The Fghter/Wizard Class (HELP)

[Bobthesponge]

Welcome to DDO.


And now I must apologize - what you are planning is a recipe for failure and pain and from your posts there are a few preconceptions that you are bringing to the game that will only add to the aforementioned pain and failure.

This is not a flame - I am trying to help. This is an attempt to save you from getting frustrated and rage quitting the game. Please note that at low levels anything is viable and can tear through content. The issues will start to appear when you hit the mid level and higher content.

The first thing I want to do is tell you that you made the correct choice in coming to the forums with your questions. Many new players don't and then get frustrated.

Unfortunately it looks like you are ignoring most of the advice. As stated, the build you are planning (14 Ftr/6 Wiz) will only result in a weak fighter who can cast weak spells - that is inescapable because of the DDO combat mechanics. For what you are trying to accomplish the Bard class is the way to go. It does excellent melee damage (esp as a warchanter) and can buff/crowd control with the best. An added advantage is that bard song are NOT magical so will not be dispelled by beholders and other dispelling enemies.

So if i Go bard, i can use UMD and get Firball and all those spells while staying melee, while buffing MYSELF AND NO ONE ELSE!

I had to address this directly. The only reason ever to buff yourself and no one else is when you solo. You seem pretty empatic about not wanting to buff others. D&D was designed as a team game and DDO still holds true to that, although it is possible to solo most content. Buffing helps out the entire party. AOE buffs like haste are the single greatest spell you can cast as it increases the effectiveness of everybody significantly. Plus if you go bard it would take some serious gymnastics to play your songs where only you can hear them.

Please do not multicalss your first toon - go pure. Multiclassing is for experienced players who know the strengths and weaknesses of each class and how to compensate for them. Even if you pull a perfect build off the forums you would still need items and weapons that are only available as rare drops (torc/madstone boots/head of GF, ect) or at the end of long grinds (Greensteele, cannith crafting).

Hope you read the Wall of Text and it helps. And have fun.

EDIT:

Im not gunna lvl as Directed unless it makes it better? other wise im gunna do Wizard,Fighter,Wizard,Fighter,Wzard, Etc till 20.

I hope this doens't mean that you will be gong 10 Ftr/10 Wiz? Because that will be one of the worst possible combinations in the game. Please resconsider.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Wizard 5?! Where do you people get these crazy ideas?!

[Talon_Moonshadow]

on a more serious note:

Not nearly as bad a build as everyone would have you believe.

But you have to understand what you can and cannot do. And maybe what alternatives there are to do or sorta do what you want.

Offensive spells of almost any sort suck on a heavily multiclassed caster.

A Ftr15/Wiz5 will not be throwing meaningful fireballs at high lvl.
And UMD items for offensive spells also suck. So no Fireballing Bards either.

Buffs on the other hand work just fine! Displacement is a great buff for a melee guy to have on tap.

And five lvls of Wizard is not going to kill your BaB or HP that badly IMO. Yes, they will suffer...but not so much. And Displacement on tap can make up for that IMO.

But for Epic content, the lower BaB may hurt sometimes..... but Rog20s seem to hit ok on epics, and your BaB will be slightly higher than theirs.

And Rog20s survive with fewer HP than you will have too.

(depending on what your actual build turns out to be anyway)

Also....not so many good Ftr feats that you will lose much there either.



However. PREs. Prestige Enhancements are very powerful in this game.
And capstones are nice too.

Losing both of those will hurt more than anything else you lose IMO.


And just how goo dis what you will gain in return?...
depends.

depends on your preferred playstyle (and how much social stigma bothers you. )

I like self-buffing!
I don't have a guildy to always cast any buff I desire on me.
I hate griding the same quest over and over again to get some rare loot item to get a buff I want.


People claim Haste is the best spell in the game.
I claim that Displacement may be the best spell in the game....

Wiz5 has both!
And without an investment in UMD.....or waiting till near cap to get enough UMD to do anything col with...
Wiz5 can use wands of Stoneskin at lvl7. Scrolls of Fireshield...another great buff.
Scrolls of Teleport. (more of just a cool thing...but still....)
If you can find them...scrolls of DDoor.

20pt Jumps.
10 minute Blurs.
False Life.
Invisibility
Expeditious Retreat

This is a fun build.


But....Spell Points are very few....

I much prefer the Rgr/Wiz for that reason. You get bonus Sp from both Wis and Int.
And I get more enjoyment for mixing magic and stealth.


