Bard TRing into Wizard

[Qezuzu]

To my sadness, I feel as though my CC-speced Bard won't cut it in the "Real" epic quests. Sure dancing a Tiefling here and there is nice and all, as are the 37 DC danceballs (38 Yugo pots 39 +2 EXC CHR), and the fact that I'm contributing to DPS with songs and restoring SP to people, but that's about it. I can't do **** against Drow without Web or Masshold (as it currently is), I have almost no offensive power other than 150-point Shouts, my SP is a paltry 1.6k (is that paltry? This is my first caster toon and it regens sooo). No powerdrain for high-saves type (just Irresistable), no stone for casters (...just Irresistable). Also, my new guild is in need of an epic CCer.

So, I have some questions before I take the plunge:-

Archmage. It looks very confusing. IIRC, there are 5 tiers that give you more SP, and each tier has optional enhancements, which lower your max SP, to get spell-like abilities and boost your DC's. Is this right, and am I right in thinking that it gives a total of +3 (total in every school) to your DC's?

Is palemaster now just for fun? Since lichform is +2 to INT and the +100 FORT means I can safely use Yugo pots, I lose the spell like abilities and get -1 to one school's DC, but gain more HP, self-healing, higher Necro DC's, etc? I have Shroud of the Abbot, but am planning on Epic Diabloist's Robe at end game.

What race is best? Elfs can get more SP though the Arcanum line but have 30 less HP than humans, humans get +1 to INT through adaptability and some healing AMP. Dwarves (can't change gender in TR iirc, female dwarf eww) have 50 more HP then humans (+2 starting CON +2 AP +10 more Racial Toughness) but they look terrible. Drow get +1 INT over humans and free SR, but have 30 less HP than humans of course. Humans also have an additonal feat, which is good since I'll be taking the Bard PL. I don't want to go Warforged, I know how great they are, yadda yadda, I just don't want to. I don't have any Half-races bought. I see no advantage to going Halfling.

My enchantment DC breakdown gives me a DC of 42, like so:

10 Base
9 Spell Level
1 Bard Life
2 Focus Feats
3 Archmage PrE
2 Item (staff of the Petitioner is my favored implement)
~~
27 no INT mod

INT=
18 Base
5 Level
7 item (Diabloist's)
2 Tome
3 AP
2 Capstone
3 EXC
~~
40, +15 MOD

So 42. With Litany and +3 Tome, 43. With Drow/Human and some obscure way to get +1 INT (+4 tome, like that'll ever happen), 44.

Any advice? Tips for leveling like crazy? All appreciated.

[Chette]

If you don't want to go warforged (any reason why?) then human is, IMO, the next best option for the extra feat and human adaptability. Half-elf is also nice as you can get some good self-healing.

Archmage isn't really that confusing, it's just that there are a lot of options. Yep, there are 5 tiers, and you can select spell like abilities at each tier (but to get the next tier of spell like abilities you have to take the prior one). You can also take the DC enhancements, up to 3 for your spell school. For enchant the first two spell like abilities are pretty decent, but I just take the first hypno. Taking spell focus conjuration and getting the web spell like ability is also very useful.

[Entelech]

The reason you're having trouble with Drow casters is NOT your save DC's. It's Spell Resistance.

They're totally separate things.

If a critter saves against a spell, you see a blue hexagon flash over their head. Failing to punch through Spell Resistance shows up as a sort of dome of blue light flashing around the target.

Your save DC's are improved by your Charisma, the level of the spell, and any School Focus items or feats.

Your Spell Penetration checks are based on your Bard level (hopefully you're pure classed), the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats, Spell Penetration items, and possibly some class enhancements. Wizard and Favored Soul Past Lives also help.

With the latest update, Drow PC's had their racial Spell Resistance improved because, as it was, it was useless. Now, it's based on the level (or Hit Dice) of the character. Since Epic monsters have some ungodly number of Hit Dice, basically they get an insane Spell Resistance due to a poorly-thought-out automatic calculation.

