

Edit update: Edited 04/05/11 for feats & enhancements, based on first hand experience.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.8.1
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Warforged Male
(20 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 202
Spell Points: 1836 
BAB: 10\10\15\20
Fortitude: 10
Reflex: 5
Will: 10

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             14                    14
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         18                    18
Intelligence         18                    28
Wisdom                6                     6
Charisma              6                     6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               1                    10
Bluff                -2                    -2
Concentration         8                    31
Diplomacy            -2                    -2
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -2                     9
Heal                 -2                    -2
Hide                 -1                    -1
Intimidate           -2                    -2
Jump                  4                     6
Listen               -2                    -2
Move Silently         1                    10
Open Lock            n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                4                    22
Search                4                     9
Spot                 -1                     9
Swim                  2                     2
Tumble                0                     0
Use Magic Device      0                     9

Level 1 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+2)
Skill: Concentration (+4)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+2)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+2)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I
Enhancement: Wizard Elemental Manipulation I
Enhancement: Wizard Force Manipulation I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I


Level 2 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I
Enhancement: Warforged Inscribed Armor I


Level 3 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Elements I
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Force I
Enhancement: Warforged Healer's Friend I


Level 4 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Improved Concentration II
Enhancement: Wizard Force Manipulation II


Level 5 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Jump (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Deadly Elements I
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Deadly Force I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II


Level 6 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Evocation
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage I
Enhancement: Evocation I - Magic Missle


Level 7 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II


Level 8 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Improved Concentration III
Enhancement: Wizard Elemental Manipulation II
Enhancement: Archmage Spell Mastery I: Evocation


Level 9 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Force II
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Deadly Force II
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage II


Level 10 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Force Manipulation III


Level 11 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Enhancement: Wizard Subtle Spellcasting I


Level 12 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage III
Enhancement: Evocation II - Gust of Wind
Enhancement: Evocation III - Chain Missles


Level 13 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III


Level 14 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+2)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Force III


Level 15 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar IV
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage IV


Level 16 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+1.5)
Skill: Repair (+2)
Skill: Spot (+0.5)
Enhancement: Wizard Force Manipulation IV


Level 17 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+1)
Skill: Spot (+0.5)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Enhancement: Improved Concentration IV
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Elements II


Level 18 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Repair (+2)
Skill: Spot (+0.5)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Deadly Force III
Enhancement: Arcane Bolt
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage V


Level 19 (Wizard)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Haggle (+0.5)
Skill: Move Silently (+0.5)
Skill: Repair (+2)
Skill: Spot (+0.5)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+0.5)
Enhancement: Wizard Lineage of Deadly Elements II
Enhancement: Arcane Blast


Level 20 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Repair (+7)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Improved Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Wizard Master of Magic
Enhancement: Wizard Elemental Manipulation III

[Parody]

This is just a preference for low lvls, but you may want to get Extend spell at lvl 3 + Bull's strength + Master's touch to slog it out in melee (you will have no trouble hitting even with 8 str) as SPs are ridiculously low for a wizard. This will also come in handy at 5th for haste as well. Maximize or empower can typically wait as monsters die incredibly fast in firewalls with an inferno (or potency) clicky or potion.

I posted some more advice in Arcane Study thread that may apply to making leveling quicker, though since you have a lvl 14, it might all be repeated.

Anyway, awesome build though, definitely a great WF AM.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Empower, toughness, mental toughness, spell focus:enchantment, maximise, greater spell focus: enchantment, extend spell, heighten spell, spell penetration, greater spell penetration, quicken spell, improved mental toughness are your feats.