You should also note that with a high enough UMD, you can (eventually) use scrolls of most of those buffs, or replace with items that have clickies of those spells.

Also Elves can take a two Dragon Mark feats to get Displacement (longer duration too...but usable less often)



Like others have said...many ways to get most of those buffs later in the game if you really want them.

Plus there is the fact that you are a beginner to the game....and probably do not really understand the pros and cons, and what you really want to play yet anyway.

To be safe...stay pure.

But I didn't. My Wiz5 was my first char, and I love him.
But it just fits my playstyle better....and my build has other perks that I like about him too.

[Darkstar1996]

Ok i Rearanched it, put down Int and Put up Con and Str. Anything else you guys would change? but i think this build is actually pretty good! Also would it be better to go all 6 (or 5 if better) Wizard first then Fighter?

~Thanks Everyone~

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

Level 20 Lawful Good Warforged Male
(14 Fighter \ 6 Wizard) (Or 5 if better)
Hit Points: 366
Spell Points: 550 
BAB: 17\17\22\27\27
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 6
Will: 9

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    22
Dexterity            10                    10
Constitution         16                    18
Intelligence         14                    15
Wisdom               10                    10
Charisma              6                     6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               0                     7
Bluff                -2                    -1
Concentration         7                    21
Diplomacy            -2                    -1
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -2                    -2
Heal                  0                     0
Hide                  0                     0
Intimidate           -2                    -1
Jump                  3                    21
Listen                0                     0
Move Silently         0                     0
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                2                     2
Search                2                     6
Spot                  0                     0
Swim                  3                    21
Tumble                2                     2
Use Magic Device      0                     0

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I
Enhancement: Warforged Damage Reduction I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Armored Agility I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I


Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 4 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Cleave
Enhancement: Improved Jump I
Enhancement: Improved Swim I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 5 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution I
Enhancement: Warforged Hardiness I
Enhancement: Warforged Power Attack I


Level 6 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Great Cleave
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting I
Enhancement: Warforged Construct Thinking I


Level 7 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation I
Enhancement: Wizard Subtle Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Warforged Brute Fighting II


Level 8 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II


Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Combat Casting
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Improved Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Warforged Constitution II


Level 10 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Improved Concentration II


Level 11 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II


Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Two Handed Fighting
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Improved Jump II
Enhancement: Improved Swim II


Level 13 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I


Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Kensei Greataxe Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Greataxe Specialization I
Enhancement: Improved Jump III
Enhancement: Improved Swim III


Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV


Level 16 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Handed Fighting
Enhancement: Combustive Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Deadly Flame I
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation II
Enhancement: Flame Manipulation III


Level 17 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Combustive Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Deadly Flame II
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I


Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Two Handed Fighting
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Critical
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness III


Level 19 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness IV
Enhancement: Warforged Inscribed Armor I


Level 20 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons

[fluffi]

5 wiz would be relegated to simple buff-bot that you would get annoyed with.

If you want a long displace, go elven fighter (14con min) and get dragonmarks + extend so you have a total of 18mins displace between shrines. Once you get GS haste clickies, you have arguably the 2 best buffs in the game on tap. Granted, you cannot buff others, but great for yourself.

For low levels (until 8ish) a wiz with high str is not much different in melee to a fighter, as difference in BaB is not significant and masters touch negates the lack of proficiencies. After that, you have to put in time and effort to narrow the dps difference between the fighter and wiz classes, which is usually made up by gear.

My recommendations
Take a fighter (any class) to at least 16th level (if not cap) and see how you like it. Then do the same with a wiz (wf for self heal) (I would say sorc, but the ability to change spells is great so you can try them all out). This way you can see the power differences and then you can decided what you like. When playing as a wiz, its usually good to get some spell advice as certain spells are great in certain situations.

[Darkstar1996]

Well im gunna try Bard, i think there like Joker from Dark Knight, Well If i dont like it im going my pure Wizard or Pure Barbarian i have. Just one of my last quistions are can Bards get like some of Wizard Buffs? like Haste, False Life, Risest Energy, Blur, Dicplacment, Etc.


Quistions:
- Are Blur and Dicplacment Same thing? can you have both on you at the same time?
- Can Bard's use Haste, False Life, Etc.
- How do Bard's Fight? TwF or ThF?
- Do they use Longswords, Shortswords, or Rapier?
- Are they Decent in PvP (I like to do a little PvP, on my lvl 4 Barbarian i kill lvl 13 Enimies who have half Health)

~Thank you~

(Would you guys Recomend Adding Rogue to Bard? cause i always wanted a Rogue Class but i hate them just Rogue.)