When a random scrub in some quest has a Hit Die total and Spell Resistance check higher than the avatars of most deities, I wouldn't feel bad about difficulty in CCing them.

[Qezuzu]

If you don't want to go warforged (any reason why?)

Just too plain and common. Repair spells and being WF are a nice synergy, as are their many immunities (many of which can be duplicated by items) and higher HP, but it's not very interesting IMO. Plus I can get higher DC's using another race, such as human (which I am now going with).

The reason you're having trouble with Drow casters is NOT your save DC's. It's Spell Resistance.

I know this. My bard can't get past their SR except with Greater Shout/Sound Stun's except on a good (+15) roll. I have the feats, the items, and the first Tier of AP but they have such high SR. Wizards can use Web and Masshold (until it gets changed, if it will).

Your save DC's are improved by your Charisma, the level of the spell, and any School Focus items or feats.

I know these things. I have my bard's DC's almost maxed except for some rare(ish) gear (+7 CHR, +2 EXC CHR, Litany, Yugo Pots would give 40).

And it's not the drow. It's my near-complete inability to solo as a SS bard with almost 0 melee capabilities. Or do anything against Spiders/Scorpions, high SR mobs, etc. Bards are very appreciated in a party, but by being a very competent epic CCer with high DC's on a server (orien) where they seem to be far and few, I think I can help groups better that way. Also, my guild is looking for one, and they're just a couple people too full; I have to sit out on every other raid night.

[Chette]

Drow SR on epic is obscene, even multiple TRed wizards still have trouble in epic OOB. I wouldn't use it as a standard against which to hold yourself, you'll go crazy :P

[Ertay]

I might be wrong here, but AFAIK, both Mass Hold and Web are not affected by spell resistance while Otto's spells are, so going wizard might indeed be a good choice for tr.

On a side note, a bard past life will give you +1 enchantment dc at least, and if you go for a wizard past life after that you could get the highest enchantment dc possible currently (short of completionist, that is)

[dkyle]

Archmage. It looks very confusing. IIRC, there are 5 tiers that give you more SP, and each tier has optional enhancements, which lower your max SP, to get spell-like abilities and boost your DC's. Is this right, and am I right in thinking that it gives a total of +3 (total in every school) to your DC's?

+2 to your primary school (+1 at AMI, +1 again at AMIV)
+1 to your secondary school (+1 at AMIII)

So, much less than you think.

Is palemaster now just for fun? Since lichform is +2 to INT and the +100 FORT means I can safely use Yugo pots, I lose the spell like abilities and get -1 to one school's DC, but gain more HP, self-healing, higher Necro DC's, etc? I have Shroud of the Abbot, but am planning on Epic Diabloist's Robe at end game.

In terms of total increase to DCs thanks to the PrE, pale-master actually wins, with +1 to all DCs from Lich form, and +1 from Yugo pots. PM's problems are more in wasting two feat on Necromancy, which is largely useless in Epics.

Some AM SLAs are quite nice though. 3sp heighten'd Webs are sweet, as are 3sp Dances. A good case can be made for the Evocation SLAs, as well, at least for leveling.

What race is best?

After WF, I'd say Drow or Human. The other races have very little to offer a Wizard (e.g, you shouldn't be wasting AP on Wizard SP enhancements, unless you have to for AM, let alone on Elf SP enhancments).

[quitzquizar]

I would say a past life bard is tailored to making up a enchantment archmage. That extra enchantment boost never never can hurt a archmage focusing in enchantment anyway.

Archmage isn't really that difficult, there are 5 tiers which require some basic background enhancements/feats, but you do NOT have to choose the specific archmage spells that come with them. You can pick the archmage tiers simply to get extra sp without picking any spells to go along with it.

Of course you'll be taking some basic spells to give you crowd control with minimal sp usage, but there isn't any reason to take higher level spells if you don't want to. Many find that having just basic web/hypno serves their needs just fine for a while.

So, enchantment archmage, using your bard past life, getting sf enchantment, gsf enchantment, picking up archmage enhancements of enchantment, throwing in a little spell penetration, etc. you'll be fine with crowd control, just like enchanters are.