I would dump improved mental toughness for spell focus: conjuration for better and free(ish) webs in epics.
I would take quicken sooner (reconstructs).
I would swap spell focus: enchantment for spell focus: evocation. Then take spell focus: enchantment/GSF:enchantment later and swap spell focus: evo for conj at level 20. This will give free easy DPS for soloing until cap.
I would consider fitting in insightful reflexes and enlarge (hard to do these days with the PrE's).
I would consider dropping con to 18. The extra points can be put in strength or charisma (strength better leveling up, charisma better at cap).
Put skill points in open lock (with gear you can do any lock in the game)
Don't put so many ranks in jump. 30 jump spell + 4 GH = 34, .: max of 6 ranks in jump (to equal 40, the cap)
Put 1 rank in tumble
Don't put any ranks in search
Don't put any ranks in repair
Put ranks in move silently
Put left over points in spot/listen (to see things that are invisible but only if spare points)

[Lycurgus]

It's a good build for farming, but there are a few things you may want to consider fiddling with. Consider swapping greater spell pen for insightful reflexes, it will improve your survivability. Consider taking the skill points you put into repair and putting them in balance (or umd). For self healing, the repair is unnecessary and you'll not enjoy being tripped when soloing epic content. Re-evaluate the enhancements. Improved maximize and healer's friend aren't going to benefit you much. Crunch the numbers, improved maximize I and II will possibly save you enough spell points for 1 empowered and maximized spell per shrine. You might put those points towards force/repair and bump up your self-healling. Have fun with the build!

[Keplih]

@Parody: Good advice. I'll see if I can implement it. I like your reasoning.

@Lycurgus: I appreciate your comments on the enhancements. Well thought out.
I appreciate less your comments on skills because, though I agree with your assessment of the Repair skill, my UMD and Balance are maxed out.

@wax_on_wax_off:
Skills:
MS skill: I assume it's because my Invisibility spell takes care of Hide skill?
Open Lock skill: Then, do I really care if I have Knock spell? The obvious answer is "I have knock, what do I care for OL." but I'm sure you know something I don't. Please elaborate.
Jump skill: Learn something new. Thanks. I was maxing out my jump at 10, even on Wizards. Now I know I only need 6.
Tumble skill: I keep seeing people saying "Only put 1 point into Tumble" to which my answer is "Huh?" Though the Jump skill was explained, the Tumble never was. So why do I care about Tumble at all? Please elaborate.
Spot skill: Thanks for the reminder. I may have additional points for it.

Attributes: I can see some of what you say. I've been berated for putting points into Str for combat at low level on Wizards. How does Cha give me any advantage at cap? Please elaborate.

Feats: The adverbs "sooner" and "later" are less helpful than saying nothing at all. I request additional information. Please elaborate.
In addition, how does Spell Focus: Evocation give "Free easy DPS". Last I knew, SF and GSF increased DC, not damage, nor did it reduce spell point cost. Please elaborate.
Similarly, how does Spell Focus: Conjuration provide "Free-ish webs". Please elaborate.

Level 1 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness 
Feat: (Selected) Toughness 
Level 3 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell 
Level 5 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell 
Level 6 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment 
Level 9 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration 
Level 10 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell 
Level 12 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment 
Level 15 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell 
Level 18 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Improved Mental Toughness 
Level 20 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell

[locus]

Have you considered a 2 rogue splash? For farming (versus group enchantment focus, esp for epics - which this is more, imo) the evasion will become invaluable and you'll find yourself able to solo things you probably wouldn't without it (raids etc). Not to mention that the extra xp from disabling traps helps quite a bit with leveling (and allows you to run trap heavy stuff that has some crazy xp associated with it in Necro2, etc). You would need to drop two feats and pickup Insightful Reflexes however. Having a decent (14+) strength is also very very useful and not too difficult to get on a WF, if you want to make a good rounded, solo capable character that can carry all that loot

[wax_on_wax_off]

@Parody: Good advice. I'll see if I can implement it. I like your reasoning.

@Lycurgus: I appreciate your comments on the enhancements. Well thought out.
I appreciate less your comments on skills because, though I agree with your assessment of the Repair skill, my UMD and Balance are maxed out.