[Gkar]

Yeah i still kinda wanna do the Fighter/Wizard but more Fighter? like only a lvl 5 Wizard so i can get some Decent Spells like Bear Endurance, Risest Energy, False Life, Blur, Displacement, Haste. All the ones that will help me not doany damage on them, Maybe Throw a Fireball

I'm sorry but you have it backwards. Your haste and blur will be so short you might as well use haste potions and you would be better off with blur wands. Beyond very low level Bears is useless because by L9 you can have +4 stat items (lower if you have named items or crafted items) and by L13 you can be decked out in +6 items. Your energy resists at +10 will be useless above very low levels, you would be better off with L6 +20 resist pots from The Twelve or the very cheap +30 resist items that are available by L11-13 (or if you are in a guild, guild buffs). Your fireball will be equally useless past very low levels. Just think, at L20 you will be facing stuff with 1000 HP and will still be tossing a spell that does a whole 30ish damage (meaning you could do more damage by swinging instead of casting)

The problem with Barb/Wiz is that once you rage you can't use any spells you have. That may or may not be a problem depending on your playstyle. The fighter also has the advantage of adding feats in an often feat starved MC.

Usually when you see this done its by someone who is mostly wiz with some fighter added in.

[Daggerswan]

I just wanted to share my fighter-mage experience. I have a 12Wiz/5Ftr currently. He rarely gets into groups so I solo with him when I am unsure about how much play time I have. My general strategy is to bring a warforged hireling along and pack some stoneskin and reconstruct wands. I buff the hireling and a summoned creature and send them into the fray. My job at that point is to PK the enemy casters and keep the hireling healed. Every once in a while I will draw agro from a trash mob or two. I have enough martial ability to dispatch them with ease. I know the build will be terribly useless at end-game so my plan is to blue bar at 18 (another fighter level). I am having so much fun with him that I intend to do it all over again at next life. Below is my plan for that:

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

Chaszmyr III
Level 18 Lawful Neutral Elf Male
(6 Fighter / 12 Wizard)
Hit Points: 244
Spell Points: 1093

BAB: 12/12/17/22
Fortitude: 11
Reflex: 8
Will: 11

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(36 Point) (Level 1) (Level 18)
Strength 16 18
Dexterity 12 14
Constitution 12 14
Intelligence 18 27
Wisdom 10 12
Charisma 8 10

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Base Skills Modified Skills
Skills (Level 1) (Level 18)
Balance 3 12
Bluff -1 1
Concentration 1 27
Diplomacy 1 11
Disable Device n/a n/a
Haggle -1 0
Heal 2 11
Hide 1 2
Intimidate -1 1
Jump 7 18
Listen 0 3
Move Silently 1 2
Open Lock n/a n/a
Perform n/a n/a
Repair 4 8
Search 4 10
Spot 0 3
Swim 7 25
Tumble 3 12
Use Magic Device n/a n/a

Level 1 (Fighter)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Wizard
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Aerenal Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I

Level 2 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Fluidity I
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I

Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Illusion
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I
Enhancement: Wizard Wand and Scroll Mastery I

Level 4 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum I
Enhancement: Aerenal Elf Melee Attack I

Level 5 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Improved Concentration II

Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Fluidity II
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II

Level 7 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage I
Enhancement: Archmage Spell Mastery I: Illusiion

Level 8 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II

Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Improved Concentration III

Level 10 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage II
Enhancement: Illusion I - Invisibility
Enhancement: Illusion II - Blur

Level 11 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Improved Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III

Level 12 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Fluidity III

Level 13 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum II
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage III
Enhancement: Illusion III - Displacement

Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Fluidity IV

Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Aerenal Elf Melee Damage II

Level 16 (Fighter)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II

Level 17 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II

Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Kensei Longsword Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I

[Krago]

Yeah i still kinda wanna do the Fighter/Wizard but more Fighter? like only a lvl 5 Wizard so i can get some Decent Spells like Bear Endurance, Risest Energy, False Life, Blur, Displacement, Haste. All the ones that will help me not doany damage on them, Maybe Throw a Fireball (Hense the lvl 5) in there IF POSSIBLE! So can anyone help me with a build? Like lvl 15 Fighter/5 Wizard or 16Fighter/4Wizard? And is it possible to Exchange Fighter for Barbarian? or would it just be better to go Fighter/Wizard. Cause all i want is a Class that can Buff me while im up in there Face Whirlwind and all That Fun Stuff.

