Need advice on a drow palemaster

[Symerith]

I've always liked the things PM can do. However, I never rolled one in the past.
First time I'll be making a wizard, I capped 3 sorcerers in the past so I'm familiar with the spells.

It's going to be a drow PM, pure wizard 20.

My goal is to be able to solo epic content very easily (Scroll farming in sands, red fens, etc...).
The question is : what should be my spell focus? Necromancy for FOD ? ... ?

What feats should I take?

Pointing me to a strong PM build or advice me would really help.

Thanks for taking the time to read and give me a hand.

[nikkisman69]

here is where I got some of the info for my PM build
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=302573
http://forums.ddo.com/showpost.php?p...1&postcount=91

I used a little of both for mine and he is working fine. Only lvl3 so far so who knows. Here is my build.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.09.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Valdim Shadowstalker
Level 20 Chaotic Neutral Drow Male
(20 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 202
Spell Points: 1709 
BAB: 10\10\15\20
Fortitude: 8
Reflex: 17
Will: 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             10                    10
Dexterity            10                    10
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence         20                    32
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             10                    10

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               1                     4.5
Bluff                 0                     0
Concentration         6                    25
Diplomacy             0                    15.5
Disable Device        n/a                  n/a
Haggle                0                     0
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  2                    11.5
Intimidate            0                     7
Jump                  2                    10.5
Listen               -1                     1
Move Silently         2                    11.5
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                5                    11
Search                5                    13
Spot                  1                    12.5
Swim                  0                     0
Tumble                1                     1
Use Magic Device      2                    11.5

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation I
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I


Level 2 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Glacial Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Combustive Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I


Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Deadly Ice I
Enhancement: Deadly Flame I
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation II
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation II


Level 4 (Wizard)


Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Improved Maximizing I
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation III
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation III
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I


Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II


Level 7 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Deadly Ice II
Enhancement: Deadly Flame II


Level 8 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation IV


Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III


Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Improved Empowering I
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration II


Level 11 (Wizard)


Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III


Level 13 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master I
Enhancement: Summon Skeletal Knight


Level 14 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration III


Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation V
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation V
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master II


Level 16 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Summon Blackbone Knight
Enhancement: Shroud of the Wraith


Level 17 (Wizard)


Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Heighten Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Improved Heightening I
Enhancement: Shroud of the Lich
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master III


Level 19 (Wizard)


Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Master of Magic
Enhancement: Wizard Improved Heightening II

[FrozenNova]

(Greater) Necromancy focus is a pale master requirement - no choice there.
Enchantment is the usual secondary.

I've personally gone off Drow in favor of Helf/cleric for mine. I'll suffer the -1 dc if it lets me heal the tank.

Nothing special in feats -
7 character + 5 class
1 Toughness
2 Maximize
3 Empower
4 Quicken
5 Heighten
6 Extend (Still nice on a PM for conserving spellpoints with aura).
7 Necro focus
8 Greater necro focus
9 Spell pen
10 Greater Spell pen
11 Enchantment focus
12 Greater Enchantment focus

Alternatives to slot in - metal toughness: unlocks wraith for 25% incorp and stealth
Insightful reflexes: eh. Not usually a game changer without evasion.

[slimkj]

solo epic content very easily

There'll be lots of builds you can look over and will be linked to, but this bit is more about knowledge of quests, spells and how to approach certain situations.

[goodspeed]

Building a pale is pretty straightforward. The only things they requre feat wise is necro and greater necro and I think mental toughness?

Then it's just enhancements for the rest of the requirements. The only part that really differs is what you want the pale to do. Are you gonna have em be a nuker or maybe a ccer?

Jack up that int, get that con rolling for some meat behind those aura layers.

Only thing id do at 12 is reset all your enhancements and drop the zombie form. Compared to wraith it's just a waste of ap. Vamp form is like undertaking a suicide mission.

Also id leave the pets be. For what they do in game they aren't worth the ap by a long shot.

[Symerith]

Tyvm for the help guys !

All of it has been very useful information

[unbongwah]

Here's a basic pure drow PM build, specced for cold / fire / force and max Spell Pen:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.09.02
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Drow Female
(20 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 202
Spell Points: 1680 
BAB: 10\10\15\20
Fortitude: 8
Reflex: 16
Will: 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             10                    10
Dexterity            10                    10
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence         20                    30
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             10                    10

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes


Level 2 (Wizard)


Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 4 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT


Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell


Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Glacial Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Combustive Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Kinetic Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Deadly Ice I
Enhancement: Deadly Flame I
Enhancement: Deadly Kinetics I
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation I
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation II
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation I
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation II
Enhancement: Force Manipulation I
Enhancement: Force Manipulation II
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I
Enhancement: Wizard Subtle Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master I
Enhancement: Shroud of the Zombie


Level 7 (Wizard)


Level 8 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT


Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment


Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness


Level 11 (Wizard)


Level 12 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation III
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation III
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Force Manipulation III
Enhancement: Force Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II
Enhancement: Wizard Subtle Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master II
Enhancement: Shroud of the Vampire
Enhancement: Shroud of the Wraith


Level 13 (Wizard)


Level 14 (Wizard)


Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration


Level 16 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT


Level 17 (Wizard)


Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration


Level 19 (Wizard)


Level 20 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Master of Magic
Enhancement: Glacial Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Combustive Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Kinetic Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation V
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation V
Enhancement: Force Manipulation V
Enhancement: Force Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration II
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration III
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Enhancement: Wizard Subtle Spellcasting III
Enhancement: Shroud of the Lich
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master III

BTW, an elf can get +4 Spell Pen from Arcanum line but lose -1 DC from lower base INT.

[Hobgoblin]

Insightful reflexes: eh. Not usually a game changer without evasion.

i agree with everything you said up till here.

wizzies often dont have the hp to soak damage.

i would rather take half and be able to burst myself back to full, then take full damage and have to wait for a rez

hob

[FrozenNova]

Assume fire shield. With a decent 400-450 hp, no fire/cold evadable aoe is going to kill you through fire shield. Mobs don't cast fireballs for 900 damage.

Traps, yes, they can hurt. But DC's will generally be higher where it matters than where a wizard can reach.
So we're left saving against electric and acid and sonic aoe's.
Sonic evadable aoe's - there arn't any. Acid evadable aoe's - just acid blast.
So.. just electric spells? They usually hardly tickle anyway. Horned devils cast chain lightning for practically zero past resists, and painful ones are fairly rare in epic.

If you're really suffering, craft/acquire a % absorbtion item - but I wouldn't spend a feat on it.