@wax_on_wax_off:
Skills:
MS skill: I assume it's because my Invisibility spell takes care of Hide skill? correct
Open Lock skill: Then, do I really care if I have Knock spell? The obvious answer is "I have knock, what do I care for OL." but I'm sure you know something I don't. Please elaborate. i think some locks might not be able to be knocked, maybe wrong though, maybe get higher numbers
Jump skill: Learn something new. Thanks. I was maxing out my jump at 10, even on Wizards. Now I know I only need 6.
Tumble skill: I keep seeing people saying "Only put 1 point into Tumble" to which my answer is "Huh?" Though the Jump skill was explained, the Tumble never was. So why do I care about Tumble at all? Please elaborate. Tumble is a trained skill only, meaning that you can only tumble if you have at least 1 full rank (2 skill points) in it, being able to tumble is very useful (especially if you find a Docent of Defiance)
Spot skill: Thanks for the reminder. I may have additional points for it.

Attributes: I can see some of what you say. I've been berated for putting points into Str for combat at low level on Wizards. How does Cha give me any advantage at cap? Please elaborate. Charisma gives points for UMD. On a low charisma, cross class skill character it is very hard to have a useful UMD and +3 UMD (at the cost of 20 HP) is a totally fine option and probably more "optimal". Being able to UMD raise scrolls is pretty nifty, strength is great at low levels, many veteran arcanes put this in their build as it is quite possible to melee in some circumstances all the way to level 20.

Feats: The adverbs "sooner" and "later" are less helpful than saying nothing at all. I request additional information. Please elaborate. Exend spell is handy at low levels to make your 1 round/level spell in particular last longer, at level 7 it is great to make firewall last longer
In addition, how does Spell Focus: Evocation give "Free easy DPS". Last I knew, SF and GSF increased DC, not damage, nor did it reduce spell point cost. Please elaborate. Spell focus: evocation qualifies you for Archmage SLA magic missile which can do very good damage if specced appropraitely (1 SP for a maximised, empowered magic missile with superior-ness and force spec is quite nice, it will exclude enchantment archmage focus but 1 sp hypnotise isn't as useful at low levels)
Similarly, how does Spell Focus: Conjuration provide "Free-ish webs". Please elaborate. this qualifies you for conjuration focused Archmage secondary thingo which will give you 5 SP webs (extended and heightened of course)

 
Level 1 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness 
Feat: (Selected) Toughness 
Level 3 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell 
Level 5 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell 
Level 6 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment 
Level 9 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration 
Level 10 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell 
Level 12 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment 
Level 15 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell 
Level 18 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Selected) Improved Mental Toughness 
Level 20 (Wizard) 
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell

Comments in red. Refer to http://ddowiki.com/page/Archmage_enhancements to find out what SLA (spell like abilities) archmages can get and at what levels (and be wary that often it is better to have only 1 or 2 SLA's because the extra SP from AM PrE is better and the SP cost of the SLA's is too high).

[Lycurgus]

@Lycurgus: I appreciate your comments on the enhancements. Well thought out.
I appreciate less your comments on skills because, though I agree with your assessment of the Repair skill, my UMD and Balance are maxed out.

Eh, my bad. The take home message is (and was) you can probably find a better use of the skill points you put into repair.

One of the questions you might consider addressing at the outset is what exactly your planned play style will be. You want a cheap build for farming, but are you intent on solo or group farming? Or both? That, more than anything, will determine how to best allocate your stats and enhancements, and how heavily to invest in SLAs.

For a first life build intended for soloing, I recommend sticking with 18 int/20 con and minimal investment in the SLAs. You will get smacked around, and the extra hitpoints will fare you well. Having the extra spell points from AM1-4 or 5 with minimal investment in SLAs is beneficial for soloing because you're going to need them to do damage.

If you're more intent on grouping, it's reasonable to cut back on your starting con and place some of those points into str or cha. The extra str lets swing a greataxe with the potential to do some actual damage (which is simply fun), whereas extra cha beefs up your umd. You can afford to invest more heavily in SLAs because your primary function will be crowd control and other people will be doing the killing.

I would reorganize the order in which you take your feats.