So Final thing i need help at is:
-Can i go Barbarian/Wizard or ONLY Fighter/Wizard? Pros and Cons?
-Would it be better just to go Pure Wizard with like a 14 Str to get up in there face a little?
-What Race Would go Best with it? (WF,Elf,Human,Dwarf,Halfling?)
-Last can someone tell me lvls? 14/6, 15/5, 13/7,16/4?

~Thanks Whoever can Help me

18 Ftr/ 2 Rog. Best Fighter/Wizzy around. UMD all the spells you want to self buff, then go smash.

[Mr_Ed7]

I did 10/10 F/W.

Quite fun, actually. My 4th toon after I got the Drow Race.

This is not an optimal power-gamer build.

It's I got good friends to run with who really don't care what I play.

It is based on the AD&D build for fun.

Try it.

Consider it a challenge.

[Fejj]

Well im gunna try Bard, i think there like Joker from Dark Knight, Well If i dont like it im going my pure Wizard or Pure Barbarian i have. Just one of my last quistions are can Bards get like some of Wizard Buffs? like Haste(YES), False Life(NO), Risest Energy(NO, but can UMD resist wands later in the game), Blur (YES), Dicplacment (YES), Etc.


Quistions:
- Are Blur and Dicplacment Same thing? can you have both on you at the same time?
Blur = 20% while Displacement = 50% concealment (miss chance) They do NOT stack, however blur lasts 20min while disp lasts 2. Cast both, and remember to recast displacement as needed.

- Can Bard's use Haste, False Life, Etc.
Yes, and No - Bards get Haste, Rage, Blur, Displacement and many other spells. False life spell does not stack with false life item. (you will have a greater false life item)

- How do Bard's Fight? TwF or ThF?
Both - For you, a first life new player ... go THF

- Do they use Longswords, Shortswords, or Rapier?
If you want to ..... however none of the above are optimal
TWF - Scimitar or Khopesh
THF - Greataxe, or Falcion

- Are they Decent in PvP (I like to do a little PvP, on my lvl 4 Barbarian i kill lvl 13 Enimies who have half Health)
Sure they can be decent ....

~Thank you~

(Would you guys Recomend Adding Rogue to Bard? cause i always wanted a Rogue Class but i hate them just Rogue.)
Lots of people do .... 16bard 2fighter 2rogue. Its an advanced build but quite viable.

I tried to offer up my 2cp here

Good luck and Have Fun!!!

[Darkstar1996]

Ive Played the Bard for a week, and i hate it, ur weak, people ant me to heal all the time, cant kill, not alot of spells, **** armor, get killed alot. i dont like it.... im heading back to my Fighter/Wizard Build

[flaggson]

Ive Played the Bard for a week, and i hate it, ur weak, people ant me to heal all the time, cant kill, not alot of spells, **** armor, get killed alot. i dont like it.... im heading back to my Fighter/Wizard Build

well if this is your opinion on the bard after a week... good luck on your fighter/ wizard build *waves*

[andreascott89]

False life spell does not stack with false life item. (you will have a greater false life item)

They do stack

- J

[Muldamai]

Play something you like! Don't worry what other people think, do your own thing. Realize, it will be tougher to get into groups, as people get scared of exotic builds, and truthfully, a lot of time you see an "interesting" build, the person is inexperienced and will die often.

Play a fighter/wizard for two reasons:
1) have fun
2) you will learn what is possible and not possible and gain valuable experience about DDO

This is what I do love about this game, you can make builds that will not work, and that is not for everyone. Please do not become too frustrated, and you will either find your play style will make a fighter/wizard really good, or 12 levels in you will want to make another character. I have done that about 3 times trying things out.

So go forth, and play!

[Phidius]

I love mixing 6 ranger and 2 evasion with a 12 wizard Warforged.

Monk or Rogue, your choice

[mahiro37]

It's interesting that you hate your Bard.

I made a pure Bard Warchanter (THF Helf) and it has been easier for me than any other character that I have played.

Mine is currently 13 (almost 14) and I love it.

If you keep your songs up when necessary and use your buffs (haste/displacement) wisely, you own pretty much everything.

My main is a Horc Ugly Stick build (currently 9rog/6mnk/1ftr) and I can honestly say that soloing with my Bard is WAY easier than playing my Horc with a healer hireling due to dungeon scaling. I love that my Bard is a true soloer (something I've been wanting).

Admittedly, it takes a while to become used to a Bard and truly learn how to utilize your abilities, but I personally have found it worth it.