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell---->Heighten
Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment
Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration---->Empower
Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell
Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration---->Spell Pen
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell---->Quicken
Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Mental Toughness---->Improved Mental Toughness
Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell---->Greater Spell Pen

That's the recommendation using your selected feats, although I can't recommend insightful reflexes highly enough. Be that as it may, the reasoning for the proposed changes is that you simply won't have a problem with spell penetration until you hit the vale and it doesn't really become an issue until the inspired quarter. Quicken is something I use rarely, in some epics and occasionally when reconstructing the tank in VoD/ToD. Outside of those situations, interrupted spells are few and far between.

Conversely, you will most likely want to be tossing empowered, maximized firewalls in gianthold. Heightened hypno can be extremely powerful for cc while leveling if you can convince your party mates to not break it willy nilly. I just finished tr-ing my wiz, and heightened hypnotism honestly made it a walk in the park. Thus, heighten and empower are moved to earlier points, and quicken, spell pen and improved mental toughness are placed where most needed.

Anyway, tupence.

--edited for spelling

[FuzzyDuck81]

If you want the build as a sugar-daddy item farmer type of build that will presumably mean you'll be running mid-high level & some top level stuff once you're capped, rather than primarily the high end/epic stuff?

In that case, i'd suggest going for a wiz18/rogue 2 evocation archmage route, i have one myself that i use for much the same thing (decently geared, but nothing all that amazing really.. very little raid/named/crafted stuff) & he's force specced with secondary in ice/fire, relying primarily on fully meta'ed magic missiles & chain missiles (max, empower, quicken & enlarge..also have extend & heighten which are good for buffs & CC stuff respectively) plus arcane bolt/blast in the cooldowns to bring things down through pure dps while conserving SP for when i need to use the "big gun" AoEs, instakills, crowd control, buffs etc.

As an arcane dps build, it doesn't have the really high spikes of damage that a fully meta'ed polar-ray wielding sorcerer can manage, but its capable of maintaining a steady, decent level of dps over multiple enemies for a long time, can self-heal, handle most traps that dont involve sitting in the middle of them to disarm them.. and frankly, being able to hammer out a constant barrage of pewpewpew is a lot of fun 1sp MMs & 6sp CMs ftw!

[Jaid314]

Eh, my bad. The take home message is (and was) you can probably find a better use of the skill points you put into repair.

One of the questions you might consider addressing at the outset is what exactly your planned play style will be. You want a cheap build for farming, but are you intent on solo or group farming? Or both? That, more than anything, will determine how to best allocate your stats and enhancements, and how heavily to invest in SLAs.

For a first life build intended for soloing, I recommend sticking with 18 int/20 con and minimal investment in the SLAs. You will get smacked around, and the extra hitpoints will fare you well. Having the extra spell points from AM1-4 or 5 with minimal investment in SLAs is beneficial for soloing because you're going to need them to do damage.

If you're more intent on grouping, it's reasonable to cut back on your starting con and place some of those points into str or cha. The extra str lets swing a greataxe with the potential to do some actual damage (which is simply fun), whereas extra cha beefs up your umd. You can afford to invest more heavily in SLAs because your primary function will be crowd control and other people will be doing the killing.

I would reorganize the order in which you take your feats.

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell---->Heighten
Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment
Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration---->Empower
Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell
Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration---->Spell Pen
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell---->Quicken
Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Mental Toughness---->Improved Mental Toughness
Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell---->Greater Spell Pen

That's the recommendation using your selected feats, although I can't recommend insightful reflexes highly enough. Be that as it may, the reasoning for the proposed changes is that you simply won't have a problem with spell penetration until you hit the vale and it doesn't really become an issue until the inspired quarter. Quicken is something I use rarely, in some epics and occasionally when reconstructing the tank in VoD/ToD. Outside of those situations, interrupted spells are few and far between.

Conversely, you will most likely want to be tossing empowered, maximized firewalls in gianthold. Heightened hypno can be extremely powerful for cc while leveling if you can convince your party mates to not break it willy nilly. I just finished tr-ing my wiz, and heightened hypnotism honestly made it a walk in the park. Thus, heighten and empower are moved to earlier points, and quicken, spell pen and improved mental toughness are placed where most needed.