[Arianrhod]

Aw, let 'im play the fighter/wiz till he decides it's no good (or not, it could happen). At that point, he's got a decent bank mule, a much better understanding of the mechanics of the game, and maybe some cash for wands & clickies for the next character

BTW, in case no one's mentioned it, if you want to be a real meleer with buffs, consider hirelings and House P buffs on a pure fighter

[Catmage2]

I made as similar post on the topic on a WF Blade Caster.
If your not too lazy to look at it, I think is has some promising points.

[Entelech]

Okay...let's step back into some general build philosophy before we go further.



1. It's not about what you get, it's about what the tradeoff is.

In your case, it's not comparing your 14 fighter / 6 wizard to a 14 fighter named Bob and a 6 Wizard newbie named Joe. You need to look at what you'd look like as a pure 20 fighter, then see what you give up. Lower BAB, fewer attacks per animation cycle, loss of capstone, lower hitpoints, and loss of a Tier 3 prestige enhancement are all there.

Now, you need to do a realistic comparison of what you gain with the Wizard levels. This can be hard.

Finally, once you know what you're getting versus what you are giving up, you need to decide how you're better off.



2. Hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!

The thing with multiclass builds is that it's all about synergy. You are choosing to trade out certain abilities in exchange for others. You need to make certain that the abilities you get from the trade work well with the abilities you keep from the original class. In short, you need to have an angle.

So, Let's look at ways Wizard and Fighter work well together...

a. Self Buffs. Generally speaking, this is good, but you're going to find spell points to be a significant issue. Haste is a short-term buff and surprisingly taxing to keep running for long periods. Likewise, many of the better buffs (such as Greater Heroism, Stoneskin, etc...) are higher-level spells and may require more Wizard levels than you care to take.

b. Self Healing...kinda. This is not as clear-cut as being a divine caster. You need to either be a Warforged or a Pale Master to get much self-healing. And, unfortunately, a shallow SP pool limits you here, in comparison to the WF Sorcerer or melee Favored Soul.

c. Undead Stances...kinda. If you look at Pale Master's undead forms, it looks like a done deal. Zombie gets +Str, +Con, 100% fort, a slew of immunities, and DR 5/slashing. Unfortunately, Zombie form also slows your attack speed. This is REALLY annoying, and is probably bad enough to eliminate all other benefits of Zombie form including self heals. Wraith and Vampire are better deals, but require Wizard 12.


And we need to look at problems to overcome.

a. To wear armor, or not to wear armor, that is the question. Wizards suffer something called Arcane Spell Failure when wearing armor. This means that a spell has a percentage chance to fizzle, but still costs you spell points and triggers the cooldown timer. You need to decide how much armor you are going to wear, based on how much arcane spell failure you can tolerate. Elf / Half Elf / Drow /Warforged have enhancement lines for this, and there are Arcane Sigil / Twilight / Arcane Casting Dexterity items as well.

b. Basic behavior. Pure fighters and barbarians usually want monsters to beat on them, and have abilities that generate extra hate to encourage monsters to do so. This is because they have abilities that allow them to survive this sort of thing better than their fellows. Wizards generally want to avoid a monster's attention, because they like their organs on the inside, thank you very much. Note that items like Concordant Opposition greensteel, and the Torc of Prince Raiyum-de, although considered traditional Wizard gear, go against the grain of this trend by rewarding Wizards who get attacked in melee.

c. Summary stats. You'll need to pay attention to things like Hit Points, Spell Points, and BAB in such a build. Fighters get lots of Hit Points and BAB. Wizards get a medium-to-high amount of spell points but lousy HP and BAB. By mixing the classes, you run the serious risk of having too few SP to be useful, too low a BAB to hit anything, and too few HP to survive the attempt. Of these, BAB is easiest to fix, traditionally with a bunch of Divine Power clickies.

d. Spell Penetration and Save DC's. This is why you aren't going to be a CC wizard in Epics. And this is why Archmage is not even worth considering.


So...to evaluate such a multiclass:

(1) Do you wear armor or not? Plan this from day 1.
(2) Pale Master or Warforged?
(3) Will I seek out aggro and take a beating, or will I avoid aggro while doing DPS? Am I a tank? Plan this from day 1.
(4) How many Hitpoints and Spellpoints will you need?
(5) What Prestige Enhancements will I obtain? This is why most builds work in increments of 6 levels (18 / 2 and 12 / 6 / 2 are popular for this reason.)