Anyway, tupence.

--edited for spelling

hmmm... my build sense is tingling... i'm not sure greater spell pen can actually be taken as a wizard bonus feat. how certain are you?

[Farayon]

Spell pen is not a wizard bonus feat.

[Irinis]

hmmm... my build sense is tingling... i'm not sure greater spell pen can actually be taken as a wizard bonus feat. how certain are you?

No it can't be taken as a wizard bonus feat.

[DaSawks]

I like the idea of the build but I have to question the end game loot finding ability of a Wizard. You will get into almost every PUG quest in Amirath (sp) or the SubT however I am finding it very difficult to get into Shroud runs with my Level 18 wizard. Most groups will only take one Arcane. I know there are other quests that can pull good loot however the Shroud is a goldmine if you can take the grind.

[Keplih]

A lot of good advice. As usual, step by step will be necessary to go through it all.

@wax_on_wax_off:
Feats: I've never been impressed with the SLAs from PnP, so I just chalked DDO SLA to be just as irritating. What you've described (1sp for Max/Emp MM) is AWESOME! Sorry. I don't usually use many MM for various reasons, but this just gave me the desire to used them in droves.

Skills: I be honest. Most of my characters have 1 point in Tumble... and I never use Tumble. I'll put it in as usual, but I expect it to see as much use as an ice salesman in Alaska. I'm currently working on putting those skills into play as you suggested. Open Lock is going to be cc and 1/2 as good as a rogue, so I'm still wondering the usefulness of it, but I'm willing to give it a go. Nix that. The Character Planner won't allow my pure WF Wiz to add any OL. :S Might be different when I make the character itself.

Attibutes: I see your point. I took 2 from Con, and added 2 to Str & 4 to Cha to lose the negative bonuses.

@Lycurgus: I see what you're saying. I've modified the skills to reflect.
Feats: The feat is the problem as I can't seem to get it in without sacrificing something I want/need.
Spell Pen & Greater Spell Pen are not Wiz feats.
GSF (spell) is not a Wiz feat.
Insightful reflexes is not a Wiz feat.
Toughness is not a Wiz feat.

We're at 5 of 6 possible feats now.

This leaves the SF:Evo and SF:Ench. (which will become SF:Con and SF:Ench at level 20)
Unfortunately, this gives me 7/6 feat. I'm not playing a human, or I would. If you could recommend which of the above feat I drop, I'll consider it.

@FuzzyDuck and Locus: Because you've been so insistent, please go to my newly made Warforged Wiz-Rogue Archmage Build page and let me know how that build holds up to your expectations.

@DaSawks: I guess that answers my playstyle. Solo, with the occasional PUG or Guild run.

[Ventusstormskyress6]

I have a question. What divine scrolls could u possibly want that are level 5 or below? For a blasty archmage, there aren't many scrolls that are worth the UMD. Also, wf lose charisma, so why? what spells could be beneficial?

[Deathdefy]

Re: Tumble

I never use active tumble either, so I tried a character without it. You take fall damage from EVERYTHING. Jump on ground with the tiniest incline, go over a bump; anything, and you take damage.

It's not game-breaking, but it's amazing the amount of incidental 'fall' damage mitigation that single point causes.

EDIT: Augh Necro smash. I did not check.

[Galeria]

Exend spell is handy at low levels to make your 1 round/level spell in particular last longer, at level 7 it is great to make firewall last longer.

This is incorrect. As of Update 9 a year ago, extend now only applies to buff spells, not damage spells.

http://ddowiki.com/page/Extend_Spell

[Kinerd]

This is incorrect. As of Update 9 a year ago, extend now only applies to buff spells, not damage spells.

http://ddowiki.com/page/Extend_Spell

To be fair, wax's post was made over a year ago.

[Thurbus]

Ooh...this looks great! I'm gonna give it a whirl!